The State

of Influencer
Marketing
2025
Preface
At the time of this report’s release, social media is in flux:
TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, Meta’s latest policy
changes are stirring controversy, X users are migrating
to Bluesky — the list goes on.

That’s why the theme of this year is agility.

Throughout this report, we’ll explore the strengths of each platform.

But remember, success belongs to those who can adapt. Diversify
your channels, experiment with new content formats, and build direct
relationships with your audience. The more flexible your strategy, the
better prepared you’ll be to pivot when change inevitably comes.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the key insights shaping influencer
marketing in 2025 and the opportunities that lie ahead.

 2
 Table of Contents

Introduction 4 Pricing & Budget 21

The Current State of 9 Campaign Production 31

Influencer Marketing & Content

Social Channel Trends 12 Looking Forward 41

 3
Introduction
Understanding the Data
This Year’s Key Findings
Understanding the Data This year, we’re leveraging this data to dive deep into:

We’re excited to bring back our annual industry benchmark Average engagement metrics
report, The State of Influencer Marketing, for the seventh
consecutive year. Influencer pricing benchmarks

This report uses statistics from Aspire’s internal data, as well as survey
results from over 1,000 marketers and creators, to reveal insights about
Influencer campaign trends
the ever-evolving influencer marketing industry.

Through our partnerships with Meta, Pinterest, and TikTok, we gain API
access to deeper audience insights from our creators across various Our predictions for 2025
platforms. Hundreds of thousands of creators also grant us access to
performance data from their official social accounts, which allows us to
track real-time, first-party data so we can share our learnings in reports And much more
such as this one.

Introduction 5
Of the marketers surveyed:

Industry of brands surveyed Business size of brands surveyed

58% 27% 15%

SMB Mid-Market Enterprise
(<500 employees) (500-2K employees) (>2K employees)

Program management of brands surveyed

27% Beauty 5% Tech, Apps, & Gaming

11% Media & Entertainment 4% Pets

10% Health, Wellness, & Fitness 3% Travel & Hospitality

10% Fashion 1% Family & Parenting

60% 14% 8% 18%
9% Home & Garden 12% Other
In-house Influencer Agency Mix
Marketing Platform
8% Food & Beverage

Introduction 6
Of the creators surveyed:

Primary niche of creators surveyed Audience size of creators surveyed

55% 18% 18% 6% 3%

Nano Micro Mid-Tier Macro Mega
2.5K-25K 25K-60K 60K-250K 250K-1M 1M+
Followers Followers Followers Followers Followers

Primary channel of creators surveyed

28% Beauty 5% Travel & Hospitality

12% Fashion 4% Pets

8% Health, Wellness, & Fitness 3% Media & Entertainment

7% Family & Parenting 1% Tech, Apps, & Gaming

69% 26% 3% 2%
5% Home & Garden 22% Other Instagram TikTok Youtube Other*

5% Food & Beverage

*Substack, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, X

Introduction 7
This Year’s Key Findings
Don’t have time to dive into the full report right now? Here are
the top trends and must-know insights from this year’s report.

71% Affiliate marketing

is emerging as a top
strategy among brands
While 57% of creators
are increasing their rates
this year,

83%
of marketers plan to Average influencer YouTubers achieve
and creators, with creators
increase their influencer marketing CPM dropped a whopping
on Aspire driving

53% 73%
marketing budgets in

71%
2025, but the exact
amounts they’re planning
to invest vary significantly, of creators are still willing
reflecting the diversity in to work with brands for
company sizes, revenue, year-over-year – a clear just free products, if they average engagement
and priorities of brands indicator of this channel’s more affiliate revenue love the brand or the rate, signaling a return to
leveraging this channel. growing cost efficiency. year-over-year. product value is high. long-form video content.

Introduction 8
The Current
State of
Influencer
Marketing
Going Beyond the Funnel
The Golden Age of Influencer Marketing
Going Beyond transforming the buyer’s journey into an infinite loop
of inspiration, exploration, community, and loyalty.

the Funnel Rather than following a traditional funnel,

consumers today enter, exit, and re-enter at
different stages of the purchase journey based
The traditional marketing funnel is broken. on their needs and wants.

There’s no starting or ending point, making it crucial

For years, marketers viewed the buyer’s journey
for brands to create multiple touchpoints to meet
in terms of three conventional stages: awareness,
consumers where they are.
consideration, and conversion. However, this
linear framework has become outdated in today’s
But this isn’t about overwhelming them with ads —
complex buying environment.
it’s about curating brand experiences that resonate.

Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, has Shoppers today increasingly rely on trusted
completely reshaped the consumer landscape. recommendations from creators on social media
With different priorities, influences, and technology platforms like TikTok and Instagram to discover,
than previous generations, their buying journey is research, and purchase products.
far from predictable.
By leveraging influencer marketing, brands can
These digitally native consumers live in a world join forces with real people to create meaningful,
where social media serves as their marketplace, engaging experiences that drive results.
entertainment, social hub, and news source —

The Current State of Influencer Marketing 10

The Golden Age of Influencer Marketing
At the heart of any successful marketing campaign 2. Paid ads powered by influencer-generated
Projections indicate that the content (IGC)
lies trust — the most valuable currency in the digital
influencer marketing industry age. Influencer marketing harnesses this trust
will expand at a 55% growth through recommendations, referrals, and third-party IGC typically aligns with the authentic, raw, and
rate, ultimately reaching endorsements from credible individuals, enabling relatable style of user-generated content (UGC),
brands to scale their word-of-mouth marketing created by everyday people, found across social
$47.8 billion by 2027.
efforts and drive measurable lower-funnel growth. media platforms. This makes your ads more engaging
and trustworthy, ultimately achieving 4x higher click-
There are two main ways that brands are activating through rates and a 50% drop in cost-per-click.
creators to drive efficient growth:
Not only will a reported 86% of US
marketers use influencer marketing in 1. Affiliate marketing Needless to say, the future of influencer marketing
2025, 71% say they’ll increase their
is bright. As more marketers double down on their
influencer marketing budgets in the When a consumer discovers a product through a
investments in this channel, influencer marketing is
coming year. creator, they’re able to click their affiliate link and
set to remain an indispensable strategy for driving
easily check out — streamlining the path to purchase
growth and innovation in the long run.
and supercharging sales. In fact, studies show that
through affiliate marketing, brands achieve 12x
The brands that embrace the power of creators will
average ROAS and a 35% increase in AOV.
be the ones leading the pack.

The Current State of Influencer Marketing 11

Social
Channel
Trends
What Channels are Brands Investing In?
What Channels are Creators Investing In?
Average Engagement Rate by Follower Count
Average Engagement Rate by Platform
Trends by Channel
What Channels are Which social channels do you plan to use the most
Brands Investing In? for influencer marketing in 2025?

84% 77% 43% 31% 16% 9% 7% 6%

Based on the active campaigns on Aspire in 2024,
Instagram continues to reign as the most popular channel
for influencer marketing among brands, with the majority
of campaigns taking place on Instagram through Feed
Posts, Stories, and Reels.

This is followed by TikTok, a channel that’s consistently growing in

popularity amongst influencer marketers year after year. Despite
Which social channels do you plan to use the least
for influencer marketing in 2025?
talks of a potential national ban in the US, we saw a record number of
brands run TikTok campaigns on Aspire in 2024, with a whopping 178%
increase in the number of TikTok campaigns year-over-year. 54% 42% 37% 33% 31% 30% 26% 24%

This will continue to be the trend in 2025, with the majority of brands
saying they’ll invest more into Instagram and TikTok this coming year.

More generally, brands plan to increase and decrease their influencer

marketing investments in these channels in 2025.

Social Channel Trends 13

 Which channels do you plan to utilize the most in 2024?

91% 72% 41% 21% 19% 8% 4% 3%

What Channels are

Creators Investing In?
Similar to brands, creators plan to spend more time
on Instagram and TikTok in the coming year. Which channels do you plan to utilize the least in 2024?

On the other hand, they plan to spend less time on X (formerly

Twitter) and Snapchat in 2025. 57% 55% 39% 36% 31% 23% 21% 16%

Social Channel Trends 14

 What is the average following of the
influencers you work with?

Average Engagement
Rate by Follower Count 41% Nano
2.5K -25K followers

Influencers come in all sizes, from nano

to macro. *Average engagement rate by follower count: 20% Micro
25K - 60K followers

As social media algorithms evolve, the rules of Nano (2,500-25,000 followers): 7.18%
influence are shifting. It’s no longer just about Micro (25,000-60,000 followers): 4.77% 29% Mid-tier
60K - 250K followers
having millions of followers. Whether you’re a social
Mid-tier (60,000-250,000 followers): 5.05%
media superstar with 10 million fans or a devoted
Macro (more than 250,000 followers): 4.34%
customer sharing with 10 close friends, anyone 10% Macro
can inspire action. 250K - 1M followers

1% Mega
In the current era of influence, follower count takes Our survey also revealed that a growing number 1M+ followers

a back seat. In fact, our internal data shows that of brands are leveraging creators with smaller
nano-influencers consistently drive far higher followings for their relatable content, highly

61%
engagement rates across every platform compared engaged audiences, and lower cost.
to their macro counterparts — a testament to the
*These engagement rate averages are calculated across all social media platforms.
power of authentic, close-knit connections. For platform-specific breakdowns, refer to the next page.

of marketers today are working with

nano- and micro-influencers.
Social Channel Trends 15
 Average Engagement
Rate by Platform
Based on the thousands of posts analyzed through our
platform, we aggregated the average engagement rate that
influencers received across their favorite platforms.

