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The influence of social commerce

We collected insights from 1,562 multi-hyphenate Linkers to discover how creators of all sizes approach monetization and content creation in the current social media landscape.

Year after year, creators navigate ever-changing online spaces. Their ability to adapt their presences to foster authentic connections, grow community, and unlock new paths to monetization is inspiring. In this growing 250 billion dollar industry, the influence between a creator and their audience’s purchases is clear (Goldman Sachs, 2023).

In 2024 alone, approximately

20%

of the average 1.3B clicks a month generated on Linktree were attributed to retail and commerce sites.

As Linktree expands beyond link in bio to offer creators more opportunities to make money, we spoke to our dedicated creator community to dive deeper into what the future holds for social commerce.

Pain Points of Creating

The majority of survey respondents described making money as a creator as difficult with the top two reasons being it’s hard to produce content consistently (59%) and the uncertainty around algorithms on social media platforms (55%).
When creativity becomes something that you have to do within certain time requirements or to adhere to an algorithm, that inspired part of you can sometimes shut down. It’s just like writer’s block and you’re trapped trying to think of something interesting to hit a deadline for a video instead of being able to go out into the real world and actually find inspiration. It’s all so unpredictable, and that uncertainty makes it hard to rely on steady growth or income.”
Michaela Okland, Creator
linktr.biz/michaelaokland

Persuasion Currency

Today’s most successful creators are honest and relatable. Their influence is driven by a relatability that converts audience loyalty into persuasion currency.
When I’m scrolling my TikTok and an incredible pair of shoes shows up on my FYP styled in an OOTD montage from one of my favorite influencers, I’m immediately motivated to investigate where it’s from, how much it costs, and how quickly I too can own this incredible item.”
Maria Smal, Creator
linktr.biz/mariasmal

Of our survey respondents who have been offered a brand partnership

63%

stated they would NOT accept ifthey didn’t believe in the company or product.

Creators shared that they find authentic partnerships and brand alignment to be priority. However, financial stability may impact their decision making when considering brand partnerships.

Passion Into Pay

The Path to Becoming a Full-time Creator

An overwhelming number of creators identified as being part-time creators with an aspiration to make it a full-time career.

In the last year 70% ofrespondents reported making

less than
$49K

as a content creator. Affiliate revenue streams were cited as the top income driver with larger brand partnerships noted as harder to rely on for consistent revenue.

Because I can quickly film and post my home decor haul or makeup routine in real time, there’s always something new and available for people to discover and buy from my recent faves.”
Erin Klay, Creator
linktr.biz/erinklay

Clicks surge during peak shopping moments

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are driving a

+150%
increase in clicks

on Linktree over the typical day. Fans are eager to hear their favorite creators’ recommendations on everything from home furniture and decor to shampoo and hair vitamins, especially during the holidays.

In fact, daily clicks to Sephora links on Linktree were up 75% during their big November 1-11 sale compared to the rest of 2024.

As a consumer and a creator, having everything all in one place when you want to see it asap instead of having to hunt down a product is such a game changer. It feels so intentional and like your favorite creator took the time to create a space just for you!”
Autym Sanson, Creator
linktr.biz/autym

Redefining Social Shopping

The future of social commerce for creators is centered on making direct-to-consumer sales easier, highly personalized, and overall more profitable.

Since the debut of visual layouts earlier this year, Linktree users have generated over

18M+clicks

demonstrating the power of creator-led commerce.

​​I particularly love how my Linktree Shop allows me to create “Collections” where I can pull links from all different sources into one place. This has been a game changer when it comes to consolidating link sharing because previously, I would share 5-10 different links from a single reel whereas now, I can share the link to the Collection and my audience can find everything in one place.”
Michelle Ahn, Creator
linktr.biz/ohtheplacesyoullgrow

STAY tuned

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