Recent research reveals important developments in brand-creator partnerships. While Dash Social highlights the growing influence of creators, Collabstr’s marketplace data shows average collaboration costs falling in early 2025 compared to the previous year.
EMARKETER has also projected a 14.2% growth in U.S. influencer marketing spending to $9.29 billion this year, suggesting the industry is maturing beyond experimentation into strategic deployment; and that more than half of multinational brands, about 54%, plan to increase creator marketing budget in 2025, according to a World Federation of Advertisers report.
Given this context, having the right brand-creator partnership is going to be a critical business imperative for marketers moving forward.
The question that now needs to be addressed is, “How should brands structure creator deals to maximize return on investment in the ever changing creator economy landscape?
We asked industry leaders and experts to share their thoughts on optimizing partnership structures, measurement frameworks, and compensation models that deliver measurable business impact across platforms. Here’s the first of two parts that highlight a range of insights and perspectives on how to get the most value out of brand-creator deals.
Brands can’t improve ROI from creator partnerships without control over their data.
Most teams lose visibility into what they’re paying creators, how they’re performing, and which content drives results. Why? The data lives in spreadsheets, hides in agency decks, and stays scattered across teams.
That’s not just inefficient—it blocks growth. Leading brands aren’t just spending more on creators; they’re building the systems to make that spend work harder. They centralize data, break down silos between paid and organic, tie creator activity to tangible business outcomes, set clear benchmarks, and put the brand—not the agency—at the center.
Good brand-creator deals aren’t just about paying for posts — they’re about building partnerships. Brands waste money when they pay for posts instead of results. Instead, brands should consider paying creators a base plus bonuses tied to real performance, lock down clear deliverables, and get rights to boost the content that actually works. Pick creators with the right audience, not just the biggest one, and build deals that reward real impact, not vanity metrics.
As brands shift toward performance-driven strategies and face external pressures like rising tariffs, algorithm changes, and increased competition, evaluating creator partnerships through a strict ROI lens is more important than ever.
The traditional 1:1 approach is being replaced by hybrid deal structures that combine nominal upfront payments with backend performance incentives. This model not only drives accountability but also encourages creators to go beyond the required deliverables, often resulting in additional organic activity that boosts campaign outcomes.
By giving creators the space to prove their value, brands open the door to scalable, high-impact partnerships—creating a fairer system where high-performing creators can earn uncapped commissions. It’s a smarter, more dynamic way to build long-term growth and adaptability in today’s evolving social commerce landscape.
Brands still treat creators like a one-time ad buy, then wonder why the results fall flat. Real ROI comes when brands invest in creators the right way, with longer partnerships, paid support behind the content, and trust in the creator’s voice. Follower counts and impressions are lazy metrics. Great creators can drive real business results if brands stop treating them like disposable media buys and start treating them like real partners.
Two primary drivers leading to better campaign ROI are authentic influencer alignment and long-term partnership deals. Without authentic influencer alignment, the chances of receiving ROI are minimal. Regardless of how compelling a product is, without an authentic and genuine endorsement, audiences will not be inclined to pursue finding out more about the product. Building off of influencer alignment, long-term partnership deals assist in the overarching goal of authenticity. Endorsing a product multiple times or showing a product in use over a long period will almost always lead to increased ROI.
The best brand-creator deals I’ve seen are built on long term partnerships, not one-offs. When there’s consistency, creators can genuinely connect their audience to the brand and that authenticity drives a better ROI. At the end of the day, it really comes down to trust. Give creators the freedom to do what they do best, while setting clear goals on the brand side. By doing so, the content feels real, performs better, and builds momentum over time. I would also recommend utilizing usage rights, whitelisting, and content repurposing—those tactics build on the value of the contracted content. When brands treat creators like true partners instead of just ad space, the results will follow.
