I not too long ago hopped a six-hour flight from Lagos to attend my very first worldwide convention: SXSW London. Full disclosure — I had no thought what I used to be strolling into.
You may know South by Southwest from its annual Austin takeover: wall-to-wall tech demos, indie movie premieres, breakout music acts, and sufficient model activations to fill a small metropolis. Since launching in 1987, it’s change into synonymous with artistic experimentation and culture-shaping concepts.
This 12 months, the organizers packed that very same vitality into the London neighborhoods of Shoreditch and Hoxton for the pageant’s first-ever European version earlier in June.
I went in with two easy objectives:
Be taught from the people who find themselves constructing the creator financial system.Join with different creators and entrepreneurs.
The truth was a bit extra nuanced. Queues fo rsessions snaked across the block, venue-hopping required a crash course within the London transportation system, and I undoubtedly missed extra periods than I attended.
However the rooms I did squeeze into delivered deep-dive panels on the way forward for AI, brutally trustworthy talks about pay for creators, and conversations that rewired how I take into consideration content material creation and profession longevity as a marketer.
My essential takeaway? The creator financial system is not nearly influencers anymore. It is about anybody utilizing the web to make their work seen, construct an viewers, and create sustainable revenue streams. If you happen to’ve ever posted about your experience, pitched your self through LinkedIn, or puzzled easy methods to flip your data into income, these insights are for you.
1. Audiences crave presence over polish — and your “tough drafts” is likely to be your finest content material
Audiences are inclined to scroll previous good, studio-level posts and cease on something that feels actual and in-the-moment.
“Folks don’t open Instagram on the lookout for a billboard — they’re on the lookout for somebody to hang around with.” — Charlotte Stavrou, SevenSix Company
Behind the scenes outperforms spotlight reels. Charlotte Stavrou, founding father of SevenSix Company, stated her consumer, who has 15,000 Instagram followers, routinely outdoes creators with six-figure followings in engagement as a result of she posts uncooked, day-to-day snippets — not shiny shoots.Manufacturers at the moment are briefing for imperfection. Max Fosh instructed the Suppose Like a Creator crowd that shaky, hand-held clips of his filming course of spark extra feedback than his totally produced items — and shoppers have began requesting that vibe on objective.Lo-fi content material indicators belief, not sloppiness. A number of audio system famous that unhealthy audio, and shaky digital camera clips sign {that a} human made a bit of content material which in flip cues engagement.
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Present the method: put up tough sketches, messy whiteboards, or bloopers.Narrate in actual time with captions like “Testing two intros, inform me which one resonates.”Depart minor flaws — shaky footage or your “ums” and “ahs” make content material relatable.
If you happen to’re a model
Rethink the temporary: if you’d like “genuine,” skip the studio-lighting necessities.Measure dialog (saves, shares, considerate feedback) alongside attain.Price range for a number of touchpoints — teaser, essential put up, follow-up Q&A — so the story feels natural.
Fast train
Share one unpolished “work-in-progress” clip this week. Monitor saves, shares, and significant feedback for seven days, then examine along with your final polished add.
2. Manufacturers need authenticity however want higher methods to measure it
Panelists identified that manufacturers love the phrase genuine but nonetheless choose a marketing campaign by follower rely and double-taps.
“Creators will ship when there’s a single bull’s-eye, but when the temporary says, ‘Point out us within the first 30 seconds, keep 100% genuine, go viral and drive all of the week-one gross sales,’ you’ve given us 4 completely different targets — and no one hits a bull’s-eye on 4 targets without delay.” — Callux, YouTuber
Mis-matched metrics: Charlotte Stavrou described pitching a creator with stellar click-through information solely to be requested, “However is 80 % of her viewers within the UK?”—ignoring that many of the purchaser visitors really got here from the united statesOne-post verdicts: Comic Grace Campbell shared a deal that fizzled as a result of a model anticipated immediate gross sales from a single Reel. (“A warm-up story? Not within the finances.”)Billboard mindset: Max Fosh joked that some briefs learn like: We purchased 60 seconds of your video — please deal with it like a Occasions Sq. display screen.
