Free video editing software: We’re talking 4K editing, color correction and visual effects. And the basic version is free! Whether you’re a YouTuber or indie filmmaker, cut, tweak and polish footage like a pro — no degree required. Get more info about DaVinci Resolve on my site.
AI could make your grocery bill soar
Kroger might charge you more if you seem rich. Their AI tests flag pricey tastes to raise prices. Most Americans still aren’t sold on EVs. Cyber kidnappings — fake abductions for cash —a re on the rise. Oh, and Gen Z? They’re all-in on becoming influencers.
Minimalist vibes, maximalist court fees: One influencer is suing another, claiming she copied her posts and “aesthetic.” Both hawk Amazon affiliate links for minimalistic “clean girl” products (aka everything boring and beige). Can vibes be copyrighted? Common sense tells me no.
500,000 fans
On Xiaohongshu (China’s Instagram) for Maye Musk. Elon’s gorgeous mom has been a model for many years and is a superstar in China. At 75, she’s a top silver-haired influencer. Maye we all be this fabulous.
“Hacktivism”: That’s when activists hack a company or person. Influencer Andrew Tate’s online coaching biz got hacked, exposing 800,000 current and former members’ personal details. For $50 a month, members receive content focused on health, fitness, finances and e-commerce. The leak includes nearly 325,000 member emails, plus chat logs with rants about “the matrix” and the “LGBTQ agenda.” Expect to see this all over your social media.
🗞️ We’re in trouble: Nearly 40% of Gen Zers get their news from social media influencers. X is the go-to news source, with Instagram close behind. Male influencers outnumber women 2-to-1, and news influencers lean a bit more right than left (27% to 21%). Wonder how long it’ll take for TikTokkers to be moderating debates.
Making money in podcasting: It’s not easy. Spotify wants to lure creators away from YouTube. Their plan? Pay hosts of popular shows and let premium subscribers watch ad-free (paywall link). YouTube pays creators 55% of ad revenue; Spotify estimates a show pulling in between 1 million and 2 million views a month would earn about $50,000 with them. That’s not a bad return, btw.
🐺 I hope this isn’t true: Online sleuths say YouTuber MrBeast has raked in $23 million through a web of crypto wallets and shady schemes. It’s got all the drama: A long trail of insider trading, misleading investors, and using his influence to pump and dump. Their proof? Transactions, charts, messages and pics of him partying with crypto entrepreneurs. Here’s the full investigation. Great read, btw.
Divorced Barbie comes with all of Ken’s stuff: When social media stars divorce, splitting assets is tough. Lawyers factor in current values, the stars’ future earning potential, and who came up with the best pranks or did the most editing. Take “MikeAndKat” — they had 4 million followers when they split. Kat got the TikTok account and blew it up, while Mike got the YouTube channel … and it flopped. Ouch.
57% of Gen Z
Want to be an influencer. Sounds like a dream, but the reality isn’t so pretty. Most influencers barely make enough to scrape by, and even the ones making bank work like crazy.
🚨 If that’s how it is, Soviet: Russia’s propaganda machine paid a Tennessee media company $10 million to post pro-Kremlin content. Tenet Media has a roster of popular right-wing influencers, including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool and Benny Johnson. The hosts say they had no clue Russia was paying them. FYI: Since November 2023, they’ve posted nearly 2,000 videos, racking up 16 million views on YouTube alone.
The new influencers: Unemployed folks are using TikTok to share “day in the life” videos with followers to show how they cope. The algorithm rewards shocking and emotional content, so it’s a good way to rack up views — and money. Better idea: Refresh your LinkedIn profile and set yourself as #OpenToWork there to find an actual job (paywall link).
Your kids know what Zyn is: You need to know, too. Zyn nicotine pouches are such a popular stimulant that influencers make money promoting them to young people … even though parent company Philip Morris International legally can’t pay influencers in the U.S. Talk to your kids about not getting hooked on it.
FTC cracks down on fake followers and reviews
Fake followers? Fake likes? The FTC is done playing around. I’ll tell you why the crackdown could mean big fines — or worse — for influencers and brands pulling these tricks.
Talk to the kids: Influencers and athletes are pushing highly addictive nicotine pouches on social media. They’re marketed to teens as flavored little bags in colorful containers. Brands include Velo, On! and Zyn.
Kids want to be influencers: You need to tell them about Clint Brantley (paywall link), a YouTube, TikTok and Twitch creator with over 400,000 followers. In 2023, he made less than $60,000. Shrinking platform payouts, fewer brand sponsorships, ever-shifting algorithms and that TikTok ban are sending influencers to real offline jobs.
#BlueCollar: That’s the hashtag Gen Z influencers are using to show young Americans that blue-collar jobs can be a goldmine. Take construction gigs, which pay newbies more than entry-level accounting jobs — and minus the student debt. They’re not giving out this knowledge just to be nice; electrician Lexis Czumak-Abreu rakes in $200,000 a year from clicks and brand deals alone.
💩 Explosive TikTok trend: Influencers are promoting drinking castor oil to detox, lose weight and fight serious illnesses, including cancer. You’ll get one thing, guaranteed … Remember, laughter is the best medicine — unless you have diarrhea.
🌞 Sun-spiracy: Some popular influencers don’t believe the sun causes skin cancer (WSJ, paywalled); instead, they blame sunscreen. Research proves sunscreen protects you from cancer — it doesn’t cause it. I posted a pic of me by the pool the other day. I can’t believe some people didn’t get my sunscreen pun in the caption. Please tell me you do!