Good morning. Beloved cooking creator Lynn “Cooking With Lynja” Davis passed away earlier this month after a years-long battle with cancer. She began posting in 2020 and amassed over 10 million subscribers on YouTube with her wholesome and funny cooking content. 

Her son said in a heartfelt Instagram post, “The final chapter my mom wrote had everything she could have ever wanted: the time of her life cooking, meeting great people, eating incredible food, traveling to amazing places, and most importantly to her, bringing joy to people everywhere.”

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Creators Test Original Content on X

On Monday, MrBeast uploaded his first full-length video directly to X (formerly Twitter) in an effort to see how its revenue sharing stacks up to other platforms.

Details to know:

• So far, the video has over 75 million views (though on X, impressions = views, while YouTube requires 30 seconds of watch-time to count a view). 

• MrBeast has 25.4 million X followers.

• FYI: MrBeast uploaded the same video to YouTube four months ago. It currently has about 200 million views there.

Context: X has recently made a big push toward original creator programming, announcing content deals with former news anchor Don Lemon, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and sports radio personality Jim Rome. Last year, ex-Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson also started an exclusive show on the platform.

X owner Elon Musk has been vocal in attempting to woo creators to his platform: In December, Musk encouraged MrBeast to upload full-length videos to X. MrBeast replied, “My videos cost millions to make and even if they got a billion views on X it wouldn’t fund a fraction of it.” 

Which brings us to today: Musk has made plenty of promises about creator revenue sharing, and (for a brief time) creators earned up to six figures from the platform…but the jury is still out on whether X can be a meaningful and consistent place for creators to monetize. Though we may get an idea soon: MrBeast said he’ll report back next week with his earnings from the video. 

What Works on YouTube Now? Creators Weigh In

A new year means a new chance to ask: What will (and won’t) work on YouTube this year?

Three veteran creators weighed in on what lies ahead in 2024…

Productivity creator Thomas Frank believes that building an audience still requires the “authenticity” of putting yourself out there and uploading consistently.

• Frank mentioned Sam Sulek (a bodybuilder who went from <10,000 subs → over 2 million in 2023) as an example of a creator who struck a chord c/o his conversational tone and near-daily vlogs. 

• But Sulek’s minimal editing is the exception, not the rule: “He is successful in spite of the low production quality,” Frank tweeted.

Gardening creator Kevin Espiritu said that 2024’s breakout creators will offer a journey that viewers aspire to, from launching a successful business or reading more.

• “People want to follow along and root for that story,” Espiritu said in a video.

Tech journalist Ryan Broderick thinks that the recent string of creator retirements can be attributed to burnout, claiming that YouTube is now favoring “TV-quality videos” that require bigger production teams (and more time) to create.

• “The algorithm really heavily punishes you if you aren't posting 20-min+ videos basically once a week,” Broderick tweeted.

Sponsored by Shopify

Leveraging Legacy to Build a Brand of Your Own

Shaun White is known as snowboarding’s GOAT, which has landed him opportunities to work with some of the world’s biggest brands.

But despite the perks, these partnerships challenged Shaun to balance his individuality with brand expectations (sound familiar, creators?).

So after retiring, Shaun launched his own line of gear and apparel, leaning on Shopify to run his business. Like so many creators, he was looking to build a legacy outside of content.

“Some of the most amazing brands in the world use Shopify.” Shaun said. “We wanted to be competitive and be in the same ballpark in professionalism that they were.”

If you’re a snowboarder creator turned entrepreneur, Shopify makes brand building simple. With social selling tools compatible with your channel on YouTube, Shopify offers an intuitive experience meeting you—and your audience—right where you are.

Leverage your legacy to build a brand of your own. Get started by listening to the rest of Shaun’s story on the Shopify Masters Podcast.

Gordon Ramsay Debuts Creator Cooking Show ‘Idiot Sandwich’

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to premiere a new cooking competition show on Wednesday called Idiot Sandwich (inspired by Ramsay’s iconic meme) that will pit creators against each other in a battle to make a sandwich they think “will take the internet by storm,” according to a release.

The differentiator: The first episode of Idiot Sandwich—starring creator duo Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal—will roll out on Ramsay’s personal YouTube channel, which has over 20 million subscribers. That’s a big change for Ramsay, who distributed his Hell’s Kitchen show on Fox for the last 22 years.

FYI: Ramsay announced his show by recreating the meme on the cover of indie food magazine Sandwich’s latest edition—what he called a “no-brainer” collaboration.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Travel creators Kara and Nate are taking a break from YouTube.

• Comedian Rob Anderson is releasing a “Gay Science” textbook.

• Memberful makes it possible for creators to build sustainable, recurring revenue from subscription memberships—get started for free and build a deeper connection with your audience.*

• Video journalist Phil Edwards outlines how Crocs led to peak Stanley Cup (the water bottle).

• Barstool CEO Erika Ayers Badan steps down after over seven years in the position.

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