Creator Thomas Frank. Photo: Frank
Creator Economy
startups venture capital

The YouTuber Making $1 Million Selling Notion ‘Templates’

By Mahira Dayal · Feb. 14, 2023 2:59 PM PST
Influencers who dish out tips on improving daily routines—from early morning pilates to swilling trendy health drink Athletic Greens—are increasing in popularity. Among these, Denver-based Thomas Frank has carved out a lucrative niche: selling customized set-ups for people using Notion, the note-taking and list-making app. Frank, 31, said... Influencers who dish out tips on improving daily routines—from early morning pilates to swilling...
Photo by Getty
Creator Economy
startups entertainment

TikTok’s Growth Hacking Includes Paywalled Video

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb. 13, 2023 2:00 PM PST
At the end of last year, it felt like creator funds were a thing of the past, as companies such as YouTube shifted to other initiatives, such as ad-revenue sharing, and shut down funds that made payouts for viral videos. But that’s not the case at TikTok. As I reported in a story on Monday, the short-form video app is working on a new version,... At the end of last year, it felt like creator funds were a thing of the past, as companies such...
Spillt co-founders Maddy and Ann Baum (left to right). Photo courtesy of subjects
Creator Economy
startups

An Ex-Instagram Engineer Launches a Social Cooking App

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb. 9, 2023 2:30 PM PST · 2 comments
Short cooking videos have exploded on TikTok and other social media networks, but the food bloggers who make them still largely depend on their personal websites to bring in income from ads. For people looking for online recipes created by these bloggers, it can be hard to keep track of them or save favorites in one place. Spillt, an app... Short cooking videos have exploded on TikTok and other social media networks, but the food...
Photo by Getty
Reddit’s Ad Gains Could Mean More Cash for Creators
By Isabelle Sarraf · Feb. 8, 2023 3:34 PM PST · 1 comment
Photo by Getty
Creator Economy
startups venture capital

Reddit’s Ad Gains Could Mean More Cash for Creators

By Isabelle Sarraf · Feb. 8, 2023 3:34 PM PST · 1 comment
This morning, I published a story about Reddit, the online news aggregator and discussion forum, which benefited from a jump in year-over-year advertising spending at the end of 2022, a contrast with drops for competitors including Meta Platforms, Snap and Pinterest. Reddit may still only draw a sliver of spending from large advertisers, but a... This morning, I published a story about Reddit, the online news aggregator and discussion forum,...
Ben Schwerin. Photo: Getty
Creator Economy

The Questions Around Snap’s TikTok Clone After Top Exec Resigns

By Mahira Dayal · Feb. 7, 2023 3:22 PM PST
After eight years at the company, Snap’s senior vice president of content and partnerships, Ben Schwerin, is departing to join Coatue Management as a general partner, my colleague Kate reported. Schwerin helped lead Snap’s Spotlight, the app’s TikTok clone launched at the end of 2020. His replacement will face the task of maintaining Spotlight’s... After eight years at the company, Snap’s senior vice president of content and partnerships, Ben...
Photo: Shutterstock
Creator Economy

Bill Ready’s Pinterest Turnaround Plan Is Expensive

By Mahira Dayal · Feb. 6, 2023 4:36 PM PST
Pinterest on Monday gave us an updated view into its new CEO Bill Ready’s strategy to revitalize the company. It’s an expensive plan, leading to such a spike in spending that profit fell a whopping 90%. And Pinterest, similar to Meta Platforms, is forecasting revenue that’s barely growing, thanks to a downturn in digital ad demand. But Ready can... Pinterest on Monday gave us an updated view into its new CEO Bill Ready’s strategy to revitalize...
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy
google policy

