After years of marketers viewing them as optional, creators as affiliates have firmly established themselves as a reliable source of growth. Cyber Monday 2024 offered undeniable proof: according to Adobe Analytics, creators and affiliates accounted for an impressive 20.3% of U.S. retail revenue, a 7% year-over-year increase.
Moreover, creators proved their ability to turn recommendations into sales. Social posts featuring affiliate links were six times more likely to convert into purchases than other social content. These numbers confirm what early adopters have long understood: creator-driven commerce is reshaping how people shop.
Affiliate Marketing: Performance Meets Trust
Affiliate marketing – a performance-driven model that converts creator posts into sales across categories like beauty, fashion, electronics, and home goods – lies at the core of this transformation.
Retail giants like Amazon and Walmart have embraced this model. Amazon Associates, one of the world’s largest affiliate networks, partners with nearly one million creators and commands over 21% of affiliate market share. Similarly, Walmart Creator, launched in early 2023, has attracted tens of thousands of creators to its platform.
“Affiliate marketing is the fastest-growing, hottest part of the marketing industry,” said William White, Walmart’s Chief Marketing Officer, during their Creator Upfronts in partnership with Forbes earlier this year. White emphasized Walmart’s commitment to measurable strategies, sharing that “80% of the company’s paid media is now shoppable”—a clear sign of how creators are shaping retail’s future.
LTK: Powering Creator Commerce at Scale
While Amazon and Walmart expand their proprietary platforms, LTK (formerly rewardStyle) has emerged as the largest creator-guided shopping platform. With over 350,000 creators, 8,000 retailers, and 1 million brands, LTK powers over $5 billion in annual merchandise sales.
“Creators bring products to life with trust-based recommendations,” explains Amber Venz Box, LTK’s Co-Founder and President. “That trust drives sales in ways traditional advertising can’t replicate.”
AI & Technology: Automating for Creators, Shoppers & Brands
In 2021, LTK secured a $300 million investment from SoftBank. Shortly after, the company recruited Ty Amell, a seasoned technology leader with experience at PayPal and Cisco, as its first Chief Technology Officer. This marked a turning point for LTK, as it began investing heavily in tools and technology (resulting in 70 patents) to simplify creator workflows.
“Creators run their businesses on our platform,” says Amell. “Today, we’re running a CRM for them behind the scenes using AI. We handle push notifications, email marketing, retargeting – everything is automated.”
LTK’s technology also enhances consumers’ shopping experience. “When a consumer clicks a link, we analyze the best path for conversion—whether it’s mobile web or the retailer’s app, we optimize every step,” explains Amell.
“People are sick of the algorithm,” Amell adds. “They want to see content from the creators they love. That’s a big selling point for LTK—creators can own their feeds and connect directly with their audience.”
Unlike creators focused on entertainment or lifestyle content, creators like Jen Adams approach their work as business owners, prioritizing conversion and sales over casual engagement. Adams, who is known as INTERIORDESIGNERELLA, has over 5 million social media followers and has been on the LTK platform since 2016 curating on-trend, affordable fashion finds. She frequently highlights versatile pieces from retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Nordstrom, often mixing them with luxury items from brands like Gucci and YSL to create aspirational yet accessible looks
Beyond fashion, Adams’ content extends to home furnishings, kitchen goods, and accessories, showcasing products that combine functionality with style. Her ability to seamlessly blend high-end luxury with budget-friendly options resonates with her audience, driving engagement and sales.
“I’m not in this space for creative expression—I’m here to move dollars, drive value, and serve both the brands I work with and the people who shop through me,” she explains. “LTK lets me track which brands and products perform, pinpoint the right price points, and make real-time adjustments. It’s not just about creating content – it’s about creating content that drives sales.”
For creators like Adams, LTK’s innovations are indispensable. “LTK allows me to see which retailers offer the highest commissions for the same product, so I can make strategic decisions about where to link items,” Adams explains. “For example, if a product sells out at Nordstrom, I can quickly switch to linking the same item at Macy’s or Amazon, ensuring my audience can still shop and I don’t lose sales.”
She says, “No other influencer platform does what LTK does. It’s made by influencers, for influencers, and it has truly changed my life.”
TikTok Integration: A Game-Changer
LTK’s recent partnership with TikTok is another example of the platform’s growing influence. The integration eliminates the friction of navigating between apps, automatically turning TikTok’s engaging content into sales.
The opportunity for LTK creators is significant: TikTok reported $100 million in U.S. Black Friday sales and hosted over 30,000 live shopping streams.
“TikTok’s walled-garden nature made integration challenging, but this partnership changes everything,” says Venz Box. “Now creators can link directly, making their content engaging and actionable.”
The Future of Retail is Creator-Led
The retail industry is transforming significantly, driven by a powerful combination of personal recommendations and scaled technology. Platforms like LTK and TikTok and retail leaders like Amazon and Walmart prove that creator-driven commerce is the future of shopping.
By leveraging AI, scalable affiliate programs, and trusted creator relationships, brands can build deeper connections with consumers and drive sales through new channels.
As Venz Box puts it, “Creators aren’t just partners—they’re the bridge between engagement, growth, and the future of retail.”
For brands ready to embrace this shift, creators and affiliates are no longer optional. They are a must-have strategy for driving results and shaping the future of commerce