inside LTK's strategic shift from shopping app to creator hub: an interview with VP of International Marketing , Holly Brooker
In a digital landscape where algorithms increasingly determine what we see, LTK has made a bold pivot that could reshape how creators and audiences connect. The platform has transformed from a shopping destination into a comprehensive creator hub, addressing fundamental challenges that both content creators and their followers face today.
I recently caught up with Holly Brooker, VP of International Marketing at LTK, who shared fascinating insights about their strategic shift. With the creator economy set to double to £395B by 2027, LTK's timing couldn't be better - especially when 74% of consumers feel that "social is no longer social" and creators struggle to reach the very audiences they've worked so hard to build.
TLDR:
→ Build where your audience can actually find you: as algorithms make it harder for creators to reach followers, LTK offers chronological feeds ensuring content reliably reaches audiences rather than disappearing into unpredictable algorithms, addressing the 74% of consumers who feel "social is no longer social."
Go beyond product posts to build deeper connections: LTK's shift to include lifestyle content acknowledges that trust drives purchases more than direct selling; creators using the platform are seeing 107% year-over-year sales growth by sharing more authentic, full-funnel content.
Leverage community features to expand reach: the new friend connection feature has seen 95% adoption in initial rollout, showing how enabling social discovery significantly expands creator reach beyond algorithm limitations.
Focus on platform stability for long-term growth: with creators earning up to $100,000 monthly in commissions, LTK demonstrates how platforms built specifically for creator success can provide sustainable business models while social media platforms frequently shift priorities.
Introduce yourself and what you do within the LTK team.
Hello! I’m Holly Brooker, VP of International Marketing at LTK. I oversee a large team at LTK, driving creative, growth and events for LTK’s creator, consumer and brand network based outside of North America.
I'd love to hear about your role at LTK and how you've seen the platform evolve during your time there. What excites you most about where the company is headed?
I began my role in September 2024, and earlier this year, we launched the new LTK experience in the consumer app, marking a significant evolution for our brand. The app now goes beyond shopping by offering a video-first experience, allowing users to watch all types of content from creators both locally and from major cities worldwide. For the first time, it also gives consumers the ability to tailor their feed, discovering creators based on their interests and location, and even connecting with friends.
Another major milestone this year was welcoming Zara to LTK - a brand beloved by both creators and consumers, who are now, for the first time, able to share and shop through the platform.
Being part of the platform that pioneered the creator economy has been incredibly energising, and it fuels my confidence in LTK’s future. What I love most is the unwavering commitment across the team to our mission: to make creators as economically successful as possible. It is embedded in our culture, driven by a community-first mindset, and made even more powerful by the fact that we were founded by a creator. That authenticity and purpose are what truly differentiate us.
The recent app update positions LTK as "the creator app" rather than just a shopping platform. What inspired this strategic shift, and how does it address the changing behaviours you're seeing in the creator economy?
We’ve rebuilt the LTK app from the ground up to deliver on what consumers want and what creators need - connection, discovery, and a seamless way to engage with content.
The creator economy is at a turning point. Its value is expected to double to £395B by 2027. Creators have become the go-to source for entertainment, trends, and products that influence consumer behaviour. In fact, 91% of Gen Z and 78% of millennials look to their favourite creators to see what's trending. But as creator spaces evolve, social media platforms are shifting towards interest-based algorithms, with a focus on entertainment, and less focus on networking and community, leaving 74% of consumers feeling that social is no longer social and creators seeing record lows in reaching their communities. Yet, connection and community remain what people desire most. For a creator, reliably reaching their audience everyday is core to their business.
The shifts in the market have told us this is what is needed now for creators, consumers and brands. There is an entirely new lane we are filling. Consumers are seeking a place where they can engage with and curate a feed of the creators they follow, while creators need a platform to reach their community every day and build, nurture, and grow their audiences. That's where LTK stepped in.
This creator oriented approach is having a significant impact on the lives of our creators too. Our European creators are seeing a year on year increase of 107% growth in the sales as of April 2025. Our creators are buying houses with their LTK earnings, with some of our top creators making over $100,000 a month in commissions from product links alone.
Something that really caught my attention was the introduction of chronological feeds and creator chats. These seem to directly address pain points creators experience on other platforms. Was this intentional, and what feedback have you received from creators since implementing these features?
