Instagram delivers more consistent results from creator campaigns, while TikTok has a higher engagement ceiling and a chance to reach a wider audience. That is the conclusion of the Creator Marketing Index 2026, published on November 4.
The index analyzed 1,755 posts and 20 branded social media campaigns from January to September 2026. Data was collected by the Dash Social platform. For each campaign hashtag, the top 75 posts by likes and comments were taken, and the platforms were weighted equally. TikTok views were not tracked due to data limitations, so the average engagement rate, calculated as engagement divided by follower count, was measured only for Instagram. There, Reels reached 11%, static posts 7%, and carousels 5%.
Instagram leads in the number of posts in the top 75. However, TikTok posts from the top averaged more engagement. The takeaway: Instagram suits long campaigns and predictable results, while TikTok is more profitable for smaller brands and limited budgets.
The gap in reach between post types is wider than in engagement. Sponsored posts averaged 334,055 views, while gifted posts averaged 48,008. The authors link this to budgets: brands get media spend to boost a sponsored post beyond the creator's audience, while gifted posts are limited to the creator's own followers.
The only exception on engagement is demo content. It performs better in gifted posts, even though demos are most often used in both formats. Style shots, on the contrary, are stronger in sponsored posts and there show the highest engagement among the formats analyzed.
The index captures a snapshot of a specific period and depends on the list of campaigns selected by the editorial team. Branded content dominates the sample, so conclusions about YouTube relate mainly to Shorts.