Following trends from the last several years, YouTube is leading the
charge in terms of engagement, validating that video content continues
to rise in popularity.

Average engagement rate Why is YouTube engagement so high?

by platform:
Unlike viewing an Instagram or TikTok
YouTube: 72.8% post, watching a YouTube video is
TikTok: 3.9% an explicit action taken by users.
This deliberate action counts as an
Instagram: 2.9%
engagement, which makes up a large
Pinterest: 2.18%

73%
portion of interactions on YouTube.

Average engagement rate on

Social Channel Trends 16
Youtube
Trends by Channel
Instagram 1. Post original content 4. Diversify your content formats

Instagram prioritizes original content over reposted Balance Reels, Stories, carousels, and image posts to
Based on both our internal data and survey
material, giving it better visibility in recommendations stay algorithm-friendly. Data shows still images and
results, Instagram continues to reign as like Explore and Reels. For brands repurposing carousels often outperform Reels in engagement,
the most popular platform for influencer influencer-generated content, use the “Paid especially for sponsored posts.
marketing heading into 2025. Partnership” label or tools like Partnership Ads
to maintain authenticity and boost reach. 5. Optimize hashtag usage
As a result, Instagram has rolled out many new
2. Work with creators from all tiers Stick to 5-8 relevant hashtags (no more, no less) in
algorithmic changes (see below) in favor of brands
your captions to expand reach, avoiding overly generic
and creators on the platform.
The algorithm now exposes content to small audiences or excessive tagging.
first and expands reach as engagement grows. This
Here are some actionable tips to make the most
change levels the playing field, giving creators at every 6. Make your content share-worthy
of the current content ranking system:
tier a fair shot at wider visibility.
Because more people now engage within DMs than with
3. Get on Threads feed posts, Instagram prioritizes private shares. Focus
on creating inspiring, relatable, or positive posts that
For more details, check out our deep dive into
Threads activity is known to boost Instagram growth. people will want to share via DMs for better reach.
the Instagram algorithm.
Post 5 times a week and engage with others to get
noticed by the algorithm. 7. Use trending audio

Incorporate trending sounds to increase visibility, but

ensure compliance with usage rights when posting
sponsored content.

Social Channel Trends 17

 TikTok

As of January 2025, TikTok’s future in the

US remains uncertain.

On January 19th, the app temporarily went dark for US users, only to be
restored 12 hours later after President Trump signed an executive order
granting ByteDance a 75-day extension to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese
owner.

Despite this uncertainty, TikTok’s impact on brands, creators, and

consumers is undeniable. Many creators built a devoted audience and
launched their careers on TikTok. This in turn has propelled businesses
of all kinds into virality, allowing brands to boost awareness and sell out
of their inventory. And with TikTok Shop, its influence on commerce has
only accelerated.The numbers speak for themselves:

• $11.09 billion in global TikTok Shop Sales

• 165% YoY Black Friday sales growth, surpassing $100 million

• TikTok Shop is already bigger than SHEIN,

Sephora, and home shopping TV.

Beyond commerce, TikTok has shaped the culture and trends in the US.
The platform has been the driving force for movies to gain popularity, for
songs to top the charts, and for consumers to flock to the grocery store
to buy cucumbers and feta cheese.

Social Channel Trends 18

What this means for brands
Yet, only 17% of marketers currently use TikTok In your opinion, should influencer marketers still
In our November 2024 survey, 81% of marketers said
Shop — though 45% plan to join in 2025. With be using TikTok amidst talks of a nationwide ban?
it’s important to continue running campaigns on
TikTok, even amid the looming ban. However, given unmatched commerce capabilities, TikTok Shop
the uncertainty, now might not be the best time to go offers brands and creators a direct path to
all in on TikTok influencer marketing. Instead, brands conversions, making now the time to get ahead
81% Yes
should take a strategic, flexible approach. of the trend.”
19% No

If TikTok remains in the US – and continues to operate 3. Diversify your channels: If recent events
as it always has – brands should: have taught us anything, it’s that relying on a
single platform is risky. Even if TikTok stays,
1. Leverage TikTok creators: As we’ve all witnessed brands should expand across multiple platforms,
over the years, TikTok creators can push even experiment with new content formats, and build
mundane products — like cottage cheese — into viral direct audience connections to stay adaptable
sensations. Work with creators to develop engaging — no matter what happens next. Do you sell via TikTok Shop?
branded content, and use Spark Ads to amplify your
top-performing videos and drive sales.
45% No, but we plan to
2. Get on TikTok Shop: Despite ongoing uncertainty 38% No, and we don’t
around TikTok, sales on TikTok Shop surged both plan to
before the ban and immediately after it was lifted. On
17% Yes
January 19 alone, the platform saw nearly a $5 million
week-over-week increase compared to January 12.

