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- Keeping It Currant: The Latest in Social Impact x The Creator Economy
Keeping It Currant: The Latest in Social Impact x The Creator Economy
A chat with Andrew Townsend (Papi Dre), 3 trends for soft-launching political content, and TikTok audios for election szn
Social Currant
September 30, 2024
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. This issue includes:
A creator interview with Andrew Townsend (Papi Dre)
Three creative strategies for soft-launching political content on your platforms
TikTok audios to pair with your election season content
Resources to tap into, include a Moo Deng meme generator
An FAQs section for creators testing out political content [email us your Q’s!]
P.S. & BTW, before you scroll, make sure to pop in and say hello in the Social Currant creator-dedicated Slack channel, here.
WE’LL KEEP IT BRIEF
Creator briefings to add to your cal
CREATOR BRIEFING: REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE POLLING DATA BRIEFING WITH NAVIGATOR
About: Navigator is the go-to resource for nonpartisan polling data for how Americans feel about a variety of important issues. Join one of their pollsters, Rachael Russell, & other experts from the Navigator team to learn about how Americans' beliefs around Reproductive Justice vary demographically, and how we as creators can talk about Reproductive Justice more effectively in our content. Come prepared with questions around how you can talk about reproductive justice on your page and what is motivating people to show up to the polls in November.
When: Tuesday, October 1, 2024; 3:00-3:45pm EST
Where: Virtual; Zoom
SOMOS PAC: CREATOR BRIEFING
About: Somos PAC is hitting the ground running on a massive scale as we get closer to Election Day via door knocking in support of Kamala Harris, investing millions of dollars in bilingual TV radio, mail and digital ads, and organizing events across Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And Latino creators like you, have an opportunity to plug in and play a key role in creating change, starting with this briefing, where you’ll:
Learn which Latino celebs are joining our fight in the coming weeks
See results from phase 1 of our creator program & learn more about phase 2
Hear from SOMOS President & Founder Melissa Morales
Hear the results of SOMOS’ latest research project on Gen-Z & Millennial Latinos
When: Monday, September 30, 2024; 4:00-4:45pm EST
Where: Virtual; Zoom
THE DINNER SERIES
Join fellow creators in your area for politics x good eats
Social Currant’s dinner series may be coming to a city near you – more specifically, your city. Join the crew for an evening of conversation around progressive politics and getting out the vote, as well as networking with fellow creators from your area. Upcoming cities include:
RSVP is required to attend
GETTING STARTED
Three simple ways to soft-launch politics into your content
ROUTINE CONTENT: Whether you document your daily/weekly routine in a vlog, a video recap, or with a carousel of images that showcase the 411, you can integrate a tidbit of politics into it. Activities that you could share that would subtly to not so subtle share that you’re interested in the political world:
Sharing that you checked your voter registration during the day, post-work, at lunch with friends, etc
Sharing a political podcast that you listened to on your way somewhere [plus what you thought of it]
Sharing a newsletter or newspaper you started the day with [part of the breakfast routine]
Sharing that you chatted about a political topic when you met up with a friend for drinks
RECENT ARTICLES: Whether your favorite way to share links is in your Stories, on X or Threads, or elsewhere, you can share a range of recent reads. These can be articles or they can be books – obviously articles enable you to share more frequently, unless you’re a marathon book reader. Present a mix of article topics and types, and naturally throw in at least one that’s political in topic.
SCENERY CONTENT: Let the landscape speak to you – if you see for example, a political sticker out in the wild that aligns with your aesthetic, add it to your Story or in a carousel round-up. The image or video will speak for itself and thus point to where your POV lands.
Classic questions, quick answers
Taking the leap into adding social impact and/or politically-focused content into your feeds comes with loads of questions before, during, and even after. And to those questions, we have the quick answers, starting with answers to these two FAQs:
“If I post about politics or an issue area that I care about, does that mean all of my content has to become political in nature?”
Not at all! What you post on your platforms is up to you first of all. Second, the content should align with your goals for your platforms, and those goals do not have to be limited to one niche. If anything, showcasing your breadth as a content creator, that shows more of who you are, provides an opportunity for building a more authentic connection to your followers, old and new.
“What happens if I post political content and I lose followers?”
