3 MAY 2024 · Welcome to another episode of Creator Daily - I'm your host Michael, covering the top news stories, latest strategies, and emerging trends in the overall creator landscape. Today, we'll dive into Instagram's latest update where the original content shines over copied material. We'll also discuss the staffing challenges X is facing with its moderation team compared to its peers. Plus, we're breaking down TikTok's new report on the expansion of TikTok Shops, and we'll explore how TikTok is cleverly bypassing those hefty App Store commissions. Stick around for all this and more, right here on Creator Daily! Instagram is rolling out a new algorithm tweak that will shake up the way content is recommended to users. The platform is cracking down on aggregator accounts—these are the accounts that repost content from other creators without creating or enhancing it significantly. The change means that if an aggregator account reposts content more than ten times in a thirty-day period without materially adding to it, they'll be removed from Instagram's recommendations. But here's the interesting bit: Instagram will be replacing these reposts with the original creator's post in recommendation spaces, giving credit to where it's due. However, this only happens if the original content is fairly new and the system is sure both posts are identical. Also, creators will even get notified when their post replaces a repost in recommendations. To support smaller creators, Instagram is changing up the recommendation system. It'll test content with a small audience first and if it performs well, it'll show it to more users, regardless of how big the original creator's following is. This gives every creator an equal shot at going viral, similar to TikTok's appeal. These updates are part of Instagram's broader shift towards prioritizing Reels and other recommended content, which has been a topic of discussion among creators who fear their content isn't reaching their followers. Instagram hopes these changes will level the playing field and give more attention to original content. The rollout is expected to happen over the next few months, so creators and users alike should keep their eyes peeled for these changes. Recent European Union transparency reports reveal that the social media platform X now has significantly fewer moderation staff compared to other social media networks. This is following a massive reduction in staff, where X cut about 80% of its employees in 2022. The reports provided by the E.U. under the Digital Services Act allow for comparisons in terms of the ratio between moderation staff and users for each major social app. X is at the bottom with one moderator for every 60,249 users. For context, LinkedIn has a ratio of 1 to 41,652, TikTok is at 1 to 22,586, and Meta, which includes both Instagram and Facebook, has a ratio of 1 to 17,600. However, these figures aren't entirely straightforward. For instance, Meta's number might effectively be doubled since the reported 15,000 content reviewers work across both Facebook and Instagram, each with 260 million E.U. users. Still, even with that adjustment, Meta's ratio would be more favorable than X's. Also, unlike other platforms, X's user count includes logged-out guests, but their ability to view content is less than logged-in users on other platforms, so this may not be a significant factor. Moreover, it's not entirely clear how many moderators are designated for E.U. concerns for each platform. Examining X's overall global user base, the moderation workforce to user ratio becomes one moderator for every 297,458 users, if all 1,849 moderators are taken into account. In comparison, even with all of Meta's reported 3 billion users, the ratio remains 1 to 200,000, without including the additional 25,000 people tasked with safety and security. This marked reduction in manual moderation at X has concerned various online safety experts, who often criticize the platform's "Community Notes" crowd-sourced fact-checking program as an inadequate safety measure. Moreover, despite X's intention to build a new moderation center in Texas, no significant updates have been made on the progress since the initial announcement. These data points highlight potential weaknesses in X's content moderation system, which may have implications for its capacity to detect and enforce rules against violative content, as also indicated by third-party reports of more rule-breaking content visible on the platform. X's latest E.U. report, along with those of other platforms, offer important insights into the current moderation landscape of social media. TikTok has released a report detailing the progress of its shopping marketplace and its safety measures. The report emphasizes TikTok Shop's aim to create a new shopping culture based on discovery and connection between sellers, creators, and the TikTok community. Starting in Southeast Asia and expanding to the UK and recently the US in 2023, TikTok Shop has grown to over 15 million sellers globally. A focus on safety and authenticity, TikTok requires sellers to provide documentation for identity, business type, and eligibility verification. Newly approved sellers undergo a probation period to learn platform rules. TikTok has also been stringent with policy enforcement, preventing the listing of 37 million products that breached policies, removing 133,000 individual products post-listing, deactivating accounts of over a million sellers, and stripping eCommerce features from half a million creators due to violations. Despite these efforts, TikTok's shopping expansion faces hesitancy from brands, primarily due to uncertainty surrounding the U.S. TikTok sell-off bill. The bill, which could potentially result in TikTok being sold to a U.S. company or being banned from the American market, has caused brands to reconsider their reliance on the app, taking into account the implications of U.S. restrictions and possible similar actions in other regions. While TikTok shows growth in its Asian markets, confidence in its commerce tools might be challenged by the unfolding political and regulatory landscape. However, for those interested, TikTok’s full report is available for further insight into its shopping platform's growth and future potential. TikTok is making some intriguing moves that skirt around App Store guidelines in a way that may remind you of the Epic Games versus Apple saga. Here’s the scoop: It appears that select TikTok users are being nudged within the app to purchase TikTok coins, but not just anywhere—they're being sent to TikTok's own website. This maneuver allows users to sidestep the hefty 30 percent commission Apple would normally take from such in-app purchases. David Tesler, the co-founder of the Sendit app, has highlighted instances where iOS users were encouraged to "recharge" their TikTok coins directly on TikTok.com. This comes with a price incentive, as users are informed they could save around 25 percent by avoiding in-app service fees. This isn't a subtle hint; it's pretty straightforward, but it seems to be targeted at users who spend more on the app as the screenshots came from an account that had bought a significant amount of TikTok coins in the past. This practice raises eyebrows because TikTok does list coins for sale in the App Store amongst other places, and offers in-app purchases—a scenario that does not align with Apple's ground rules for using such External Link Entitlements. Remember, back in 2022, Apple allowed select 'reader' apps to use such links for account management, but not apps that have in-app purchases like TikTok. Where does this leave TikTok in relation to Apple's policies? Well, TikTok hasn't made any official comment about this feature on its support page, and neither has Apple issued any statement in response as yet. Given Apple's history of prompt action when it comes to such breaches, this is somewhat surprising. The consequences for TikTok, with its massive user base, of being removed from the App Store could be significant for both parties, hinting at why no action has been taken. It's a bit of a high-stakes dance around the rules, showing that the tension between app developers and the financial models enforced by platform holders like Apple is still very much an ongoing issue. That's a wrap on today's episode of Creator Daily. I'm your host, Michael, and I hope you've enjoyed our dive into the latest strategies and trends shaking up the creator landscape. Don't forget to peek at the show notes for all the juicy links and detailed info we chatted about today. Got thoughts, questions, or a story you're itching to share? Shoot us an email at creatordaily@podcraftr.com. We love hearing from you and who knows? Your insights might just spark our next big discussion.  Until next time, keep creating, keep innovating, and stay connected. Remember, this community thrives on sharing and support, so spread the word about Creator Daily to fellow creators. Hit that subscribe button if you haven't already, drop us a review if you're feeling generous, and hey, give us a follow on our socials for all the behind-the-scenes fun.  Thanks for tuning in, and we'll catch you on the next episode. Keep crafting your dreams into reality!

