Black Friday ad costs are climbing, so picking the right content strategy matters. Should you invest in influencers for reach, or UGC creators for affordable short-form videos? Here’s what brands need to know.
)-min.jpg)
Every November, brands throw huge budgets into ads, and the same problem pops up every year: costs shoot up, attention spans get shorter, and by day three of the sale, creative is already running out of steam. According to Adobe Analytics, last year’s Black Friday generated $9.8 billion in online sale in the US, and the average Black Friday campaigns started 3 weeks before the official date across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
That’s why the question isn’t “how much budget should we spend?” It’s: who do we trust to carry this campaign — creators or influencers?
The answer depends on what you need: reach, trust, or conversions.
In November 2024, Meta and TikTok ad costs jumped by 30–40%. At the same time, ad fatigue set in faster than any other point in the year and campaigns that ran well in September burned out in days during peak season. With Black Friday being such an expensive time to advertise, UGC has the added advantage of living beyond one campaign — the same assets can be repurposed into evergreen content that keeps delivering value. We explored this in more depth in our Black Friday ROI blog.
When attention is this expensive, creator content isn’t a “small strategy” — it’s the lever that makes or breaks your CPA. But who should you get it from?
The influencer economy is built on reach and cultural relevance. Over the past decade, brands have shifted budget away from highly produced advertisement and into people on the internet - with influencers being at the top layer of this ecosystem. Influencers are certainly not cheap, but they do one thing brands can’t replicate on their own: borrowed trust.
But here’s why you shouldn’t put all of your creator economy eggs in one basket: TikTok has reported that ad creative can start to lose effectiveness after just 6 days. A £10k post from a macro-influencer might get the campaign rolling, but it won’t solve the day-to-day need for fresh ads when CTRs dip and CPAs climb.
This is where UGC creators come in. Instead of one big burst, they provide a steady flow of affordable UGC content.
Creators, especially micro creators, play a different game. They don’t bring an audience with them — they give you the assets you need to run ads. And during Black Friday, this type of flexibility in marketing is crucial.
TikTok’s own numbers show that creator-style ads outperform polished brand content by 33%. Not because the production is better, but because the content feels like the feed people are already scrolling. Short form UGC videos slide in naturally, which keeps performance steady while CPMs spike. If you’re looking for examples for Black Friday, we have a blog post on the strategies you can use this year.
And the cost difference matters. The price of one macro influencer post can buy you 20–30 creator-made ads. That’s the difference between running a single hero creative and running a full slate of testable, refreshable ads across the whole week.
The strongest Black Friday campaigns don’t pick between influencers or UGC creators — they combine them. Each plays a distinct role in the funnel:
Different categories lean on the mix in different ways:
.png)
If you’re leading a brand into Q4, the better question isn’t “creators or influencers?” It’s:
Black Friday isn’t a one-ad week. With CPMs climbing, you need a pipeline of short form UGC videos ready. One influencer post might give you reach on day one, but affordable UGC content from micro creators gives you the volume to test and refresh at the pace the algorithm demands.
-min.jpg)
Influencer campaigns are great for awareness, but when CTRs start dropping, only creator-generated content keeps the funnel alive. Micro creators for paid ads give you options — multiple hooks, multiple storylines — so you’re not stuck recycling the same clip all week.
Every brand runs discounts in November, which means most Black Friday ads end up looking the same and influencer discount codes are flying left right and centre. What cuts through is variety: different emotional triggers, storylines, and everyday moments that UGC creators can capture and turn into ads that actually feel alive in the feed.
There’s nothing wrong with putting budget into a big influencer push. But the ROI often sits at the top of the funnel. Short form UGC videos are what retargeting needs — snackable assets that remind people why your offer matters and give them the nudge to click “buy.”
The best-performing Black Friday UGC strategy doesn’t just show products — it shows them in context. This type of creator content doesn’t need millions of followers attached to it. It needs to feel real.
Black Friday has never been more competitive. Ad costs climb, attention spans shrink, and creative fatigue sets in faster than ever. Influencers will always be valuable for awareness. But without a steady flow of creator-generated content, your campaigns will run out of steam.
That’s why the smartest brands aren’t asking “creators or influencers?” anymore. They’re asking: do we have enough of both to win when it matters most?
Twirl is your go-to partner for UGC. Whether you're a brand, agency or a UGC creator, we bring together 5000+ talented creators to produce authentic, scroll-stopping content for ads, websites, emails, and social channels.