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"In an era of algorithmic social feeds and where ROI matters more than ever, relying on gut feeling or vanity metrics like follower counts just doesn't cut it.". The findings signal a fundamental shift in brand approach to creator partnerships. Marketers are moving beyond one-off promotional deals toward sustained relationships with creators who align with their brand values.

Shifting the social video model from clout to connections and creativity challenges a system built on followers, likes, and influencer dominance. It might have a difficult time swaying creators who have successfully monetized existing models.

Competition to cash in on sports is increasing among popular social platforms. Meta recently struck a multi-year partnership with UFC, and as sports discussions gain traction on Threads, the platform鈥檚 competition with X is intensifying.

The Social & Influencer Lions have been rebranded as the Social & Creator Lions. This year, there will be five new creator-driven subcategories: Creator Collaborations, Content Strategy, Community Building, Cross-Platform Storytelling, and Excellence in Craft.

On the creator side, Snap has teamed up with Later, a platform for influencer marketing management, to integrate Snapchat鈥檚 APIs into its discovery and scheduling tools. This means brands can now find Snap creators by topic or audience size and manage campaigns more efficiently across platforms.

Retailers looking to capitalize on retail media鈥檚 growth opportunities need to understand the market developments, formats, and challenges shaping ad spending in Latin America.

Partnering with influencers and thought leaders in the space enhances credibility and increases reach, while actively correcting misinformation helps banks become trusted sources of reliable financial knowledge.

2024 was a year of legitimacy for the creator economy. 2025 will be a year of professionalization, as creator content scales beyond social media and marketers focus on proving the ROI of their growing influencer marketing investments.

38% of US enterprise marketers say the majority of their influencer marketing budget goes to paid amplification, up from 34% in 2023, per an October 2024 Linqia report.

That鈥檚 more than the 47 minutes US adult TikTok users will spend on the social platform per day, according to our estimates. Read the full report, US Creator Podcast Revenues Forecast 2025.

The social platform has proven to be a tastemaker, inspiring travel and other lifestyle aspirations. This comes at a time when more tourists from China are flocking to overseas destinations, with the platform fueling travel ideas. After a slow restart, outbound travel from China will reach 94% of 2019 levels, per Goldman Sachs. The social platform has seen strong growth in users and sellers.

Macro-influencers (those with at least 100,000 followers) are already ahead of the curve: 63% cite subscriptions as a top revenue source, far more than the 47% average across all creators. Creators using Vimeo鈥檚 legacy OTT tools have already earned more than $1 billion over the past three years, validating appetite for scalable, owned monetization.

Netflix, Patreon explore podcast potential: As competition in the podcast space heats up, brands are looking for unique value propositions to draw audiences.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to consider the saturation of sponsored content, and how partnerships that span beyond social feeds can benefit both creators and brands. Related 蘑菇AV reports:. SXSW 2025: Brands and Creators Forge New Paths for Growth as AI Gets a Reality Check (蘑菇AV subscription required).

So Team True is an always on influencer program of now almost 100 people, and those people are really diverse. They're men and women, they range from college athletes, so we partner with a lot of NIL partners, frankly, to people that are in their 20s and 30s who are musicians, fashion stylists. We have the first ever NFL fashion stylist who's on Team True. We-. Sara Lebow (14:04):.

Wonder acquires a media company, Unilever dedicates more spend to influencers, and Ulta launches a third-party marketplace. Here are the eight most interesting retailers and brands from last month, as ranked on our 鈥淏ehind the Numbers鈥� podcast.

Why creator monetization matters: As influencer marketing spending grows, platforms that offer consistent payouts will retain creators who provide valuable ad space.

To keep pace in a complex landscape and meet increasing demands from advertisers, commerce media players need to invest in fresh channels, tools, and innovation.

Spotify will offer Partner Program in nine new markets: The platform hopes to attract more creators by expanding monetization opportunities鈥攁nd draw attention from YouTube.

YouTube Shorts views get redefined: Starting March 31, every play counts as a view鈥攂ut only 鈥渆ngaged views鈥� will determine monetization and deeper insight.

Gen Z respondents spend 54% (or about 50 minutes) more time on social platforms and watching user-generated content than the average consumer. Gen Z also spends 26% less time (about 44 minutes) than the average consumer watching TV and movies. 52% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials feel a deeper connection to social media creators than they do with actors and TV personalities.

The surge in demand reflects the growing impact of college athletes as cultural influencers, especially through name, image, and likeness (NIL) partnerships. ESPN鈥檚 inventory for the Women鈥檚 Final Four is already gone, highlighting rising interest in women鈥檚 sports and female NIL talent.

We compiled the best tips for social media marketing from Sprout Social.