Keeping It Currant: January 2024

Welcome to the 5th issue of Keeping It Currant, a newsletter by Social Currant & Girl and the Gov®. For any fresh faces, this newsletter shares the latest insights on how to navigate the  intersection of the creator economy and the political and social impact space. This edition includes:

• 3 events that will help creators up their game

• 3.5 must-try content trends

• Underutilized Tools: Going Live & Story Takeovers

• Zoom-in: A look at late fee clauses

• An interview with creator, Syanne Centeno-Bloom

…and so much more. Scroll to jump in👇️ 

ADD TO THE CAL

An upcoming creator event to add to your cal

Social Currant Creator Briefing #3: Mental Health

About: The monthly series from Social Currant is back with a conversation featuring mental health advocate and creator Jorge Alvarez, around the best practices for managing your mental health, and an open dialogue about how you balance all-things social media and work.

When: Thursday, January 25, 2024; 5:00-5:30pm EST

Where: Virtual via Zoom

Social Currant Creator Briefing #4: Best Legal Practices

About: What are some of the best legal practices you need to know about as a creator? At this virtual event, creator and lawyer Julian Sarafian will share those practices and what you need to know to protect yourself.

When: Thursday, February 15, 2024; 4:00-4:30pm EST

Where: Virtual via Zoom

Get Free – Orientation & Trainings Tour

About: Get Free is going on tour around the country hosting orientation and training sessions for young people that want to get involved in their movement to repair past harms and remove barriers that continue to persist to achieving equality for all. Attend and learn about how to organize, build community, and take collective action.

When: January-March 2024; see the link for location-specific dates

Where: IRL in the Bay Area, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis

CURRANT CONTENT TRENDS & STYLES

When content trends meet political topics – a look at the latest concepts to take for a test drive

THREADS: ~ I LOVE THIS LITTLE LIFE ~ TREND

About: Let’s BFR, this audio has been stuck in all of our heads for the last two plus weeks. With that, we’re sorry (sorta) that we’re going to continue to keep it stuck there with this trend suggestion. This trend can be used on Threads to share a political win you support. 

The Audio: Not needed for the Threads version, but for reference, here it is.

What this can be used for: For sharing political wins that actually do make people ‘love this little life.’

Try it out: 

• Use this format to type out ‘I love this little life.’

• Add… “because the passing of [bill name] gives [result]” — ex: “because the passing of this bill gives all kids in the state free school lunch".”

• Add… “Read about this win here: [link to the article].”

TIKTOK: YOU PICKED A FIGHT TREND

About: Bravo has been on fire with audio clips recently, including with this one from none other than Erika Jayne. We wouldn’t be surprised if Congressman Garcia put this one to use too, like he did with this one. In this case, the audio can be used to create a clap-back video.

The Audio: Save it here.

What this can be used for: You can create a video in response to followers picking a fight in the comments sections over a political video posted. This may be the best fit for a creator who is just stepping into political content and is receiving ridiculous words in the comment section from followers or non-followers that are confused that the creator can also care about politics/topics outside of their central niche.

Try it out: 

• Zero-in on a comment of a ridiculous nature – hit reply with video

• Film a video like this, and add text (if needed) that shines up your retort

REELS: JUST A GIRL TREND

About: The classic No Doubt bop, Just A Girl has spurred a content trend on Reels where creators are sharing what makes them more than ‘just a girl.’ What’s shared doesn’t have to just be traits, but can also be preferences – and in the use case of this newsletter, what’s shared can be political views, preferences or priorities. 

The Audio: Save it here.

What this can be used for: To share your political preferences or beliefs with your audience.

Try it out: 

• Use a b-roll video of yourself for the Reel itself. Overlay the audio, cutting it to begin at :26 seconds.

• Add text to the Reel “I’m just a [whatever fits for you]...” at the video’s start.

• Add the remaining text 1-2 seconds into the video. This text should be the political preferences/beliefs. It can also be interspersed with other fun facts; it doesn’t all need to be political. The text should be sporadically featured across the video. Find an example to consider, here.

BONUS AUDIO → For content that reminds people of who and what Trump is and represents.

CAMPAIGN CONCEPTS

Underrated ideas that you can charge for

GOING LIVE → Participating or organizing an Instagram or TikTok Live (or one on another platform) is not a new concept. However, it’s often one that’s overlooked in favor of feed posts. While there are plenty of arguments for why feed posts are great, Lives provide an opportunity for a creator to platform an expert in a particular political issue area. It hands the ‘microphone’ to someone that can speak deeply about whatever issue you want to bring awareness to on your page. It also…

• …is great if you care about an issue but aren’t an expert in it. It provides a responsible way for you to share information with your audience.

• …is a win for expanding your community, allowing you to tap into the expert’s own follower base.

• …is beneficial for honing interview skills.

• …is a method for legitimizing your interest in an issue area to your audience.

STORY TAKEOVERS → There was a point where IG takeovers were THE thing to do. Then they went through the phase of over-saturation, and now they’re back. What’s old is new again. This can work in at least two ways:

• A creator takes over the Instagram Story of an organization, lending their likeness and brand to the mission of the org. They can act as the ‘reporter’ of the day, highlighting a specific set of announcements or points of note from the org.

