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- Original content is your best growth hack
Original content is your best growth hack
Hey creator,
I filled my weekend with content creator events and it was the best.
On Saturday, I went to Frmefest, which is an official creator conference designed to bring together marketers, creators, and brands. It had the classic conference vibe of polished stage panels, sponsor booths, and, randomly, a few lizards. Also, shout out to Michael Barker, who reads this newsletter and is a gun videographer from Melbourne.
Then on Sunday, I stumbled into an impromptu meet-up hosted by Brock Johnson (who you might know for his super practical Instagram tips). It was casual, probably pulled together in a group chat, and only cost me $1 to join.
Despite all the planning and production behind Frmefest, it was Brock’s low-key gathering that ended up feeling more insightful and energising. Sometimes the most insightful stuff happens off the main stage.
Now,
Let’s get into it 👇
If you want a more in depth experience, I hold 1:1 strategy sessions, which you can schedule here: https://calendly.com/smalleyjess/powerhour
This issue will bring you up to speed on what’s happening in the creator economy:
Quick Fire news headlines
Worth The Read news stories
Social Media Updates that you need to know about
Check out my READ, LISTEN + WATCH recommendations for this week
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Quick Fire 🧨
Meta's Zuckerberg pledges hundreds of billions for AI data centres in superintelligence push
Worth The Read
Meta’s crackdown on “unoriginal” content
Meta is now taking stronger action against accounts that keep reposting other people’s videos, photos, or text without adding anything new or original.
They want to make sure the real creators get credit and views, so if you’re copying content over and over, your posts might get shown to fewer people.
But don’t worry. If you’re making reaction videos, joining trends, or adding your own ideas to someone else’s content, you’re not in trouble. Meta wants creators to share original stuff and tell their own stories, not just slap together clips or put watermarks on other people’s work.
Here’s something practical:
Always add your own voice, thoughts, or creativity to any content you share.
Avoid reposting the exact same videos or images without changes.
Check your Facebook Professional Dashboard regularly. It will show if your posts are being limited or if you’re at risk of penalties, so you can fix things quickly.
Meta is rolling these changes out slowly, so now is the perfect time to focus on making content that’s truly yours. That way, you get the credit and reach you deserve.
Socially Updated
has rolled out more Edits updates, including keyframes, voice effects and royalty free music.
Wondering why you don’t have access to Trial Reels? The platform confirmed your account needs to be set to public and you need to have more than 1000 followers.
broadcast channels now let you change the channel profile photo.
TikTok
launched Songwriter Features, which allows artists to tag themselves as musicians and helps with their tracks get discovered.
The Dig
READ: LinkedIn really wants you to make use of video on the platform. It just dropped an 11-page guide called The Art and Science of Video Storytelling. It’s packed with practical tips on what works best on their platform, like using real people, quick hooks, and cultural moments to grab attention. Worth a skim if you want your videos to perform better on LinkedIn.
LISTEN: My two favourite creator-educator universes have collided. Jay Clouse, founder of Creator Science, and Colin and Samir discuss how to build a YouTube channel that stands the test of time and finding financial success in the creator economy.
WATCH: Keeping with today’s event mention, here’s Brock Johnson breaking down how you can 10x your Instragram follower count in 30 days!
AI Notetakers Are Quietly Leaking Risk. Audit Yours With This Checklist.
AI notetakers are becoming standard issue in meetings, but most teams haven’t vetted them properly.
✔️ Is AI trained on your data?
✔️ Where is the data stored?
✔️ Can admins control what gets recorded and shared?
This checklist from Fellow lays out the non-negotiables for secure AI in the workplace.
If your vendor can’t check all the boxes, you need to ask why.
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