2025 Guide: How You Scale Paid Media With Creator Content

Let's cut to the chase. You're not here because paid ads are working perfectly for you. You're here because your CPMs are climbing, your creative fatigue is real, and you're trying to figure out how to make your ad spend actually convert.

The answer is creator content — but not just any creator content. We're talking about strategically woven creator content that flips your paid media from "just another ad" into thumb-stopping, must-watch material your audience actually craves.

Why Creator Content Is Your Paid Media Game-Changer

Here's something that might surprise you: UGC-based ads achieve 4 times higher click-through rates and a 50% reduction in cost-per-click. That's a complete transformation of your paid media ROI.

But the numbers get even better. On average, influencer marketing delivers $5.20 for every $1 spent, making it one of the highest ROI strategies. And when you combine that with paid amplification, you're looking at compound returns that make traditional advertising look… well, traditional.

Think about it: Shoppers trust UGC when used in an ad (42%) more than brands advertising without UGC (31%). Your audience doesn't want to be sold to anymore. They want authentic recommendations from real people, and that's exactly what creator content delivers at scale.

The Creator Economy Is Exploding (And You Need To Get In)

We're not talking about some niche marketing trend here. In 2024, influencer marketing propelled social media to become the world's largest advertising channel, surpassing paid search with a staggering $247.3B, reaching $266.92B by end of 2025 in global spend.

The numbers are staggering: The creator economy is already worth $191 billion and growing. Goldman Sachs says it's just getting started: the market could hit $480 billion by 2027, nearly doubling its 2022 value.

But here's what's really interesting. Across all platforms, the average influencer marketing CPM in 2024 was $4.63, which reflects a 53% year-over-year decrease. This means brands are now reaching more than twice the audience for the same cost compared to last year.

At Aspire, we're seeing brands double down on this shift. Influencer-affiliate marketing is also emerging as a top strategy among brands and creators, showcasing a shift in the influencer marketing space. Once dominated by pay-to-play deals, we're now seeing a surge in revenue-sharing programs. With more brands and creators adopting this partnership model, Aspire saw a 71% year-over-year increase in direct, trackable affiliate revenue this year.

How To Actually Scale Creator Content for Paid Media

1. Build Your Creator Ecosystem First

Don't jump straight into paid amplification. Before you spend a dollar on amplification, you need a steady stream of high-quality content from trusted creators who champion your brand, such as your long-term brand ambassadors. According to our survey, brand ambassador programs delivered the highest ROI for brands compared to other kinds of campaigns — proof that long-term creator relationships compound both trust and revenue.

‍What this looks like in practice:

• Start with 5-10 micro-creators in your niche
• Provide clear brand guidelines (but let them maintain their voice)
• Focus on ongoing partnerships rather than one-off campaigns
• Create content briefs that feel like collaboration, not dictation

2. Turn Creator Content Into Paid Assets

Here's where the magic happens. Ads featuring UGC have a 50% reduction in the cost-per-click, compared to ads without. But you can't just throw creator content into Meta Ads Manager and hope for the best.

Your content amplification strategy should include:

• Native-style creative: Ads with UGC are considered 31% more memorable
• Multiple format variations: Stories, feed posts, Reels, TikToks — each platform has its sweet spot
• Performance-driven testing: A/B test creator content against your traditional branded content
• Cross-platform distribution: What works on TikTok might work differently on Instagram

3. Leverage the Right Platforms

Platform choice matters more than you think. Over half of brands (57%) deem Instagram to be their preferred social media platform for influencer campaigns, but the engagement story is more nuanced.

According to Influencer Marketing Hub's report, TikTok has overtaken it, with 69% of brands using the platform for their influencer campaigns. In comparison, Instagram follows with 47%, YouTube at 33%, and Facebook at 28%. According to Social Insider's influencer marketing statistics, TikTok's engagement rates are impressive, averaging 2.65% by followers and 4.07% by views.

