TOGETHER WITH

It’s Monday and YouTube’s favorite science guy is launching a new satellite. Its singular purpose (in the words of Mark Rober): to “take your selfie in space with the earth photobombing you.”

Today’s News

GOING LONG

Here are five of TikTok’s top tips for creating long-form videos:

The strategy: TikTok is leaning into long-form. From launching its long-form-focused Creator Rewards Program to testing out extended video lengths, the platform has been upfront about its determination to convince creators to go long. That approach seems to be working out: TikTok has already delivered substantial payouts through its Rewards Program, and says creators who have embraced the long-form monetization option are seeing faster growth than those who haven’t.

The summit: Now, TikTok is helping creators make the most of long-form video. At the TikTok Creativity Summit—an invite-only gathering offering a mix of presentations, keynotes, and meet-ups—TikTok Creator Manager Norissa Samuels shared a series of tips for creators who want to make highly-engaging long-form videos. Here are five of those suggestions (via Business Insider):

1. Have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Think of the setups, turns, and punchlines common in comedy sketches.
   
   

2. Keep your audience engaged. YouTube creators like Jesser get strong retention in long-form videos by making sure a new reveal is just around the corner at all times.
   
   

3. Grab viewer attention. The first five seconds of a long-form video are a critical period for retention. Producers of movie trailers have known this for a while.
   
   

4. Create a strong hook. If you tease a memorable moment right from the jump, viewers have more reasons to stick around.
   
   

5. Change your location or apply effects. To avoid long-form videos that look or feel static, try digging into TikTok’s vast effects library.

The takeaway: a successful long-form creator on TikTok will produce videos that look pretty darn similar to long-form uploads on YouTube. Check out the other half of Samuels’ list of tips here.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Creators and startups submitted 500 applications to the 1 Billion Followers Summit’s first-of-its-kind competition

Last month, the 1 Billion Followers Summit announced a first-of-its-kind challenge designed to empower a new generation of creators: the 1 Billion Pitches competition.

That competition has now attracted 500 submissions from 40 countries.

250 startups and creators submitted groundbreaking projects focused on everything from advanced technology to women empowerment. Now, a dedicated team will evaluate those submissions to select the top 25 applicants. 

Those finalists will embark on a journey of mentorship through a specialized program before pitching their projects live at the 3rd edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which will take place in Dubai from January 11-13 under the theme ‘Content for Good.’ Tickets for the Summit are available here.

Ultimately, two winners will receive invaluable support, including potential funding and strategic partnerships. 

1 Billion Pitches is only the beginning.

With three tracks, three exclusive zones, and 100+ expert-led activities, the 1 Billion Followers Summit will transport creators and industry professionals to the technological future. Hit the link below to secure your ticket:

Learn more about the Summit → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• At its European Safety Forum in Dublin, TikTok announced that some beauty filters will soon be locked for users under the age of 18. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• A new study found that Instagram’s current moderation system is “extremely inadequate” when it comes to stopping the spread of content related to self-harm. (The Guardian)
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• Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense has released a statement claiming that TikTok influenced the country’s presidential election by providing “preferential treatment" and “massive exposure” to one candidate. (Business Insider)
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• As Bluesky responds to a flood of new users, the app says it is “working behind the scenes” to verify high-profile accounts and remove impersonators. (TechRadar)

THIRD YEAR’S THE CHARM

This streamer has been live for 3 years straight. Why are we only discovering her now?

The stats: Streamers have smashed some of Twitch’s biggest records over the last few months, with Kai Cenat snagging the new record for highest number of simultaneous subscriptions (500,000+) during his 30-day, 24/7 Mafiathon 2 event. (Ironmouse had previously set it at over 321,000 during her own month-long stream in September, beating Cenat’s former record of 306,621.)

The discovery: It was during Mafiathon 2 that Cenat and celebrity guest Benny Blanco stumbled across another record-breaking streamer: emilycc. Cenat realized that the lesser-known creator had been streaming 24/7 for over 1,100 days (approximately 26,900 hours), and quickly hopped on a call with her. The resulting attention helped boost emilycc’s channel to over 280,000 followers and 10,000 subscribers (she’d previously clocked in at around 160,000 followers).

The streamer: Emilycc told Complex she joined Twitch in November 2021 at just 19 years old. Her original goal was to stream World of Warcraft and “make friends and maybe a little money” because she “had, like, a really crappy job at CVS.”

Emilycc’s 24/7 livestream started as a subathon with a twist: she allowed viewers to extend the time she was live by gifting subs and sending donations. Now, she plays games like Red Dead Redemption or uses an IRL stream setup to go on strolls while awake. When she’s asleep, the stream is aimed at her bed and offers interactive games.

That years-long marathon seems like it should have earned some recognition from Twitch by now—but Cenat, at least, is making sure Emilycc’s name stays on the map. Her peak concurrent viewership has risen from 600 to 11,000 since her appearance on Cenat’s broadcast, and he’s since offered to buy her a new streaming setup.

BUSINESS MODE

Kajabi just launched “a practical guide” for creators who want to become entrepreneurs

The program: A new initiative is designed to help more creators become entrepreneurs. Creator commerce platform Kajabi has launched Creator Class, “a practical guide and actionable blueprint designed to teach creators “how to build an audience, launch digital products, create a launch strategy, and monetize their content in meaningful ways.” Kajabi—which has paid out over $8 million to creators since its 2010 founding—says Creator Class was “crafted by five of the most successful Kajabi creators,” who have collectively generated over $130 million in revenue.

Creator Class is free to access here and currently includes these five lessons:

• Doctor-turned-YouTuber Ali Abdaal (5.8 million subscribers) teaches creators how to market their products effectively.
  
  

• Bossbabe founder Natalie Ellis (who has earned over $20 million in podcast revenue) teaches creators about crafting a minimum viable product and drumming up audience enthusiasm.
  
  

• Author/coach Brendan Burchard’s lesson gives creators everything they need to get into ecommerce. Buchard is Kajabi’s #1 creator, with over $100 million earned through the platform.
  
  

• Finance creator Dominique Broadway teaches creators how to sustain revenue after their product’s launch. Broadway has made over $15 million on Kajabi.
  
  

• Justin Welsh’s video shows creators how to build scalable email lists and launch products that will “turn subscribers into customers.” Welsh has raised $300 million in venture capital and built a $9 million business using email outreach.

The context: Creator Class comes at a pivotal time for the creator economy. In the last couple years, many creators have begun approaching their channels as small businesses, while others have broken into major markets like toys and food & bev with commercial product lines. Together, all that entrepreneurialism has contributed to the creator industry becoming a $250 billion business.

Kajabi is a Tubefilter partner.

WATCH THIS 📺

Fortnite’s latest in-game concert set a new record

The big event: It’s safe to say that Remix: The Finale was a virtual success. According to Fortnite, the in-game concert—which featured stars like Ice Spice and Snoop Dogg—attracted more than 14 million concurrent players and 3 million online streams. That’s a new record for an in-game Fortnite concert. The closest runner-up is Travis Scott’s 2020 performance, which (according to Polygon) garnered the attention of 12.3 million concurrent players.

If you missed the show on Saturday, never fear: you can still check out the official Fortnite music video for Juice WRLD’s posthumously-released track, Empty Out Your Pockets.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.