The State of Influencer Marketing 2026

In 2026, influencer marketing is becoming more structured, more performance-driven, and more tightly integrated across paid media and commerce. As expectations around efficiency, revenue impact, and content scale continue to rise, brands and creators are being pushed to adapt quickly. 

To understand how those shifts are playing out, our 2026 benchmark report draws on Aspire’s first-party platform data and insights from nearly 900 marketers and creators to reveal what’s actually changing across the industry.

Here’s a sneak peek at the insights you’ll find:

• 74% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2026, though investment levels vary widely by company size.
• 59% of marketers are using AI to scale creator discovery, workflows, and analytics.
• TikTok Shop adoption nearly doubled year over year, with 32% of brands already selling on the platform and another 25% planning to soon. 
• Because 77% of brands now repurpose creator content in paid ads, 67% of brands bake content usage rights into the creator’s initial contract or rate.
• Creators on Aspire drove $52 million in attributed affiliate sales, a 45% year-over-year growth. 

Download the full report for more stats and insights.