To maximize ROI, brand-creator deals should focus on precision, performance, and authenticity. It’s not about follower count—it’s about audience fit. Using data tools, we evaluate how closely a creator’s audience aligns with the brand’s target by factors like location, gender, and age. For instance, a creator with 200K followers, where only 50% match the brand’s brief, is equivalent to a 100K audience with full alignment.
Compensation should be tied to clear KPIs—conversions, installs, engagement—so creators are rewarded for actual impact, not just reach.
Equally important is securing rights to repurpose top-performing content across paid media. This extends the content’s lifespan, ensures consistency across channels, and drives more value from each collaboration.
When deals are structured around these principles, influencer campaigns move from being a brand awareness play to a scalable growth channel.
Not every creator is a perfect fit and that’s exactly the point. Better ROI starts with matching creator strengths to the actual creative concept. Don’t cast for reach, cast for relevance and authenticity. Choose storytellers, not just faces. Brand fit, audience fit, creative fit, when all three align, ROI isn’t a risk, it’s a guarantee.
We’ve completely rethought how brand-creator partnerships should work. The traditional model is broken – it’s too slow, there’s too much back-and-forth, and it doesn’t align incentives properly.
Look, our whole approach to deal structure is laser-focused on ROI. We give creators crystal-clear campaign deliverables upfront – exactly what to post, when to post it, and precise talking points. This eliminates confusion and speeds up the timeline dramatically.
The game-changer? We pay creators the same day they post. Not 30 days later, not 60 days – same day. This completely transforms their responsiveness and willingness to launch quickly with minimal back-and-forth.
From an ROI perspective, this means campaigns get live faster, we maintain better control of messaging, and we develop a roster of reliable creators who prioritize our projects.
Bottom line: structuring deals around clarity, speed, and fair compensation directly translates to better performance metrics and higher ROI.
Brand-creator deals should start with crystal-clear goals. Too often brands focus on vanity metrics, but real ROI comes from knowing exactly what success looks like – whether that’s conversions, brand lift, or scalable ad-ready content. Creators also do their best work when they’re paid fairly upfront but have skin in the game through performance bonuses. It keeps everyone focused on outcomes, not just deliverables. Another key piece: creative freedom. Brands get better results when creators can talk to their audience in their own voice, not force a script. Finally, one thing that gets overlooked is reporting – brands should share performance data back with creators. It helps both sides improve and strengthens the partnership long term. The bottom line: treat creators like growth partners, not just vendors, and you’ll see way better returns.
Dylan Huey, Gen Z Founder, Digital Creator & Musician
My model is simple: strategy first, creator first, partnership first.
Most brand-creator deals today are one-dimensional. Posts with no context, no follow-up, no community. They look polished but lack intention. I believe ROI doesn’t come from volume; it comes from alignment. My company REACH has helped a publicly traded social platform reach #15 on the App Store by activating 1,000+ microinfluencers in 72 hours. We’ve hosted creator screenings with film studios that sparked organic, high-impact content without even requiring deliverables.
The difference? We create ecosystems around creators. We think about the algorithm. We think about timing. We build for influence and not just impressions.
The best-performing campaigns are the ones that can’t be copied and pasted from brand to brand. They’re built on real strategy and real partnership. That’s how you get results that matter. If everyone could do it, everyone would.
To drive better ROI from creator partnerships, brands need to stop treating them like one-off media buys and start approaching them as long-term brand-building investments. One post won’t build trust—or move the needle. ROI compounds when creators are given the runway to show up consistently, experiment, and grow with their audience. The most effective partnerships prioritize relationship over reach: multiple deliverables, long-term engagement, and cultural relevance—not just promo codes or short-term clicks. When creators shape perception, they don’t just deliver returns. They build belief—and that’s what drives lasting brand equity.
Regarding your question on structuring these deals for improved ROI, my perspective is that while short-term campaigns with prominent creators can yield significant immediate results, cultivating long-term relationships tends to offer a more substantial return on investment. Integrating a brand within a creator’s established community over time allows for a deeper transfer of the trust and rapport the creator has built with their audience. Consistent presence and collaboration can foster greater brand affinity and loyalty, ultimately leading to a more impactful ROI than singular engagements.
