CreatorIQ, the leading creator marketing technology platform, today released a report in partnership with market research firm Ipsos, which surveyed 125+ creators and found that many are frustrated by the transactional nature of affiliate marketing engagements with brands. Brands looking to drive lower-funnel outcomes as part of a successful, multidimensional creator program need to prioritize sustainable, mutually beneficial creator partnerships.
The key findings of the report include:
Creators Prioritize Non-Financial Factors: The top consideration for creators when working with brands is “product quality and audience relevancy” (82%), “already using products in daily life” (80%), “brand reputation and value alignment” (76%) and “the potential for other partnership opportunities” (63%).
Money Still Matters: While creators prioritize authenticity, financial compensation remains a critical factor, and only 24% report satisfaction with the level of income generated from affiliate deals. In addition to the overall compensation, 69% of creators also reported collecting affiliate commissions on a more consistent basis is “very or extremely important.”
Creators Favor Long-Term Partnerships: 41% of creators said the biggest challenge with affiliate programs is the “lack of additional opportunities with the brand,” which reduces their ability to build trust and ongoing engagement with their audience, ultimately negatively impacting purchases.
Taken together, these findings show that brands have a prime opportunity to build beyond affiliate engagements and foster sustainable creator partnerships. The report details specific steps brands can take, including enabling direct relationships and offering product training and other key support.
“Affiliate programs enable brands to engage creators purely on performance, but they are just one piece of the larger creator marketing puzzle,” said Mike Balducci, General Manager of Creator Commerce Solutions at CreatorIQ. “Brands need to leverage these programs as ways to identify high-performing creators and evolve transactional relationships into long-term partnerships that can wield the full power of creators for sponsored posts, paid ads, and more.”
You can download the full report from CreatorIQ and Ipsos here.