In today’s crowded marketing landscape, finding ways to stretch a budget without sacrificing quality is like finding a needle in a haystack. But that needle just got a whole lot easier to spot. #paid, a top player in the influencer marketing world, has just dropped its 2024 Creator Ad Report, revealing how creator licensing is reshaping how brands run their campaigns—and saving them a ton of cash in the process.
The report offers an eye-opening look at key cost metrics like CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CPC (cost per click), CPV (cost per view), and CPE (cost per engagement). These numbers are golden for any marketer looking to fine-tune their ad strategy, making the report a must-read for anyone trying to get the most bang for their advertising buck.
But what’s the big deal with creator licensing, anyway? Imagine taking a post from your favorite content creator and turning it into a full-blown ad, all while keeping it in the creator’s voice. That’s the magic of creator licensing. Brands can take a creator’s post, tweak the caption, change the call-to-action, and amplify its reach without losing the authenticity that connects creators to their audience. It’s like having your cake and eating it too—but without the usual calories (or ad costs).
According to Bryan Gold, Founder and CEO of #paid, more brands are catching on to the power of creator partnerships. “The old school approach to influencer marketing is fading fast. Brands are realizing there’s no cookie-cutter solution to this kind of work. Creator licensing allows brands to get personal and hit the right notes with their audiences quicker and more effectively,” Gold said.
Here are some key takeaways from #paid’s report:
1. Cost Efficiency
Creator licensing campaigns are a wallet’s best friend. They’re delivering a 50% lower CPM compared to typical digital ads and an 80% lower CPC than search ads. That’s right—brands running these ads are seeing more engagement without emptying their bank accounts.
2. Savings on Popular Platforms
Whether you’re on TikTok, Facebook, or any other major social platform, brands using creator licensing are slashing ad costs by as much as 81%. That’s more eyes on your brand for a lot less dough, helping companies stretch their ad dollars further than they could with traditional campaigns.
3. Growing Popularity
If you think creator licensing is just a fad, think again. A solid 67% of all creator campaigns launched on #paid now use this strategy. The numbers don’t lie—brands are embracing this method to get their content seen and build trust with audiences.
The full report, available at no cost, dives deep into the details of these cost savings and provides best practices for leveraging creator licensing. It’s loaded with insights for brands who are ready to take their campaigns to the next level. Whether you’re a small startup or a big brand, this report is like a roadmap for cutting ad costs while boosting your reach.
So, why stick to expensive, outdated ad tactics when creator licensing is clearly paving the way for smarter, cheaper, and more effective marketing? You can download the full report for all the juicy details here.
What is Creator Licensing?
Creator Licensing is an essential component of many modern brand and influencer collaborations, especially on platforms like #paid, where 80% of campaigns incorporate Creator Licensing into their strategies. But what exactly is Creator Licensing? In simple terms, it allows brands to leverage a creator’s content, putting their own media dollars behind it to amplify the reach beyond the creator’s organic following. Essentially, the brand creates an ad using the creator’s content and distributes it to a broader audience, ensuring the message has a wider impact.
What is a Creator Licensed Ad?
A Creator Licensed ad is a form of paid social advertising that performs better by utilizing a creator’s content and likeness, such as their social media handle and imagery from a campaign. For example, imagine a brand using a creator’s Instagram post and handle to craft an Instagram ad. Although the brand pays for the ad, it appears as though the creator themselves posted it, lending authenticity and trust to the message. These ads are often highly effective because they blend seamlessly with the creator’s content, making them feel more organic to users scrolling through their feeds.
How Does It Work?
Creator Licensing introduces a fundamental shift in how consumers perceive paid social ads. Rather than seeing an advertisement directly from a brand, consumers see a message from a creator they trust, which makes the ad feel more personal and genuine. These Creator Licensed ads can be placed across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, appearing on news feeds, explore pages, and stories.
Importantly, Creator Licensing is different from “boosting” or “promoting” content. Boosting takes an existing organic post and increases its visibility, while Creator Licensed ads are crafted using the creator’s content but are created from scratch by the brand. The ads appear authentic, as if the creator themselves shared the message, but they don’t actually show up on the creator’s personal page.
Benefits of Creator Licensing for Creators and Brands
For creators, this form of advertising is highly beneficial. It boosts their content from their handle, potentially introducing them to new followers and growing their audience. More exposure often means more engagement, leading to increased collaboration opportunities with other brands.
For brands, Creator Licensed ads allow them to reach a much wider audience using the credibility and trust the creator has already built with their followers. This approach results in a more effective message delivery because consumers are more likely to engage with content that feels less like a traditional ad and more like a trusted recommendation.
Overall, Creator Licensing is becoming a key tool in the digital marketing world, blending authenticity with broad reach. It’s a win-win for both creators and brands, allowing creators to gain exposure while brands access more effective and trusted advertising avenues.