• A member of an org takes over the Instagram Story of the creator, sharing their mission with a new audience. They can bring the audience up to speed on what they do and why the info they’re shining a light on is important. 

Regardless of the route chosen, they both offer an avenue for connecting with new audiences, bridging the gap between creators and political learning. They’re also both collaboration types that creators can monetize.

THAT CLAUSE

Consider adding this to your contracts

The Biden Administration is coming for junk fees, and we appreciate that because seeing a concert ticket price double because of random fees is not the vibe. However, a fee that we’ll make an exception for are late fees for orgs/brands/groups that don’t pay creators on time. We know we’re preaching to the choir here, but paid opps pay the bills, and being paid late doesn’t keep the lights on. So, in pulling together a contract with an org (there should always be a contract, we repeat, there should always be a contract), add a clause that initiates a late fee per day the org is late in payment. The fee amount can range – it’s what you think is best for you. An example:

“Payment is due to the creator within ten business days of the content being posted. For this campaign, the content will be live on DATE and the payment will be due on DATE (the date that’s 10 business days following the post going live. If the payment is not received by the end of business day on the 28th (6pm EST), the creator will charge the organization a $100 per day late fee until the full payment (originally agreed to amount + accumulated fees) is paid to the creator.”

For more deats on how how contracts can and should look, RSVP to the Social Currant Creator Briefing #4: Best Legal Practices, here.

RESOURCE ROUND-UP

Something to save, something to use

• Stay organized and create your own content plan with this Notion template.

• Bring your LinkedIn content to the right audience with these hashtags that have been topping the charts.

• Upgrade your ‘link in bio’ with Beacons and increase actions taken on post CTAs.

• Bookmark it → TikTok dropped deats on its new election integrity measures that will direct users to relevant voting info via its election center.

HOW THEY CREATED IT

The BTS with creators & creatives that have knocked it out of the park

Meet Syanne Centeno-Bloom – Syanne is a content creator, model, and disability rights activist.

Follow Syanne on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads.

Why is making political content so important to you?

“It’s important to me because most people are uninformed on many political subjects. It can be really difficult to keep up with domestic and international news/politics (since people are so busy), so creating content that’s short and sweet (like a one minute reel) breaking down the main points of a political or social issue can help others’ understand why a particular issue is so important and how it can affect them. It can lead to followers seeking more information themselves and becoming informed. I know this is true not only from reading comments from my followers, but also because I learn about issues that I had no clue about through other content creators. It truly makes a difference.” 

What issue areas have you seen more of on social media? Which of these excite you?

“The disability rights space has been growing rapidly online, and many activists are fighting for change in that arena. It’s definitely exciting to see the disabled community gaining traction in the activism space, but I do wish we had more support from allies. Nonetheless, I do see progress happening and that is exciting.”

What social media platform do you prefer, and why does it get the #1 spot?

“I generally prefer Instagram because it’s easy to understand, and is very popular. Most brands, activists, public figures, etc. are on Instagram. For me, it’s been the best place to connect with influential people. With that said,  I am trying to venture out more with TikTok.” 

How do you balance online versus offline time?

“I love artwork, so I indulge in all of my favorite mediums. I just got into pottery, but also love drawing, painting, photography, music (I play piano) …pretty much any type of art you can think of. It helps me recharge.”

TALENT TIP

Tips n’ tricks for talent managers navigating political deals

So often when we think about making deals, we think about it from a “how would this benefit the creator” perspective. That’s not the wrong POV to have, but it only tells one half of the story, and as the saying goes, “it takes two to tango.” To flip the script and ask “how would the creator benefit or help the mission of the organization?” is to understand whether a partnership is fully a go or a no. Questions to ask when putting it in reverse:

• Would the creator’s audience “convert” for the organization in the form of follows and engagement?

• Would the creator’s audience “convert” for the organization in the form of actions that are shared?

• Is the creator’s audience located in regions that the organization is looking to focus or grow in?

• Is the creator’s voice known or established in the niche that the organization focuses on? Is there any existing weight to their name recognition there?

• Does the creator have any past partnerships or viewpoints that might hinder what the organization is trying to achieve? Or on the contrary could the creator’s change in opinion be a point to highlight in content created together?

• Would the style of content the creator makes be in line with the organization’s messaging approach? Would it flow?

This will not only help you price in an appropriate manner but will also help you build a long term relationship with an organization who you can continue to engage with. If done right, the best mission and creator partnerships will also help your creators brand.

CAMPAIGN CORNER

Upcoming and current paid campaigns, available now. See one that’s of interest? Fill out this form and we’ll get in touch with details. Please note, if you’re a talent agent we’ll be in touch with a talent agency specific form – just respond to this email!

Campaign Focus → Looking for creators who create health & wellness content. This campaign is focused on promoting a plant-based energy drink.

Date Available: Ongoing

Platforms: TikTok & Instagram

Campaign Goal: Sales & UGC → looking mainly for micro-creators (people who charge less than $1000).

Campaign Focus → Science & sustainability

Date Available: January - February

Platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Campaign Goal: Promote the benefits of sustainability in our everyday lives, looking to partner with creators creating STEM/sustainable focused content.

Campaign Focus → Union stories

Date Available: February & March

Platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube

Campaign Goal: Share union-stories and uplift union workers.

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