If you're launching or testing, run gifted. If you need ad-ready content with usage rights you can run on paid social, run paid. If your product already converts and you want to pay on outcomes, add affiliate. That's the whole decision, and the rest of this post is the reasoning.
What a gifted campaign actually buys you
You ship product to a batch of creators and they make content in exchange. Your spend is inventory, so gifted is the lightest way to get real videos of your product in real hands, at volume. It's the fastest route to social proof and to discovering which creators genuinely fit your brand.
The trade-offs are real: usage rights on gifted deals are usually lighter, quality varies more, and creators reasonably prioritize paying work. Treat gifted as a wide test, not a content pipeline.
What a paid campaign buys you
A fixed fee per creator buys defined deliverables, a deadline, revisions, and, most importantly, rights in writing. If the plan is to run creator content as ads, paid is the model, because ad usage and whitelisting need to be agreed before anyone films.
How to choose in one minute
- Goal is testing or seeding: gifted.
- Goal is ad creative for paid social: paid.
- Goal is sales you can attribute: affiliate.
- Goal is all of it: start gifted, then move the proven creators onto paid deals.
The mix most brands land on
Seed wide with gifted, watch who delivers on time and on brief, then rebook the winners on paid terms with proper usage rights. You spend fees only on creators with a proven delivery record, which is the cheapest vetting there is.
That gifted-to-paid ladder is how Sadie structures campaigns for brands: every deal tracked, so who's worth rebooking is a number, not a feeling.
FAQ
Can I run gifted and paid at the same time? Yes, and it's common: gifted for volume and discovery, paid for the hero content you need rights on.
Do gifted creators owe me usage rights? Only what's agreed upfront. If you might run the content as an ad, say so before shipping product, or expect to renegotiate later from a weak position.
When is affiliate the wrong choice? When your product is unproven. Commission-only offers on products that don't convert yet just burn creator goodwill.