The short versionA report from Omnicom-owned Flywheel, using data from TikTok Shop affiliate software provider Reacher and covered by Digiday on October 14, 2026, looked at 1.5 million product samples. Only 47% led to a creator video, and only 14% of creators generated sales. A creator's single video drove $7.19 in sales on average, while creators who posted 20 or more videos averaged $74.07 per video. The report recommends smaller creators, more videos, and flat fees or bonuses for top performers on top of commission.
If your TikTok Shop plan is to land one big creator, the data says you may have it backwards. A new report found the sales come from volume: more creators, more videos, and creators who keep posting.
What happened
Digiday reported on October 14 on a new report from Omnicom-owned Flywheel, using data from TikTok Shop affiliate software provider Reacher. It's based on 1.5 million product samples sent by brands to creators.
The details
Most samples go nowhere. When brands send samples hoping for videos, only 47% of the time do creators actually make one, and only 14% of creators generate sales, per the report.
Volume compounds. If a creator posts a single video, it drives $7.19 in sales on average. If a creator posts 20 or more videos, each one drives $74.07 on average, or at least $1,481 in total. "It's definitely compounding benefits, and that still makes logical sense to me because you have more shots on goal," Deren Baker, CEO of Flywheel Ventures, told Digiday.
Smaller creators punch above their weight. Digiday says smaller creators are likely to generate disproportionately higher sales per 1,000 followers than creators with larger followings.
Pay. TikTok Shop started as commission-only. The report recommends brands reward top-performing creators with flat fees or performance bonuses in addition to commissions.
Why brands should care
For a small brand, this is good news. You don't need a celebrity budget. You need a system: send lots of samples, find the creators who actually post, and give them reasons to keep going.
What to do
Our suggestions, based on the report:
- Seed wide, then narrow. Send samples to many smaller creators, then keep working with the ones who post and sell.
- Ask for a series, not a post. Brief creators on multiple video angles from day one.
- Reward repeat posters. Add a flat fee or bonus for creators who hit a sales target, on top of commission.
- Track samples to videos. If fewer than half your samples become videos, you're in line with the report. Cut the creators who never post.
Sources
FAQ
How many TikTok Shop samples turn into videos?
Only 47% of the time, according to a Flywheel report based on 1.5 million samples, as reported by Digiday. Only 14% of creators generated sales.
Do more videos mean more TikTok Shop sales?
Per the report, a creator's single video drove $7.19 in sales on average, while creators posting 20 or more videos averaged $74.07 per video, or at least $1,481 in total.
How should brands pay TikTok Shop creators?
The report recommends rewarding top-performing creators with flat fees or performance bonuses in addition to commissions.