YouTube’s Ad Revenue Falls Again; More U.S. Pressure on TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb. 2, 2023 3:30 PM PST
A continued decline in YouTube ad revenue spells bad news for creators who earn money from the video-sharing site. On Thursday, Alphabet said YouTube’s ad revenue fell nearly 8% to $7.96 billion during the fourth quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. That’s the second straight quarter of decline. A continued decline in YouTube ad revenue spells bad news for creators who earn money from the...
Cameo co-founders Steven Galanis, Devon Townsend, Martin Blencowe, from left to right. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Cameo and Rally Shutter NFT Products, #Paid Conducts Layoffs
By Kaya Yurieff · Feb. 1, 2023 4:30 PM PST
Cameo co-founders Steven Galanis, Devon Townsend, Martin Blencowe, from left to right. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Creator Economy
startups crypto

Cameo and Rally Shutter NFT Products, #Paid Conducts Layoffs

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb. 1, 2023 4:30 PM PST
I’m kicking off today’s newsletter with some news: Creator services from Rally to Cameo are ditching crypto features that generated lots of buzz during the pandemic. And another creator economy startup, #Paid, is cutting workers, I’m first to report, adding to layoffs hitting the sector. Let’s start with Cameo, the startup that connects... I’m kicking off today’s newsletter with some news: Creator services from Rally to Cameo are...
Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Meta’s Resistance to Sharing Ad Sales Starts to Crumble

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 31, 2023 5:15 PM PST
For at least a year, one question has hung over Meta Platforms-owned Facebook and Instagram: whether the apps will introduce a way to share a cut of ad revenues with more creators, similar to how YouTube pays video-makers. Our story today by Sylvia and Kaya goes deep into the debate at Meta over introducing ad-revenue sharing, which some staff... For at least a year, one question has hung over Meta Platforms-owned Facebook and Instagram:...
Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Problems Inside Facebook Gaming’s Black Creator Program; Meta Expects Revenue to Drop

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 30, 2023 4:01 PM PST
On Monday, I reported that Meta Platforms has reduced the contracts it paid out to creators on its game-streaming service Facebook Gaming. As part of my reporting, I confirmed that Meta let its Black Gaming Creators Program, a $10 million fund, sunset at the end of last year. That brings up an important question of how successful this fund and... On Monday, I reported that Meta Platforms has reduced the contracts it paid out to creators on...
Keren Baruch, LinkedIn’s director of product management. Photo: Courtesy of subject
Creator Economy
startups microsoft

LinkedIn’s Newsletter Subscribers Quadrupled as Meta, Twitter Axed Products

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 26, 2023 2:26 PM PST · 2 comments
LinkedIn is the only big social media company that’s sticking with newsletters. This month, Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Twitter both shuttered their respective newsletter products as these tech companies cut costs, including shutting down products for creators, after overspending during the tech boom. But for LinkedIn, newsletters are... LinkedIn is the only big social media company that’s sticking with newsletters. This month,...
Photo via Shutterstock
TikTok Expands Direct Messaging; Twitch Pens Letter To Creators
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 25, 2023 1:51 PM PST · 2 comments
Photo via Shutterstock
Creator Economy
entertainment

TikTok Expands Direct Messaging; Twitch Pens Letter To Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 25, 2023 1:51 PM PST · 2 comments
TikTok is quietly expanding its use of direct messaging, a feature that’s become a mainstay of rival Instagram. It’s just the latest way TikTok is grafting social network features onto its entertainment feed, as it tries to boost time spent on the app.On Tuesday, TikTok sent an email to some users to highlight changes it made in November to... TikTok is quietly expanding its use of direct messaging, a feature that’s become a mainstay of...
Jack Conte. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Where Patreon Goes From Here

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 24, 2023 3:03 PM PST
Patreon, a nearly 10-year-old startup, became a pandemic success story when lockdowns left artists dependent on online sources for income. But its newfound stature and freshly minted, $4 billion valuation, masked years of mismanagement by founder and CEO Jack Conte and his inner circle, my colleague Paris reported Tuesday. The report covers... Patreon, a nearly 10-year-old startup, became a pandemic success story when lockdowns left...
Photos: Dulma Altan. Art: Shane Burke
Creator Economy
startups