Brand-creator collaborations should be centered around authentic social interaction – not just promotion. This can be implemented by partnering with a wide range of influencers to drive community-based engagement through livestreams. Instead of providing scripted content, creators can connect with their audiences in real time – sharing experiences, hosting discussions, and encouraging active participation. In our recent campaigns across the U.S. and Canada, many creators on Bigo Live saw their income grow by over 3x due to deeper audience connection and longer view retention. Delivering better ROI comes from integrating brand goals into real, two-way conversations. When creators are given space to lead social experiences, rather than just push content onto their audiences, the results are far more impactful.
There will always be better ROI for a brand the more organic the overall partnership is. Are you working with an influencer who is actually a loyal customer of the brand? Are you working with someone who shares their personal life with their audience and has built complete trust with them?
In addition to the story the creator has built with their audience with the brand, the content must be organic for that creator. Audiences are extremely savvy and they know the influencers they follow. If you provide them with a 6 page brief with 25 DO’s and DON’Ts, it will not translate into the engagement and results you are likely hiring this influencer to achieve.
A more recent and more critical component of brand deals involves saturation and audience-fatigue. Partnership performance will trend downward if there are too many partners sharing the same brand, same product in the exact same way month over month. Do not burn out your partners and their invaluable audiences.
ROI – Return on Investment. To maximize ROI, you first need to clearly define “”return””.
What do you want to accomplish? Awareness? Affiliate Sales? Content for your paid media team?
Defining “”return”” dictates structure!
If you want to maximize awareness, offer a CPM to reward impressions. If you want to drive sales, get aggressive on the upside performance.
If you’re sourcing content for paid media, reward creators based on Ad Spend. If you’re willing to pay an agency 10% of spend for creative and execution, why not offer a creator 3%? It’ll be some of the cheapest paid media spend you have!
However, rarely is performance unilateral, so explore hybrid options! Pay a small flat rate for content then some variable component based on performance. Creators will feel taken care of!
To optimize a brand-creator deal for ROI, start by aligning incentives. The quickest way to optimize any collaboration for ROI is to give the creator a direct stake in results. Implement a tiered affiliate commission – one that increases in value as the creator hits preset revenue milestone – to push them to squeeze every dollar of trackable sales out of every post.
If a creator is only getting paid a flat fee without any incentive for driving measurable ROI, you can’t expect them to optimize their content to drive revenue. Performance incentives flip that mindset. Because their upside grows with your revenue, creators naturally test new angles, resurface winning content, and lean into what converts. Define clear targets, provide affiliate links or codes, and watch both sides pull in the same direction together toward bigger, measurable wins.
Driving ROI with creators depends on the objective—it’s not one-size-fits-all. For awareness, secure media rights to scale top-performing content. For consideration, invest in long-term ambassador partnerships that build trust over time. For conversion, combine affiliate deals with strong CTAs, exclusive discounts, and paid media. Structure deals with clear goals, performance benchmarks, and creative freedom so creators can tell your story authentically. Incentivize success with bonuses tied to KPIs, and negotiate usage rights upfront to repurpose winning content across channels. When creators feel empowered, invested, and equipped to drive results, performance follows. Ultimately, the best results come from flexible deal frameworks aligned to objectives, not one-size-fits-all templates.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
Recent research reveals important developments in brand-creator partnerships. While Dash Social highlights the growing influence of creators, Collabstr’s marketplace data shows average collaboration costs falling in early 2025 compared to the previous year.
EMARKETER has also projected a 14.2% growth in U.S. influencer marketing spending to $9.29 billion this year, suggesting the industry is maturing beyond experimentation into strategic deployment; and that more than half of multinational brands, about 54%, plan to increase creator marketing budget in 2025, according to a World Federation of Advertisers report.