Social Channel Trends 19

 Youtube

While short-form videos dominate the

influencer marketing scene, long-form
content is far from losing its charm.
Marketing Strategies Marketers Worldwide Use
In fact, YouTubers deliver an average engagement
on Youtube, August 2024
rate of 72.84%, blowing even popular platforms
% of respondents
like TikTok and Instagram out of the water. It’s no
surprise that influencer marketing thrives on YouTube.
According to eMarketer, it’s the top strategy for Influencer Marketing 26%
marketers on the platform, with US influencer
Organic Content Marketing 25%
marketing spend on the platform expected to hit
a record $2.35 billion this year — the most of any Paid Advertising 14%
other major platform.
10% Sponsored Content and Collaborations
Adding to the platform’s appeal, YouTube Shopping is
reshaping how consumers discover and buy products. 7% Product Placements

With over 90% of consumers finding new products

4% Affiliate Marketing
on YouTube, its integrated shopping features let
viewers seamlessly browse and purchase directly 14% Other
from videos, Shorts, or live streams. By collaborating
with YouTubers and tapping into the platform’s robust
Source: eMarketer
analytics, brands can foster trust, engage loyal
communities, and drive sales — all within
one platform.

Social Channel Trends 20

Pricing
& Budget
Average Cost Metrics
Pricing Discrepancies
Let’s Talk Budget
Creator Rates
Cost-Per-Engagement (CPE)
Cost-per-engagement (CPE) is the pricing metric that Average cost-per-engagement
digital marketers use to determine how much they’re
per channel*
paying for each user interaction on a piece of content,
such as likes, comments, and shares.

If you’re using CPE to figure out a base rate for an influencer use this
CPE formula.

$0.47 $0.53
Price per post = Recent average engagements x CPE
$0.23 $0.24
1. Gather the influencer’s content for the last couple of months, aiming
for at least 15 posts.
* This CPE data is based on engagements driven by paid partnerships on
2. Calculate the average number of engagements on those posts to Aspire, and excludes data from unpaid or product-only collaborations.
find the number of recent average engagements.

3. Multiply this number by the CPE metrics listed here.

Pricing 22
Cost-Per-Mille (CPM)
Average cost-per-mille
per channel*
Cost per mille (CPM) is the cost an advertiser pays
for one thousand views or impressions on an $5.80
influencer’s post.

Across all platforms, the average influencer marketing CPM in $3.90

2024 was $4.63*, reflecting a 53% year-over-year decrease —
a clear indicator of influencer marketing’s growing cost efficiency.
This means brands are now reaching more than twice the $2.00
audience for the same cost compared to last year! $1.32

The drop in CPM is likely driven by a growing shift to multi-

post partnerships. Creators are now posting more content per
campaign for brands, increasing exposure and engagement
without proportionally increasing costs. This suggests a shift * This CPM data is based on impressions driven by paid partnerships on
in influencer-brand relationships from one-off sponsorships to Aspire, and excludes data from unpaid or product-only collaborations.
longer-term collaborations, which could lead to more authentic
storytelling and better audience trust.

Pricing 23
Pricing 1. Reach 4. Content type and post requirements

Discrepancies
While we encourage brands to look beyond follower Many partnerships today are multi-post engagements,
count, it’s still true that a macro-influencer with millions meaning that creators deliver a bigger content package
in reach will likely charge more than a micro-influencer — creating 3-4 posts versus just 1, for example. Keep in
with a smaller following. This is because creators mind that creators will charge additional fees depending
Generally across all social with larger audiences have the ability to spread brand on how much effort it takes to create the deliverables
channels, there are multiple awareness at a greater scale — similar to running a you’re asking for.
commercial during a TV program with high viewership.
factors that determine how 5. Content usage rights
much brands pay an influencer. 2. Engagement
While some smaller creators view repurposing or
Engagement metrics, such as comments and saves, amplifying their content as a major value-add — and
Brands and creators typically negotiate
are a strong indicator of brand love and can show therefore allow you to use their content for free —
based on these factors:
purchase intent from existing and new customers. many creators today will expect additional payment
If an influencer’s post garners high engagement, for brand ownership of their content. The pricing
there’s a chance that it could translate into sales down typically depends on the length of time in which
the road. Therefore, an influencer who consistently you’re looking to repurpose content, and where
achieves high engagement can have pricier rates. that content will be repurposed.

3. Exclusivity 6. Value of free product provided

Because exclusivity prohibits influencers from posting, 83% of influencers are still willing to work with a brand
promoting, or being affiliated with any other advertiser for just free products as long as they love the brand or
for a period of time, creators will expect to be paid the product value is high. The higher the value of the
more in lieu of taking on other brand partnerships. product you’re offering, the more room you have
to negotiate price.

Pricing 24
 7. Industry

There can be a slight variance in price by the industry

the creator belongs to. In more saturated spaces like
beauty and fashion, some creators decrease their
rates in order to compete with others in the space. In
niches like food and travel where brands often expect
professional quality content, creators may charge
higher as a production fee.

