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TODAY’S EDITION

• Meta is helping brands utilize creators’ POV even more with updates to Partnership Ads.

• Facebook adds several updates across Marketplace, Groups, Events, and Video, focusing on increasing engagement with Gen Z creators and users.

  Adobe previews a new web app to help protect creators and give them attribution.

• Glassdoor taps creators and short-form video to help younger workers with their careers.

• The Hollywood Reporter compiles its list of top creators who it says will (and should) dominate the business of new and old media—part of a special creators edition released this week.

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NEWS, TRENDS & INSIGHTS

Meta

Meta Upgrades Partnership Ads with Creator Testimonials, Creator Content in Collection Ads, and a New Partnership Ads Hub

Meta has unveiled updates for its Partnership Ads, a format allowing brands to turn creator content into ads across Instagram and Facebook, with the creator's permission.

• Creator Testimonials for Partnership Ads: Currently in testing, this feature allows brands to include a creator’s text testimonial within Partnership Ads on Reels. The testimonial appears just below the caption, and users can click to read the full version.

• Creator Content for Collection Ads: Brands can now feature creator content in Collection Ads, using the creator's content as the hero image above a carousel of product images, accompanied by a "Shop Now" button.

• Partnership Ads Hub: Meta is consolidating all Partnership Ads tools into a single page in Ads Manager, dubbed the Partnership Ads Hub. This hub allows brands to set up and manage Partnership Ads, partner content, resolve eligibility issues, and more.

Why It Matters: Partnership Ads have become a cornerstone of influencer marketing on Instagram and Facebook, helping brands maximize the value of creator content.

The addition of Creator Testimonials brings the creator's voice directly into the ad, enhancing social proof and giving potential customers a first-hand account of the product or service. Collection Ads featuring creator content offer a more engaging shopping experience, combining lifestyle visuals with product carousels, which can inspire viewers to engage and make purchases.

These updates follow Meta’s recent testing of a tool in the Creator Marketplace aimed at identifying which creator content performs best as Partnership Ads. This tool will help brands make more data-driven decisions when amplifying creator content.

Facebook Announces New Features to Engage Gen Z Across Marketplace, Groups, and Video

During its recent Facebook IRL event, the company announced new features across the platform specifically targeting Gen Z users.

Here are the key updates:

• Local Tab: This new tab aggregates localized content from Marketplace, Groups, and Events, helping users stay informed about local activities, neighborhood spots, and even free items offered by groups.

• Explore Tab: Curates content based on user interests, pulling from creators, groups, and more. The goal is to inspire action, such as joining marathon training groups or diving into DIY projects.

• Single Video Tab: Facebook is unifying short-form, long-form, and live video into a single feed, similar to TikTok. Currently, 60% of the time young adults spend on the platform is dedicated to video content.

• Events: Users can now invite Instagram followers to Facebook events via SMS and email, broadening the reach of events to non-Facebook users who can still view and join.

• Messenger Communities: This feature provides small to medium-sized groups a space to connect over shared interests through topic-based chats. It also includes moderation tools and options to invite others via Facebook or by sharing QR codes.

These updates come as Facebook reports a surge in Gen Z usage, with 40 million young adults in the U.S. and Canada using the app daily—the highest in three years—indicating some movement in engagement with this demographic.

Facebook is looking to build upon this by expanding key experiences Gen Z users already engage with, such as Marketplace, Groups, Events, and video while introducing new features that mirror popular apps like TikTok. Since Facebook has matured significantly since it first launched, it will need to do more than just a few updates to recapture younger audiences. The platform is adopting a long-term view, seeing the process of attracting younger users as a multi-decade effort.

Platforms like Pinterest and LinkedIn have experienced rapid growth in Gen Z users, both reporting that Gen Z is their fastest-growing demographic. Much of this growth can be attributed to new features like Collages and short-form videos that reflect trends within this demographic. With Facebook now building specifically for Gen Z, can it follow a similar path? We'll see.

In the meantime, these updates offer opportunities for those sharing local content, distributing various types of video content, and hosting in-person and offline events and communities.

ICYMI: Facebook Announces New Monetization Program for Creators

Adobe

Adobe Announces Free Content Authenticity App to Protect Creators and Ensure Proper Attribution

Adobe has announced Adobe Content Authenticity, a free web app (available in early 2025) developed in collaboration with creators to help protect their work and ensure proper attribution through Content Credentials. These credentials act as a "nutrition label" for digital content, embedding metadata that provides transparency on how content was created and edited. Already integrated into Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Firefly, the app is available to all creators, regardless of whether they are Adobe users.

Through the app, creators can indicate whether they consent to their work being used in AI models and attach details like their name, website, and social media profiles to their digital content. Even if a screenshot is taken, this information remains intact thanks to digital fingerprinting, invisible watermarking, and cryptographically signed metadata.

Additionally, Adobe is launching a Google Chrome extension that allows users to view Content Credentials on websites and apps, even on platforms that don’t natively display them.

Why It Matters: As concerns grow over AI's unauthorized use of creator content and lack of proper attribution, Adobe is stepping up to provide a solution. With Content Credentials, creators can signal whether they want their work to train AI models and ensure they receive credit throughout the content’s lifecycle. While it remains uncertain how widely these credentials will be adopted beyond Adobe, this is a positive step toward protecting creators' rights.

