Goooooooood morning and happy Wednesday creators and creator nerds!

I’m in a great mood this week. The ball continues to roll on CreatorPad updates (even more new tools being launched this week 😤), folks are loving the new color card additions, and we’ve heard so much excitement for the collaboration matching system to start up! All I can say is there is so much more on the horizon, and these are just the small updates. 😎

Outside of CreatorPad, I’ve started picking up the camera a bit thanks to a push from Evan Monsma, an incredible creator I spotlighted a few weeks back. Evan gave me the kick I needed to just start pressing record and talking directly to camera. I might not even put this content out anywhere, but flexing my creative muscles and feeling more comfortable talking to the cam are goals of mine for 2024. So big thank you to Evan for the push. This is just a small example of why creator connections are so important, so let’s keep those connections rolling on CreatorPad!!

Any tips or tricks you readers can drop for me in regards to filming myself? Reply to this email with some of your favorites for a feature in next week’s issue!

Ludwig Launches Creator-Centric Show 📺️ 

Ludwig continues to push the boundaries of the content he creates by expanding into an all-new show featuring some of your favorite creators. Ludwig continues to command the creator space as he conquers new content formats with his new show, Unpaid Intern.

In this new series, Ludwig invites his creator friends featuring creators like Schlatt, Lily Pichu, Kydae and more to compete in a series of… “challenges?”

Ok maybe they’re not that challenging, but they’re definitely funny, unhinged, and a great look into how these creators act when out of their elements. The show, which had its first part posted on Ludwig’s YouTube livestream, has seen just under 1M views and is getting a massive amount of love in the comments.

Some viewers even mention that this might be one of their favorite videos he’s ever made.

Seeing Ludwig explore so many different niches and video types, he is a perfect example of the dynamic approach you can take with your content while still adhering to what your fans want and expect from you.

Creators who go beyond their normal content to explore their interests, and stretch their creative muscles continue to command their creator careers (holy alliteration). As creatives, we almost always need and want to try out other types of content and work with our friends, but the algorithm can tend to keep us creating the same stuff. Sticking to that same content can lead to burnout, frustration, and potential breaks in posting (I’ve had it happen to me, so I can’t even imagine what a creator like Ludwig must feel).

Seeing Ludwig and many other creators continue to diversify their content types makes me insanely excited for content to come in the future. Readers, let’s learn a lesson from these other creators who are paving the new path to content norms, and flex those creative muscles in upcoming content. 💪 

Watch the full episode (stream) here!

IG Bring Marketplace to Eight Countries 🎱 

Instagram is expanding its Creator Marketplace to eight new countries after its initial launch in 2022. Now adding Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, and Brazil to this expansion, this is a game changer for international IG creators to earn more money, and find more opportunities within the platform.

Let’s dive into the details and learn a bit more about the opportunities👇️ 

Expansion Details:

• This expansion grants access to "thousands" of existing creators and brands from the US marketplace.

• In a play that will surely begin to pull folks away from TikTok, Chinese export brands can now also connect with creators outside of China, although no specifics were mentioned on this front. I smell some stiff competition for TikTok Shop incoming.

What this means for Creators:

Creators will have a boatload of more access, especially when it comes to creators without talent management. From comms to suggestions, this change might be what makes you more money and opportunities this year.

• Streamlined communication: Creators can now receive and review partnership inquiries and campaign details within the app. Now that brands have direct connections, creators are going to need to be a bit more diligent when choosing

• AI insights: You can now tap in and benefit from IG/Meta’s algorithm that suggests relevant brands based on their content and audience. Again, let’s get that money peeps! 🤑 

What this means for brands:

Brands can now have further access to discoverability and lines of communication directly with creators. Brands can now:

• Initiate contact: Reach out to creators for paid partnerships and "partnership ads" (boosting existing content) through the platform. Marketing managers, it sees as though you’re now gonna have to be on your client’s IG’s. And creators, don’t let these brands’ new access to you let them take advantage!

• Refined searches: Brands can now filter creators and audiences based on various categories and ad formats for targeted partnerships. Hyper-focused UGC content and brand deals are becoming even more normal and expected in the current ecosystem. Get that money!!

• Manage communication from past clients: Brands will have a "partnership messages" folder to track conversations and campaign details, aka more transparent insight into the nitty-gritty of the campaign

With IG rolling out these expanded features to all of these new countries, I believe that while we’ll definitely see brands trying to take advantage of creators, overall, this is a net positive that will lift up the creator middle class, which will help all of us lil’ guys in earning more and making our creative passions our full-time jobs sooner.

Want a Feature? 🤩 

As you all know and love, this is the section where I usually cover a content creator who is killing the game and deserves a spotlight.

This is one of my favorite parts of the entire newsletter as I get to dig into new creators, check out fresh content, and most importantly, showcase their work for all of you to check out and explore.

While this is my favorite section and one of my first loves is YouTube rabbit hole discoveries, I can’t always break through the algorithm to find these fresh creators.

So this is where I’ll call on you lovely readers to ask a favor: who are some creators you believe deserve a spotlight? I love exploring all types of niches, content styles, and beyond, so who should be in this place next week?!

Reply to this email and drop me some links! I would love to cover creators that you’re a fan of, creators who are your friends, or even your own content if you want more eyes on your work!

This section, like the entire newsletter, is all about uplifting incredible creators and getting them the attention they deserve, so let’s uplift them together and get some wind in the creative sails! ⛵️

🤔 What Are Your Thoughts?

Quick! What’s your favorite part about this newsletter? Drop me a reply and let me know what I should explore further, or what I should stray away from!

🚀 Up Your Career as a Creator

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