Happy Wednesday creators!

Do you believe that you can you hack an algorithm? I have friends in the creator industry who have growth hacked their way to the top of several platforms across multiple niches, and they even do it for other creators as mentors on CreatorPad! I’m a firm believer in savvy creators' abilities to become a top performer in their niche, it just takes A LOT of trials, and even more errors before hitting the mark. What do you guys think?!

-Luke

Hacking the Shorts Algorithm 🧑‍💻

Creator and industry thought leader, Paddy Galloway in collaboration with analyst Chris Gileta, drew up a report on the mystical YouTube Shorts algorithm.

Analyzing 5,400 shorts from a combined 33 YouTube channels spanning several niches; The duo dove deep into the nitty gritty on the 3.3 billion views amassed across these Shorts.

Let’s jump into the details below:

• Most creators make shorts between 20 and 40 seconds.

• On average, longer shorts performed better. The sweet spot? 50-60 seconds. But don’t think a longer short will get you virality. It’s all about retaining viewers during those seconds.

• His first labeled takeaway? “The shorts algorithm does (unsurprisingly) appear to favor longer videos that hold viewer duration well.”

• Shorts that seem to outperform the competition are usually between 70 and 90% of “viewed vs swiped away” (70-90% viewed, to be clear).

• Paddy mentions that while this number isn’t something to obsess over, you should definitely change something up if this number is below 60%.

• So what’s the relationship between an algorithmic push and likes, shares, comments, etc.? Well, Paddy mentions that there’s more testing needed on this front, but it doesn’t appear to impact push as much as the above points do.

• Paddy’s second takeaway? “Viewed vs swiped away is worth paying attention to, it's important to make your first second really punchy and engaging to hook viewers early into the video. Treat your intro like a thumbnail.”

This insanely informational thread continues by speaking about subs on shorts vs long form videos, explores RPM’s for shorts, and puts a nice bow on it by leaving us with this: “So are shorts worth it? I think so.”

I think so too, Paddy. Definitely be sure to check out the full Twitter thread, it’s got graphs and breaks down my points in even more detail! Link below!

[Read Full Report]

Creator Economy News 🚨

This week in the creator world, TikTok filter creators to start earning revenue, #paid wants to help you earn more from brands trying to use your content, TikTok creators sue Montana over app bans, and more. This week in creator economy news:

• Who even makes TikTok filters? Well, if it’s you, you’re gonna start gettin paid (maybe)! TikTok announces that they will pay you $700 for every 500k filter uses in 90 days. So, if you’re an editor or an animator, maybe you want to hop on TT’s “Effect House.”

• Are you a brand looking to get usage rights from a creator? Or perhaps a creator looking to sell your work for media coverage? Well, #Paid just made it much easier for you or your brand. Check out the latest news on their “Content Usage Rights” Platform.

• Short form creators in Montana strike back by suing the state for the ban of TikTok. This lawsuit claims that the ban is unconstitutional, but it seems that Montana isn’t backing down anytime soon.

You should see these 👀

• Here’s an interesting read about VCs in the creator space, including Rhett & Link leading the pack, and some of the creators who have built larger brands from the funding!

• Creator and streamer, Amouranth, creates an AI version of herself. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person who saw Ex-Machina…

• The D’Amelio’s launch a footwear brand and collection. I can’t even begin to fathom how much this family is worth. Creators, this is how you effectively leverage your audiences!!

Creator Spotlight 🔦

Meet Jamie Lin!

Jamie is an incredible creator who focuses on exploring the future of work, the trials and tribulations being a full time creator, bettering yourself, and so much more.

Over the four years that Jamie’s account has been up, she has pushed out workout content, work & life content, tips on professional career, and most recently, tackling the struggle that we all face: creative burnout.

With Jamie’s mission being to help people live and lead happier and healthier lives while also pursuing their creative freedom, her content echos the creator journey and it’s hard to not relate!

Jamie is also a member and user of CreatorPad! So if you want to hear some genuine feedback on receiving mentorship from top creators in the game, take it from her!

Keep up the amazing work, Jamie!! 😎

[Check out Jamie’s Channel!]

Want to go even further? 🚀

If you’d like to keep learning about topics like the ones shared above, stick around! But more importantly, check out the links below to further your development as a creator. 😎

1. Sign up for CreatorPad

2. Join our free creator community

3. Find a personal mentor to learn from