Holy guacamole creators,

It’s basically September, which means it’s basically almost Halloween. And no I will not hear otherwise. 👻 

How’s everyone been feeling recently? We ready for spooky season or are we still hangin’ onto summer? On my end, I’ve been feeling more than a bit overwhelmed recently. After taking some massive strides with CreatorPad (omg I can’t wait to show you guys more), and taking on a new client (so I can save up for this (jokes)), I’ve been crushing 14-16 hour days on average, and this is how I feel.

While I’ve been on the non-stop grind, I’ve been looking forward to cooler days and getting back to Denver to get back in the flow of things. Two months of travel will make you feel like a shell of a human, even without the long days.

So creators, take it from me: if you feel like you’re in a pit, keep pushing and the hard work will pay off in due time. As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait (and work hard). Don’t forget that last part.

And if you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed, give me a shout, and let’s chat. I’m here to support you readers where I can, and that includes helping you push through roadblocks.

But as always, enough of my yapping. Let’s get into the news!

Influencers and the Election 🇺🇸 

Izea is back again with another killer report on the role of influencers in this US election cycle. We’ve seen creators at the White House, the DNC, and beyond in recent weeks, but what does this all add up to? Let’s jump in.

• Surveying over 2,000 US-based social users, Izea uses this info to identify how socials play a role in political engagement, opinions, discourse, and sentiment.

• I’m not sure if this is surprising or not given the political climate in the US, but 42% of those surveyed like creators sharing their political opinions online. This can be seen in creators like Hasan Piker, who dominate their niche and inform millions of viewers.

• On the other hand, nearly HALF (46%) of those surveyed shared that they could be influenced by those who share their political opinions on socials.

• While folks are getting swayed, 52% of respondents also share that opinions on socials contribute to their understanding of political issues. We love our informed kings and queens. 👑 

• An even scarier stat given how split US political beliefs is that 46% of those interviewed reported that their political opinions have changed based on an influencer’s content.

• Another semi-worrying stat is that 64% of respondents share that they’re more likely to follow an influencer who has similar political views as their own. As a journalist at my core, I highly encourage you to listen to some news that isn’t adhering to your beliefs. I’m not saying go binge-read Truth Social, but don’t blindly follow things that you believe in. If you truly believe in something, question it.

• Juxtaposing the above, 90% of influencers reported that it’s important to verify the accuracy of political information that they share. Based on what I’ve seen online, these numbers don’t seem to be accurate, but I’m just some guy writing a newsletter so take that with a grain of salt.

Those were my biggest takeaways from the report, but if you want to read it and see the full breakdown, you can check out this link (as a heads-up before you click, this is free, but email-gated).

What do you readers think of these stats? Transparently, I’m not too surprised to see them shake out how they did. Things are turbulent in the US political sphere, to say the least, and in my eyes, these stats back up the split that we are seeing throughout the country on a political level. But again, I’m just some guy with a newsletter, so please don’t kill the messenger. ❤️ 

Pizza Hut Taps Micro Creators 🍕 

If you’re an avid reader, you already know my affinity for micro and nano creators. As the creator middle class, we’re the lifeblood of the creator economy, and we’re finally starting to get some recognition as the tides shift towards big brands working with smaller creators. And this piece of news will surely back that up.

• The Hut Goes Nano: A new marketing campaign rolled out for creators in the UAE (sorry folks) allows customers to pay for pizza by creating TikToks.

• How the Pizza’s Made: Pizza Hut wants customers to create TikTok videos using specific hashtags and follow guidelines set by the campaign. The video then acts as money towards their pizza order. The payout is only about $7, but at least things are moving in the right direction and big brands are starting to see the value of smaller creators. Remember, good things come to those whoooooooo…..?

• But Why?: Why not! As mentioned, micro and nano creators make up over 90% of the creator space, so tapping these smaller folks is a fantastic way to save on marketing while getting maximum reach in more niche communities.

While the payout is low, I believe that this is a nod to the value that both nano and micro creators bring. This yet again marks a major shift in influencer marketing and will absolutely change the dynamic of influencer marketer campaigns in the future. If Pizza Hut is successful in this campaign, I’d bet the house that other brands will follow suit.

Are you a micro creator who’s not in the UAE but looking to leverage your niche audience? Reply to this email and I’ll tell you all about CreatorPad’s updates, where we’ll land you influencer campaigns with local businesses in your area!

I Want to Feature YOU!

HEY READER!! DO YOU CREATE CONTENT???

If so, drop me a link. I need new creators to explore and feature for this section, and I’d love to feature the hundreds of you readers who open this every week.

Don’t create content? 

That’s all good! Drop me a link to a friend or your favorite creator of the moment! I’m open to all suggestions, and I want to see what you readers are digging into.

Can’t wait to see your suggestions 😎 

🤔 What Are Your Thoughts?

Is anyone still here? Should I keep writing this newsletter every week? If yes, give me a shout, ‘cause this is how I’m feelin’ lately. 

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️