TikTok-fueled impulse buying is redrawing the affiliate marketing landscape. As shoppers skip the research phase and rely on creator recommendations, brands are rethinking how they build trust, drive conversions, and stay ahead of trends.

Most conversations around pay transparency center on equitable and predictable income for creators. While creators deserve to be paid fairly and on time for their work, more visibility into creator pay rates has tangible benefits for brands, too.

Australia’s digital landscape is evolving fast, driven by shifting consumer behaviors, increasing ecommerce adoption, and changing media habits. Recent data reveals trends shaping digital spending, retail sales, and more.

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

Younger consumers increasingly prefer creator content over TV, film: A Deloitte study indicates that advertisers need to rethink their strategies to remain competitive.

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

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

Influencer marketing is maturing and diversifying. While the turmoil at TikTok and the escalating trade war are causing temporary uncertainty, the industry will remain resilient as momentum around influencer marketing grows.

Influencers are advising people to take their money from banks and deposit it with a credit union.

This year’s festival highlighted a maturing creator economy, a reality check for AI, and bigger and bolder brand activations and marketing trends.

Substack vies for video content: While video use on the platform is growing, Substack has a long way to go—and risks alienating its core base.

The creator economy asserts itself at SXSW: Panels with creator platforms underscored their crucial place in the marketing ecosystem

On today’s special edition podcast, we talk about how brands are rising to the challenge of finding the right influencers and creators for campaigns. Listen to the discussion with Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley, as she hosts N’Yaisha Aziz, Global Social Media Lead at Uber, and Rodney Mason, the Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at LTK. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

TikTok returns to US app stores, hinting at a secure future: Regulators and storefronts say they want to keep the app around, putting it on much stronger footing.

One in 5 (21%) US adults regularly gets their news from social media news influencers, according to a November 2024 report from the Pew Research Center.

Horizon Media is hunting for acquisitions: The US agency is targeting companies in the influencer marketing and retail media sectors.

59% of US shoppers are most influenced by honest creator reviews that showcase the pros and cons of a product, according to a September 2024 survey by Bazaarvoice and Savanta.

Instagram is looking more and more like TikTok: The company is launching a video editing app, Edits, which is strikingly similar to TikTok’s CapCut.

Not everyone gets news from creators and influencers. But alternative voices, especially podcasters, hold a lot of sway over key demographics, including Gen Z, men, and consumers who feel marginalized by mainstream media.