Influencer and affiliate programs are converging into a single, measurable channel. The question that creates for brands: how do we build our creator and influencer programs to function as a true performance channel, driving measurable revenue and new customer acquisition at scale? Jonathan Claydon, Chief Strategist at Acceleration Partners, and Jack Riker, SVP & Head of Sales at ShopMy, recently explored the answers at an Acceleration Partners webinar. ShopMy even shared revealing data from “The New Era of Performance Marketing Report,” building a case that traditional paid performance channels are facing significant headwinds:
- Google Ads ROAS is down 10 percent year-over-year, Meta ad prices are up 10 percent year-over-year, Google Ads CPA is up 12 percent year-over-year, and only 15 percent of iOS users have opted into tracking.
- Nearly half of consumers now regularly purchase through influencer posts, making it no longer simply a PR or awareness channel.
- More than 60 percent of purchases through ShopMy links are from entirely new customers, making creator investment a powerful driver of new customer acquisition.
- Creator assets outperform brand-produced content in paid social. Consumers respond to authenticity, and content developed by creators (that doesn’t feel like an ad!) outperforms anything else out there.
The bottom line: every brand needs to diversify its media mix. Overreliance on one channel leaves you exposed, and the data makes a strong case for influencer as the place to invest. But most creator programs stop at awareness, counting likes, views, and reach while missing what really matters: performance. Visibility is easy to buy. Impact is harder to prove. The brands getting this right have moved beyond generating attention to building programs designed to drive measurable, scalable, and lasting revenue growth. This performance influencer playbook is what separates them.
Treat Influencer Like a Real Performance Channel.
That means having a clear strategy with cultivated relationships, knowing what content and which creators are resonating, using technology to access individual data, developing a holistic view of what the channel is delivering, and actively managing the channel.
Invest Consistently in the Channel All Year Long, Not Just When You’re Running Sales.
Creators who talk about brands throughout the year are genuinely credible when a sale or launch arrives. That consistency is what makes the recommendation land. Plus, brands with always-on programs already know who performs, so when Black Friday or a new release arrives, they can over-invest in the right creators rather than guessing. These brands also have a library of creator content that they can push into paid channels during high-spend periods when they quickly need more creative diversity.
Remember That Creator Content Is Directly Shaping How Brands Appear in AI-Generated Recommendations.
The commercial value of creator investment goes well beyond last-click revenue. Long-form YouTube content, Substack posts, and Reels are being cited by large language models and showing up in AI-generated results. Creator content is one of the better ways to influence those results and ensure that brands are being cited on key strategic terms.
Measure Beyond the Last Click
Last-click revenue is only part of the story. AP data shows that running large-scale creator programs alongside traditional affiliate produces a 30 percent lift in net new customers through content partners. Brands scaling creator investment are also seeing direct site traffic increase and Amazon sales lift, even without a tracking link in sight. Build your measurement framework before you start, not after, and make sure it accounts for all of that.
Keep Your Budgets Flexible Enough to Follow What Works.
When creator and affiliate investment starts outperforming other channels, be ready to move spend toward it. Brands with the right data infrastructure can over-invest in high-performing creators quickly, and pull back where they’re not getting returns. The ones that struggle tend to have fixed budgets locked to a fixed roster, with no way to act on what the data is telling them.
If there was one word that kept coming up over and over again during this conversation, it was authenticity. People are craving genuine content and recommendations in our saturated, AI-driven era, and creators can provide that authentic connection they seek. To leverage this authenticity, brands have to give creators editorial freedom. Because when authentic fans of a brand have the opportunity to tell a story in their own voice, they’ll outperform a scripted brief every time.
Want the full picture? Watch the on-demand recording to hear directly from AP and ShopMy on how to build a creator program that converts: Turn Influencer Engagement Into Revenue.
Looking for ways to find that authenticity and build a high-performance creator program? The experts at Acceleration Partners have you covered. Contact us to learn more about Performance Influencer and how we can help you create a clear strategy, access the right tools, and lean into what makes this channel great.