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Outline success upfront: ask the model to select two prime metrics (consciousness, engagement, conversions).Clarify your information and why it’s worthwhile: viewers geography, repeat viewers, typical conversion window.Pitch a mini-funnel (teaser → essential put up → recap) and value the entire journey.Acquire your receipts — screenshots of DMs or lengthy feedback that present the depth of connection your viewers has to your content material.
If you happen to’re a model
Audit briefs: does the measurement match the request for “genuine” content material?Choose clear objectives earlier than filming begins; let the creator optimise for them.Price range for warm-up content material — chilly audiences hardly ever purchase on day one.Monitor sentiment (questions, buy mentions) as severely as you monitor likes.
Fast train
Pull up your final sponsored put up. Categorise the primary 20 feedback into:
Emojis / “Love this!”Actual questions or storiesPurchase intent (“Simply ordered!”)
If Class 1 dominates, your subsequent partnership wants a hotter build-up—or clearer metrics—earlier than anybody calls it a win.
3. Virality is good, however belief is what sticks
Fast wins really feel good, however long-term belief is the true progress engine.
“Audiences need to help creators, completely, however they should really feel it’s actual.”— Max Fosh, YouTuber.
Creators are passing on misaligned tasks, even when they pay properly. In Suppose Like a Creator, Callux stated he skips well-paid briefs that really feel off-brand: “One mismatched advert can undo months of goodwill.”Manufacturers undervalue runway. Panels on pay revealed offers cancelled after a single put up didn’t “transfer numbers,” ignoring that group buy-in takes time.Even the AI keynote agreed. Deepak Chopra known as belief the scarce useful resource in our more and more automated business.
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Pitch campaigns as a mini-series (teaser, essential put up, follow-up Q&A).Add a line explaining why you employ a product, not simply that you just do.Monitor loyalty by way of returning viewers, repeat patrons, considerate DMs — alongside attain.
If you happen to’re a model
Plan at the very least two or three creator touchpoints; belief compounds over time, so one put up typically isn’t sufficient.Ask for viewers sentiment screenshots, not simply impressions.Give creators management of pacing — they know when their group is prepared for a CTA.
Fast train
In your subsequent partnership, run it as a two-step sequence:
Heat-up: story or Reel teasing the product/drawback.Fundamental put up: the sponsored piece, plus a pinned remark inviting questions.
Evaluate significant replies (questions, buy intent) to your final one-and-done advert. A deeper thread means you’re constructing belief, not simply visitors.
4. AI received’t take your job — however it can change the way you do it
AI popped up in virtually each session, but the consensus stayed grounded: the tech removes friction; it doesn’t change the creator.
“AI could make you quicker; it simply can’t make you you.” — David Web page, Founder at Viewture
Velocity over substitution. In How Corporations and Expertise Are Evolving, panelists rattled off use-cases — auto-captions, script outlines, multi-language dubbing — that shave hours however don’t take over your distinctive voice.Human instinct nonetheless wins. At Suppose Like a Creator, audio system agreed the best-performing posts hinge on timing, nuance, and tone — instincts that no LLM (giant language mannequin) can faux.Creators are vulnerable to sameness. Grace Campbell warned that over-reliance on AI flattens persona: “If ChatGPT writes everybody’s jokes, everybody tells the identical punchline.”
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Goal AI at duties that really feel like chores: captions, tough drafts, thumbnail concepts.Feed it your previous posts so the output echoes your voice.Double-check cultural nuance or humour—fashions nonetheless miss tone.
If you happen to’re a model
Count on creators to make use of AI of their workflow — choose them on perception, not keystrokes.Don’t temporary for “AI-generated content material.” Quick output is pointless if it feels generic.Ask how the creator retains their voice whereas dashing supply.
Fast train
Choose one repetitive activity — say, 60-second captions.
Time your self doing it manually.Run the identical clip by way of an AI caption software, then calmly edit for tone.Evaluate minutes saved. Spend that reclaimed time replying to feedback or refining the hook.
If the put up lands the identical (or higher) and also you saved quarter-hour, hold the software; if the captions really feel off-brand, scrap it. You need to be extra environment friendly and modifying prompts is probably not the simplest method to try this.
5. Creators at the moment are small-business house owners
Right this moment’s profitable creators suppose like founders, not freelancers.