8. Experience

A creator’s experience on one particular social platform

may affect pricing across other platforms. For example,
some creators with smaller followings on TikTok may
still charge a higher rate due to their large audience
base on Instagram or YouTube, as this represents
their recognizable personal brand and popularity
in the industry.

9. Joint work history

The longer you’ve worked with an influencer, the more

opportunity there is for negotiating. For instance, you
can negotiate a lower rate for the content your long-
term brand ambassadors create, in exchange for a
monthly shipment of free products, first access to new
launches, seasonal promo codes, always-on affiliate
links, and other incentives.

Pricing 25
Let’s Talk Budget Do you plan to increase or decrease your influencer
marketing budget in 2025?
In 2024, brands invested 26% of their marketing budgets,
on average, toward influencer marketing.

We foresee this number surging up in the next year, as 71% of 71% 9% 20%
Increase Decrease Stay the Same
marketers plan to increase their investment in this channel in 2025.

What % of your marketing budget goes toward

influencer marketing?

0 26% 100
Average

Pricing 26
Exactly how much are marketers gearing up to spend in 2025?

Our survey reveals a fascinating divide: 50% are working with budgets
under $50K, while the other half are committing anywhere from $50K
to a staggering $10 million. These figures reflect the diversity in
company sizes, revenue, and priorities of brands leveraging
influencer marketing.

How much $ do you plan to invest in influencer marketing in 2025?

50% Less than $50K

27% $50K-$250K

9% $250K-$500K

7% $500K-$1M

6% $1M-$5M

1% $5M-$10M

Pricing 27
 What are some ways you’ve gotten additional budget
What Brands approved for your influencer marketing initiatives?

are Saying
“ “
Capitalize on organic brand buzz Prove tangible ROI
If you’re looking to secure more
budget and executive buy-in for “If our marketing team sees direct impact from an “Compile results from previous influencer marketing
influencer marketing, try these organic influencer video, we’re more likely to get campaigns and show how these activations have
additional budget approved to work with the influencer contributed to greater company goals. There needs to
expert-backed strategies, straight
in a formal partnership.” be a direct link to increased lead gen that is measurable
from our survey respondents. and that cannot be done in-house.”

“ “Show the incremental benefits of influencer marketing

Create scalable programs on the lower funnel (i.e. UGC’s impact on ROAS).”

“Proposing initiatives that begin with a pilot program helps

minimize upfront costs while showing proof of concept. “
For example, suggesting a limited influencer activation
Pool budget resources with other teams
with the option to scale based on performance provides
flexibility and reduces perceived risk.”
“Band together with regional marketing teams to support
“We’ve invited influencers on gifted trips and determined influencer campaigns, and make sure to showcase results.”
who we would work with again on a paid basis, based on
“Use some of your paid advertising budget to repurpose
their performance.”
your highest-performing influencer content in paid media,
CTV, OOH, and more.”

Pricing 28
 Would you work for a brand just for free product?

Creator Rates
On the creator side, 57% plan to increase While many creators appreciate receiving free
17% No
products, the majority emphasize a preference for
their rates in the coming year to fit their
paid collaborations, as it signals that the brand 26% Yes, if product
growing audience and content expertise. values their craft. In product-only campaigns, value is high

influencers seek flexibility in deliverables and for

That being said, 83% of creators are still willing the brand’s expectations to align with the value of
to work with brands for just free products, if they the free products they’re gifting. 57% Yes, if I love
the brand
love the brand or the product value is high.
For instance, sending a $30 phone case shouldn’t
But remember, your collaboration proposals are more come with the expectation of 10 Instagram
likely to be accepted when you’re offering payment. posts and 5 Reels without fair compensation.
We asked creators to share their thoughts on product- Respecting creators’ time and effort is key to

83%
only versus paid campaigns. building lasting partnerships.

of creators are willing to work with brands for

just free products, as long as they love the
brand or the product value is high

Pricing 29
What Creators “
The value of gifted products often does not align with my
“
“It depends on the type of content that the brand wants
worth as a content creator. Additionally, I am responsible posted. Reels are labor intensive while static posts take less

are Saying for paying taxes on gifted items, which can amount to
nearly half the product’s value. For this reason, it only
time. Reels should be compensated accordingly.”

makes sense to accept gifted collaborations if the product

is something I was already planning to purchase. Moving
forward, I will primarily focus on paid partnerships unless
“
“Product only campaigns only feel equitable when the value
a gifted collaboration involves a high-value product that of the product is incredibly high and I get creative freedom
aligns with my needs and interests.” versus having to follow a brief and make edits. Paid
campaigns with fair compensation bring out the best quality
content and more flexibility to make edits on my end.”

