Trust in creators surges more than 20%, redefining the consumer purchase journey

LTK, the platform that powers Creator Commerce™, today released its Creator Journey 2024™ Shopping Trends report, showcasing the impact creators have on consumer behavior and how they are reshaping the traditional consumer purchase journey.

“This report underscores the pivotal role creators will continue to play in shaping consumer behavior across all generations – creating a new consumer journey. Creators have become a valuable asset for brands – influencing every phase from sparking inspiration to guiding purchase decisions and fostering brand loyalty”

As marketers recognize the profound impact creators have, spending on creator marketing is expected to reach over $35B in 2024. Consumers now rely on creators from discovery to purchase to loyalty and retention as trust in creators soared by 21% from last year. Across all generations, creators now rank as the No. 1 trusted source over social media ads and celebrities, with Gen Z three times more likely to say they trust creators over ads.

Rise of Creator Trust Transforms Consumer Journey

With creators serving as trusted advisors across all generations, creators have evolved from mere product endorsers to influencing the entire consumer journey. Among Gen Z and Millennials, 66% actively shop and make purchases through creators, and 56% of the wider population now buy from creators, marking a 64% increase from the previous year. On the LTK platform alone, creators are driving more than $4.1B in sales annually – a figure that continues to rise each year.

While creator-guided shopping has become the new norm, creators aren’t just influencing purchase decisions; creators are now integral to a brand’s overall full funnel marketing strategy. Consumers are interacting with creators and their content now more than ever. A staggering 69% of Gen Z and 71% of Millennials report a higher likelihood of exploring brands or products after engaging with creator content, finding it more inspirational than direct brand content.

That’s why 92% of brands are increasing their investment in influencer marketing this year. Brands are leveraging creators to support multiple strategies, including increasing repeat purchases and basket, brand and product recognition, expanding consideration to new audiences, loyalty and retention.

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The Increased Value of Creator Content

The importance and value of creator content have skyrocketed, making creator marketing a top investment growth channel for brands, alongside connected TV advertising. This rise is largely attributed to creators’ powerful storytelling abilities, especially through video content. Video content on the LTK platform drives over 2X clicks per post compared to static content, and creator video posts on LTK grew 4X from 2021 to 2023. The general population watched creator video content 30% more than the previous year and nearly 75% watch creator videos because of the creators’ ability to authentically and meaningfully convey the product and brand value through their personal everyday life stories.

In turn, consumers express a desire to engage with creator content beyond just social media. 34% of consumers said they want to see creator content on TV, followed by in-store and display ads.

“This report underscores the pivotal role creators will continue to play in shaping consumer behavior across all generations – creating a new consumer journey. Creators have become a valuable asset for brands – influencing every phase from sparking inspiration to guiding purchase decisions and fostering brand loyalty,” said Rodney Mason, Vice President and Head of Marketing, Brand Platform at LTK.

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