Published in Analytics

Image credit by John Schnobrich

Steven Lewis

Steven Lewis

Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Foam

February 28, 2025

📊 What Brands Really Want From Creator Marketing in 2025

Brands want measurable results—here’s how to prove your creators’ value.

Creator marketing has changed. Brands are no longer impressed by vanity metrics. A high follower count, a flood of likes, and viral moments might look good in a pitch deck, but if they don’t translate into business results, they’re meaningless.

Brands want numbers that matter—sales, customer acquisition, and long-term brand affinity. For talent managers, this shift isn’t just about reporting differently; it’s the difference between commanding premium rates and watching budgets disappear.

The question brands are asking now isn’t how many people saw a campaign—it’s what the campaign actually delivered. Conversions, click-through rates, customer acquisition costs, return on ad spend, and brand lift are the metrics that justify investment. Follower count and one-off viral hits no longer hold weight if they don’t drive action. Creator reports that focus solely on engagement without tying it to tangible outcomes are an easy excuse for brands to cut budgets.

The only thing worse than a weak report is no report at all. If performance tracking isn’t backed by real data, talent managers risk losing deals. Using UTM links and Google Analytics, unique discount codes and affiliate links, and brand lift studies ensures the right insights are being measured. If a brand asks, "What did we gain from this campaign?" and the answer isn’t backed by hard numbers, that renewal deal is already gone.

Raw data alone isn’t enough. It has to tell a compelling story. Instead of saying, "The campaign reached three million people and got 50,000 likes," a stronger case is, "This campaign drove 12,500 new website visits and a nine percent conversion rate, generating $87,000 in direct revenue." Reports should be digestible and impactful, using visuals, trends, and customer retention insights to prove sustained value.

When a Creator delivers real business impact, that data becomes leverage. Top-performing Creators should see higher rates. Retainer agreements should replace one-off campaigns, proving the compounding effect of consistent exposure. Performance-based incentives can turn Creators into long-term brand partners rather than short-term placements.

Brands are no longer spending on Creator marketing just because it’s trendy—they need proof that it works. Managers who provide that proof will win bigger deals, while those relying on outdated vanity metrics will struggle to justify their value.

Focusing on engagement alone is already a losing game. Failing to track actual conversions, sales, and audience impact is even worse. Providing vague reports that don’t tie results to business outcomes won’t cut it in an industry where every dollar is being scrutinized.

Talent managers who lead with tangible business impact, clear data, and reports that make brands want to reinvest will keep winning deals. The ones who can’t will be stuck trying to explain why "lots of likes" should still count for something.

🔗 Prove ROI & Secure Bigger Brand Deals with FOAM

Creator marketing has changed. Brands are no longer impressed by vanity metrics. A high follower count, a flood of likes, and viral moments might look good in a pitch deck, but if they don’t translate into business results, they’re meaningless.

Brands want numbers that matter—sales, customer acquisition, and long-term brand affinity. For talent managers, this shift isn’t just about reporting differently; it’s the difference between commanding premium rates and watching budgets disappear.

The question brands are asking now isn’t how many people saw a campaign—it’s what the campaign actually delivered. Conversions, click-through rates, customer acquisition costs, return on ad spend, and brand lift are the metrics that justify investment. Follower count and one-off viral hits no longer hold weight if they don’t drive action. Creator reports that focus solely on engagement without tying it to tangible outcomes are an easy excuse for brands to cut budgets.

The only thing worse than a weak report is no report at all. If performance tracking isn’t backed by real data, talent managers risk losing deals. Using UTM links and Google Analytics, unique discount codes and affiliate links, and brand lift studies ensures the right insights are being measured. If a brand asks, "What did we gain from this campaign?" and the answer isn’t backed by hard numbers, that renewal deal is already gone.

Raw data alone isn’t enough. It has to tell a compelling story. Instead of saying, "The campaign reached three million people and got 50,000 likes," a stronger case is, "This campaign drove 12,500 new website visits and a nine percent conversion rate, generating $87,000 in direct revenue." Reports should be digestible and impactful, using visuals, trends, and customer retention insights to prove sustained value.

When a Creator delivers real business impact, that data becomes leverage. Top-performing Creators should see higher rates. Retainer agreements should replace one-off campaigns, proving the compounding effect of consistent exposure. Performance-based incentives can turn Creators into long-term brand partners rather than short-term placements.

Brands are no longer spending on Creator marketing just because it’s trendy—they need proof that it works. Managers who provide that proof will win bigger deals, while those relying on outdated vanity metrics will struggle to justify their value.

Focusing on engagement alone is already a losing game. Failing to track actual conversions, sales, and audience impact is even worse. Providing vague reports that don’t tie results to business outcomes won’t cut it in an industry where every dollar is being scrutinized.

Talent managers who lead with tangible business impact, clear data, and reports that make brands want to reinvest will keep winning deals. The ones who can’t will be stuck trying to explain why "lots of likes" should still count for something.

🔗 Prove ROI & Secure Bigger Brand Deals with FOAM