# Creator content in AI recommendations: what the study says

> An IAB survey found interest in creator reviews within AI recommendations. That does not guarantee citations, but it offers a clue for making more useful content.


Published: 2026-09-22. Original source: [IAB, The Creator Signal](https://www.iab.com/news/consumers-want-ai-shopping-recommendations-to-include-trusted-creator-perspectives/).

## What IAB found

When someone compares two products with an AI assistant, they may wonder where the recommendation came from. [Marketing Dive covered the findings](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/creator-content-preferred-in-ai-recommendations-heres-what-the-numbers-sa/830523/) of a study in which [IAB surveyed 2,200 people](https://www.iab.com/news/consumers-want-ai-shopping-recommendations-to-include-trusted-creator-perspectives/) who had used AI for shopping research in the previous three months. Some 56% said they prefer recommendations with creator perspectives; 65% said credible creator reviews make them more confident.

## What this survey can help you decide

The sample included the US, UK, Australia, Mexico, and India. This is a survey of preferences, not an audit of what ChatGPT or Claude actually cites. It does not show that hiring an influencer will make your brand appear in an AI recommendation. It does suggest that someone's verifiable experience can help a buyer evaluate a product.

Respondents gave more weight to credibility, consistency, and experience than audience size. For a smaller brand, that changes the brief: an honest demonstration is more useful than an empty endorsement.

## Test one collaboration

Start with a question customers ask before buying. Invite someone with product experience to answer through a demonstration or honest comparison. Agree which facts need checking, and leave room for the creator's own words. If the collaboration is paid, make that clear to the audience.

In HeyMark, plan the brand's posts around that collaboration: one explaining the product, another addressing a question that appears in the comments. Keep the brief and versions with each post, then review questions and performance on your connected accounts. HeyMark does not control what sources an external AI assistant selects.

## What to measure

Look for questions about the feature the creator showed and new concerns you had not addressed. Do not claim an AI citation you cannot verify. Keep those questions for the next post or guide: a useful answer deserves to exist even if no assistant cites it.

## Plan your next post in HeyMark.

Keep the idea, review the draft with your team, and see how it performed in the accounts you connected.

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## Developer and agent resources

- [HeyMark MCP documentation](https://heymark.ai/en/mcp/)
- [llms.txt](https://heymark.ai/llms.txt)
- [Full site content for language models](https://heymark.ai/llms-full.txt)
- MCP protocol endpoint: `POST https://mcp.heymark.ai`
- OAuth protected-resource metadata: [/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource](https://mcp.heymark.ai/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource)
- MCP server card: [/server-card](https://mcp.heymark.ai/server-card)