29 APR 2024 · In today's episode, we'll discuss TikTok's legal fight against a potential ban in the US, and how they're not taking it lying down. Then, we'll look at how Meta's betting big on AI after posting some solid growth numbers. We'll also touch on Snapchat's continued success with user growth and revenue. Plus, we're diving into how YouTube Shorts is driving a major lift in ad revenue. And finally, we'll explore why Meta is dishing out bonuses to influencers for using Threads.

25 APR 2024 · Today we're diving into the implications of President Biden's signature on a bill that commences the process for ByteDance to divest TikTok. We'll explore how Reddit is revamping its app with a spotlight on comments. TikTok's decision to halt their incentive for daily video views is also on our discussion list, along with the growth of Threads, which is boasting a whopping 150 million monthly active users. And finally, we'll touch on strategies for staying pertinent in the rapidly evolving AI-centric world. So buckle up for a content-rich ride through the dynamic terrain of digital creation. Let's get started!

24 APR 2024 · Today we're diving into X's big move to enter your living room with a brand new TV app for video content. We'll also touch on Instagram's latest feature rollout that gives more control and earning potential to creators through subscriptions. We'll glance at how Snapchat is gearing up for the 2024 Election with new civic engagement tools. Then, a heartwarming tale as Nigerian chess phenom Tunde Onakoya turns a 60-hour chess marathon into a fundraising success. And finally, we're discussing the implications of the Senate's decision to ban TikTok as the bill heads to President Biden. Stay tuned for all these stories and the insights they bring on today's episode of Creator Daily!

23 APR 2024 · In today's episode, we'll be discussing how Discord's CEO, Jason Citron, envisions a more intimate internet experience. We'll also dive into how Taylor Swift is shaking up TikTok with her 'The Tortured Poets Department', in spite of an ongoing dispute with UMG. Plus, we'll talk about Instagram's new subscription options for creators, TikTok's launch of a new STEM content competition aimed at fuelling education, and we'll wrap up with the latest YouTube updates, including shopping features, creator tools, and how they're handling AI disclosure. Stay tuned!

22 APR 2024 · Welcome to another episode of Creator Daily - I'm your host Michael, covering the top news stories, latest strategies, and emerging trends in the overall creator landscape. Today we're diving into the House's latest move to pass a 'TikTok ban', now heading to the Senate. We'll also talk about the Twitter alternative, Post News, announcing its shutdown. X is shaking things up with a new, AI-driven ad set-up to simplify marketing. Walmart+ is getting creative, bringing in celebrity moms to tackle TikTok questions for Mother’s Day. And we'll give a quick look at Search Engine Journal's list of the Top 30 Social Media Influencers around the globe. Stay tuned for all this on Creator Daily.

19 APR 2024 · Welcome to another episode of Creator Daily - I'm your host Michael, covering the top news stories, latest strategies, and emerging trends in the overall creator landscape. Today, we're discussing Meta's foray into the world of AI as it takes on ChatGPT. We'll also dive into Meta's new move, integrating real-time AI image generation into WhatsApp, and how it could change the messaging game. Plus, YouTube is rolling out a Premium Placement Option for Shorts Ads, aiming to give creators and brands more visibility. Over on TikTok, there's a major cleanup underway, with the platform tightening its grip on "problematic" content to refine the For You Page experience. And lastly, we'll skim through Snapchat's latest insights on the impact of Direct Response and Brand Campaigns within the app.

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