Hey, how you doing? Did you finish House of the Dragon yet? This isn't the newsletter for spoilers, so don't be concerned about seeing any... BUT after you create some content today, get to it if you haven't.

Now, let's discuss the stuff you're all here for! 👇

Big Changes Are Coming To YouTube 👀

What happened? YouTube announced some new product features and design changes coming to the platform. Their hope is that these updates will result in a "more modern and immersive viewing experience." So, let's discuss the changes and them impact (if any) they'll have on creators.

New color themes are coming. YouTube is releasing an ambient mode, which was apparently a huge hit during testing. All this really seems to be is a darker dark mode to make the colors of your videos pop. Is this a huge deal for creators? Not so much, but could create a better experience for your viewers.

No more red subscribe button. If you're in the habit of saying, "turn that red subscribe button gray" in your videos, you may want to stop sooner than later.

Here's what the new subscriber button will look like in ambient mode... ⤵️

No more "click the link in the description." Links in your video descriptions will now be buttons. Additionally, "frequent actions such as like, share and download, are now formatted to minimize distraction." You can see those changes in the picture above, but we have yet to get our hands on a "Link Button" preview. Let us know if you have one!

You can now zoom in on videos on mobile. YouTube announced a new feature called pinch to zoom, which allows you to zoom in on videos while watching on mobile devices (Android and iOS). Once you zoom in, the video will stay zoomed until you zoom back out. This may present an opportunity to create more interactive content, asking your audience to zoom in and out on different objects within your videos. May be a stretch, but it could be a good idea...

Last, but certainly not least - the big one. YouTube is switching to rounded corners for thumbnails. This feature is slowly rolling out to creators. It seems that YouTube adjusts the thumbnail image automatically to round off the corners, so nothing needs to be done on the creator's end. Keep the same resolution you've been using (i.e. 1920x1080). Check out what they'll look like... ⤵️

For all of the new features, check out the YouTube Official Blog post here.

The Top 3 Affiliate Marketing Platforms Creators Are Using To Make Money 💰

How affiliate marketing works. Creators work with a company directly or with an affiliate marketing platform to get special links to products or services that might be a good fit for their audience. They put these links in Instagram Story “swipe-ups,” link-in-bio landing pages, or the comments below YouTube videos. When a customer uses their link to buy the product or service, the creator gets a commission (usually between 1% and 20%).

Affiliate marketing is the best way for emerging or smaller creators to start monetizing as soon as possible. So let's talk about the 3 most popular platforms.

Amazon Associates

What is it? Amazon Associates is one of the most popular affiliate marketing programs available today. It is also one of the simplest to get started with. It works as it sounds - you put links in your video descriptions or blog/website that lead customers to products on Amazon. Best part about Amazon Associates is that EVERYTHING is on Amazon.

How much can you make? When a customer clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission rate that ranges from 4% to 10%, depending on the product category.

LTK

What is it? LTK, previously known as LikeToKnow, was founded by a creator for creators. If you sign up as an LTK Creator, you , get a customized URL and an in-app page called an “LTK Shop” where you can feature a shopping list of affiliate links for your followers. Think of it as an online store that you can fill with your favorite brands and earn money from sales.

How much can you make? The commission rates vary depending on the brand, but tend to hover around 10%.

Magic Links

What is it? Magic Links is a premium affiliate platform working with brands like Lululemon, Prada, Fendi, and Lacoste. They're a bit more exclusive only working with about 30,000 creators. They have a tool that allows you to conduct affiliate marketing through text messages and offer access to ObsessedWith.it - an app that gives you shoppable links for Instagram and YouTube.

How much can you make? You don't really see commission rates better than Magic Links. They offer 10% to 30% on average, but have had offers up to 70%. This means if a viewer of yours buys a $100 product, you get $70!

Quick Clicks 💻

• Pinterest launches new video content approach

• Will Snapchat's newest filters be AI-generated?

• What you need to make amazing content

• How to maximize efficiency as a creator

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