Platform-specific strategies:

• TikTok: Short-form, trend-driven content for discovery
• Instagram: Polished storytelling with shopping integration
• YouTube: Long-form product demonstrations and reviews
• Facebook: Community-focused content and retargeting

4. Make User-Generated Content Your Conversion Driver

62% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product if they can view customer photos and videos. But it goes deeper than that. Websites that put UGC on their product pages have seen purchase conversion rates increase by up to 29%. Plus, UGC has increased conversions by over 10% globally when included as part of the customer journey.

That means your UGC strategy needs to be omnichannel. Social media, advertising, and email marketing are the top channels that marketers use for user-generated content, but you can incorporate it across channels that make sense for your brand. For example: 

• Email campaigns: Use diverse UGC in segmented campaigns for email marketing to better resonate with each target demographic. 
• Product pages: Use customer photos and videos alongside product descriptions to inject authenticity and credibility.
• Retargeting campaigns: Show social proof to warm audiences to encourage them to convert. 
• Landing pages: Build trust with authentic customer experiences.

The Numbers You Need To Track

You can't scale what you don't measure. Here's what actually matters:

Performance Metrics That Matter

• Cost per acquisition (CPA): Tracking CPA will showcase how these ad creatives have lower ad fatigue, generate more buzz, and increase conversion rates while keeping costs low.
• Click-through rates: This shows you exactly how much more attention and cheaper traffic you're getting by using UGC.
• Conversion rates: Rather than just top-of-funnel impact, you can see the tangible number of consumers who complete a desired action (purchase, signup, download) after engaging with your creator content.
• Return on ad spend (ROAS): By tracking the return on every dollar spent on those ads, this is the ultimate test of your strategy.

Content Performance Indicators

• Engagement rate by creator tier: Nano vs. Micro vs. Mid-tier vs. Macro performance
• Content type performance: Video vs. Static post, Stories vs. Feed posts
• Creator retention rates: Are your best creators staying engaged?

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Results

1. Treating Creators Like Ad Placements

Don’t treat your creators as transactional partners. Instead of simply giving them a rigid brief, adopt a co-creation mindset and involve them in creative or product development conversations with your team early on. Remember, your creators know their audience better than you do. Give them guardrails, not guidelines. 

2. Focusing Only on Follower Count

Bigger is not better when it comes to influencer marketing. Instead of working with macro-creators who charge a premium for their content, work with creators with smaller followings for their relatable content, highly engaged audiences, and lower cost. Our survey revealed that 61% of brands are already primarily leveraging nano and micro-creators. Why? Mmicro-influencers with 10k-50k followers often generate 60% more engagement than their larger counterparts.

3. Not Planning for Scale

90% of ecommerce brands struggle to create standout images and videos, with 87% finding it challenging to maintain a steady flow of fresh content. This hints at a major challenge facing most brands: keeping up with the demands of getting UGC long-term for ongoing promotions. The good news is that you can build relationships with creators (who are like self-operating production crews) to source high-quality branded creative at scale.

Your Next Steps

The creator economy isn't slowing down. The global influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $32.55 billion by the end of 2025, up from $24 billion in 2024 and just $1.4 billion in 2014. This reflects a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.11% within the influencer industry over the past decade. From 2024 to 2025 alone, the market size is projected to grow by 35.63%, outpacing traditional advertising growth rates.

The question isn't whether you should be using creator content for your paid media. The question is how quickly you can build and scale a system that consistently produces high-performing creative assets.

Here's what you need to do right now:

1. Audit your current creative assets. How much of your paid media spend is going toward branded content vs. creator content?
2. Identify 3-5 creators in your space who already create content your audience engages with.
3. Set up tracking systems that can measure the true impact of creator content on your conversion funnel.
4. Start small but think big. Test creator content amplification with a limited budget, then scale what works.
   
   

The brands that figure this out first are going to have a massive advantage. Your competitors are still paying premium CPMs for traditional ads while you're building authentic connections with your audience at scale.

For more information on leveraging creator content for your paid channels, check out our guide, The Secret to High-Performing Paid Ads.

‍Ready to transform your paid media strategy with creator content? Book a demo to see how Aspire helps brands like yours build sustainable creator programs that drive real business results.