Keeping It Currant

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

UNMASKING DISINFORMATION: 

SOCIAL MEDIA, THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT AGENDA, & BIG TECH’S ROLE IN IT

About: As more people turn to social media for news, Big Tech is shaping not just what we see, but how we are tracked and targeted. These platforms don’t just amplify disinformation—they collect massive amounts of personal data, making it easier for governments and bad actors to surveil immigrant communities and fuel harmful narratives. As the Trump administration ramps up anti-immigrant policies and mass deportations, Big Tech is helping power the surveillance and disinformation machine. ​Join Accountable Tech and United We Dream to learn how these platforms are fueling harm, how surveillance impacts our communities, and what you can do to protect yourself and push back.

When & Where: May 22, 2025; 4:00-5:00pm EST

MONETIZING YOUR MISSION

About: Hosted by beehiiv and the Texas Tribune, this virtual event will focus on the nonprofit newsroom’s monetization strategy - how they’ve built it, what it looks like, and insights that fellow newsletter writers and creatives can integrate into their own growth strategies.

When & Where: Virtual; May 22, 2025 at noon EST

 @ VIDCON: IMMIGRANTS BELONG COMEDY NIGHT

About: Step away from Vidcon and join us for an unforgettable evening at the Immigrants Belong Comedy Night—a celebration of art, innovation, and the power of authentic storytelling, hosted by Define American and Social Currant. ​Emceed by Che Guerrero, we’re bringing together some of the country’s funniest comedians, boldest digital creators, visionary nonprofit leaders, and boundary-pushing artists to showcase how immigrant stories—told with humor and heart—can shift culture and spark change. Enjoy food, drinks, music, and an immersive art installation that imagines a joyful, inclusive future—one where we all belong.

When & Where: IRL in Anaheim, CA; June 20, 2025; 6:00-10:00pm PST

QUICK CALS

Dates on the cal to know & note

→ CREATOR & MEDIA CONFERENCES: From coast to coast, and year’s start to end, there are creator and media conferences to attend, mingle at, and learn from. While subject to additions, this quick cal provides the when and where for 2025 conferences.

→ SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS CALENDAR: 2025 is an election year and there just might be a local school board election near you. Peep this quick cal from Ballot Ready for the need-to-know.

THE TOOLBOX

Platforms, apps, and tools to help you create

→ CreatorCare: Creating A+ content requires showing up for yourself. Cue, CreatorCare, a new venture from Revive Health Therapy and Creators 4 Mental Health, offering sliding scale therapy made specifically for content creators, influencers, and digital creatives. Launching in California first, the CreatorCare aims to equip creators with care [literally] that helps them navigate the burnout, anxiety, and isolation that can come with being a creator. Curious creators can learn more about service here.

→ CarStream for Twitch: If streaming and podcasting had a baby, this app would be it. It enables Twitch users to tune into livestreams in an audio-only capacity while driving. When using the app via CarPlay, CarStream finds broadcasts that are active amongst the accounts a user follows and lets them select which to listen in on. For Twitch streamers, the app provides another way that they can bring their content to their audiences.

→ SnapIt - Screenshot Editor Pro: This app might just have been made for you if your content pillars include utilizing screenshots of Tweets/Threads/Bluesky posts. SnapIt enables users to edit screenshots, from resizing to adding text, adding annotations, and more to make the screenshot become content that works for you. 

RESOURCE ROUND-UP

Save ‘em, share ‘em

UP-LEVEL YOUR TIKTOK CONTENT → TikTok has begun to roll out resources in its very own Creator Academy HQ, providing creators with tips and tricks for creating standout content on the platform. Covering the gamut of topics from how to ensure top-level audio quality to how to best utilize analytics to inform what you post next, the Creator Academy shares actionable advice. 

BUILD BOUNDARIES WITH BRANDS & AGENCIES → Balance is a magic word, and so is boundaries. They’re both necessary for effective, productive, and healthy relationships with brand partners and agencies. This guide from Social Currant provides a roadmap on how to build those boundaries and figure out what works best for you.

HOW TO HIT THE MUTE BUTTON ON IG → While there are varying opinions on the meanings of and repercussions of hitting an account with a ‘mute’ or a ‘block’ there are technical differences between them all. This quick run-down shares the scoop on differences between BMRR or really, the block, mute, restrict, and report features on Instagram. 

WHEN TO POST ON YOUTUBE SHORTS → It’s all about timing, especially when it comes to posting content that takes off. Finding the sweet spot for an audience can pull a range of factors, from a creator’s niche to where they’re located. This guide breaks down the factors to consider before you hit upload.

For more creator resources and templates → check out the Social Currant resource library, where you can also request a resource if you’re not seeing a guide that’s meeting the moment.

PLATFORM UPDATES

New capabilities loading…

TIKTOK → Another day, another AI feature added to the platform’s creator toolbox. This time around, the tool, dubbed AI Alive, enables creators to take their static images and turn them into short-form videos. The capability runs through the TikTok Story feature and largely aims to incentivize creators to post to their Story more often [and engage them as a user too].

