Black Friday has evolved from a single chaotic shopping day into a months-long event dominating the retail calendar. This year’s onslaught started particularly early, with some brands beginning promotions in October.
Beneath the discounts, another transformation has been taking place, with creators becoming increasingly essential drivers of retail success.
Data from Linktree’s 2024 Creator Commerce Report shows creators are becoming indispensable to e-commerce.
The report highlights Black Friday and Cyber Monday saw 150% increases in traffic driven by creator recommendations compared to other days of the year.
This shift exemplifies the broader trend of social media shopping, where brands are moving beyond ads to offer a more personalised approach to targeting sales.
Traditional advertising dominated Black Friday for decades, with large campaigns and celebrity endorsements reigning supreme. Now, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube product reviews are reshaping the narrative. Consumers are increasingly relying on their favorite creators to recommend products.
This approach isn’t entirely new.
Websites have been engaging in e-commerce over the past couple of decades. While some sites such as Wirecutter are dedicated to that practice, you’ll also find it on most media sites that cover consumer products. These niche publications are in the beauty and consumer technology sectors, as well as traditional news sites.
These sites partner with platforms like Amazon, The Iconic, Rakuten and many others to provide ‘shoppable’ links to readers who trust the recommendations of a publication.
But with declining traffic from Google’s search results and the rise of short-form video algorithms, brands and audiences have shifted to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where engagement is higher.
Younger consumers increasingly discover products passively through visually rich, algorithm-driven feeds rather than actively searching for them. This growing preference for ‘authenticity’ (both real and manufactured) is driving brands to prioritise social media strategies during events like Black Friday.
The increasingly popular influencer career path has also made some audiences savvier about endorsements. A wrong step can result in quick and widespread negative feedback for a creator.
As a result, some creators have become more selective about which brands they partner with. In fact, 63% of surveyed creators in Linktree’s report said they wouldn’t endorse brands or products they don’t believe in, even when financial stability is at stake.
For consumers, this honesty builds trust, and trust converts.
“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,” said creator Maria Smal in Linktree’s report.
This relatability, sometimes referred to as ‘persuasion currency’ is particularly effective during shopping events like Black Friday, where audience loyalty plays a critical role in driving sales.
The numbers illustrate just how influential creators are during these peak shopping moments. Data from this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday revealed a 150% increase in clicks on curated shopping links, with some retailers seeing even higher boosts.
Sephora, for example, experienced a 75% rise in clicks during their November 1–11 sale, spurred in part by creator-driven content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Beyond sales, tools like curated shops and collection links are presented as convenient ways to simplify the consumer experience. In other words, it’s easier for audiences to discover and buy products.
Amid the success stories, creators also face mounting challenges, particularly during high-pressure shopping periods.
The report highlighted 59% of creators struggle with consistency, while 55% cite algorithm unpredictability as a significant barrier to growth. This tension becomes even more pronounced during events like Black Friday, where the sheer volume of content and platform algorithm shifts can seriously impact visibility.
“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,” influencer Michaela Okland said in the report.
“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.”
These challenges raise important questions about the sustainability of the creator economy, especially during peak shopping periods when demand skyrockets but the pressure on creators to deliver and perform does as well.
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Senior Technology Journalist
A multi-award-winning journalist, Tegan has been reporting on technology, telecommunications and gaming for the past 10 years. She regularly appears on mainstream media channels as an expert tech commentator. Her previous roles include editor of Gizmodo Australia and global reviews editor at Finder. She has also served as a reporter and editor across Business Insider, Lifehacker and Kotaku Australia. Tegan was the co-host of one of the top technology podcasts in Australia, Queens of the Drone Age. You can find her on Twitter @Tegan_Writes.