Being founded by a creator, it's in our DNA to be creator first. We speak to the most successful creators on WhatsApp daily. That closeness to their challenges and their trust in us to help plan content around their huge life moments - often before their followers know - is a responsibility we take with us to ensure creators are built for success.
And in today’s landscape, that means giving them a platform where their community can reliably see the content they want to see every day. It was important to us to create a space where the consumer can see only the content they want to see - in chronological order - so they never miss an update. We also wanted to create a unique discovery experience in the app where the user can directly control their feed of content by location and interests. Leaning in on location is something no one else is doing and brings an even stronger sense of community within the app experience.
As for the new Chat experience, we know creators want a way to directly engage with their audience, so it is important to give them the tools and channels to do that every day on LTK.
I'm curious about the balance between shopping and lifestyle content. How are you encouraging creators to post non-shopping content while still maintaining LTK's core shopping functionality?
I think creators know, after 14 years of LTK driving the industry forward- that we are passionate about them, their stories and their businesses and they trust us to see where the economy is going and go there with them. From shopping app to creator app, LTK is evolving - expanding to be a place to watch and discover creators around you while staying true to our mission to make creators as successful as possible with proven monetisation opportunities. The more audiences engage in the lives of our creators, the more influence they have because ultimately what they are selling is trust. To create that trust and bond with their community - they have to post content beyond focusing on just products. We are tripling down on trust, which is what fuels the creator economy.
Even before we rolled out non-shopping content, our Creator Success team has always provided 1-1 tailored coaching to our network to bring more of their true selves into their shoppable content. If someone loves you, you don’t have to market the t-shirt.
Creators cannot be sell sell sell all the time - they need upper funnel, entertaining, authentic content to build that trust. And the new LTK caters to that. It's video-first, full-funnel content where the user controls their feed to see content from the creators they want to see. And in the end it helps the brands reach more audiences.
With so much uncertainty in social media right now, how are you positioning LTK as a stable, long-term home for creators? What commitments are you making to ensure creators feel secure building their business on your platform?
The uncertainty and shifts in the market have led us to this moment - investing hundreds of millions in developing a publishing and consumer platform so creators can continue their success in this new era. We have seen the challenges and pains creators face with the changes in social media over the past several years, and because we take our mission very seriously, it’s why we’ve relaunched the app as the creator app. Social media is no longer a place to see and keep up with your favorite creators - leaving a new lane to fill. LTK is a creator’s homebase for to reliably reach their community everyday.
In addition to providing a consumer-facing platform to engage their audiences, we have made major investments in making the Creator app easier and quicker for creators to create, publish original content and analyze performance. From automating content production and product tagging with AI, to finding creators the best commission rates and automatic customer relationship management to hundreds of team members dedicated to ensuring creators get full credit for their content, there is a lot under the hood LTK is doing to power a creator’s business.
As creators share more personal "day in the life" content, what value do you see in these non-direct-shopping posts in the overall customer journey? How does this content contribute to conversion even when it's not explicitly product-focused?
The non-direct shopping content plays a key role in creating an ecosystem where influencers aren’t just sellers, but curators of lifestyle and relationship with their audience.
These 'day in the life' moments are just as impactful as direct product promotions when it comes to driving conversions, which is why we want to ensure that LTK provides a space where these moments are seen by audiences and not lost in the algorithm.
Finally, what are your top 3 predictions for where the creator economy is heading in the next year, and how is LTK positioning itself to lead in that future?
Connection - The biggest shift we are seeing is where creators are migrating to nurture their audiences to platforms that do not limit their reach.
Ownership - For long-term and maximised ROIs, brands need to work with Creators who put their arms around their community - and who take ownership of their presence. Because Brands’ biggest opportunity with Creators is offering access to their community.
Infrastructure - for scalability, to future-proof and validate the soon to be half a trillion dollar impact Creators have on the economy.
The key takeaway? The creator economy isn't just about monetisation – it's about building genuine trust and reliable connections in an increasingly fractured landscape. LTK didn't just pivot to video; they completely reimagined what a creator platform could be by prioritising community over algorithms and relationships over reach (we love to see it!).
What's super smart is how they've recognised that the future belongs to platforms that empower creators with both stability and authenticity. Their focus on chronological feeds, location-based discovery, and friend connections addresses the exact pain points that have been driving creators and consumers apart on other platforms. And instead of chasing short-term engagement metrics, they're building the infrastructure for long-term creator success in what's projected to become a half-trillion pound economy.
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