Key Takeaways for Creators: Thriving in the Era of Brand Collaboration | by Shavir Sing | Jun, 2023

As creators, it’s crucial that we stay on top of emerging trends. After careful observation and analysis of the evolving landscape, we’ve gathered some exciting insights about brand partnerships that I wanted to share with you all. ⚡️

Here are some key takeaways (source: Deloitte, Linktree and CreatorIQ):

1. Shift in Marketing Goals: Brands are now focusing more on lower-funnel results like direct sales from their creator partnerships, not just general awareness.
2. Rise of Affiliate Marketing: Nearly 69% of brands now incorporate discount codes and affiliate links in influencer collaborations, with 84% finding this approach successful.
3. ROAS Becoming Critical: Brands are increasingly looking at metrics such as Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) to evaluate the success of their creator-led campaigns.
4. Explosion of Social Commerce: The social commerce industry is projected to grow from $492bn in 2021 to $1.2tn by 2025, driven primarily by Gen Z and Millennials.
5. Quality over Quantity: Brands are seeing the value in partnerships with creators who have smaller, but more engaged followings. The smaller the creator, the better the performance as an affiliate partner.
6. Nano-Influencers Making Waves: Creators with less than 10,000 followers (known as nano-influencers) are producing high sales results through their affiliate partnerships, outpacing even some mega influencers.
7. Frequency Matters: Posting content and links frequently is a stronger indicator of affiliate performance than traditional metrics like follower counts, likes, and comments.
8. Engagement vs. Willingness to Collaborate: Brands value creators who demonstrate a willingness to work with them and have a history of brand collaborations, even more than high engagement rates.

In light of these findings, I encourage all of you to think about how you can optimise your creator strategy. Whether it’s by considering affiliate marketing, focusing on cultivating a deeply engaged community, or increasing your content posting frequency, there’s a wealth of opportunities to unlock new growth and partnerships.

As always, we’re here to support you all on this exciting journey. Let’s continue to adapt, grow, and thrive in this ever-changing digital space. ?