“Influencer.” “Creator.” “Disruptor.” No matter the name, independent content Creators are informing what audiences consume online every single day. It begs the question, is Creator marketing worth the hype?

LTK’s webinar in partnership with Northwestern University, “The Next Wave of Creator Marketing, 2024 Forecast,” exposes the true potential of influencer marketing. It tackles topics from how the marketing predictions for 2023 played out to how our own platform is making a difference for Creator marketing across verticals. 

Couldn’t join us? Get the highlights now, distilled into four reasons you should work with Creators.

1. Take Advantage of the Next Wave of Creator Marketing

A new era of Creator marketing is already here, moving the needle for brands like yours. In 2023 alone, we saw several trends come to life.

Short-Form Video

Quick, snappy, and easily digestible, short-form video content exploded in 2023 as brands continue to combat shrinking attention spans and on-the-go lifestyles. And the numbers support this: We saw twice the rate of LTK video posts in quarters 1-3 of 2023 versus the same time frame in 2022.

Disruptors

Gen Z disruptors lead the charge among content Creators, with the highest increase in casting compared to other generations. These Creators share their authentic takes on everything from products and brands to lifestyle hacks. This influencer-generated content (IGC) sends users on new journeys via videos and articles—which share millions of links each month.

Retail Media Networks

Retail media networks are still making their mark, so much so that we saw double-digit growth in retailers investing in retail media campaigns in 2023. And it covers everything: increased campaign spend, plus more campaigns and collabs.

2. Achieve High ROI

Make Creator content work for you. Partnering with the right influencers delivers more bang for your buck as they open up new opportunities to drive business to the right people, in the right ways.

Access to 30 Million Consumers 

Customers who are most receptive to influencer marketing turn to Creators for guidance, and they don’t just scroll through posts. Instead, these 30 million consumers (and counting) are looking for recommendations, visiting spaces like LTK Creator shops to be inspired, to interact, and to participate in Creator content. By partnering with a content Creator, your brand can be part of their conversations.

Scale Marketing

LTK consumers are positioned to ensure success, with the courage to go for what they want—and the means to do it. They’re early adopters eager to try the latest and greatest trends and typically have $100,000-plus household incomes to support this. What’s more, they’re often highly influential on social media themselves, sharing their experiences with wider audiences. This impact is so tremendous that brands like yours reap the rewards to the tune of 3.5 times the conversions with LTK versus independent social media efforts alone. Consumers also extend Creator reach double by sharing and getting others to the purchasing tipping point faster. 

3. Increase Consumer Trust 

Think about marketing of the past: Consumers behaved differently just a decade ago, turning to print and TV. But these advertising efforts required time and repetition, so earning customers was harder. Brands have new, different opportunities to earn consumer trust now.

Connect with Younger Consumers

Flash forward to today: Consumers trust influencers and Creators first for shopping recommendations, especially millennials and Gen Z. It’s instant gratification as audiences get what they’re looking for right away from content like YouTube clips and Instagram Reels. Brands understand the potential for Creators to influence these consumers and inform trends, with 55 percent of them recognizing the power of Creator content over traditional ads featuring celebrities.

4. Build Social Proof and Brand Awareness

Like the snappy jingles of the ’90s, Creator content drives brand or product recognition. And LTK brands agree, with 51 percent of fashion brands and 45 percent of beauty brands seeing improved brand perception from Creator collabs.

Creators Pave the Way

Upwards of 85 percent of brands using Creator marketing are striving to boost brand awareness. We see Creator marketing as a driver to various channels. They’re actually driving consumer intent, so brands like yours have opportunities to use Creators to foster awareness across these channels via content marketing, display advertising, video advertising, and more. 

Start Your Journey with Content Creators

Creator content isn’t a fad—it’s a fundamental shift in how brands respond to changing consumer groups’ needs. LTK has seen the power of the new wave of influencer marketing to move the needle, expanding ROI by leveraging Creator audiences and building trust by meeting consumers where they spend their time online. 

But that’s just the start! Watch the on-demand webinar “The Next Wave of Creator Marketing, 2024 Forecast” for more insights to build your brand and elevate your marketing, then get in touch with LTK to begin your journey with content Creators.