Transparently, this does happen. It is a risk to consider, and before you hit post you should certainly check-in with yourself to make sure that you’re okay with that “result.” Something to consider is that there could be a million other reasons over the years that someone or a group of people may unfollow your accounts – in the case of politics, it would be for something that you personally care about as opposed to something more superficial. Overall, the first political post you do is when you will most likely lose the most followers and/or receive any sassy messages, comments of “ I’m unfollowing,” and so on. It’s a temporary moment.
If you’ve considered dipping your toes into social impact or political content at any scale, but you have questions on what that may look like, how it could impact your accounts, or just generally how politics intersects with content creation, send us a note at [email protected] for consideration in an upcoming FAQs segment.
CURRANT AUDIO LIBRARY
TikTok audios to use for election szn
Use this audio as a prompt for followers to ask you questions about a specific political topic that you’re well-informed in.
Use this audio to highlight the GOP coming for DEI with Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s verbal takedown.
Use this audio to showcase policies or candidates that ‘eat.’
Use this audio to highlight going to ‘get margs and talk shit’ with a pal but specifically to talk shit about a problematic candidate or elected official.
Use this audio for any clips or content in support of the Harris-Walz campaign.
Use this audio to point to someone in politics that fits the “morally corrupt” descriptor from RHOBH.
RESOURCE ROUND-UP
Something to save, something to use
Moo Deng is debatably the most famous hippo in the world right now thanks to becoming a meme sensation so B I G that Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s team made their own football x Moo Deng variation. You can also jump into the world of Moo Deng memes by creating your own with this AI meme generator.
Move over Webster’s, there’s a new dictionary in town – Hootsuite’s Social Media Dictionary, which has just about every term under the sun that can be used to explain what you do online to a brand and that parent that calls Facebook, “The Facebook.”
Having a bookmark-able set of creator resources to tap into on the go is a win in our book, which is why this notion HQ of Social Currant creator resources exists.
Community Change Action is looking for up to 15 creators to make GOTV election-focused content. Apply to participate here.
Newsletter creators – this round-up of best practices is built for you, and built for making your newsletter an even bigger success.
Paid campaigns? Yes, please! Check out available campaigns to apply for, here.
HOW THEY CREATED IT
The BTS with creators that have knocked it out of the park
Meet Andrew Townsend, also known as “Papi Dre.” Andrew is a dynamic content creator with over 3.2 million followers, renowned for his engaging pop culture and storytelling videos. Andrew has collaborated with top brands like Target, History Channel, Heelys, Lyft, and Checkers & Rally’s, as well as social impact campaigns, like Courage for America. Andrew is an expert in internet culture and unabashedly stands behind his values, making him a standout figure in the digital space.
Image via Andrew Townsend.
What's something you wish someone told you before starting to make content?
“I wish someone had told me that consistency and authenticity are more important than perfection. Don't be afraid to start before you're 'ready,' because the journey is where you really learn and grow. Never forget to cross-post on every social media platform because you never know where it might blow up.”
Why is making political content so important to you?
“Making political content is important to me because it allows me to engage with issues that directly impact people's lives. Politics influences everything. By creating political content, I can help inform, inspire, and encourage others to think critically, get involved, and make their voices heard.”
What would you really like to see evolve in the political content space in the coming months? Are there any change points you're excited for?
“Other creators are scared to engage in political work for good. Some think they will no longer be “Brand Friendly” or are scared they will lose followers but really it only brings your community closer and shows that you care about the world around you.”
How do you get ideas for content? What does this process look like for you?
“I get ideas for content by staying deeply connected to what’s happening in the world around me. I get a ton of inspiration from simply scrolling on social media and using my storytelling mindset to turn an event into a video. I jot down ideas as they come to me, whether it’s through a structured brainstorming session or a spontaneous thought during the day. I then organize these ideas into a content calendar, planning out when and how I’ll bring each concept to life. The process is a mix of strategic planning and creative inspiration”
When thinking of a dream content collab, what would it be? Who would it be with?
“When I think of a dream content collaboration, it would be something that combines creativity, social impact, and a good laugh that will keep the viewer entertained. I would love to collaborate with The Rock or Drake.”
HEADLINES
News at a glance from ‘round the creator sphere
Tubefilter: TikTok wants you to subscribe
Search Engine Land: Google recognizes content creators: A breakthrough for E-E-A-T and SEO
The Hill: Obama goes to TikTok to push voter registration
Social Media Today: Pinterest Adds Collage Remix and Sharing Options
Gothamist: NYC is the ‘capital of TikTok,’ says the 27-year-old mogul behind some of its biggest shows
Say hi!
Social Currant | Girl and the Gov® |