What TikToker Dulma’s Success Says About Instagram and Videos

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 23, 2023 4:56 PM PST
Dulma Altan has attracted 100,000 followers on her TikTok account (@iamdulma) by fashioning an online “business school for women” with videos on how creators make VC investments, how to measure brand success and which influencer brands are retreating. But Altan, who founded online fragrance store Potion, would be happy to post more on rival app... Dulma Altan has attracted 100,000 followers on her TikTok account (@iamdulma) by fashioning an...
via Bloomberg
Creator Economy
culture

What Creators Really Want From Twitter

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 19, 2023 2:16 PM PST
Since taking over Twitter, billionaire Elon Musk has made some efforts to court creators, from speaking with them over Zoom to telling staff about his aspirations to turn the social network into a home for video creators. Musk has even indicated he’s open to a potential acquisition of newsletter publisher Substack. But he faces an uphill... Since taking over Twitter, billionaire Elon Musk has made some efforts to court creators, from ...
Photo: Getty
Why YouTube’s Plan to Share Ad Revenue on Shorts May Disappoint
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 18, 2023 3:03 PM PST
Photo: Getty
Creator Economy
google

Why YouTube’s Plan to Share Ad Revenue on Shorts May Disappoint

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 18, 2023 3:03 PM PST
YouTube made a splash when it announced last fall it would begin sharing ad revenue with creators who make short-form videos known as Shorts, starting February 1. But I predict that creators will be disappointed by the payouts they receive. Creators have long considered the Google-owned video sharing site the most consistent and lucrative... YouTube made a splash when it announced last fall it would begin sharing ad revenue with creators...
Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy
asia

TikTok’s Leadership Ties to China; Influencers at Davos

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 17, 2023 2:24 PM PST
For the past two years, TikTok has been positioning itself as an entity with decision-making that’s independent from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, as it tries to convince U.S. lawmakers that China’s government will not access American user data or use the app to influence Americans. The app has had mixed success placating U.S. security... For the past two years, TikTok has been positioning itself as an entity with decision-making that...
Photo: Shutterstock
Creator Economy

The Creator Startups That Tapped Extension Rounds; Introducing SBF, Substack Writer

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 12, 2023 4:08 PM PST
One thing that stood out to me as I analyzed The Information’s Creator Economy Database for our latest story was the increase in the number of rounds that were extensions to previous rounds, which means investors poured more money into existing investments while generally maintaining prior deal terms. Those rounds have murky labels, like... One thing that stood out to me as I analyzed The Information’s Creator Economy Database for our...
VSCO President Eric Wittman. Photo: VSCO
Creator Economy

The Startup Popularized by ‘VSCO Girls’ Tries a New Tack

By Mahira Dayal · Jan. 11, 2023 3:38 PM PST
Oh, the challenges of viral fame. By 2019, VSCO’s photo-editing app had become a byword for a certain hyper-trendy style, as high school girls and tweens photographed themselves sporting casual gear such as Birkenstocks and scrunchies, then posted them using VSCO filters reminiscent of Kodak snapshots. Fast forward to 2023: the VSCO girl... Oh, the challenges of viral fame. By 2019, VSCO’s photo-editing app had become a byword for a...
Writer Elle Griffin. Photo courtesy of subject
The Writer Who Serialized Her Novels on Substack
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 10, 2023 3:12 PM PST
Writer Elle Griffin. Photo courtesy of subject
Creator Economy
startups media/telecom

The Writer Who Serialized Her Novels on Substack

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan. 10, 2023 3:12 PM PST
Elle Griffin's Substack career over the last two years is a testament to how tech platforms have transformed what it means to be an aspiring novelist. The former content marketing writer found success on Substack by taking a page from Alexandre Dumas and Charles Dickens: starting in 2021, she serialized her gothic and utopian novels to her... Elle Griffin's Substack career over the last two years is a testament to how tech platforms have...