AI Art Generators Could Never

Welcome! This is a news recap curated specifically for creators (or anyone in social) to make better business decisions.

?? ROADMAP

?? YouTube Updates:

• YouTube now lets you reply to comments with a Shorts video. And just like on TikTok, the comment sticker is tappable, so viewers can watch the original Short or long-form video that someone commented on. Watch it in action here .?

?? TikTok Updates:?

• TikTok is testing a Refresh button that would let you reset your FYP and start fresh.
• Other TikTok beta tests that have been spotted on social : include saving videos without a watermark (!), auto scroll and an edit post button.

?? Instagram Updates:?

• Instagram announced all U.S. creators can now turn on the “Gifts ” feature on Reels past and present to receive digital tokens from fans. Once creators get to a certain balance, they’ll be able to cash those gifts out for money .?

It’s a nice perk but it essentially puts a responsibility to fundraise on creators.?As my friend Angela Kim , who once worked in public radio, said, “Fundraising is hard. You have to keep at it and not let people tune you out.”

Question is, are you ready to enter your pledge drive era??

?? Twitter Updates:

• Longer tweets are now available to Twitter Blue subscribers in the US. If your dream has been to micro blog 4,000 characters on Twitter… you now can. But also, why??

Besides, new Twitter features might take a while to roll out. Following an outage on Wednesday, Elon Musk told staff to pause on any new developments and focus on system stability, especially with the Super Bowl coming up.?

He also reportedly fired an engineer who couldn’t explain why Musk’s engagement numbers were tanking. Just another day at Twitter.

???? CLICK THRU

?? How will Google and Microsoft AI chatbots affect us and how we work?

Google and Microsoft both announced their AI chatbots this week, leading some people to ask if tech is coming to take our jobs? The answer is… it’s complicated.?

On the one hand, BuzzFeed will reportedly use OpenAI technology to enhance its quizzes and Netflix made headlines for using an AI program to draw the backgrounds for an anime short film, instead of hiring human animators.?

But AI-sourced information can be flawed. Just look at?Google’s rollout of Bard, which made a factual mistake in its first demo and cost the company $100 billion .?

And AI chatbots lack the insights, perspective and personality of human-generated ideas. Which means that while it’s very good for generic, SEO-optimized copy (Pinterest descriptions!), a chatbot is not likely to replace your favorite food writer, or travel blogger any time soon.

Plus, AI can’t dream up what doesn’t already exist. So, it will take creators like Ronnie Allman coming up with a concept as clever as re-imagining brands through a cultural lens with AI as an assist, not as the original inspiration.?

My Point: If you’re a creator, start experimenting with AI as a tool to help you instead of some evil technology meant to replace you. And amp up your personality in everything you do.??

As for brands, if your logo wasn’t redesigned by Emily Zugay in 2021 — get on Ronnie’s radar for a re-imagined brand look. I am obsessed with these designs.

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?? Why Tabasco continues to go all in on influencer marketing

Research, R+D, consumer insights… there are so many ways a company can work with an influencer beyond a traditional endorsement. This co-branded collab between Tabasco and Tinx to release an Avocado Jalape?o Hot Sauce salad dressing is a great example of that.?

? Influencer vs Creator: Do the Actual Terms Even Matter?

I’d say no and most of my Gen Z students seem to agree with me. Thanks to Danielle Wiley of the Sway Group for inviting me to appear on the Art of Sway podcast to talk about the state of the creator economy, digging into why Gen Z doesn’t mind sponsored content from the creators they follow and how Gen X contributed to TikTok’s success.

?? WHY IT WORKS

Marshall Tight End Devin Miller Lands Dream NIL Opportunity in Deal With Dr. Squatch

There’s a lot to unpack with this Dr. Squatch and Devin Miller deal but long story short:

• Marshall University’s Devin Miller scored a go-ahead touchdown against Notre Dame last fall (sports aren’t my thing so this is the best I can do for a recap)
• MarketPryce, a marketing agency, reached out and partnered with Miller to pitch his dream brand parternship: Dr. Squatch
• The Dr. Squatch team paid attention and signed Miller for a campaign
• MarketPryce then pitched Dr. Squatch on a bigger and better campaign to pay it forward to other students
• The latest update: Dr. Squatch and Miller gift all eligible new signees at Marshall their first paid NIL deal on National Signing day

This recap points to the power of 3 things:

1. Creators: Take your shot. Pitch yourself to your dream brand but do it with the same care you’d take with marketing your favorite product.?
2. Brands: Magic happens when you make social listening a priority and take action on the conversations happening around your brand.
3. Everybody: A campaign is always stronger when there’s a greater purpose or way to create opportunities for others around you. Just look at this recent collab between MrBeast and Shopify? that paid it forward to other Shopify business owners.

*Disclaimer: Since I don’t know the financials of the deal, I can’t say for sure if the new signees benefitted from Dr. Squatch’s NIL deal. In this house, we always want to compensate our creators fairly!

?? RESOURCES

? The Essential TikTok SEO Cheat Sheet -The Leap

*Technically this is for TikTok but you could use the SEO-for-social tips to help your Instagram Reels rank for search, too!

?? QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“People still refuse to believe that being an influencer is work. There are people who are doing the exact same thing for companies and that’s considered a real job. But if you’re doing it for yourself, it’s not considered worthy of the same level of respect.”

-Stephanie McNeal quoted in this Elle piece about how influencers have to grapple with remaining relatable as the economy worsens: It’s Time for Influencers to Be Real

?? DATA OF THE WEEK

Fifty-three percent of advertisers plan to increase creator marketing spending in 2023, shifting dollars from legacy media like print and TV to social.?

-The appeal of influencer marketing can be attributed to the “connection with young audiences and strong content engagement,” according to an Advertiser Perceptions survey about the state of the creator economy covered in this AdAge piece: Advertisers Plan to Increase Investment In Influencer Marketing

?? ALSO ON MY RADAR…

• Khaby Lame x Jake from State Farm is the hot collab this Super Bowl season -Tubefilter
• TikTok’s transparency and accountability center opens in LA -Taylor Lorenz
• The Taliban Can’t Stop TikTok -Wired
• Donald Trump Asked Twitter To Take Down This Chrissy Teigen Tweet -BuzzFeed News
• Lucky girl syndrome and the endless rebranding of “The Secret” -Vox
• 3 Creator Economy Trends to Watch in 2023 -Tara Walpert Levy, YouTube
• The 2023 State of Influencer Earnings -Izea
• The State of Creator Economy Pay; Bigger Isn't Always Better -Hashtag Pay Me