“You’re not hiring an individual for one put up, you’re partnering with an organization.” — Liam Parkinson, Co-Founder at inflverse
Multi-hyphenates are the norm. Grace Campbell juggles stand-up, a podcast, and a self-funded TV pilot. Callux runs a sneaker label alongside YouTube.Revenue and loss statements over reputation. Future’s CEO stated full-time creators now search progress capital the best way startups do — hiring editors, renting studios, even financing feature-length docs.Diversification beats virality. Alex Segal (founder at Intertalent) described it as “ten lanes at 110 km/h” — when advert CPMs dip, programs, stay exhibits, or licensing carry the load.
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Map your income pillars. Goal for at the very least three (model offers, digital merchandise, group subscriptions, stay occasions).Monitor prices, not simply cash-in. Software program, gear, freelancers—all hit margin. Know your month-to-month burn.Shield your IP early. Register logos, lock down utilization rights, retailer uncooked information—future licensing will depend on clear possession.Spend money on methods earlier than scale. Easy SOPs for modifying, posting, and buyer help beat scrambling after a viral spike.
If you happen to’re a model
Deal with outreach like a B2B deal — count on scopes, timelines, and debriefs.Price range for longer collaborations; shared upside (affiliate, income sharing) typically outperforms flat charges.Acknowledge the creator’s back-office workforce — undertaking managers, editors, group mods — and pay for that infrastructure.
6. The creators who final depend on methods, not spur-of-the-moment hustle
Longevity comes from constructing routines that make posting predictable and defend artistic vitality.
“A superb system beats temper. If I solely created when motivated, I’d publish as soon as a month.” — Max Fosh
Batch, then breathe. Audio system in Suppose Like a Creator in contrast notes on filming a number of movies in a single block, then scheduling releases.Set clear “off” home windows. Just a few creators talked about taking a daily screen-free day (weekly or bi-weekly) to reset, even throughout launch cycles.Checklists over guesswork. A number of talked about easy templates—file-naming guidelines, caption codecs, export presets—that flip each new undertaking right into a rinse-and-repeat circulate.
What does this imply in apply?
If you happen to’re a creator
Lock in a cadence you may hold. Determine what number of posts suit your life, block that point on the calendar, and deal with it like consumer work.Doc your workflow as soon as so you may all the time repeat it. Be aware your file construction, modifying steps, most popular caption types so that each piece begins at step three, not step zero.Batch and financial institution your content material. Report or draft a number of items in a single sitting; schedule them so journey or low-energy days don’t break your streak.Overview month-to-month. Automate, delegate, or drop any step that also feels heavy.
If you happen to’re a model
Ask concerning the creator’s manufacturing rhythm, and respect it. Brief-notice briefs can break the system (and the connection).Present belongings — logos, product photographs, key messages — in a single tidy folder to fit straight into their workflow.Measure consistency as a lot as spikes; a dependable creator partnership outperforms a single viral hit in the long term.
Fast train
In your subsequent put up, time every step from thought to publish. Construct a mini-checklist in Notion or Google Docs, then comply with it on the following piece. If you happen to reduce even 20 % off the overall time, lock that guidelines in as your new normal working process.
Your subsequent put up may very well be your finest one but
SXSW London was a reminder that nobody — creators or manufacturers — wants extra stress to put up. What we want are sharper questions, clearer methods, and higher indicators for what’s really working.
Whether or not you’re a creator rethinking success metrics or a marketer experimenting with new partnership codecs, the neatest strikes aren’t all the time the flashiest. They’re those that make it simpler to maintain going.
Whether or not it’s rethinking the way you measure success, experimenting with new codecs, or lastly constructing a workflow that protects your vitality — the most effective strikes aren’t all the time the flashiest. They’re those who make it simpler to maintain going.
If you happen to’re feeling impressed to attempt one thing new after studying this, listed below are just a few fast experiments to kickstart your subsequent put up:
Attempt posting a carousel as a substitute of a single picture or videoRepurpose a top-performing put up with a brand new hook or formatShare an in-progress thought and ask your viewers what they thinkBatch-create three posts in a single sitting and schedule them in BufferCreate a “Trial Reel” to check a brand new thought with out risking your attain
And when you’ve already tried one thing from this record — or plan to — I’d love to listen to the way it went. Yow will discover me on Threads, or come say hello within the Buffer Discord.
Bear in mind: your subsequent put up doesn’t must be good — it simply wants to maneuver you ahead.
