Welcome to the latest issue of Keeping It Currant, a newsletter brought to you by Social Currant & Girl and the Gov®. If you’re new here, this monthly inbox drop lives at the intersection of the creator economy and the social impact space, providing the latest need-to-know on how to navigate this rapidly evolving digital space. And since we’re doing introductions, before you scroll, be sure to pop in and say hello in the Social Currant’s Slack channel for creators, here.
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ADD TO THE CAL
Creator events to add to your cal
MENTAL HEALTH WORKSHOP WITH THE JED FOUNDATION
About: The Jed Foundation recognizes that content creators face distinct mental health challenges — from managing intense online criticism to handling the weight of influence when followers turn to you for guidance on serious topics. Cue, this workshop, which will equip you with tools to protect your mental health while continuing to do the work you love.
When: September 30, 2025; 6:00-6:45pm EST
Where: Virtual
BUILD BACK NYC: AN UNMUTED CONVERSATION WITH MAJORITY LEADER AMANDA FARIAS
About: The Unmuted Social Club is hosting an off-the-record conversation on housing and what economic development is in the context of NYC with Majority Leader Amanda Farias.
When: October 2, 2025; 6:00-7:30pm
Where: Shared upon registration approval.
THE SOCIAL CURRANT CREATOR DINNER SERIES: DALLAS
About: Social Currant’s dinner series for creators is coming to Dallas, Texas! Join fellow creators for a dinner focused on getting to know one another and how to utilize your platform to make a meaningful impact.
When: October 7, 2025 starting at 7pm
Where: Dallas, Texas
VIDSUMMIT
About: VidSummit is a conference that aims to help creators level-up their craft through engaging and interactive programming where attendees will get to hear from creators excelling in the space on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and the tricks of the trade.
When: October 7-9, 2025
Where: Dallas, TX
FOSSIL-FREE FUTURE: FREELANCE MIXER
About: Clean Creatives and the People’s Impact Collective have teamed up for a professional matchmaking event that aims to put NGOs and freelancers under the same roof. The event, which requires attendees to have signed the Clean Creatives Pledge, will feature a “get to know each other” challenge as well as unstructured networking time.
When: October 8, 2025; 5:30-7:30pm EST
Where: Fabrik, NYC
CROOKED CON 2025
About: Organized by Crooked Media, Crooked Con consists of two days of panels, pods, and training(s) with leading voices in the Democratic party. Expect conversations, commiserating, and drinks.
When: November 6 & 7, 2025 [two event slots]
Where: Washington D.C.
RESOURCE ROUND-UP
Save ‘em, share ‘em
→ HOW TO GROW ON SUBSTACK: Every platform has its own idiosyncrasies, and Substack is no exception. So, if you’re new to the platform or trying to grow an existing publication, this guide will get you up to speed on how to increase your subscriber base.
→ 14 TIPS FOR GROWING ON TIKTOK: The clock app is a completely different animal than it was even a year ago, and now growing on the platform requires fresh eyes and a fresh approach. This guide from Buffer shares 14 refreshed tips for how to approach the ever-changing platform and how to grow your account(s) strategically. Oh, and dare we say tip #14 is the most important? Because duh.
→ HOW TO REPEAT A WINNING POST: If you’ve ever had a post gone viral that’s shocked you, or left you asking “wait, why did that one take off?” This guide and the template included, are for you. It’s the 1-2-3 on how to use your winning post to build out a rinse-wash-repeat strategy going forward that saves you time and rewards you with views and monetizable visibility.
→ HOW TO MAKE YOUR 1ST HIRES AS A CREATOR: Building out the team that supports what you do is a huge step — and often a scary one. This guide from Creator Economy NYC walks you through how to make it happen and what you need to consider before you bring on your first hires.
OPPORTUNITY BULLETIN
Creator-centric openings to go after
→ Apply for Pinterest’s Educator Fund: The Pinterest Educator’s Fund is aptly named as its goal is to support creators that post educational content. Selected creators for the fund will have access to educational webinars from Pinterest, get to directly connect with the Pinterest team, get insights from platform experts, and be eligible to earn a grant to support their own content journey. Interested educational creators that meet the fund’s parameters can apply here through September 26, 2026 at 9pm EST.
→ Apply for the News Creator Corps Pilot Program: The News Creator Corps is taking applications for its eight-week pilot program that aims to help creators strengthen their journalism skills. Those accepted into the inaugural cohort will get training on everything from fact checking to legal document analysis, and more to position news-focused content creators for long-term success. The application is available here and open through September 28, 2025.
→ Apply for the Burness Public Health Creator Fellowship: Burness and the American Public Health Association have teamed up to create a content creator fellowship in conjunction with the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo. The event will be held in D.C. On November 2-5, 2025, and include the selected content creator fellows in its programming. The fellowship includes a travel stipend and access to invite-only events. The application, available here, is open until September 30, 2025.
→ Pitch yourself for paid campaigns: Getting paid to post about what you care about is a win for you and a win for your audience. And on the Social Currant platform, creators like you are able to connect directly with leading progressive organizations to discuss paid collaboration opportunities. Tl;DR: instead of going down the RocketReach rabbit hole to find the right contact to pitch, you can do it through the Social Currant platform when you join here.
