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From influencer marketing trends to new creator startups, the creator economy is evolving rapidly. Some voices have become authorities in the space, delving into the industry through podcasts, newsletters, and more. Insider is highlighting 23 creator-economy experts to know to stay up-to-date on the industry. Won launched his podcast in 2020 to elevate the Asian creator community and regularly interviews Asian and Asian American creators, entrepreneurs, and creatives. Here are 23 creator-economy experts who share their insights on podcasts, newsletters, and LinkedIn, listed in alphabetical order:

Persons: Jerry Won, Kamala Harris, Won, Avi Gandhi, Instagram influencer Vivian Tu, BFF Organizations: LinkedIn Locations: United States

☆ How TikTok is shaking up the entertainment business and changing power dynamics, according to dozens of authors, comedians, dancers, music-industry professionals, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Dan Whateley | Shriya Bhattacharya | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok has become a de facto audition stage for musicians, dancers, comedians, and even authors. "TikTok has to find that balance with not pissing off the major labels," a music marketer told Insider. Launching a writing career via the app is real if an author can get enough attention on their videos, writers told Insider. Author Alex Aster used TikTok to post about her book idea and ultimately scored a publishing deal that ended up being worth $460,000. "That's the power of TikTok," she told Insider.

☆ How a creator built a Facebook group that has earned more than $220,000 from affiliate links this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Deesh, who started the group in 2016, makes money using affiliate marketing. Couponing began as a hobby and money-saving passion for Keesh Deesh, who started a Facebook group in 2016 to share coupons and deals with friends. Once her friends began inviting their friends, and so on, Deesh's group "started to take off." When Deesh first started sharing affiliate links in her group, she was using Amazon's Affiliate Program. Facebook Groups as an unexpected social-shopping experienceWhile influencers often share content showcasing the highlights, Deesh said she tries to keep her Facebook Group relatable.

☆ 3 ways TikTok comedy creators are making money as the app opens up new ways for comedians to build careers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Comedy creators are using the app to collaborate with brands like Bud Light and Dell, for example. Here are three ways comedians on TikTok make money through the social-media platform. Here are three ways comedy creators make money, based on interviews with 20 entertainment and TikTok insiders, including a dozen comedians:1. Comedy creators are inking sponsorship deals with brandsThumb-stopping and "relatable," comedy creators are in high demand by brands, said Dani Jacobson, a talent agent at A3 Artists Agency. Jacobson said one of the comedy creators she represents is hoping to land a creative director role with a brand.

Many Instagram influencers use media kits to pitch themselves to brands. Insider spoke with thirteen Instagram influencers who shared the exact media kits they use. Instagram influencers often rely on brand deals as their main source of income. To get these deals, creators often use media kits to showcase their value to a company, providing audience metrics and, sometimes, pay rates. Here are thirteen examples of real media kits that influencers use to land brand deals on Instagram (ordered from least followers to most):This post has been updated to add more media kits.

☆ A 'Saturday Night Live' actor breaks down how TikTok has influenced the show's approach to hiring and content
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

He landed the gig through a personal connection but said TikTok has greatly influenced hiring since. He breaks down how the short-video app has influenced the show's filming style and talent. If Madray were trying to land a spot on "SNL" today, though, he might have taken a different route. Now, "SNL" uses the app to spot talent like Marcello Hernandez, who blew up on TikTok and became a regular cast member on the show. Recently, he said, the show has been experimenting with shooting content vertically so it can fit the frame of a TikTok video.

☆ As comedy views surge on TikTok, comedians say the app has broken the traditional power balance and opened up 'so many more ways' to be working comedians
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Before TikTok, comedians often bet on auditions or personal connections to break into the industry. Today, with 417,000 followers, Rahma is carving out a new space for unscripted comedy on the app. Insider spoke with 20 entertainment and TikTok insiders, including a dozen comedians, about how TikTok has impacted the comedy industry. TikTok comedians are bypassing traditional industry gatekeepersComedian Kyle Gordon was "flailing" before TikTok. Five comedians said they felt traditional late-night shows and comedy TV were losing some of their cultural impact as TikTok encroaches.

