Keeping It Currant: The Latest from the Creator Economy x Social Impact Post

Welcome to the latest issue of Keeping It Currant, a newsletter by Social Currant & Girl and the Gov® focused on sharing insights on navigating the intersection of the creator economy and the political and social impact space. This edition includes:

• Climate Week events for Creators

• New paid campaigns

• Tips n’ tricks on pitching orgs and brands

• A look at unboxings x political content strategy

• New platform updates of note

…and much more. P.S. & BTW, before you scroll, make sure to pop in and say hello in the Social Currant creator-dedicated Slack channel, here.

ADD TO THE CAL

Creator events to add to your cal

MEDIA ENGAGEMENT TRAINING FOR CREATORS

About: Join Social Currant and Left Hook Strategy for a media training session designed for content creators working in the political and non-profit advocacy spaces. The training will provide best practices for engaging with traditional media and press, offering valuable insights into how you can make the most of media opportunities while maintaining control of your message. This event aims to teach you how to effectively work with journalists, navigate interviews, and amplify your impact across platforms.

When: Tuesday, September 17, 2024; 4:00pm EST

Where: Virtual; Zoom

SOCIAL CURRANT DINNER SERIES: DETROIT

About: Join us for a private dinner with creators that are local to your city! An evening of good food, great vibes and an inspiring conversation around how you can use your platforms to make a difference. 

When: Wednesday, September 18, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm

Where: Disclosed upon registration. Detroit, Michigan.

CLIMATE WEEK EVENTS

RSVP yes please to these creator-inclusive events

MAKE POLLUTERS PAY X SOCIAL CURRANT CREATOR LUNCH

About: Join Make Polluters Pay and content creators to network with like-minded voices in climate, social justice, and the New York creator scene.

When: Tuesday, September 24, 2024; 1:00pm EST

Where: Disclosed upon registration.

LET’S NOT DIE COMEDY SHOW

About: Let’s Not Die Comedy Show FFM is teaming up with friends from Yellow Dot Studios and Gas Leaks for “Let’s Not Die,” a climate comedy show at Chelsea Music Hall. They’ll be roasting Big Oil, talking about how to make polluters pay for climate damages, and showing that, yes, even environmentalists know how to laugh.

When: Monday, September 23, 2023; 6:30 PM EST

Where: Chelsea Music Hall - NY

FOSSIL FREE DRINKS HANG

ABOUT: Come by the second annual Fossil Free Drinks at Climate Week 2024.The event is to be held at NOTHING REALLY MATTERS, the subway station bar, because we know real change starts from the bottom up — and hey, if Gov. Hochul isn't going to pass congestion pricing, someone has to support the MTA. ​​Socialize, drink, and plot the downfall of Big Oil, because everything matters when it comes to taking on fossil fuels. First few rounds are on Exxon.

When: Tuesday, September 24, 2024; 8:00 PM EST

Where: NOTHING REALLY MATTERS BAR [in the subway, 210 West 50th Street, NY, NY 10019]

MAKE POLLUTERS PAY PETITION DELIVERY @ GOV. HOCHUL

About: It’s time for New York’s Governor Hochul to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act and make polluters pay for climate impacts. We’re teaming up with our partners to deliver petition signatures to Hochul’s office in NYC around noon on Tuesday. 

When: Tuesday, September 24, 2024; 12:00 PM

Where: Hochul’s office in NYC

PR AGENCIES X CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL

About: “Your marketing budget is funding the climate crisis. Here’s how to stop it.”’FFM's own Duncan Meisel [who leads their Clean Creatives campaign] will be giving a keynote with Seventh Generation and Allison PR about how brand relationships with fossil fuel agencies is contributing to climate change and how to not do that. 

When: Thursday, September 26, 2024;  5:00 PM EST

Where: Javits Center – NY, NY

PITCH TIPS

Level-up your outreach

Whether you’re pitching your platform to a brand or an organization, or simply reaching out to a contact to network, the success of that outreach often relies on the little things. A few of those ‘little things’ or rather, best practices to keep in mind are:

• Scheduling: If you’re the initiator of outreach that’s focused on setting up a call or meeting, when sending over days/times for the other party to consider, send the suggested times over in the other party’s time zone. Not providing the times in the other party’s time zone can create an extra barrier to getting a ‘yes’ and puts more work on the party/person you’re pitching [i.e. making an ask]. 

• Links: When sending a cold pitch where you’re referencing your platforms, make sure to hyperlink out to them. If the platforms are mentioned several times throughout the pitch, you only need to hyperlink the first mention per platform. The recipient should be able to access your platforms without having to do a search themselves outside of the email.

• Numbers: The social media metric that “wows” is evolving and is no longer just limited to follower count. Keep in mind that what one party looks for might be a metric that another doesn’t even bother with. Think about what makes your platform stand out from a metrics POV – is the view counts not the followers? Great, lead with that instead. Apply this formula to other metrics as well.