“
“When evaluating potential partnerships, products that
offer substantial value, align seamlessly with my personal
“
“I believe both product-only and paid campaigns have
preferences, and resonate with the content I aim to share value, but they serve different purposes. Product-only
with my audience. The product’s intrinsic worth should campaigns allow me to test and genuinely connect with a
significantly outweigh any monetary considerations, brand or product before recommending it to my audience,
particularly in the context of paid campaigns. In such which helps build trust. However, paid campaigns reflect
cases, the focus shifts towards aligning content with the the mutual value between the brand and the creator,
brand’s identity and addressing the specific needs of the recognizing the effort, time, and creativity that goes into
target audience. This strategic approach ensures that crafting authentic content. Ideally, a combination of both
collaborations not only enhance my personal experience allows for a balance testing products organically while
but also deliver meaningful value to my followers, ensuring a fair partnership for content creation.”
ultimately fostering a strong and authentic connection
with my community.

Pricing 30
Campaign
Production
& Content
Campaign Overview
Campaign Breakdown
All About Content
 What is the most important factor when choosing
brands to work with?

Campaign Overview
In 2024, the average campaign had: As for campaign spend, brands spent 15% more
year-over-year, confirming the growing value that
25 creators brands see in influencer marketing.

79 posts Brands are increasingly focusing on quality over

140K engagements quantity, working with better-aligned creators
2.9M impressions instead of those with more followers.
41% 28% 26% 5%
$27.3K spent per campaign
Creators are also becoming more discerning Values Compensation/ Quality of Other
$1.8K spent per creator per campaign about the brands they work with, ranking Alignment Product Value Product Factors

alignment with their personal brands as

The number of creators, posts, engagements, the most crucial factor when deciding to

41%
and impressions are similar to last year’s figures, collaborate with a company.
showcasing that campaign health has remained
steady over the last calendar year.

of creators prefer to work with brands

that align with their values.

Campaign Production & Content 32

 Product Seeding
Campaign Breakdown
This year, one-off influencer marketing partnerships remained
the bread and butter activation model for many, making up
57% of the campaigns on Aspire.

But the savviest brands didn’t stop there — they diversified their programs
and matched creators with campaigns tailored to their unique strengths,
whether that’s creating engaging UGC or driving mass sales. Brand Ambassadors

Let’s take a look at the top campaign strategies that stole the show in
the past year.

Affiliate Programs
Campaign Production & Content 33
 Product Seeding
Product seeding campaigns had a major moment this year,
making up nearly 20% of campaigns on Aspire. On average,
brands gifted products to between 20 to 100 creators per
month, with no expectation for them to post.

Marketers got creative with gifting, creating viral moments by sending

influencers exclusive merchandise. For example, Poppi has sweatsets,
robes, and other swag that people love to wear, while Rhode Beauty has
a trending phone case that stores their lip products.

While the majority of these product seeding campaigns are termless (no
obligation to post), creators can’t resist sharing when they’re incentivized

20%
by elevated PR experiences, higher frequency of gifting, and personalized
touches that encourage them to start engaging with the brand. For brands
that executed this well, product seeding became the secret weapon for
building a loyal, buzzing community.

of campaigns on Aspire
are Product Seeding

Campaign Production & Content 34

 Which influencer marketing strategy has driven
the most ROI for your brand?

Brand Ambassador 26% Long-term ambassador program

18% One-off influencer marketing campaign

Programs 17% Affiliate marketing

16% UGC ads

Ambassador programs made up just 11% of the 16% Product seeding/gifting

campaigns on Aspire, but these programs took the cake 7% Other strategy

in delivering the highest ROI for brands according to our

survey — a strong testament to the power of building
long-term relationships with creators.
What is your favorite way to work with brands?
By investing in lasting relationships with creators, you can create
campaigns that feel more authentic and build trust with their audience
(AKA your future customers).
62% Long-term campaign

But ambassador programs aren’t just the top strategy for brands 17% One-off campaign

— they’re also creators’ favorite way to collaborate. In fact, 62% of 14% UGC campaign
creators say they prefer long-term partnerships over any other type
4% Affiliate campaign
of campaign.
3% Other

Campaign Production & Content 35

Affiliate Programs
How many affiliate (commission-based)
campaigns have you participated in this year?
Affiliate marketing is also emerging as a To make your affiliate program more enticing to
join (and more successful for your business),
top strategy among brands and creators,
consider starting with a pay-per-post model
showcasing a shift in the influencer and offering creators the additional incentive of
marketing space. revenue-sharing should they choose to share
their affiliate link or code.
Once dominated by pay-to-play deals, we’re
now seeing a surge in revenue-sharing programs. This hybrid approach provides creators with
More brands are sharing their profits with creators, a guaranteed payment upfront, while also
giving them direct financial incentives based on encouraging them to continuously promote your
content performance. brand in their content. Creators are often eager
to join affiliate programs when it’s with their
Creators are embracing this shift. In fact, a favorite brands. They’re already recommending
growing 40% of creators surveyed participated your products — why not get paid for it?
in multiple affiliate campaigns over the past year, 60% 25% 15%
signaling creators’ openness to commission-based Once you have your affiliate program set up,
<5 Campaigns 5-10 Campaigns >10 Campaigns
partnerships. make sure to gamify the experience. Provide
irresistible incentives, such as commission