☆ Comedians say TikTok has broken the power of traditional gatekeepers and brought greater control and financial stability to their careers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

☆ Instagram is launching a test that will pay a share of ad revenue from reels to a 'small group' of creators. Here's how it will work.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta's ad-rev-share program, called "Ads on Reels," has been testing on Facebook for over a year already. On Facebook, some creators can earn money from either overlay ads or post-loop ads played on their reels. Instagram will begin testing this new payment model for reels with a "small group" of US-based creators and advertisers, as part of expanding Ads on Reels to the platform. Facebook has been testing its Ads on Reels program for over a year. MetaCracking the code for monetizing reels and paying creators has been a years-long saga for Meta (and other short-form video platforms).

☆ How to get Instagram sponsorships for small accounts and make money from brand deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Smaller accounts on Instagram can still make money as influencers. An influencer with as few as 2,300 Instagram followers has landed deals. If you're worried your Instagram account is too small to even think about making money as a content creator — think again. Instagram accounts can get brand sponsorships with between 2,000 and 3,000 followers, according to interviews with influencers. With around 3,000 Instagram followers, Kim is building a business as a travel and fashion influencer by leveraging her small audience.

☆ Facebook is gaining traction as a creator favorite and place to make money, according to new data. But Instagram is slipping.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Facebook surpassed Instagram as creators' favorite app in 2023, per a new report. While TikTok and YouTube are the top two "favorite" platforms for creators in 2023, Facebook has supplanted Instagram with 17% of surveyed creators naming the Meta-owned platform as their favorite. In 2021, only 14% of surveyed creators named Facebook as their top pick. For instance, Veronica Cannady — a content creator across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — told Insider that she prefers Facebook over Instagram at the moment. "As YouTube and others started rolling out and doubling down on monetization, Facebook did the same," Bartoli said.

☆ Facebook is shutting down its 'Paid Online Events' program that let creators and businesses earn money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta is shuttering "Paid Online Events" that let creators and businesses monetize Facebook events. Facebook is ending its "Paid Online Events" program, a sign of the times that livestreamed virtual events are — mostly — a thing of the past. The program, launched in 2020, let creators and businesses, including educators and media publishers, earn money by charging admission to digital events on the Meta-owned platform. Facebook announced its Paid Online Events initiative in August 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. Paid online events were part of Facebook's wider creator monetization offerings, which span ad-revenue share, subscriptions, and several bonus programs.

☆ The makers of Dispo are quietly building a new dating app that uses AI to spark romance — but David Dobrik isn't involved
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The team behind photo-sharing app Dispo is building a new dating app called Teaser AI. Spotted on the Apple App Store, Teaser AI will incorporate AI into online dating. The team behind David Dobrik's photo-sharing app, Dispo, is up to something new: a dating app. Teaser AI, with the tagline "less talk, more action," is an unreleased dating app that will — you guessed it — incorporate AI into online dating. The app also pledges to "ward off catfishing and creeps" by verifying profiles, according to the app store listing.

☆ Meta is building an 'Instagram for your thoughts' that could take on Twitter competitor — and it could be a 'great opportunity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta is building a decentralized text-based social network that will integrate with Instagram. It's no longer a secret that Meta is building out its own decentralized text-based social network. "We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates," a spokesperson for Meta told Insider in a statement when asked about the prototype. "It's a great opportunity for them to fill that void with Twitter going through such a transition." Meta's decentralized social network could very well face the same fate.

☆ Meta is working on its own Twitter-like social network. Here's why an 'Instagram for your thoughts' could win as competitors multiply.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta is building a decentralized text-based social network that will integrate with Instagram. It's no longer a secret that Meta is building out its own decentralized text-based social network. "We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates," a spokesperson for Meta told Insider in a statement when asked about the prototype. "It's a better idea than a lot of other things that have come out of Meta recently," Morgan added. Meta's decentralized social network could very well face the same fate.

☆ As Instagram shifts its focus, here are 6 ways the platform is letting creators earn money on the app in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly every social-media platform is experimenting with ways to pay content creators. Since 2020, Instagram has unveiled a hodgepodge of creator monetization programs — from tipping tools to a sponsorship marketplace for influencers. Currently, Meta is still operating and testing about six programs that pay creators on Instagram. One method is user-pay, where followers pay creators for their content using Instagram-native tools like the tipping features Badges on livestreams and Gifts on reels. Here's a breakdown of the various money-making tools Instagram is testing or has rolled out for creators:

☆ Instagram lands 'body blow' to link-in-bio startups by letting users add up to 5 links to their profiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instagram announced users will be able to add up to five links to their bios. All accounts will have the ability to add multiple links, including business and creator accounts. Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday that Meta would now let users add up to five links to an account's bio. Until now, Instagram has limited users to one link — which has helped foster a robust industry of third-party link-in-bio solutions such as Linktree. All accounts will have the ability to add multiple links, including business and creator accounts.

