Creator Cloud Cast | 2025-8

Hellooooo, August!

In this edition we unpack why conversation now converts better than campaigns, how Tiktok’s new search ads can out-click Google, and what 8.3 million profiles reveal about engagement in 2025. From American Eagle’s messaging mis-step to six steps for getting your brand recommended by ChatGPT, consider this your field guide to the fast-moving creator economy.

Grab a brew, dive in and get ahead of the curve (before your competitors do!)

🏆 BROADCAST

Why community marketing is the future of brand growth

📰 Hot topic: Consumers now expect conversation, not campaigns, and brands that build genuine communities are reaping loyalty and lifetime value.

📢 Key takeaway: Swap megaphone marketing for meaningful dialogue—community is the new conversion funnel.

TikTok doubles down on search ads as commerce ambitions cool

📰 Hot topic: With 120+ search-focused vacancies and early tests showing lower CPCs and higher CTRs, TikTok is sliding into Google’s turf.

📢 Key takeaway: Performance marketers willing to experiment can snag cheaper clicks and fresher intent data before the gold rush.

How advertisers are approaching ads on WhatsApp

📰 Hot topic: Limited targeting on WhatsApp is forcing brands to lean on creative, context, and ai-powered chat agents while users eye their privacy.

📢 Key takeaway: In the absence of granular data, sharp storytelling and perfect timing separate welcome messages from unwelcome noise.

Engagement economics: Favikon engagement rate benchmark report 2025

📰 Hot topic: Nano creators (sub-10k) deliver 3.4 %+ engagement on Instagram and spike up to 800 % on TikTok, while mega stars slip below 1.8 %.

📢 Tip: Pivot budgets to nano talent and benchmark against peers, not platform averages. Don’t know where to start? Partner with theSalt to boost your brand’s engagement with authentic peer-to-peer influence.

Iteration wins: Didn’t go viral? Post it 7x

📰 Hot topic: @lenamoriarty reposted the same clip seven times (tweaking hooks and captions) before the algorithm finally served it to millions.

📢 Lesson: Creativity loves persistence - refresh, repost, reap.

🎭 THE CAST

✨ Creator spotlight: Meet Webfluential micro-influencer Ethan Kieffer

The authenticity advantage: Why personal branding is crucial for creator success

Digital fashion meets real-talk vulnerability: Ethan’s “styled but sincere” approach has built a cross-platform community that values personality over polish.

Ethan’s journey is an example of how creators can turn personal branding into lasting impact. And with platforms like Webfluential, which connect creators with brands for performance-driven partnerships, there’s never been a better time to invest in your story. Whether you’re a local label or a global brand, Webfluential connects you with creators who amplify your brand’s message through authentic content.

✨ Interested in partnering?  Register your brand now 

🔗 Follow Ethan’s journey: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Enterprise SaaS on Webfluential for brands

✨ 25 seats, unlimited brands, creator wish-lists and up to $10k credit. Great ideas shouldn’t wait for procurement. Webfluential rolls out an end-to-end influencer ops suite - search, workflow, credit line, API access - for teams that need scale without chaos.

🚀 If juggling dozens of creators feels like herding cats, create your Business Account for free. One platform, one dashboard, zero excuses.

🔮 FORECAST

How to get your brand recommended by AI

This six-step playbook proves that social proof now outranks backlinks; brands boosted into ChatGPT answers after orchestrated UGC bursts.

🥜 In a nutshell: If humans aren’t talking about you, AI won’t either, so spark the chatter with the right backing.

The Meta report: Lessons from 640 Haus incrementality experiments

📰 Automation beats manual 19 % on incremental lift, but advantage+ lags on long-term in ROAS; mid- and upper-funnel tactics are on the rise.

🥜 In a nutshell: Let the machine find the quick wins, but keep humans in the loop for durable growth.

Digital divides: Mapping marketing strategy to generational media habits

📰 Gen Z lives on mobile video, Millennials multitask on the move, Gen X cherry-picks content intentionally, Boomers warm to streaming.

🥜 In a nutshell: One audience, four mindsets, so sequence your channels accordingly.

We Are Social: Digital 2025 July global statshot report

📰 Search traffic dips 4 %, but one in three adults still discover brands via search; AI tools like ChatGPT (500 m users) shift the landscape.

🥜 In a nutshell: Don’t ditch SEO, but rather diversify it for answer engines.

☁️ OVERCAST

📉 5 marketing lessons from the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle backlash

American eagle’s “great genes/jeans” pun triggered accusations of eugenics vibes and tone-deaf messaging.

💡 Takeaway: Clever wordplay dies without cultural context—sensitivity reads are non-negotiable.

📉 ‘AI models in Vogue?’ Guess ad sparks uproar

Vogue’s AI-generated Guess campaign drew fire for unrealistic beauty ideals and job fears among models and photographers.

💡 Takeaway: Innovation - transparency = backlash. Flag synthetic/AI content clearly or face the consequences.

🎙 PODCASTS WORTH YOUR TIME

🎧 Micka on Influence feat. Nuri Gallow

Nuri unpacks pitching brands while keeping content authentic and reveals what formats are resonating (and flopping) with today’s audiences.

🔗 Listen to the episode here | 🚀 Boost your brand’s influence

🎧 The creator economy heat check: What’s hot (and not) for the rest of 2025

Digiday dissects the $480 billion gold rush, from platform land grabs to emerging monetisation models you can’t ignore.

🔗 Listen on Digiday | 🚀 Looking for a bespoke influencer partnership for your brand?

📣 CAST YOUR VOTE

✅ Share this newsletter with a friend or colleague who would love these insights.

📢 Follow us on social and tell us your thoughts. Tag #CreatorCloud so we can feature your take!

👇 Follow us for more updates and insights

💌 Help us grow the Creator Cloud community!

Know a fellow creator, brand manager or media professional who would benefit from this newsletter? Reply to this email or reach out to us with their details! The more minds we bring together, the stronger our network.

🚀 Until next time - keep it real, keep it creator-led.

Creator Cloud Cast is your go-to bulletin for the latest insights, trends and tools powering the creator economy across our ecosystem. Whether you're building your brand or growing your campaign ROI, this newsletter is where strategy meets storytelling.

It all ties into our trio of brands:

Webfluential: our premium hub for top-tier creators with advanced monetisation, data-driven analytics, and brand campaigns that scale.

theSalt: empowering creators and nano-influencers through community-driven content and real-life brand advocacy.

Nfinity Influencer: bridging brands with creators through smart campaign execution and data-led media planning.