40%
Together, these creators drove an impressive $48 bumps, free gifts, and bonuses for achieving
million in revenue on Aspire in 2024, a stunning 71% sales milestones. By doing so, you can create
year-over-year growth. This revenue is directly an environment where affiliates feel motivated,
attributed to their affiliate links and codes, showing valued, and inspired to push for greater results.
that brands aren’t just paying influencers for exposure
Brands embracing affiliate marketing early are
— they’re tying influencer spend directly to revenue. of creators participated in
positioning themselves as creators’ top choice
multiple affiliate campaigns in 2024
and are primed to win big with audiences in 2025.

Campaign Production & Content 36

 What kind of content will you invest more
All About Content This is good news for influencer marketers. As
paid influencer content gets more authentic, so into in the coming year?
do your campaigns. So, how do you harness the (select all that apply)
power of lo-fi content?
Lo-Fi Content is King
Work with smaller creators. Nano- and micro-
influencers (creators with 2.5K-60K followers)
Lo-fi content: The abbreviated form of “low are most likely to create the most authentic and
fidelity,” lo-fi content refers to photos and relatable content, as many still work a 9 to 5 or
short-form videos with a DIY quality and are in school, and make content as a side hustle.
little-to-no editing.
Provide guardrails, not guidelines. Consumers
are hyper aware of sponsored content that is
inauthentic. Although it’s important to provide
Over the last decade, we’ve become accustomed to some direction and inspiration, give creators
associating #sponsored content with highly stylized, enough creative freedom to produce content
21% 36% 39% 88%
unnatural videos and posts that are often outside that aligns with their personal brand. After all, Written Long form Still Short form
the scope of a creator’s content — a dead giveaway creators know what will resonate with their Content video Images video

of an inauthentic #ad. However, today’s consumers audience the best.

resonate better with the scrappy, low-budget media

88%
of influencer marketing’s earliest days. Take a video-first approach to content. Video
content, specifically short-form video, has
With the growing popularity of no-frills TikTokers continuously risen in popularity over the last
and platform-native editing software, lo-fi content few years — with no signs of slowing down.
is taking over — from chatty “Get Ready With Me” Work with creators to produce casual short-
makeup tutorials, to “storytime” videos that feel like form videos, such as try-on hauls, taste tests, of marketers are investing in
you’re on FaceTime with a friend. unboxings, and more. short-form video content in 2025

Campaign Production & Content 37

 Where do you repurpose influencer content?

The Power of Influencer (select all that apply)

Generated Content 79% Organic social

62% Paid social

48% Website/product pages

Influencer-generated content (IGC) is a goldmine that
46% Email
fuels every stage of the buyer’s journey — boosting
6% Out-of-home activation
awareness, driving engagement, and turning clicks
3% TV / CTV
into conversions.

Instead of relying solely on in-house production, savvy brands are

maximizing the impact of IGC by repurposing it across:
How does influencer-generated content perform
• Organic social channels • Out-of-homes activations
when compared to your other creative?
• Paid ads • CTV
• Email • And more
• Website
60% Better
By doing so, brands have saved over 23% on average on content
35% Worse
creation costs. Repurposing influencer content is a smart move, as
60% of marketers say influencer-generated content performs better 5% About the same

than other brand-directed content.

Campaign Production & Content 38

Studio-shot creative Influencer-generated content
Long turnaround time Quick to source

Expensive Cost-effective (or even free, in some cases)

Planning-intensive On demand

Time consuming Authentic

Batched photos High volume

Low volume Diverse subjects and locations

Similar subjects and locations Optimized for digital and social channels

Rarely optimized for mobile or Built-in audience

paid social channels
Always relevant
No built-in audience
Adds social proof

Campaign Production & Content 39

Looking
Forward
Top Challenges and Solutions for 2025
Our 2025 Predictions
5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices
Getting Started with Aspire
 Challenge #1: It’s difficult to measure the ROI of
Top Challenges
be sure to get usage rights to the assets. For more tips
influencer marketing on stretching a small budget, refer back to this page.