☆ Facebook plans to expand its revenue-sharing program as it tries to cozy up to content creators — and avoid falling behind YouTube, TikTok, and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While creators and Instagram often go hand-in-hand, Meta wants to make one thing clear: Facebook is not dead. In particular, Facebook has been showcasing its creator ad-revenue-share model, called Ads on Facebook reels. "Especially with everything recently between YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, Facebook never gets mentioned in those same conversations when we talk about creators and what platforms they're choosing between." Meta also declined to share the eligibility requirements for Facebook's reels ads program — except that it is invite-only. A robust ad-revenue-share program for reels across Instagram and Facebook, in theory, could be a win-win for both Meta and creators.

☆ How smaller Instagram accounts secure brand deals and make money
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Smaller accounts on Instagram can still make money as influencers. Smaller creators, usually categorized as "nano" influencers with fewer than 10,000 followers, are making money as content creators like their larger counterparts with brand deals, user-generated content, and affiliate marketing. With around 3,000 Instagram followers, Kim is building a business as a travel and fashion influencer by leveraging her small audience. While influencers can pitch brands directly, some companies are already on the lookout for smaller creators to work with. Insider is compiling our reporting on how smaller creators are getting themselves sponsored on Instagram, their strategies, and how much money they are making.

☆ Instagram's creator marketplace could see an influx of brand deal opportunities as it opens up to 3rd-party platforms and agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Instagram is now onboarding third-party influencer-marketing platforms and agencies. Despite being less than a year old, Instagram's test of a creator marketplace has already had its share of ups and downs. That means Instagram's creator marketplace could potentially see an increase in brands and paid opportunities for influencers in the coming weeks. Agencies will be able to communicate with creators directly via Meta's Creator Marketplace. InstagramTikTok's creator marketplace made a nearly identical move in 2021 when it brought on "alpha partners" such as Influential, Whalar, and Captiv8.

☆ 6 startups and VCs investing millions directly in influencers — from licensing back catalogs to full ownership of YouTube channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As the creator economy matures, some startups are setting aside capital to invest directly in individual stars and their content. "No niche is too niche, if you will, and we continue to be surprised by that," said Megan Lightcap, principal at Slow Ventures. One of Slow Ventures' deals is with YouTuber Marina Mogilko, who runs a language learning channel. To help creators better understand who is investing and what those deals look like, Insider compiled a list of six companies investing directly into influencers and their businesses. Here are six leading companies investing capital in creators:

☆ 6 companies investing millions directly in content creators — from licensing back catalogs to full ownership of YouTube channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

☆ TikTok is quietly rolling out affiliate commissions for US creators in its shopping program
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Dan Whateley | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is in the early stages of testing an affiliate program for US creators via its Shop product. TikTok is beginning to pay US creators a commission for promoting products on its app through its new TikTok Shop program, a company spokesperson confirmed to Insider. Meta-owned Instagram, for instance, has scaled back some of its shopping efforts including its own native affiliate program for creators and live shopping. TikTok is offering various incentives to promote TikTok Shop in the US. TikTok is fully or partially subsidizing these discounts as it seeks to promote its TikTok Shop program, two sellers in the marketplace told Insider.

☆ Why Instagram's 'Creator Marketplace' has left many influencers twiddling their thumbs instead of scoring brand deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"I was so excited when the creator marketplace was rolled out," content creator Melanie Demi told Insider. "Over the last couple of months, I feel like the creator marketplace has died down a little bit," Demi said. "Even on the TikTok creator marketplace, it's the same," said Joseph Arujo, who has access to the feature on both platforms. On TikTok's marketplace, creators can add their starting rates for brand deals or negotiate terms. TikTok's creator marketplace, for example, brought on "alpha partners" in 2021 such as Influential, Whalar, and Captiv8.

☆ Salesforce employees are not happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That said, there's plenty happening in tech news, from Salesforce layoffs to an unusual new perk for Meta employees. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Salesforce1. Employees aren't happy about how the cloud giant is handling its plan to cut 10% of its workforce. The cost-cutting did help Salesforce avoid a proxy battle for control of its board, as activist investors pushed for Salesforce to focus on efficiency. Read why Salesforce employees are upset at how the company is handling layoffs.

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