→ Enter the Peer Bots Halloween Competition: It’s almost Spook-tober, and that means all-things Halloween are just around the corner. With that in mind, Peer Bots is hosting a competition for makers, artists, and hobbyists to design their own robot using materials that cross their desks every day. Those that wish to enter the competition can make their robot silly or scary, but must send in their submission by October 31, 2025. Get more app deats here.
PLATFORM UPDATES
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YOUTUBE: The platform has hit the gas on unveiling new AI-powered features lately, and there are three headliners of note to know:
The first enables creators to essentially remix their own iconic one-liners, phrases, zingers, etc with music to create spicier audios that have more than just viral potential, but sustained pop culture relevancy.
The second update feels right for either a creator just starting out or one that’s overwhelmed by the volume of content they’re creating and need an assist. The update for Shorts is called Edit With AI and is meant to make vlogs or compilation videos easier to make. It essentially takes your raw footage and auto-cuts it into the order it thinks will perform best, adds music, transitions, etc.
Thirdly, YouTube has also launched new Veo capabilities for Shorts that allow creators to have their photos transformed into videos and video edits; allow creators to stylize their videos with a range of new options; and allow creators to essentially add stickers to their content made via a text description.
INSTAGRAM: For perhaps the first time in history, Instagram listened to its users and implemented a requested feature, or rather brought one back from the dead. That feature is the ability for creators to pin their own comments on their own posts [tbt to when you could do this on TikTok]. In addition to this update, the platform unveiled new DM filters recently. Of the filters and features, the headliner is the ability for creators to make their own DM folders to help organize the messages they receive.
TIKTOK: The platform has made it easier for creators to give back to the charities that they care most about by launching an in-app ‘existing fundraisers list.’ With the list, creators are able to scroll through and find fundraisers that match their values with ease. In addition to this creator-centric update, TikTok has given the user-participant side of platform fundraisers a mini glow up. Now, users will be able to copy & paste fundraiser stickers and link-in-bios from the OG source that they see it from [from a creator’s content], and include in their own content and profiles. The feature is meant to expand the reach of a fundraiser, while also connecting creators with people in their digital communities that share a mutual charitable interest.
FACEBOOK: Facebook has launched two in-app dating features to level-up its desire to compete with Hinge/Tinder/Bumble, etc. The first tidbit is called ‘dating assistant’ and is attached to its existing ‘Facebook Dating’ feature. The assistant is essentially a chat assistant that’s meant to help users find matches and get ‘personalized’ insights on dating. Then there’s Meet Cute, which matches users with a ‘surprise match’ based on Facebook’s matching algorithm. If we were to put money on anything, it would be that people are going to get matched with their exes or their siblings…but hey, maybe we just spend too much time watching TikTok horror stories.
HEADLINES
News at a glance from ‘round the creator sphere
The Verge: YouTube will let creators who spread covid misinformation back on the site
Engadget: Meta to launch national super PAC against AI regulation
DigiDay: Brands turn to Discord servers as a means to reach influencer channels in their own ‘communities’
Spotify Newsroom: Spotify and TikTok Launch ‘Big on BookTok’ Pilot Hub for Audiobook Fans
HOW THEY CREATED IT
The BTS with a creator in social impact
MEET DEJA FOXX: Deja Foxx is leading the charge against Donald Trump to build something better. Raised by a single mom in Tucson, she grew up a free lunch kid in Section 8 housing and overcame homelessness in high school to be the first in her family to graduate from college. She’s been fighting for working families since she was 16, when she stood up to GOP Senator Jeff Flake at a town hall to protect funding for Planned Parenthood. Since then, she’s led the fight for better wages, cheaper health care, and fundamental rights and freedoms.
What’s something you wish someone told you before starting to make content?
“That “just be yourself” is actually the hardest advice to follow when the internet has opinions about everything — including your voice, your clothes, your lighting. But if you know why you’re in this, what your mission is, and the impact you want to have, you can do anything.”
Why is making political content so important to you?
“Because I’ve lived the policies we’re fighting over and if we don’t tell our stories, people in power will keep pretending we don’t exist. And the content I’m creating isn’t just about me, it’s a how-to-guide for members of my generation across the country to learn how to step up and actually run for office themselves.”
What issue areas have you seen more of on social media? Which of these excite you?
“I’m seeing way more talk about housing costs and reproductive rights and I’m here for it. These are kitchen table issues that young people are finally shouting from the rooftops.”
What would you really like to see evolve in the political content space in the coming months?
“Less perfection, more people. I want raw, real stories — not just soundbites. We don’t need polish, we need power.”
What tips would you give to a creator on engaging with their community?
“Respond like a real person, not a PR bot. And show up even when you’re not “launching” something. People can tell the difference between when you’re telling the truth and when you’re selling something.”
What drew you to the niche that you’re in?
“I didn’t choose politics, politics chose me. I’ve been fighting for my survival since I was a teen, this is just where the fight lives now.”
As a creator yourself, what are you always excited to see other creators doing?
“I love when people break the fourth wall and talk straight to the camera, no script, no filter. It feels like a FaceTime from the front lines.”
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