ICYMI: The House That YouTube Built
Here's what happened on social media this week, September 30
Thanks for reading! If you just got here, this is a recap of key headlines for and about creators to help them understand the industry and make better business decisions.
💻 ROADMAP
📲 TikTok Updates:
TikTok increased its caption character limit to 2,200. It’s an interesting move since it leaves room for more written context but also more keyword stuffing as the platform and creators lean in to the app’s search functionality. Check back with me after I get a chance to see how people are using this.
TikTok has rolled out its comment dislike button globally to all users.
📲 YouTube Updates:
YouTube enabled a voiceover feature so creators can narrate their own Shorts and add original sounds. Full details here.
📲 Instagram Updates:
Instagram Stories under 60 seconds will no longer be broken up into 15-second clips. Adjust your filming accordingly.
Instagram is testing a way for people to alert their followers via DM when a new post goes up. So, basically, pods. Instagram is duplicating 2017 engagement pods. (ICYMI: What’s a pod)
📲 LinkedIn Updates:
Finally, LinkedIn will categorize its LinkedIn inbox, organizing messages into two buckets: Focused will contain new opportunities and outreach, while Other contains ongoing conversations.
👆🏻 CLICK THRU
🏡 Step Inside Emma Chamberlain’s Deeply Personal Los Angeles Home
There aren’t really many creator learnings to take away from Emma Chamberlain’s profile in Architectural Digest but her new house is a gorgeous space for the 21-year-old (!) YouTuber. It also makes creatorship look like an incredibly attractive career option. If anything, this feature should come with a warning label that Emma’s 1% status takes an incredible amount of privilege, a lot of hard work and a toll on your mental health.
🦅 YouTube star MrBeast said he will 'probably' run for President in his mid-40s
There has been a reality star in the White House so it stands to reason one day we’ll see the U.S.’s first YouTube president. Will it be Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, who says he plans to run in his 40s? Who knows, but it’s wild that this no longer seems so far-fetched.
💰 Meet the agents teaching TikTok livestreamers how to earn big tips
Livestreaming hit some obstacles earlier this year when TikTok and Facebook paused their livestream shopping programs.
But with billions in live commerce at stake, TikTok is partnering with influencer agencies around the world to train creators how to go live, gain an audience, and solicit gifts.
“Agents say they are teaching creators the most basic techniques, such as using a ring light, looking directly at the camera, greeting the viewers by their screen names, and avoiding driving while on livestreams, which could trigger a suspension. Agents also help pair creators up for live battles, during which livestreamers compete head-to-head to get as many tips as they can during a set period of time.”
According to an anonymous TikTok partner agent in the UK who was quoted in this Rest of the World article: “The gifting culture is not there yet. Creators could earn more from doing any other ordinary gig.” But if TikTok can train creators to go live and convince their audiences to start spending on the platform, it could potentially condition people to be more receptive to live commerce in general.
📣 QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The job is a lot, but babe you gotta be quiet… You just gotta know what things you can and cannot say. Yes, everybody has struggles… but that little clip was a little crazy."
-TikToker Anayka She, commenting on beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira and the larger conversation of whether influencers should be able to complain about how hard their jobs are in this Insider piece: Beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira is under fire for complaining that her job is difficult because she had to work til 5:19 p.m.
🧮 DATA OF THE WEEK
86% of Gen Z adults have a favorable impression of YouTube, making it the most popular brand with the cohort. YouTube parent brand Google comes in at No. 2, followed by Netflix in third place and Amazon in fourth.
-YouTube and other tech brands rank highly with Gen Z in Morning Consult’s trend report: Gen Z’s Favorite Brands 2022
👩🏽🤝👨🏻 PEOPLE
YouTuber Ousted From 'Try Guys' After Cheating Allegations Broke the Internet -Jezebel
Dude Perfect plans $100 million headquarters with 330-foot trick shot tower -TubeFilter
MrBeast said he turned down $1 billion deal for his YouTube channel and associated companies -Insider
📖 ALSO ON MY READING LIST…
The Great Food Instagram Vibe Shift -Eater
Floridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok -NBCNews
Why are massive Shein hauls so popular on TikTok? -GreenIstheNewBlack
There's a massive generational shift we’re seeing in trust from institutions to individuals: Are creators becoming the source of truth? -CreatorEconomying
How Male Influencers Turned The Men In These People’s Lives Toxic -BuzzFeed
Google Borrows From TikTok to Keep Gen Z Searching -Wired
Meta’s new text-to-video AI generator is like DALL-E for video -TheVerge
Instagram's Creator Marketplace is failing to deliver brand deals for many influencers testing the product -Insider
Amazon launches QVC-style shopping in India -TechCrunch