It’s a proven fact that creator content makes social ads more effective by increasing authenticity, boosting engagement rates, and improving return on investment (ROI).
In 2025, creator-content statistics from Aspire, show that ads using creator-driven content achieved 4x higher click-through rates than traditional ads, with 92% of consumers trusting user reviews and content more than brand advertisements.
Besides being more authentic than traditional ads, content creators often have niche audiences that align with specific demographics or interests. Brands can leverage this by partnering with creators whose followers match their target market, ensuring that their ads reach the right people.
Content creators are often also skilled storytellers who know how to craft compelling narratives. By incorporating brand messages into their stories, they can present products in an engaging and memorable way, making the ads more appealing to viewers.
The bottom line for brands is that partnering with creators can often be more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods. Brands can achieve significant reach and engagement without the high costs associated with production and media buying.
Why Social Ads Need Authenticity
Social ads work best when they don’t feel like ads. Creator content adds authenticity, helping social ads feel more natural in social feeds.
The creative specialists at Tribu, say that real, unfiltered content drives trust, engagement, and loyalty on social media. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at a brand or a candid moment from daily life, audiences now favor content that reflects the imperfect reality of living. Social authenticity works because it builds trust, encourages engagement, and fosters community.
Creator Content Feels Natural
Creator content blends in with organic posts. Because it feels familiar, people are more likely to stop scrolling and pay attention.
Sometimes, brands don’t quite know what to expect or how to find a creator that will provide a natural feel that coincides with a company’s image.
To achieve a natural feel, brands must choose creators whose values, style, and audience align with the brand. When creators genuinely resonate with the brand, their content will feel more authentic and less like a forced advertisement.
It’s also important that brands allow creators the freedom to express their unique style and voice. Providing guidelines is important, but overly strict parameters can stifle creativity and make the content feel scripted. Trust a creator’s instincts and let them create in a way that feels natural to them.
Creators should be encouraged to showcase a brand’s product in real-life situations that their audience can relate to. This helps viewers envision how the product fits into their own lives, making it feel more natural and relevant.
A crucial aspect in natural-feeling content is to let creators show their sense of humor and personalities. Creators often have a distinct personality that their audience loves. Encourage them to infuse their content with humor, quirks, or personal anecdotes, which can make the content feel more real and more enjoyable.
Stronger Performance Through Relatability
Relatable creator content often leads to higher engagement and better performance in social ad campaigns because viewers trust the format.
Finelight Media says that consumers don’t want to be sold to; they want to be understood. They’re looking for brands that reflect their values, speak their language, and show a little vulnerability and brands that resonate emotionally, communicate authentically, and show a human side are the ones that cut through the noise and build lasting loyalty.
A study by the University of Southern California showed that an emotional response to an ad has far greater influence on a consumer’s intent to buy a product than the ad’s content does. The degree to which a consumer likes and can relate to an ad is the most predictive measure of whether an ad will increase a brand’s sales.
Using Creator Content Strategically in Social Ad Campaigns
High-performing creator content can be amplified through social ads. This approach keeps campaigns authentic while expanding reach. A smart social ads strategy starts by identifying creator content that works organically, then scaling it with paid support.
In a Forbes list of ways to use creator content strategically in social ads, they start with sharing organic creator content on both the creator’s account and the brand’s account. This enables brands to tap into a new, organic audience from the creator while also helping to generate new content for the brand’s social accounts.
Additionally, incorporating creator content through a brand partnership ad tells people that the creator and the brand have a strategic, official partnership together and the creator content is essentially coming from both accounts. This can be very effective when the creator is a recognizable figure or influencer.
Finding creators and turning their content into high-performing social ads is a skill one learns over time. That’s why you’ll be happy to know that the social professionals at McFadden/Gavender have years of experience in working with creators and can match your brand with the creator that’s perfect for your message and your audience.
Give us a call at 520.603.4200 and let us take your brand further.
