🎉 Welcome to our 50th edition of the Creatorland Newsletter! 🎉

To celebrate this milestone, I'm taking you behind the scenes of a major decision that transformed our newsletter experience: our switch to Beehiiv. Scroll down for my personal story on why this platform has become the backbone of Creatorland's communication strategy (plus an exclusive 20% discount for our members).

Claim your member-exclusive discount below, and then let’s dive into the latest creator economy news that's shaping our industry...

Creatorland is proud to offer this exclusive opportunity from the team at beehiiv! Psst. Our newsletter, university, welcome emails, and as much as we can for our members runs
on this EPIC platform! 

Creatorland members get a SWEET discount. Our latest newsletter and a members-only discount await below…

⭐ Serious about newsletters?

What’s the mark of the world’s best, most growth-minded newsletter creators? They’re all on beehiiv

Why? Our entire platform exists to help serious content creators scale faster. From our no-code website builder to our global ad network, our only goal is your growth.

Exclusive: Get 20% off for 3 months with code LAND20 today

🤖 AI Avatars: The Next Wave of Digital Creators

The creator economy is about to get even more competitive. AI-powered avatars are on the rise (again ahem, lilmiquela), allowing influencers to clone themselves—or enabling entirely new digital personas to emerge.

Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are already testing AI tools that generate hyper-realistic video content, blurring the line between human and artificial creators. While these avatars lack authenticity, that may not stop them from capturing audience attention and brand deals.

Why It’s Important For Digital Creators

• Scaling Content: AI clones can help creators produce multilingual content or maintain a 24/7 online presence.

• Brand Competition: Companies may opt to create AI influencers in-house rather than working with human creators.

• Monetization Potential: Digital clones could offer new revenue streams, from personalized AI interactions to scalable content creation.

• Algorithm Overload: Opportunists will likely flood platforms with AI-generated content, making it harder for real creators to stand out.

The question now: Will AI avatars enhance human creators—or outcompete them? The battle for attention (and monetization) is just getting started.

^{For the full article from Sunny Dhillon at Fortune, click here.}

🎬 YouTube Makes Brand Deals Easier for Creators

YouTube is rolling out a new tool to streamline brand partnerships, making it easier for creators to secure sponsorships. The creator-initiated video linking feature lets YouTube Partner Program members pitch their sponsored content directly to brands, reducing the friction in securing deals. Brands, in turn, gain better insights into performance and audience engagement.

This update builds on YouTube’s BrandConnect platform and aligns with the platform’s broader push to strengthen its creator economy. With 96% of Gen Z consuming both short- and long-form YouTube content, the demand for creator-brand collaborations is growing fast. YouTube wants to ensure advertisers can tap into this trend seamlessly.

With Shorts viewership surging over 25% year-over-year, creators who leverage these new monetization tools could gain a competitive edge.

^{For the full article from Jasmine Sheena at Marketing Brew, click here.}

🎙️ YouTube Puts Podcasts Front and Center

YouTube is doubling down on podcasts by adding a dedicated "Podcast" tab to its Android TV app. This move highlights podcast content on the platform’s most popular viewing device—TV. Given that YouTube is now the most-used podcast service in the U.S., this update further cements its dominance in the space.

Why This Matters For Digital Creators:

• More Visibility: A dedicated tab means more opportunities for podcasters to be discovered.

• TV-First Strategy: With TV now the primary way people watch YouTube, podcast creators can tap into a growing audience on bigger screens.

• Ad Revenue Potential: More engagement on YouTube podcasts could lead to better monetization options for creators.

• Algorithmic Boost: YouTube’s recommendation engine may start prioritizing podcast content, giving creators an edge.

As YouTube continues to blur the lines between video and audio content, podcasters who adapt early could see massive growth. Will YouTube become the go-to platform for podcasts, outpacing traditional audio apps?

^{For the full article from Podnews, click here.}

🥂 50th Edition Special: Why Beehiiv Changed Everything for Creatorland

When I launched Creatorland, email was our lifeline to the community. After sending over 20 million emails through traditional platforms like Mailchimp in my previous ventures, I thought I knew everything about newsletter management.

Then I discovered Beehiiv.

What started as a platform switch quickly transformed our entire approach to community building. In this special section, I'm sharing my personal journey with Beehiiv and why I believe it's the ultimate platform for creators serious about building an audience.

👇 Read on for my full Beehiiv experience (and grab your exclusive 20% discount)

🤔 Why did I Move Creatorland's Entire Communication Stack to Beehiiv?

After founding one of North America's first micro-influencer marketplaces, I thought I'd seen it all when it came to newsletter platforms. I have experimented with a ton of newsletter solutions and for years, Mailchimp was my go-to, powering over 30 million emails across my ventures.

But about 24 months ago, everything changed when I discovered Beehiiv.

What immediately struck me was how Beehiiv felt built for creators. The interface was intuitive, resembling Notion or Medium rather than clunky legacy platforms. I could focus on writing valuable content without getting bogged down in formatting headaches.

What sealed the deal:

• Pricing that actually makes sense for growing creators

• Landing pages that convert subscribers like nothing I'd seen before

• Seamless monetization options that traditional platforms can't match

• Automations that save our team countless hours each week

• A product roadmap that keeps delivering game-changing updates

While my friends know me as "that email-obsessed guy," even I was surprised by how dramatically Beehiiv transformed our newsletter experience. Within a week of using Beehiiv for the first time, we migrated our entire email marketing stack to the platform.

Whether you're just starting your newsletter journey or looking to scale an existing audience, I genuinely believe Beehiiv is the most powerful platform available for serious creators.

That's why I personally reached out to forge this partnership for our Creatorland community.

Exclusive: Get 20% off for 3 months with code LAND20 today. Sorry for the hard sell here, but I use it every day, and think you should too.

🔥 Hot Opportunities

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🎧 Effortless Creator Income: Get Paid for Your Likeness Rights w. FaceFwd.ai

Want to earn income while you sleep? FaceFwd.ai's creator marketplace helps influencers generate passive revenue by licensing their likeness to brands. Set your own rates, maintain creative control, and let your personal brand work for you.

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👋 Happy Networking!

~ Brian F.

Content We Referenced Today:

1. AI avatars’ lack of authenticity won’t stop them from joining the creator economy—and giving humans a run for their money - Fortune

2. YouTube wants to make it easier for creators to work with brands - Marketing Brew

3. YouTube puts “podcasts” on the front page - Podnews