I just lately hopped a six-hour flight from Lagos to attend my very first worldwide convention: SXSW London. Full disclosure — I had no thought what I used to be strolling into.
You may know South by Southwest from its annual Austin takeover: wall-to-wall tech demos, indie movie premieres, breakout music acts, and sufficient model activations to fill a small metropolis. Since launching in 1987, it’s develop into synonymous with inventive experimentation and culture-shaping concepts.
This yr, the organizers packed that very same vitality into the London neighborhoods of Shoreditch and Hoxton for the competition’s first-ever European version earlier in June.
I went in with two easy targets:
- Study from the people who find themselves constructing the creator financial system.
- Join with different creators and entrepreneurs.
The fact was a bit extra nuanced. Queues fo rsessions snaked across the block, venue-hopping required a crash course within the London transportation system, and I positively missed extra periods than I attended.
However the rooms I did squeeze into delivered deep-dive panels on the way forward for AI, brutally sincere talks about pay for creators, and conversations that rewired how I take into consideration content material creation and profession longevity as a marketer.
My primary takeaway? The creator financial system is not nearly influencers anymore. It is about anybody utilizing the web to make their work seen, construct an viewers, and create sustainable revenue streams. In the event you’ve ever posted about your experience, pitched your self by way of LinkedIn, or questioned methods to flip your information into income, these insights are for you.
1. Audiences crave presence over polish — and your “tough drafts” is likely to be your finest content material
Audiences are inclined to scroll previous excellent, studio-level posts and cease on something that feels actual and in-the-moment.
“Individuals don’t open Instagram searching for a billboard — they’re searching for somebody to hang around with.” — Charlotte Stavrou, SevenSix Company
- Behind the scenes outperforms spotlight reels. Charlotte Stavrou, founding father of SevenSix Company, stated her shopper, who has 15,000 Instagram followers, routinely outdoes creators with six-figure followings in engagement as a result of she posts uncooked, day-to-day snippets — not shiny shoots.
- Manufacturers at the moment are briefing for imperfection. Max Fosh instructed the Assume Like a Creator crowd that shaky, hand-held clips of his filming course of spark extra feedback than his absolutely produced items — and shoppers have began requesting that vibe on objective.
- Lo-fi content material alerts belief, not sloppiness. A number of audio system famous that unhealthy audio, and shaky digital camera clips sign {that a} human made a bit of content material which in flip cues engagement.
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Present the method: publish tough sketches, messy whiteboards, or bloopers.
- Narrate in actual time with captions like “Testing two intros, inform me which one resonates.”
- Go away minor flaws — shaky footage or your “ums” and “ahs” make content material relatable.
In the event you’re a model
- Rethink the transient: if you need “genuine,” skip the studio-lighting necessities.
- Measure dialog (saves, shares, considerate feedback) alongside attain.
- Funds for a number of touchpoints — teaser, primary publish, follow-up Q&A — so the story feels natural.
Fast train
Share one unpolished “work-in-progress” clip this week. Monitor saves, shares, and significant feedback for seven days, then examine along with your final polished add.
2. Manufacturers need authenticity however want higher methods to measure it
Panelists identified that manufacturers love the phrase genuine but nonetheless choose a marketing campaign by follower rely and double-taps.
“Creators will ship when there’s a single bull’s-eye, but when the transient says, ‘Point out us within the first 30 seconds, keep 100% genuine, go viral and drive all of the week-one gross sales,’ you’ve given us 4 completely different targets — and no one hits a bull’s-eye on 4 targets without delay.” — Callux, YouTuber
- Mis-matched metrics: Charlotte Stavrou described pitching a creator with stellar click-through knowledge solely to be requested, “However is 80 % of her viewers within the UK?”—ignoring that a lot of the purchaser visitors really got here from the U.S.
- One-post verdicts: Comic Grace Campbell shared a deal that fizzled as a result of a model anticipated prompt gross sales from a single Reel. (“A warm-up story? Not within the funds.”)
- Billboard mindset: Max Fosh joked that some briefs learn like: We purchased 60 seconds of your video — please deal with it like a Instances Sq. display screen.
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Outline success upfront: ask the model to choose two prime metrics (consciousness, engagement, conversions).
- Clarify your knowledge and why it’s beneficial: viewers geography, repeat viewers, typical conversion window.
- Pitch a mini-funnel (teaser → primary publish → recap) and value the entire journey.