Given this context, having the right brand-creator partnership is going to be a critical business imperative for marketers moving forward.
The question that now needs to be addressed is, “How should brands structure creator deals to maximize return on investment in the ever changing creator economy landscape?
We asked industry leaders and experts to share their thoughts on optimizing partnership structures, measurement frameworks, and compensation models that deliver measurable business impact across platforms. Here’s the first of two parts that highlight a range of insights and perspectives on how to get the most value out of brand-creator deals.
Jamie Gutfreund, Founder, Creator Vision
Brands can’t improve ROI from creator partnerships without control over their data.
Most teams lose visibility into what they’re paying creators, how they’re performing, and which content drives results. Why? The data lives in spreadsheets, hides in agency decks, and stays scattered across teams.
That’s not just inefficient—it blocks growth. Leading brands aren’t just spending more on creators; they’re building the systems to make that spend work harder. They centralize data, break down silos between paid and organic, tie creator activity to tangible business outcomes, set clear benchmarks, and put the brand—not the agency—at the center.
Sarah McNabb, Chief Marketing Officer, GigaStar
Good brand-creator deals aren’t just about paying for posts — they’re about building partnerships. Brands waste money when they pay for posts instead of results. Instead, brands should consider paying creators a base plus bonuses tied to real performance, lock down clear deliverables, and get rights to boost the content that actually works. Pick creators with the right audience, not just the biggest one, and build deals that reward real impact, not vanity metrics.
Dan Albert, Co-Founder & Partner, 456 Growth Media
As brands shift toward performance-driven strategies and face external pressures like rising tariffs, algorithm changes, and increased competition, evaluating creator partnerships through a strict ROI lens is more important than ever.
The traditional 1:1 approach is being replaced by hybrid deal structures that combine nominal upfront payments with backend performance incentives. This model not only drives accountability but also encourages creators to go beyond the required deliverables, often resulting in additional organic activity that boosts campaign outcomes.
By giving creators the space to prove their value, brands open the door to scalable, high-impact partnerships—creating a fairer system where high-performing creators can earn uncapped commissions. It’s a smarter, more dynamic way to build long-term growth and adaptability in today’s evolving social commerce landscape.
Chris Ryan, Talent Manager, Chris Ryan Marketing
Brands still treat creators like a one-time ad buy, then wonder why the results fall flat. Real ROI comes when brands invest in creators the right way, with longer partnerships, paid support behind the content, and trust in the creator’s voice. Follower counts and impressions are lazy metrics. Great creators can drive real business results if brands stop treating them like disposable media buys and start treating them like real partners.
Chris Jacks, Director of Growth Strategy, HireInfluence
Two primary drivers leading to better campaign ROI are authentic influencer alignment and long-term partnership deals. Without authentic influencer alignment, the chances of receiving ROI are minimal. Regardless of how compelling a product is, without an authentic and genuine endorsement, audiences will not be inclined to pursue finding out more about the product. Building off of influencer alignment, long-term partnership deals assist in the overarching goal of authenticity. Endorsing a product multiple times or showing a product in use over a long period will almost always lead to increased ROI.
Eddie Pietzak, Head of Digital, CESD
The best brand-creator deals I’ve seen are built on long term partnerships, not one-offs. When there’s consistency, creators can genuinely connect their audience to the brand and that authenticity drives a better ROI. At the end of the day, it really comes down to trust. Give creators the freedom to do what they do best, while setting clear goals on the brand side. By doing so, the content feels real, performs better, and builds momentum over time. I would also recommend utilizing usage rights, whitelisting, and content repurposing—those tactics build on the value of the contracted content. When brands treat creators like true partners instead of just ad space, the results will follow.
Gilad Bechar, Founder & CEO, Moburst
To maximize ROI, brand-creator deals should focus on precision, performance, and authenticity. It’s not about follower count—it’s about audience fit. Using data tools, we evaluate how closely a creator’s audience aligns with the brand’s target by factors like location, gender, and age. For instance, a creator with 200K followers, where only 50% match the brand’s brief, is equivalent to a 100K audience with full alignment.
