Snap’s hustle, LinkedIn’s glow-up, TikTok’s doomsday plan 🚨📱

It’s Tuesday,

Threads hit 300M monthly active users, adding 200M this year alone as it continues to close the gap with X, which sits at 570M. With rapid growth and 100M daily actives, Threads is on pace to surpass X in 2025, though challenges like lower engagement rates and limited real-time news content remain.

Quick updates…

⏳ TikTok CEO met with Trump as the platform pushes a last-ditch Supreme Court appeal, arguing the U.S. “divest or ban” law violates First Amendment free speech protections.

🔥 BuzzFeed sold its stake in Hot Ones to a firm backed by George Soros, as it scrambles to raise cash amid looming financial pressures.

🛑 Sub Club, the app backing Mastodon client Mammoth, is shutting down, raising questions about the Fediverse's sustainability and growth.

🕶️ Meta added AI-powered translation features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, letting users get real-time translations of foreign languages directly through the wearable.

🎥 YouTube is testing opt-in options for creators to allow their videos to train third-party AI models, signaling new opportunities (and dilemmas) for AI and creators.

🎙️ YouTube is piloting voice replies for creator comments, letting creators respond directly with audio snippets instead of text.

💰 YouTube TV is offering a price lock deal for subscribers on the brink of cancellation, as it works to retain users amid rising costs.

1: Snapchat overhauls creator monetization

Snapchat is revamping how creators earn money by introducing a unified revenue program for Stories and Spotlight, its TikTok-like discovery feed.

The why: The new program simplifies monetization but raises the bar for eligibility, likely aiming to prioritize high-performing creators and increase ad revenue opportunities.

What’s changing:

• Higher benchmarks: Creators need 50,000 followers, plus either 10M Snap views, 1M Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of watch time in 28 days.

• Consistency is key: Participants must post at least 25 times per month and remain active on 10 of the last 28 days.

Previously, Spotlight only required 1,000 followers and 10,000 video views to qualify, making this a significant shift.

The bigger picture: Other platforms like TikTok and YouTube have already made similar changes, streamlining creator programs and prioritizing longer, high-quality content. Snap’s move shows its push to compete, but the stricter requirements may leave smaller creators on the sidelines.

The program rolls out widely on February 1, 2025.

2: LinkedIn wants its TikTok moment

LinkedIn is pushing a TikTok-like vertical video feed, and creators are paying attention.

Since spring, LinkedIn has gradually rolled out a new video format that encourages “short, snappy” clips featuring career tips, industry insights, and news. Creators are seeing the payoff: videos are outperforming text and photo posts.

For example, creator Meghana Dhar’s LinkedIn videos have hit millions of impressions — far surpassing her text posts. Marketing strategist Caroline Giegerich also reported three times the reach with video. LinkedIn claims video content gets 1.4x more engagement than other posts.

The platform’s video push comes as LinkedIn looks to move beyond job hunting and cement itself as a key creator space — a shift that could unlock more ad revenue and daily active users.

The challenge? Monetization.

While creators are seeing engagement explode, LinkedIn still lags in offering revenue opportunities like TikTok or YouTube’s ad-share programs. Some creators are exploring LinkedIn-focused brand deals, but the platform hasn’t launched direct payouts yet.

“If LinkedIn launches monetization for videos, that would make it all worth it,” said creator Avi Gandhi.

For now, LinkedIn’s video era offers creators an under-saturated platform to grow — but the real test will be turning those views into paychecks.

3: Influencers prep post-TikTok plans as a US ban looms

The news: TikTok creators are gearing up for a potential January 19 ban in the US, as ByteDance faces a divest-or-ban deadline. Creators and their managers are already diversifying to Instagram, YouTube, and even Snapchat to hedge their bets.

The impact: A ban would hit creators hard, especially those relying on TikTok for income via brand deals, e-commerce, and TikTok Shop. While bigger creators with audiences across platforms can adapt, small businesses and emerging creators would take the brunt of the disruption.

• “Live e-commerce is just getting started in the US, and TikTok Shop is leading the way,” said Barbara Jones, CEO of Outshine Talent.

• TikTok creator Joseph Arujo, with over 830,000 followers, is already shifting focus: “Snapchat has been my No. 1.”

The prep: Managers and agencies are advising creators to diversify their audiences:

• Focus on Instagram Reels for product linking.

• Lean into YouTube Shorts for cross-platform audiences.

• Build non-algorithm reliant communities, like newsletters and SMS lists.

The trend: While Instagram and YouTube stand to benefit, experts note that replicating TikTok’s viral, trend-driven culture won’t be easy. “Even if a platform can copy the tech, they can’t force a change in culture,” said Jasmine Enberg, VP at EMARKETER.

President-elect Trump vowed to save TikTok, but his avenues for doing so are limited.

For creators, the message is clear: rely on TikTok at your own risk.

Creator notes 📝

📈: 17 creator-economy startups that raised millions this year in areas ranging from AI to newsletters.

👀: Taylor Swift's Eras tour grossed more than $2 billion. Here's a a look at her record-breaking tour strategy.

💸: Monetize your audience by joining Envato’s Affiliate Program and earn up to $120 per new subscriber while helping your followers access millions of creative assets to elevate their content.*

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