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Extra Value | What's Next for Creator X

Extra Value | What's Next for Creator X

PLUS: TikTok Shop is hotter than ever and what we're doing about it!

Creator X & JT Barnett
September 30, 2025

What’s Hot?

From Creator to Content Architect 🎯

We’re hitting a new era of creators! The next wave isn’t just about making content it’s being a “Content Architect”. This will be someone who runs their own operating system, blending human teams with AI agents to bring a vision to life. If you’re an SMM or working in content, it’s time to start thinking different, give this clip a watch.

How AI is shifting the paradigm of work

We’re in the middle of THE biggest shift. AI is opening up a third path somewhere between the lines of being an employee and entrepreneur. Now you can test ideas, build products, and even launch apps without quitting your job. The barrier to entry has never been lower, and you don’t need to leave your 9-5 to build something real on the side. ⚡️

Nike’s TV, Social, and Influencer Blueprint

One shoot… three Outcomes. Nike’s new campaign is the perfect playbook for how to stretch your budget the smart way. Ask yourself, who does our audience actually trust, how do we design all angles to be shot together, and who can speak TV + social + influencer fluently? Any brand can do this the right strategy (regardless of the size).

20 Rules for Content in 2026

Robert dropped some heat on how to prep for 2026. The biggest wins come from locking in your positioning, going deep instead of chasing views and virality, and building a repeatable format while still experimenting. Create like a media company, but anchor it in a personality that can’t be copied… you’ll win every time. 🤙

What people miss about content… still! 🤯

The creator economy is about to double from $250B to $500B and you don’t need to quit your job or go full-time influencer to get a piece of it. Start a newsletter, launch a niche TikTok, spin up an LTK fits page… use it as both a creative outlet and an opportunity engine. That’s the power of creating. ⚡️

MrBeast hires NBCU’s Corie Henson to run Beast Studios

Henson has spent decades scaling unscripted franchises, and now she’s bringing that experience to Beast Industries. The goal here is deff to build the next Disney! What that looks like is bigger IP worlds that stretch across platforms and formats, not just one-off viral stunts. I’m thinking characters, storylines, and universes that fans can plug into for years. That’s the leap from being a creator to running a full entertainment empire.

TikTok Shop is becoming a real retail channel

The growth of TT shop is actually wild 🔥. Gross merchandise value went from around $1B in 2021 to about $33B in 2024. In the US, shops jumped from just over 4,000 to more than 230,000 in two years. The concept is simple: think like a creator, not a brand. The real ones succeed when they’re able to build loyalty.

Threads is on pace to overtake X

Threads is running neck and neck with X on daily active users, and in some cases even pulling ahead. The numbers aren’t exact since web and app data don’t line up perfectly, but the takeaway is clear. For creators and brands: go where your audience actually is, test the waters, and double down where you see real engagement.

Airbnb 🤝 influencer affiliates

Airbnb just launched a new influencer affiliate program in France, leaning harder into creator-driven growth. They are hiring someone full-time to run it, manage influencer relationships, track performance, and keep content aligned with the brand. This isn’t a one-off campaign. It is a bigger signal that long-term creator partnerships are where brands are heading.

TikTok gets a US lifeline

Trump just gave the green light for TikTok to keep running in the U.S. through a new deal. The app’s American operations will spin off into a separate company, with U.S. investors taking control of the algorithm. This move is all about meeting the law that forced TikTok to separate from ByteDance. For creators, it means the platform stays alive, but the next chapter could feel different with new owners steering the ship.

Founder’s Corner

TikTok Shop is the hottest thing in the creator economy right now. Creators (and AI influencers) are pumping out UGC clips by the thousands, brands are spending some big time cash on the next viral wave, and products are selling out in minutes. On the surface, it looks like a gold rush. But if you zoom in, there’s a lot more going on. I’ve been watching this very closely, and the pattern looks familiar. 🤔

Where Creators Are Struggling

For most creators, TikTok Shop feels less like an opportunity and more like a treadmill. They’re being turned into ad machines… every day, they’re cranking out UGC for products they don’t really care about, hoping one video takes off.

Yes, this probably creates short-term sales, but it doesn’t build a channel people keep coming back to. Eventually these people will see lower engagement rates, lose trust and experience burn out. The creators I talk to feel this pressure already, if every paycheck depends on selling, the trust that built the audience disappears.

Why Brands Aren’t Winning Either

Brands face a mirror problem. As creators burn out, companies are forced to constantly recruit new ones, throwing more money at testing and hoping for the next viral hit. Ad spend keeps climbing, and brand image starts to suffer when audiences see through inauthentic promotions.

It’s a short-term cycle that doesn’t reward anyone. More creators, more spend, less return.

A Shift in Mindset

Here’s where I think things need to change: treat creators like long-term partners, not one-off ad slots.

That means helping them build sustainable influence the way traditional influencers have always done. Creators should align with products they actually care about and brands should commit to relationships that last beyond a single campaign.

What We’re Doing at CreatorX

We’re taking a different approach with CreatorX. With our network of 10,000 rising creators, we’re helping them get set up on TikTok Shop in a way that prioritizes trust, authentic product alignment, and sustainable growth.

The experiment is simple: instead of chasing quick conversions, we’re focusing on building creators into long-term partners for brands. If we can prove this model, it could reshape how creator commerce works. TikTok Shop is still young, and that’s the exciting part. We get to decide what kind of ecosystem it becomes.

So what happens when we get this right?

The creators and brands who invest in trust and relationships will be the ones still standing five years from now.

- Brands spend less because their creator partnerships keep delivering.

- Audiences engage more because the promotions feel authentic.

- Creators earn more because their channels keep growing instead of collapsing.

The short-term spike turns into long-term compounding. Everyone wins.

👉 Curious to hear your thoughts on this. Do you see TT Shop as a short-term sales channel, or the foundation for next gen influencer partnerships.