Social media remains the dominant channel for creator partnerships, with 96% of brands and agencies collaborating with creators for content, according to the report first-quarter survey.
Among platforms, Instagram leads with 90% usage, followed by Facebook at 80%, YouTube at 72%, and TikTok at 63%.
Instagram Reels Outperforms YouTube Shorts in Video Views
Modern Retail+ Research analyzed 1,755 social media posts and 20 branded campaigns from January to September 2026, excluding TikTok views due to data restrictions.
Instagram Reels garnered significantly more video views than YouTube Shorts and long-form videos, though TikTok videos showed higher average engagement in later analysis.
On Instagram, Reels achieved an 11% average engagement rate, outperforming Still posts at 7% and Carousel posts at 5%.
While Instagram accounted for the largest share of top-performing posts, TikTok posts within the top 75 generated higher average engagement.
Sponsored Posts Drive Greater Reach Than Gifted Content
Sponsored posts, defined as content from direct brand-creator partnerships, had greater overall reach than gifted posts, with 334,055 views compared to 48,008.
Within sponsored posts, style shots led with 707,646 views, followed by demos at 250,764 and influencer events at 231,595.
Among gifted posts, demos generated the most views at 81,023, significantly lower than sponsored formats.
Product Demonstrations and Style Shots: Performance Varies
Product demonstrations and style shots were the most common content types across sponsored and gifted posts. A demo showcases a single product in use, while a style shot presents the product in a visually appealing setting.
Brand-Generated Hashtags and Campaign Strategies
Brand-generated hashtags tied to specific products or launches give companies greater control over campaign conversations. However, their narrow focus may limit content volume and variety. High-performing campaigns combined product seeding, creator partnerships, brand-owned content, organic activity, and localized strategies in unique ways. For example, Neutrogena’s #hydroboost campaign, ranked No. 2, heavily invested in gifted products and creator collaborations, resulting in 39% brand-seeded content. It also used the broader #hyaluronicacid hashtag to connect with a wider audience.
Charlotte Tilbury’s #exaggereyes campaign, ranked No. 1, utilized gifted posts, with 35% of content coming from creators who received free products. The brand partnered with Influenster to generate user-created demo videos, a format that drove higher engagement.
Too Faced’s #chocolatesoleil campaign, targeting Brazil, had the lowest share of sponsored or gifted posts among the top 10. Instead, it relied on organic content and brand activity, with 74 of its top 75 posts classified as organic.