RESOURCE ROUND-UP

Something to save, something to use

• Team Senator Casey’s Beat McCormick Toolkit → Senator Bob Casey [PA-D] who is running for re-election and is a key piece of holding the Senate majority is battling a particularly interesting character in the race. This toolkit from the Senator Casey team provides the details on exactly that and how to discuss the ins and outs of what the campaign needs voters to know. 

• The Stop Trump Vocab List → As sourced by the creator behind Tono Latino, this list of descriptors from marketing expert Seth Godin, shares what empowers Trump and his supporters versus language that undermines his appeal. Traditionally negative words can create positive reactions unintentionally – choose your words thoughtfully with this list.

• Archive for Progress Content Library → This resource is clips galore at your fingertips from the team at CAP. The library is filled with downloadable clips of key political moments, from speeches to interviews and beyond that you can use in your content. Check the library out here.

• Later’s Affiliate Marketing Guide → Paid opportunities x content creation come in all types of varieties, including the affiliate marketing variety. This guide provides the skinny on what affiliate marketing is and how it works.

UNBOXINGS

A gift for all

What was once YouTube hauls have become ‘unboxings’ or a reveal of what’s inside a package received by a content creator – either gifted or purchased themselves. Now if you already knew that, YAY. If you didn’t, know you do. Regardless, for those exploring the world of unboxing content, a few tips to keep in mind for making the content effective for all parties involved. 

For the content creator → What may seem like a simple gift or bit of merch has big splash potential in the realm of political content. What is often gifted isn’t just another mug [although, seriously, guys enough mugs], it’s an opportunity to tell a story about an org or a cause that people may not know about – one that can actually have an impact. That doesn’t mean you have to share everything you receive, but if one has a mission you want more people in on, unboxing a gifted package is certainly one way to do that.

For the organization sending the package → When creating the contents of a PR box, ask three key questions – 1. Would I want what’s in this box or would I regift it if I were the recipient? 2. Do the contents of the box align with the style represented by the creator recipient? 3. Would the audience be interested in learning more about the sender behind the PR box from this or not? If the answer is no to any of those, edit your build out strategy.

For the talent managers coordinating details → Timing is everything, especially in politics. When coordinating with an organization on a gifted package for your client, be sure to ask the organization the longevity of relevancy that the package will have. Will it be timely for a week? A monthly? A year? Evergreen? If the timing is limited, make sure to only accept if the creator will be able to get the package in time to share it when the contents and messaging are relevant. For example, if they’re going on vacation for a month and that means they won’t be home before election day, receiving a 2024 election-focused package won’t make sense. Pass and share a different client or content creator that would be a fit in lieu of.

PLATFORM UPDATES

New capabilities loading…

INSTAGRAM →  You can now drop it  [a comment] like it’s hot on an Instagram Story thanks to this new IG feature. The capability brings comments to Stories and brings what otherwise might be DM-only engagement, to the public eye. Accounts can limit whether or not they allow comments – and while the platform takes the stance that added comments aren’t going to mess up your aesthetic, we’d beg to differ. Momentary opine aside, this update provides a fresh way to gain audience insight on your posts.

TIKTOK → The concept of “we’ve never had an original experience” very much applies to TikTok’s newest feature, an ability to add a “Note” to one’s TikTok Story. Sound like something you’ve seen and used on Instagram? Yep, that’s because that’s exactly where you did see it. Nonetheless, the feature is rolling out and another space to share your POVs.

YOUTUBE →  The video platform is making moves against AI deepfakes with the launch of a new detection process. The process is said to have the ability to not just identify a deepfake, but to alert creators or related publishers anytime that either their voice or face is used in another clip besides their own. The focus comes as concerns rise over the creation and use of deepfakes across industries, including in and especially in  politics.

HEADLINES

News at a glance from ‘round the creator sphere

• Tubefilter: TikTok is a top spot for hot political goss

• DigiDay: How the elections are shaping influencer marketing, from brand strategies to social media spending

• NPR: From lost followers to backlash in the comments, content creators reflect on the DNC

• Social Media Today: LinkedIn Launches Gen Z Focused Podcast via iHeartRadio

• Engadget: YouTube terminates five right wing channels linked to the DOJ’s Russia indictments

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 → Electing Representatives

Date Available: Through October 1, 2024

Campaign Goal: Create content for organizations to use in ads

Location Requirement: Maine, Southern California, New York, Alaska, Nebraska, Iowa, New Jersey, Michigan, New Mexico

Campaign Focus → Clean Energy

Date Available: Through October 1, 2024

Campaign Goal: Hold corporations accountable for polluting the planet + discuss benefits of clean energy

Location Requirement: US-based // in-person opportunities in New York

Campaign Focus → Sharing Latin American Abortion Ban Stories

Date Available: Now through October 1, 2024

Campaign Goal: Work with Latino & Latina creators to raise awareness of individual stories from people living in countries with abortion bans.

Location Requirement: Arizona, Nevada

LET’S GET SOCIAL