Compensation should be tied to clear KPIs—conversions, installs, engagement—so creators are rewarded for actual impact, not just reach.
Equally important is securing rights to repurpose top-performing content across paid media. This extends the content’s lifespan, ensures consistency across channels, and drives more value from each collaboration.
When deals are structured around these principles, influencer campaigns move from being a brand awareness play to a scalable growth channel.
Marwan Wedamsi, Head of Growth & Co-Founder, Aidem
Not every creator is a perfect fit and that’s exactly the point. Better ROI starts with matching creator strengths to the actual creative concept. Don’t cast for reach, cast for relevance and authenticity. Choose storytellers, not just faces. Brand fit, audience fit, creative fit, when all three align, ROI isn’t a risk, it’s a guarantee.
Kim Murray, Founder, Virality Boost
We’ve completely rethought how brand-creator partnerships should work. The traditional model is broken – it’s too slow, there’s too much back-and-forth, and it doesn’t align incentives properly.
Look, our whole approach to deal structure is laser-focused on ROI. We give creators crystal-clear campaign deliverables upfront – exactly what to post, when to post it, and precise talking points. This eliminates confusion and speeds up the timeline dramatically.
The game-changer? We pay creators the same day they post. Not 30 days later, not 60 days – same day. This completely transforms their responsiveness and willingness to launch quickly with minimal back-and-forth.
From an ROI perspective, this means campaigns get live faster, we maintain better control of messaging, and we develop a roster of reliable creators who prioritize our projects.
Bottom line: structuring deals around clarity, speed, and fair compensation directly translates to better performance metrics and higher ROI.
Elijah Khasabo, Co-Founder, Vidovo
Brand-creator deals should start with crystal-clear goals. Too often brands focus on vanity metrics, but real ROI comes from knowing exactly what success looks like – whether that’s conversions, brand lift, or scalable ad-ready content. Creators also do their best work when they’re paid fairly upfront but have skin in the game through performance bonuses. It keeps everyone focused on outcomes, not just deliverables. Another key piece: creative freedom. Brands get better results when creators can talk to their audience in their own voice, not force a script. Finally, one thing that gets overlooked is reporting – brands should share performance data back with creators. It helps both sides improve and strengthens the partnership long term. The bottom line: treat creators like growth partners, not just vendors, and you’ll see way better returns.
Dylan Huey, Gen Z Founder, Digital Creator & Musician
My model is simple: strategy first, creator first, partnership first.
Most brand-creator deals today are one-dimensional. Posts with no context, no follow-up, no community. They look polished but lack intention. I believe ROI doesn’t come from volume; it comes from alignment. My company REACH has helped a publicly traded social platform reach #15 on the App Store by activating 1,000+ microinfluencers in 72 hours. We’ve hosted creator screenings with film studios that sparked organic, high-impact content without even requiring deliverables.
The difference? We create ecosystems around creators. We think about the algorithm. We think about timing. We build for influence and not just impressions.
The best-performing campaigns are the ones that can’t be copied and pasted from brand to brand. They’re built on real strategy and real partnership. That’s how you get results that matter. If everyone could do it, everyone would.
Monica Khan, Co-Founder Bay Area Creator Economy & Partner at Strand Entertainment
To drive better ROI from creator partnerships, brands need to stop treating them like one-off media buys and start approaching them as long-term brand-building investments. One post won’t build trust—or move the needle. ROI compounds when creators are given the runway to show up consistently, experiment, and grow with their audience. The most effective partnerships prioritize relationship over reach: multiple deliverables, long-term engagement, and cultural relevance—not just promo codes or short-term clicks. When creators shape perception, they don’t just deliver returns. They build belief—and that’s what drives lasting brand equity.