THREADS → The platform has rolled out its Account Status feature with the aim of giving creators a better idea of what’s happening with their posts and their profile. Specifically, the feature will allow creators to see what actions Threads has taken on any posts/replies of theirs that were marked in violation of Threads Community Standards. Second to that, the Account Status feature will allow creators to submit review requests on content that’s been flagged that they think was wrongly flagged. Details on how to access Account Status can be found here.

PINTEREST → The aesthetics-centric platform is getting in the future of linguistics whether they realize it or not with their new search features. Geared toward making it easier for users to search for items they like, the platform’s latest AI-generated feature will attribute descriptors to items within an image that will then provide users with search terms they can use on Pinterest that will actually get them more of what they’re looking for. The update also includes a new way to search images via the search bar itself. This feature is only available for what Pinterest identifies as fashion content at the moment, but will be expanded to other categories in the coming months.

INSTAGRAM → Coming to an Instagram profile near you is the launch of the platform’s ‘lockable Reels’ feature. The still-in-testing-mode capability enables creators to put exclusive content behind a code/password ‘protected’ wall that requires users/viewers/followers to engage in a specific way to gain access to the content. The goal with the features is two-fold, to enhance engagement with followers that are invested in an account/creator and to create a sense of exclusivity for those followers.

LINKEDIN → Whether you write a newsletter like this one, a blog, or work on a platform where embedding social media posts is critical to getting your message across, this update might make your day. LinkedIn has rolled out an update that allows video posts from the platform to be embedded in content you create elsewhere online. Is the process for doing so, which you can get the gist on here, a little odd? Sure. Is it a step in the right direction for cross-promoting LinkedIn content across your platforms? Definitely.

HOW THEY CREATED IT

The BTS with a creator in social impact

MEET CAM JAMES: Cam James is a musician, indie filmmaker, and digital advertising expert based in Atlanta, GA. His resume includes creative work across music and film including the co-founding of a live streaming concert company, collaborations with international producers, and high-level political interviews.

What's something you wish someone told you before starting to make content?

“I’d like to say that there’s one thing that would’ve changed my trajectory, but I think you need to go through the ups and downs of this business to truly learn the lessons. If I had the opportunity to quit my corporate job all over again in order to pursue full-time YouTube filmmaking, I’d do it in a heartbeat. The same applies to the political content I’ve made and the rigorous content publishing schedule I adopted, because they taught me more about the creator I want to be and the legacy I want to leave.”

How do you get ideas for content? What does this process look like for you?

“I get my ideas from living my life and staying updated on the world around me. If people can’t relate – which happens sometimes, I have my own unique perspective – the video won’t be very successful. My primary rules for selecting topics are two-fold: the level of excitement I feel around telling the story, and how well it adheres to my identity (as a person first, and as a brand second).” 

When thinking of a dream content collab, what would it be? Who would it be with?

“There’s no specific “who”, because I don’t get a lot of satisfaction from celebrities – at least not based on fame alone. I’d only seek out renowned creators for collaboration based on their credibility within a specific subject. Any investigative story packs more of a punch when you’re able to include experts that the viewer can connect with or relate to.”  

What tips would you give to a creator on engaging with their community? What about building a community?

“I built my community based on personal connection. For my entire first year on YouTube, I responded to a large percentage of the tens of thousands of comments left on my channel. I don’t recommend that everyone does that…there’s no shortcut to building community though; you have to connect to people in the ways you feel comfortable and make that a consistent thing.” 

As a creator yourself, what are you always excited to see other creators doing? Any trends or styles that come to mind?

“I’m always excited to see creators citing their sources. I’ve made it a standard inclusion in my work, and I think it’s a vital part of keeping our social content infrastructure intact. If people can’t trust what they watch, they’ll share faulty information that hurts everyone.”

HEADLINES

News at a glance from ‘round the creator sphere

• TubeFilter: Spotify podcast “plays” are a new metric for a booming industry

• Variety: Studio71 Launches AI-Powered Service to Streamline Multiplatform Digital Publishing

• The Hollywood Reporter: Peacock’s Next Four Scripted Shows Are From Digital Creators

• The Information: TikTok Working on Photo Messaging Feature Despite Employee Concerns Over Sextortion

SOCIAL CURRANT CAMPAIGN CORNER

Spotlighting a paid campaign

The Campaign Focus: Support for Unions

Date Available: Now - Summer 2025

Location Requirement: N/A

Content Type: Short-form content; creators can work in any niche

Next steps: Interested creators should drop a quick note to [email protected] 

P.S. & BTW, the Social Currant platform has a new feature where creators [that just might be YOU] can pitch themselves for additional paid campaign opportunities. To access the feature, and get paid to post with your values front and center, join the platform.

LET’S GET SOCIAL

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