Creator Economy at SXSW – Invaluable insights from the industry’s biggest event.

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• A group of major YouTube creators is hosting their own "upfront-style" event called the Spotter Showcase on March 27 in New York. The goal is to convince big advertisers to spend money on creator-driven content instead of traditional TV advertising.

• Meta attempts to block a memoir written by a former employee from being published (and only makes me want to read it more). Meanwhile, Meta is planning on releasing a book at the end of this year called Click Here: The Art and Science of Digital Marketing and Advertising.

• US TikTok negotiations stall, with only a month left before arranging a deal. 

•  YouTube reveals how Shows will help to push creators’ episodic content.  

If you’re like me and missed Austin’s annual SXSW conference, you might be trying to understand the key takeaways.

SXSW has become the place for creators, marketers, agencies, and talent managers to sift out the next big trend in the industry.

The annual conference held in Austin, Texas, takes over the city for a whole week, hosting events from tech, film, music, and the creator economy. Some big names were seen speaking this year with Ben Stiller, Bryan Johnson and rising tech star Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky (Twitter rival) in attendance.

Creators who made an appearance include Hot Ones’ Sean Evans, Colin and Samir, Codie Sanchez, Jon Youshai and pleeeeennnty more.

While I would have loved to have made the trip (Austin is genuinely a gorgeous city and I can’t wait to go back) I’ve condensed the key takeaways from people I trust including Lia Haberman, Colin and Samir, Jim Louderback.

1. The creator business model is maturing but not without growing pains

   • More creators see themselves as professionals and apply business structures. Still, creator revenue streams remain unpredictable and aren’t yet set up to support them effectively.

2. AI is now a routine part of a creator’s process 

3. Diversify your revenue streams

   • Brands have reported not supporting TikTok-only creators as the platform experiences legal turmoil in the US.

   • The US TikTok ban has forced creators to diversify their revenue streams, which benefits platforms like newsletter hosting sites and Patreon, which provide a direct line of communication with an audience.

4. Brands still want to control creators despite most marketing is creator-led

   • MrBeast Games’ partnership with Amazon was so successful that it has now been greenlit for a second season. This is a big win for creators and their businesses, but there is still clearly a massive trust gap between that and brands.

   • The question is, what will it take for brands to be convinced that they can trust a creator enough to take the lead?

   • Question is, what will it take for brands to be convinced that they can trust a creator enough to take the lead?

• now lets eligible creators get paid for views on Stories.

• has added a ‘Copyright check’ tool for Facebook Reels.

Instagram 

• appears to have delayed the launch of Edits to 30 April.

• This is the landing page for Instagram’s upcoming Edits app.

• now lets you pause Reels just by tapping. (my thumb says thank you!)

• now lets you send locations via DM.

• has added a “touch up” tool for Reels.

• message requests can now contain more than one message. (Don’t spam your idol!).

• now reviews new profile pictures for verified accounts with free verification, allowing updates just twice every 14 days.

• now offering facial recognition tech to prevent images of your face from being misused.

Threads 

• now refers to 'replies’ as ‘conversations’.

• now lets you listen to a video while posting or searching for other content.

YouTube

• has announced a series of ‘Creator Collective’ in-person events across the US.

• is encouraging brands to invest in Shorts as viewership rises.

• explained how its ‘Shows’ feature will help to push creators’ episodic content.

• is increasing manual reviews of videos to improve ad placement accuracy.

TikTok

• will interrupt teens under 16 feeds after 10pm with wind-down reminders.

READ: While I haven’t read it yet, it’s difficult not to recommend Sarah Wynn-Williams’ memoir about her experiences at Meta (formerly Facebook) as a juicy read. Also, who wouldn’t want to read a tell-all about Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta? I’ve bought my copy.

LISTEN: I’m fascinated by Bethenny Frankel, who, if you don’t know, is the queen of hustle. She chats to 24yo Alix Earle, who is hot off from being dropped by Alex Cooper’s Unwell network. This offers insight into two influencers who are killing it in their demo as they come together to share notes.

WATCH: Emma Chamberlain tries really hard to maintain her self-awareness and relatability as her career becomes less relatable. Emma wants to share with you the lead-up to walking the red carpet for Vanity Fair’s Oscar’s Afterparty. “This only happens a few times a year when just maybe I show the world that I have a bit of sex appeal.”

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