- Acquire your receipts — screenshots of DMs or lengthy feedback that present the depth of connection your viewers has to your content material.
In the event you’re a model
- Audit briefs: does the measurement match the request for “genuine” content material?
- Decide clear targets earlier than filming begins; let the creator optimise for them.
- Funds for warm-up content material — chilly audiences hardly ever purchase on day one.
- Monitor sentiment (questions, buy mentions) as significantly as you monitor likes.
Fast train
Pull up your final sponsored publish. Categorise the primary 20 feedback into:
- Emojis / “Love this!”
- Actual questions or tales
- Buy intent (“Simply ordered!”)
If Class 1 dominates, your subsequent partnership wants a hotter build-up—or clearer metrics—earlier than anybody calls it a win.
3. Virality is sweet, however belief is what sticks
Fast wins really feel good, however long-term belief is the actual development engine.
“Audiences wish to assist creators, completely, however they should really feel it’s actual.”— Max Fosh, YouTuber.
- Creators are passing on misaligned initiatives, even when they pay nicely. In Assume Like a Creator, Callux stated he skips well-paid briefs that really feel off-brand: “One mismatched advert can undo months of goodwill.”
- Manufacturers undervalue runway. Panels on pay revealed offers cancelled after a single publish didn’t “transfer numbers,” ignoring that group buy-in takes time.
- Even the AI keynote agreed. Deepak Chopra known as belief the scarce useful resource in our more and more automated trade.
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Pitch campaigns as a mini-series (teaser, primary publish, follow-up Q&A).
- Add a line explaining why you utilize a product, not simply that you just do.
- Monitor loyalty by way of returning viewers, repeat patrons, considerate DMs — alongside attain.
In the event you’re a model
- Plan not less than two or three creator touchpoints; belief compounds over time, so one publish typically isn’t sufficient.
- Ask for viewers sentiment screenshots, not simply impressions.
- Give creators management of pacing — they know when their group is prepared for a CTA.
Fast train
To your subsequent partnership, run it as a two-step sequence:
- Heat-up: story or Reel teasing the product/drawback.
- Predominant publish: the sponsored piece, plus a pinned remark inviting questions.
Examine significant replies (questions, buy intent) to your final one-and-done advert. A deeper thread means you’re constructing belief, not simply visitors.
4. AI gained’t take your job — however it can change the way you do it
AI popped up in virtually each session, but the consensus stayed grounded: the tech removes friction; it doesn’t substitute the creator.
“AI could make you quicker; it simply can’t make you you.” — David Web page, Founder at Viewture
- Velocity over substitution. In How Corporations and Expertise Are Evolving, panelists rattled off use-cases — auto-captions, script outlines, multi-language dubbing — that shave hours however don’t take over your distinctive voice.
- Human instinct nonetheless wins. At Assume Like a Creator, audio system agreed the best-performing posts hinge on timing, nuance, and tone — instincts that no LLM (giant language mannequin) can pretend.
- Creators are susceptible to sameness. Grace Campbell warned that over-reliance on AI flattens character: “If ChatGPT writes everybody’s jokes, everybody tells the identical punchline.”
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Purpose AI at duties that really feel like chores: captions, tough drafts, thumbnail concepts.
- Feed it your previous posts so the output echoes your voice.
- Double-check cultural nuance or humour—fashions nonetheless miss tone.
In the event you’re a model
- Anticipate creators to make use of AI of their workflow — choose them on perception, not keystrokes.
- Don’t transient for “AI-generated content material.” Quick output is pointless if it feels generic.
- Ask how the creator retains their voice whereas rushing supply.
Fast train
Decide one repetitive job — say, 60-second captions.
- Time your self doing it manually.
- Run the identical clip by way of an AI caption instrument, then evenly edit for tone.
- Examine minutes saved. Spend that reclaimed time replying to feedback or refining the hook.
If the publish lands the identical (or higher) and also you saved quarter-hour, preserve the instrument; if the captions really feel off-brand, scrap it. You wish to be extra environment friendly and enhancing prompts might not be the best means to try this.
5. Creators at the moment are small-business homeowners
Right this moment’s profitable creators suppose like founders, not freelancers.
“You’re not hiring an individual for one publish, you’re partnering with an organization.” — Liam Parkinson, Co-Founder at inflverse
- Multi-hyphenates are the norm. Grace Campbell juggles stand-up, a podcast, and a self-funded TV pilot. Callux runs a sneaker label alongside YouTube.