Glassdoor

Glassdoor Launches Worklife Pros & Short-Form Video to Share Insights on Work and Life

Glassdoor has introduced Worklife Pros, a group of experienced professionals, thought leaders, and career coaches who will provide insights on workforce topics such as work-life balance, mental health, fair pay, and career development.

Featuring members like Joel Bervell, Hannah Williams, Goldie Chan, Christen Nino De Guzman, and Rebecca Minkoff, the group will utilize new content formats like short-form video, polls, and image carousels. This content will appear across Glassdoor’s feeds, where users can engage either anonymously or with their real names.

Why It Matters: By tapping into creators and short-form video, Glassdoor is adapting to how today’s generations consume information. With LinkedIn’s recent successful rollout of short-form video and the overlap in professional topics, Glassdoor stands to benefit from this move as well.

While the “TikTok-nofication” trend may be wearing thin for some, it’s likely not going anywhere soon, as platforms continue to add similar short-form video experiences to capture the attention of young audiences and drive engagement. UberEats and Yelp are two other apps that have adopted short-form video.

ICYMI: An Inside Look at the Inaugural White House Creator Economy Conference

Twitch

Twitch Introduces Enforcement Notes to Make Community Guidelines Easier to Understand

Twitch has announced Enforcement Notes to provide clearer explanations and examples within its Community Guidelines. These notes aim to outline how existing rules apply to emerging trends, and when necessary, Twitch will add an Enforcement Note under the relevant policy to clarify which behaviors violate the rules.

In the near future, Twitch plans to add visual indicators for Enforcement Notes, making it easier for users to spot updates. For now, the latest updates are located in the Enforcement Notes & Clarifications section.

Why It Matters: Twitch has historically struggled with the consistency of its guidelines, often leaving creators confused and, at times, walking back certain policies. Enforcement Notes are designed to bring more clarity, helping creators better understand how to follow the rules in various scenarios. These notes also allow Twitch to quickly adapt its policies to address emerging trends and specify acceptable behaviors.

What Else?

Here are some other updates that are worth noting:

• Meta is giving brands the ability to shut off comments on Instagram and Facebook ads, which will be helpful during sensitive campaigns or periods of heightened sensitivity. This is part of a broader set of brand safety and suitability tools being introduced.

• YouTube is testing a more prominent "Save" button on Shorts, allowing viewers to easily save a Short for later viewing. As a result, the "Dislike" button is being moved under the three-dot icon in the top right of the Short.

• YouTube now supports landscape mode in Studio mobile, enabling creators to manage their channels with a desktop-like experience.

• Snapchat has started testing new advertising formats: Sponsored Stories and Promoted Places with Disney, McDonalds, and Taco Bell. Sponsored Stories allow advertisers to send Sponsored Snaps to users, while Promoted Places highlight sponsored locations of interest on the Snap Map.

• X is revamping its Creator Revenue Sharing program. Instead of compensating creators based on ads shown in replies to their posts, creators will now be rewarded for engagement on their content, but only from Premium users—those who are paying subscribers.

• LTK has introduced a new gift guide experience for holiday shopping. Creators can create up to 100 customizable gift guides based on recipient or theme, along with various curated collections.

• OpenAI is looking for a Head of Internet Creators, a position focused on building relationships with creators who leverage AI tools in their creative processes and businesses.

WHAT I’M READING

The Creators A List (The Hollywood Reporter)

The Hollywood Reporter has released its inaugural Creators A-List edition, now available in print and online. This edition explores the intersection of the creator economy with traditional Hollywood, featuring several notable highlights, including a list of the 50 most influential influencers, an overview of the state of creators in 2024, and insights on how creators can transform their viral moments into long-lasting careers (where I’m quoted). This is another example of traditional media embracing the creator economy.

Why Kamala Harris Chose to Appear on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ Podcast (Financial Times)

With the U.S. election season in full swing, Vice President Kamala Harris has been on a media blitz. After appearances on traditional platforms like CBS’s 60 Minutes, The View, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she made a headline-grabbing stop on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast—one of the most popular in the U.S. During the episode, they discussed various issues related to women. This appearance is part of a strategic campaign by Harris's team to effectively engage with social media and creators to reach younger audiences.

Who U.S. Adults Follow on TikTok (Pew Research Center)

An analysis by the Pew Research Center (PRC) of TikTok accounts followed by a nationally representative group of U.S. adults found that most Americans are significantly more likely to follow pop culture and entertainment accounts than those focused on politics and news. The majority of followed accounts belong to creators, influencers, and celebrities, while politicians, civic leaders, traditional media outlets, and journalists attract relatively few followers.

Substack Wants to Do More Than Just Newsletters (Semafor)

As journalists leave top news publications for Substack, the platform is evolving into a hub for journalists, creators, podcasters, and video creators to connect directly with their audiences. Once primarily a newsletter platform, Substack is becoming a unique space where social media meets Patreon, complete with its own set of challenges and opportunities.

Culture Next 2024: Gen Z Trends (Spotify)

Spotify has released the sixth installment of its annual Culture Next report, providing insight into Gen Z’s thoughts, desires, and how they engage with the platform. The report uncovers opportunities for brands based on emerging trends among this influential demographic.

THANK YOU

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