Ivan McCombs, Content Creator
Regarding your question on structuring these deals for improved ROI, my perspective is that while short-term campaigns with prominent creators can yield significant immediate results, cultivating long-term relationships tends to offer a more substantial return on investment. Integrating a brand within a creator’s established community over time allows for a deeper transfer of the trust and rapport the creator has built with their audience. Consistent presence and collaboration can foster greater brand affinity and loyalty, ultimately leading to a more impactful ROI than singular engagements.
Lynette Yang, Vice President, BIGO Live
Brand-creator collaborations should be centered around authentic social interaction – not just promotion. This can be implemented by partnering with a wide range of influencers to drive community-based engagement through livestreams. Instead of providing scripted content, creators can connect with their audiences in real time – sharing experiences, hosting discussions, and encouraging active participation. In our recent campaigns across the U.S. and Canada, many creators on Bigo Live saw their income grow by over 3x due to deeper audience connection and longer view retention. Delivering better ROI comes from integrating brand goals into real, two-way conversations. When creators are given space to lead social experiences, rather than just push content onto their audiences, the results are far more impactful.
Courtney Stevener, Director of Client Service, Trend Management
There will always be better ROI for a brand the more organic the overall partnership is. Are you working with an influencer who is actually a loyal customer of the brand? Are you working with someone who shares their personal life with their audience and has built complete trust with them?
In addition to the story the creator has built with their audience with the brand, the content must be organic for that creator. Audiences are extremely savvy and they know the influencers they follow. If you provide them with a 6 page brief with 25 DO’s and DON’Ts, it will not translate into the engagement and results you are likely hiring this influencer to achieve.
A more recent and more critical component of brand deals involves saturation and audience-fatigue. Partnership performance will trend downward if there are too many partners sharing the same brand, same product in the exact same way month over month. Do not burn out your partners and their invaluable audiences.
Andy Cloyd, Co-Founder & CEO, Superafiliate
ROI – Return on Investment. To maximize ROI, you first need to clearly define “”return””.
What do you want to accomplish? Awareness? Affiliate Sales? Content for your paid media team?
Defining “”return”” dictates structure!
If you want to maximize awareness, offer a CPM to reward impressions. If you want to drive sales, get aggressive on the upside performance.
If you’re sourcing content for paid media, reward creators based on Ad Spend. If you’re willing to pay an agency 10% of spend for creative and execution, why not offer a creator 3%? It’ll be some of the cheapest paid media spend you have!
However, rarely is performance unilateral, so explore hybrid options! Pay a small flat rate for content then some variable component based on performance. Creators will feel taken care of!
Noah Tucker, Founder & CEO, Social Snowball
To optimize a brand-creator deal for ROI, start by aligning incentives. The quickest way to optimize any collaboration for ROI is to give the creator a direct stake in results. Implement a tiered affiliate commission – one that increases in value as the creator hits preset revenue milestone – to push them to squeeze every dollar of trackable sales out of every post.
If a creator is only getting paid a flat fee without any incentive for driving measurable ROI, you can’t expect them to optimize their content to drive revenue. Performance incentives flip that mindset. Because their upside grows with your revenue, creators naturally test new angles, resurface winning content, and lean into what converts. Define clear targets, provide affiliate links or codes, and watch both sides pull in the same direction together toward bigger, measurable wins.
Brad May, Vice President of Creative and Strategy, Reach Agency
Driving ROI with creators depends on the objective—it’s not one-size-fits-all. For awareness, secure media rights to scale top-performing content. For consideration, invest in long-term ambassador partnerships that build trust over time. For conversion, combine affiliate deals with strong CTAs, exclusive discounts, and paid media. Structure deals with clear goals, performance benchmarks, and creative freedom so creators can tell your story authentically. Incentivize success with bonuses tied to KPIs, and negotiate usage rights upfront to repurpose winning content across channels. When creators feel empowered, invested, and equipped to drive results, performance follows. Ultimately, the best results come from flexible deal frameworks aligned to objectives, not one-size-fits-all templates.