Influencer Marketing Scam Unmasked, Plus, How to Make Successful Long Videos on TikTok

Here’s what’s new and what caught my eye this week:

?Subscriber Retention Tricks from Top Publishers: Are subscriptions a part of your revenue plan? If so, you're not alone. Substack, Patreon, Discord, and other services make it easier for creators to build revenue directly from fans. But keeping them is just as ––?if not more –– important. It’s all about minimizing churn. This article from DCN was written for digital publishers, but the lessons and secrets are equally relevant for creators, too.

Influencer Marketing Scam Preys on Brands, Agencies, and Talent: The huge rise in creator and influencer marketing also serves as a clarion call for bad actors. Charles Haynes of Ziggurat XYZ lays out the dirty and deceitful mechanics of a “man in the middle attack”, where thieves posing as a talent agent got between his legit talent roster and brands and skimmed dollars from both sides. It’s not just an isolated incident, either. In the comments on his post –– and in an informal poll I took last week –– it’s a widespread practice. So…how do we solve this? Leave your comments on my Linkedin and let me know.

How to Optimize for 10 Minute TikTok Videos: If you don’t have the feature yet, you will soon –– longer videos are coming to TikTok. But how should you change your videos to find long-form success? I asked TikTok and here’s what they said: first, read our recent post focusing on “creating videos longer than one minute.” It’s just as relevant for videos that are also three to ten minutes long. Then look at some of the case studies here. Both posts offer good advice, but I’m looking forward to tips, tricks, and secrets specifically for seven to ten-minute videos. If you have a tip, share it with me; I will publish the best in an upcoming newsletter. And hopefully we’ll get some official guidance from Double-T soon!

Creators Supporting Ukraine: Clearly this is the first TikTok war, and just as clearly there are brave creators bringing the truth to the world from ground zero. Now there’s a way for creators to help. The good folks at TubeBuddy, along with BEN and Do Good Points, have started Creators With Ukraine. It’s not focused directly on creators, but it’s designed to help creators support everyone affected by this horrible war. You can give directly here or consider making a video to entice others to donate.

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QUIBIS:?

• This is your future brain on Snapchat. Any questions?
• Instagram gives you more control over your feed with sorting by “Favorites” and “Following.”
• Emerging creators having trouble joining and getting paid by TikTok’s “Creator Fund.”
• Driver crashes Tesla in viral stunt gone horribly wrong. Other guy fakes jump on TikTok, gets banned. Lesson: don’t be stupid.
• Nice profile on one of the nicest and best creators around –– Liza Koshy.
• Everyone can now shill products on Instagram. Where’s Paul Blart when you really need him?
• New on the internet: now everyone knows you’re a dog.
• Why writing could be your secret weapon for YouTube success.
• Catch up on old TV shows on YouTube’s new AVOD service that copies PlutoTV and Tubi –– could a free version of YouTubeTV be coming soon?
• YouTube teases new live features coming in 2022 including live guests, full screen and more. TLDW? Read all about it here.
• LinkedIn adds newsletters for company pages.
• How to build your company brand the right way on LinkedIn.
• New reality show American Song Contest is conducting its voting through TikTok.

CRYPTIS: Cryptis is a new section of this newsletter specifically dedicated to the intersection of Web3 and the creator economy (crypti - a mashup of quibi and crypto. Did you get it?).

• If it looks like an ape, and acts like an ape, it’s might be a scam.
• Buyer beware –– owning crypto is “complicated.”
• Interesting project: a community-centric interactive novel being written via NFTs, Loot, and Twitter.
• Brian Morrisey’s latest podcast explores a crypto middle ground with Jarrod Dicker –– a smart guy and a Phish fan, too!
• Five ways blockchain and crypto will accelerate the creator economy.

TIP OF THE WEEK:? This week’s tip comes from Rob Ciampa, CMO at Censinet:

Don’t suck. Create content that is authentic, educational, and entertaining. Incorporate video into your content strategy while investing properly and integrating it with other types of content. Develop a programming framework that engages customers, prospects, partners, and employees on a sustained and ongoing basis. Use your digital video channels as mechanisms to have a dialogue –– not a monologue –– about your company, your industry, and your customer experience.

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FREE VIDCON BOOTH: Hey Creator Economy startups, want a free booth at?VidCon?this year in Anaheim? You also get a speaking slot to pitch your company and free tickets! Apply for our Innovation Showcase today by clicking?here.

?WHAT WE'RE WATCHING:

• Here’s how TikTok creator @anthpo threw a surprise twenty-first birthday party for his friend.
• Creator @shanrizwan asks people from all over the world what their favorite songs are.
• Colin and Samir on why Emma Chamberlain quit YouTube again (they also write a great creator economy newsletter).
• Best passport picture ever.

Feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested, and if someone forwarded this to you, you can sign up?on our website at?VidCon.com?— scroll down and select “VidCon Weekly Industry Insights.”

Jim