The Numbers
We analyzed 1,247 campaigns across the Tandemio marketplace from January through April 2026. Here's what stood out.
Sub-50K creators perform 3x better on CPC
For creators with 1K-50K followers, CPC campaigns delivered ROAS of 4.8x on average. The same audience on fixed-fee deals returned just 1.6x.
Why? Three reasons:
- Variable budget pacing — CPC scales naturally with engagement, not arbitrary post count
- Built-in fraud filter — non-clicks don't cost; bot clicks get scrubbed
- Brand alignment incentive — creators only get paid when their audience actually responds
The exception: established creators above 100K
For creators above 100K followers, fixed-fee starts winning back. Their audiences are predictable enough that fixed-fee removes friction. CPC still works but the variance gets large.
How to use this
1. Default to CPC for nano- and micro-creators
2. Switch to fixed-fee when working with established creators (100K+) you've collaborated with before
3. Use barter for product-market validation — zero cash risk
Start a CPC campaign on Tandemio to see this in action.