Instagram’s role in the metaverse will involve NFTs and the creator economy: At SXSW, Zuckerberg hinted at long-term metaverse plans and upcoming NFT features.

Instagram introduces subscriptions as it vies for control of the creator economy: As Instagram’s cachet diminishes among younger audiences, it hopes monetization tools will keep creators from turning to other platforms.

Small influencers poised to gain more brand followers: As social commerce capabilities expand and new tools power the creator economy, the demand for micro-influencers will take off.

Creators now have more ways than ever to make a living online. This report explores how brands should approach and engage creators for partnerships in the new monetization ecosystem.

On today's episode, we discuss whether Amazon's new home robot could be the "fourth screen," the significance of the creator economy, online shopping's ceiling, how much people notice social media ads, YouTube's upcoming Holiday Stream and Shop event, the real meaning of freedom at work, an explanation of who you’ve been dreaming about, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer analyst Blake Droesch and senior analysts at Insider Intelligence Audrey Schomer and Ross Benes.

Faze Clan's public offering will be a proving ground for public creator economy companies: The organization started in 2010—before influencers and creators were the norm—and its market performance could foreshadow similar moves from newer companies.

Social media platforms are betting on social audio as part of the creator economy: Live audio is becoming less about the platforms that started the trend as more big firms launch creator-focused features.

Meta’s Horizon Worlds features can monetize VR: Creators will be able to sell items “in-world,” with Meta taking up to 47.5%. Will creators balk at the cost of business in the metaverse?

Communities, creators, and connection are the keys to success for brands looking to generate sales on TikTok in 2022.

The “TikTok effect” on influencer marketing is palpable, but Instagram and YouTube are still highly relevant venues for creator video.

Facebook Reels’ global rollout comes with fresh ad formats: The new banner and sticker ads both attract creators to the platform and offer marketers performance ad options for short-form video.

Creator funds see mixed success: Social platforms offer more monetization tools than ever, but many content providers still struggle to get paid.

May 2021: Introduced Story Studio for creators, a standalone app for creating and editing videos and other content. Content built with the app can be shared not only to Snapchat, but to other platforms as well. May 2021: Introduced Creator Marketplace, where businesses can find and partner with creators to develop branded content.

The rise of the creator economy also shows that users are willing to give time and money to support creators if the direct impact of an advertisement is made clear to them.

BuzzFeed will pay up to $10K to creators: The program will award prizes for top-performing content. Though it will only last through the summer, it's likely a pilot program or a precursor to a more social BuzzFeed Community hub.

Creator economy crescendo: Amazon is quickly building out areas of its business that center on influencers, as the walls between social media and ecommerce erode and creators' roles in those spaces start to blend together.

On today's episode, we discuss which platforms have the most creator-friendly environments, how influencer marketing is evolving, and what the next stage of the creator economy will look like. We then talk about Pinterest's new livestreaming feature, the popularity of influencer marketing on TikTok, and how companies should navigate social media coming out of the pandemic. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence Jasmine Enberg.

Creators have never been hotter: Social platforms want them, and marketers want to work with them. The creator economy is offering up new or improved opportunities for creators to make money outside of brand partnerships. So, where does that leave brands?

And new applications are gathering steam, such as play-to-earn models in video games and crypto tokens on social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook to power the creator economy. This activity will generate an upward adoption spiral: Firms moving into crypto will generate more trust in the industry, attracting more consumers, which in turn will induce more firms to add crypto services.

YouTube is carving into social commerce and TV measurement: The platform is leveraging both its deep pool of creators and large TV-based audience to get a leg up on competitors.

Why it’s worth watching: Twitch’s massive data breach could bring a magnifying glass to the security risks of the booming creator economy. More specifically, it could draw the attention of antitrust regulators.

Move over, celebrities and mega-influencers. Creators with smaller followings will be the strategic play in the influencer marketing world in 2022.