- Revenue and loss statements over recognition. Future’s CEO stated full-time creators now search development capital the way in which startups do — hiring editors, renting studios, even financing feature-length docs.
- Diversification beats virality. Alex Segal (founder at Intertalent) described it as “ten lanes at 110 km/h” — when advert CPMs dip, programs, dwell exhibits, or licensing carry the load.
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Map your income pillars. Purpose for not less than three (model offers, digital merchandise, group subscriptions, dwell occasions).
- Monitor prices, not simply cash-in. Software program, gear, freelancers—all hit margin. Know your month-to-month burn.
- Shield your IP early. Register emblems, lock down utilization rights, retailer uncooked information—future licensing is determined by clear possession.
- Put money into programs earlier than scale. Easy SOPs for enhancing, posting, and buyer assist beat scrambling after a viral spike.
In the event you’re a model
- Deal with outreach like a B2B deal — count on scopes, timelines, and debriefs.
- Funds for longer collaborations; shared upside (affiliate, income sharing) typically outperforms flat charges.
- Acknowledge the creator’s back-office group — undertaking managers, editors, group mods — and pay for that infrastructure.
6. The creators who final depend on programs, not spur-of-the-moment hustle
Longevity comes from constructing routines that make posting predictable and shield inventive vitality.
“A very good system beats temper. If I solely created when motivated, I’d publish as soon as a month.” — Max Fosh
- Batch, then breathe. Audio system in Assume Like a Creator in contrast notes on filming a number of movies in a single block, then scheduling releases.
- Set clear “off” home windows. A couple of creators talked about taking a daily screen-free day (weekly or bi-weekly) to reset, even throughout launch cycles.
- Checklists over guesswork. A number of talked about easy templates—file-naming guidelines, caption codecs, export presets—that flip each new undertaking right into a rinse-and-repeat circulate.
What does this imply in follow?
In the event you’re a creator
- Lock in a cadence you may preserve. Determine what number of posts suit your life, block that point on the calendar, and deal with it like shopper work.
- Doc your workflow as soon as so you may all the time repeat it. Be aware your file construction, enhancing steps, most popular caption types so that each piece begins at step three, not step zero.
- Batch and financial institution your content material. Document or draft a number of items in a single sitting; schedule them so journey or low-energy days don’t break your streak.
- Evaluate month-to-month. Automate, delegate, or drop any step that also feels heavy.
In the event you’re a model
- Ask in regards to the creator’s manufacturing rhythm, and respect it. Quick-notice briefs can break the system (and the connection).
- Present belongings — logos, product photographs, key messages — in a single tidy folder to fit straight into their workflow.
- Measure consistency as a lot as spikes; a dependable creator partnership outperforms a single viral hit in the long term.
Fast train
In your subsequent publish, time every step from thought to publish. Construct a mini-checklist in Notion or Google Docs, then comply with it on the subsequent piece. In the event you lower even 20 % off the entire time, lock that guidelines in as your new commonplace working process.
Your subsequent publish could possibly be your finest one but
SXSW London was a reminder that nobody — creators or manufacturers — wants extra strain to publish. What we want are sharper questions, clearer programs, and higher alerts for what’s really working.
Whether or not you’re a creator rethinking success metrics or a marketer experimenting with new partnership codecs, the neatest strikes aren’t all the time the flashiest. They’re those that make it simpler to maintain going.
Whether or not it’s rethinking the way you measure success, experimenting with new codecs, or lastly constructing a workflow that protects your vitality — the perfect strikes aren’t all the time the flashiest. They’re those who make it simpler to maintain going.
In the event you’re feeling impressed to attempt one thing new after studying this, listed here are a couple of fast experiments to kickstart your subsequent publish:
- Strive posting a carousel as a substitute of a single picture or video
- Repurpose a top-performing publish with a brand new hook or format
- Share an in-progress thought and ask your viewers what they suppose
- Batch-create three posts in a single sitting and schedule them in Buffer
- Create a “Trial Reel” to check a brand new thought with out risking your attain
And if you happen to’ve already tried one thing from this checklist — or plan to — I’d love to listen to the way it went. You’ll find me on Threads, or come say hello within the Buffer Discord.
Keep in mind: your subsequent publish doesn’t have to be excellent — it simply wants to maneuver you ahead.
