CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER
Issue #92 | Dec. 15, 2022
Over a month since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, the platform still seems to be in chaos.
Just this week, the company caught heat for disbanding its Trust and Safety council. It then confused creators with the launch of a gold and blue verification checkmark system. Just a few days ago, both Hank Green and John Green announced their departures from the platform, and Instagram launched a new text-only feature called Notes—which some have hailed as a potential rival to Twitter’s beloved text updates.
Many creators are seeking alternative options to continue the creator experience Twitter is known for: short text posts, repost options, and social messaging systems. In early November, names like Hive and Mastodon, which many people had never heard of before, began popping up as people ironically tweeted #RIPTwitter.
But are these alternative apps surviving the hype? This week, Passionfruit contributor Catherine Shuttleworth explored how Hive Social and Mastodon are holding up since catching fire. She explains how Twitter appears to live on—while these alternative platforms struggle to keep up with an influx of users and expectations.
– Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
THE HIGHLIGHT
Twitter isn’t dead: What happened to platforms hailed as the alternative?
Here’s what creators need to know about Hive Social and Mastodon.
By Catherine Shuttleworth, Passionfruit Contributor
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ONE GREAT TIP
“Getting big as a creator takes time. Sometimes all it takes is luck, but for myself and so many other creators, this is a field we’ve been working in for years without any success—until one day, suddenly there was success. … Trust that good content breeds engagement, and that if you don’t have engagement right now, that’s normal.”
—Blind items creator FluentlyForward reflects on her career. Read more in our February 2022 interview.
FROM THE INSIDE
Fireside co-founder Falon Fatemi breaks down the success of Web3 interactive shows
“You get to be in the writer’s room, you get to have input on programming, you get to be behind the scenes of the production process.”
By Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
IN THE BIZ
- Instagram announced Notes, a new feature allowing for text-only updates from friends.
- Twitch launched a 2022 recap function, which allows users to see their hours streamed, favorite emotes, most used tags, and top categories.
- Discord announced Linked Roles, a capability that authenticates your profile with accounts outside of Discord.
- YouTuber Jacksepticeye hosted his fifth annual “Thankmas” live stream event, raising more than $10 million for the World Central Kitchen.
- TikTok is testing a full-screen horizontal video format. (via TechCrunch)
- Twitter relaunched Twitter Blue with gold and blue checkmarks. (via CNET)
- Streamer Pokimane was featured in Times Square in partnership with Spotify. (via Tubefilter)
- Twitter shut down its newsletter platform, Revue. (via TechCrunch)
- Eight social media influencers were charged for an alleged $100 million “stock manipulation scheme” on Twitter and Discord by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (via Variety)
- Fan messaging app Cameo launched Cameo Kids, a service that sends personalized video messages from children’s show characters. (via TechCrunch)
- Instagram is testing a BeReal rival app. (via Engadget)
- U.S. government officials are banning TikTok on some state devices.
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
From lonely boats at sea to movie references, we’ve got our eyes on trending CapCut templates and tutorials.