and Solutions Solution: Influencers impact every stage of the

marketing funnel, and the key to measuring success is
Challenge #3: Influencers lack authenticity in
consumers’ minds.
for 2025 tracking the right metrics based on your goals. Trying
to drive product sales? Focus on affiliate revenue, Solution: The best way to ensure an authentic and
shoppable content performance, and ad conversions. credible partnership is to work with creators who have
Looking to build brand momentum and reach your used your product before. Whether you are partnering
We asked marketers to share their
target audience? Track impressions, video views, and with an existing customer, a brand fan, or a new creator,
toughest challenges in influencer ensure that they have the time to test out your product
engagement. A comprehensive approach — analyzing
marketing — and they didn’t hold back. multiple data points across the funnel—helps you and learn about your brand before posting. From there,
understand the true business impact of your influencer nurture long-term relationships with these creators,
Here are their top concerns, along with tips program. To streamline measurement, leverage an allowing trust to grow with their audience over time.
from our experts to tackle them head-on. influencer marketing platform like Aspire, which offers Consistent, authentic advocacy leads to campaigns
a unified reporting dashboard with real-time data that truly resonate.
across every stage of the funnel.
Challenge #4: The market is saturated and there’s too
Challenge #2: Creator rates are increasing, but we much competition.
have a small budget.
Solution: The best way to rise above your competitors
Solution: Create a gifting program focused on nano is by building brand loyalty through stellar customer
and micro creators, with an overall goal of building service, generous rewards programs, and more.
buzz for your brand. This is a great way to build However, we understand that this is a process
relationships with new creators, generate online buzz, that takes time. A quicker solution may be to build
and get critical feedback with little upfront cost. Based unexpected partnerships with unconventional creators
on your inventory, you can start by gifting products to — think comedians, artists, or influencers from entirely
anywhere from 15-500 creators — scale as much as different niches — to spark buzz and keep audiences
you’d like! As budget unlocks, we recommend paying a hooked. We recommend allocating ~20% of your creator
small group of influencers for confirmed content, and budget to experimental creator partnerships.

Looking Forward 41
Our 2025 Predictions
The return of the blog: With platforms like Substack on the rise,
we predict a return to longer-form written content that will perfectly
complement your short-form video content. The most successful
brands will give Substack creators the freedom to choose how and
when to integrate their products. This could be as simple as providing
optional affiliate links.

The rise of AI in influencer marketing: AI will play a much bigger

role in the creator economy going forward, primarily helping creators
supercharge content production. From crafting scroll-stopping copy to
spotting the next big content trend, generative and predictive AI will
become a creator’s best friend — boosting efficiency and delivering
maximum results for brands.

A new era of social commerce: With the recent boom of social

commerce tools like TikTok Shop and YouTube Shopping, brands will
double down on driving in-app purchases through live shopping and
affiliate marketing, while perfecting seamless checkout experiences
across various social platforms.

Looking Forward 42
5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices
Prioritize long-term partnerships. Focus on cultivating deeper Diversify your channels to stay ahead. Social media evolves
relationships with your creators and invite top performers to be part of quickly, and relying on one platform can leave brands vulnerable.
your ambassador program. This will elevate your brand’s relationship To future-proof your influencer marketing, spread your presence
with your creators, as well as the creators’ relationships with their across multiple platforms, experiment with content formats, and
audience, as partnerships will be perceived as much more authentic. build direct relationships with your community. A diversified strategy
reduces risk and unlocks growth opportunities.
Incorporate affiliate marketing into your overarching influencer
strategy. By integrating affiliate links and codes into your influencer Invest in an influencer marketing platform and expert content
marketing campaigns, you can seamlessly introduce a new revenue strategists. Solutions like Aspire automate the difficult parts of
stream and supercharge conversions through authentic influencer influencer discovery, vetting, negotiation, content creation, payments,
content. This will also help you track and attribute sales to your and analytics. The more you invest into influencer marketing – both
influencer marketing efforts. in strategy and tools – the more output you’ll see in terms of ROI and
brand lift.
Leverage creator content for your paid channels. 60% of marketers
say influencer-generated content performs better than brand-directed
content. Plus, IGC provides the volume and variance of content
needed to boost your ad channels and stretch your budget. This
means that by fueling your performance channels with IGC, you can
optimize ad spend, maximize ROAS, and reduce CAC.

Looking Forward 43
Getting Started
To elevate your influencer marketing program in 2025, invest in Our Agency Services offering includes:

a smart solution like Aspire.

Comprehensive creative, content, and channel strategy
Aspire is the leading influencer marketing platform empowering the world’s
most sophisticated enterprise brands and fast-growing DTC businesses to End-to-end program management and agile optimization — from
build and cultivate influential communities. curated discovery to custom creator and campaign briefing, to
contracting and content management, to bespoke reporting,
Our Software Includes: and full payment processing and reconciliation

Paid media management, A/B testing, and spend optimization

Influencer discovery tools, both inbound and outbound
Fully transparent creator budgeting with no hidden fees or fixed
Customizable campaign workflows for your unique needs service spend percentages

Creator relationship management system Dedicated account staffing with demonstrated category expertise

E-commerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce and more “Flex and flow” servicing paradigms custom-designed to deliver
seamless management of seasonal/promotional events, tentpoles,
ROI measurement and analytics suite affiliate programs, and always-on IGC and UGCSearchable
content library
Ad amplification integrations with Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest

Searchable content library To learn more about how Aspire helps brands achieve
And much more! success, get in touch with us.

Getting Started 44