New Creators Warned Against Common Pitfalls in Early Growth Phase
A panel of leading social media executives at SXSW has outlined critical early mistakes that can derail new creators, emphasizing strategic niche focus, data-driven decisions, and sustainable consistency over viral chasing.
The session, hosted by creator economy strategist Antonia Alakija, featured insights from partnership teams at Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Panelists agreed that the first 90 days are foundational, and missteps here can long-term hinder growth and monetisation potential.
A primary warning was against indiscriminate trend-jacking. “Don’t hop on every trend just because it’s trending,” advised Brooke Berry, Head of Creator Development at Snapchat. She urged creators to select trends aligned with their niche and capable of being executed with a unique perspective. Katie Sollenberger of Meta reinforced this, promoting a “70/30 rule”: 70% original content, 30% trend-based, posted within the first 24 hours of a trend’s lifecycle to avoid appearing outdated.
Preparing for future brand partnerships must begin immediately, despite unlikely deals in the first quarter. Berry stressed that a creator’s public profile must already showcase content relevant to their desired sponsorship niche. “If you want travel deals, but have no travel content, brands will move on,” she said. The profile, she noted, is a creator’s “home” and primary portfolio.
The panel uniformly dismissed follower count as a vanity metric. Current success hinges on engagement and retention analytics. Sollenberger advised switching to a professional account to access insights, analysing top and bottom-performing posts, and posting during audience peak times. Specific algorithmic signals were highlighted: Instagram’s “send and share rate” indicates content worth distributing to non-followers, while Snapchat’s Discover feed prioritises watch time.
Consistency was defined not by volume but by a reliable, sustainable cadence. “Pick a posting schedule you can maintain on your worst week,” Sollenberger recommended. On Snapchat, top Discover creators post frequently, but Berry clarified the key is training the audience to expect content, not hitting a specific daily number. YouTube’s Natalie Trost added that a predictable weekly schedule helps build viewer habit.
Creators should proactively use platform-native tools. Sollenberger championed Instagram’s Trial Reels, which test content with non-followers first, removing the fear of alienating a personal network. Starting with short-form—YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok—was strongly advised over launching with long-form videos, which require greater production resources. “Short-form is how many come into YouTube now,” Trost said, noting it offers a quicker feedback loop to validate a creator’s fit and passion.
Finally, the era of the generalist influencer is over. Berry insisted specificity wins: “Saying you’re a ‘travel creator’ is generalist. Say you’re a travel creator who spends 24 hours in cities.” While new creators may initially experiment to find their “T-shaped” niche—broad exploration then deep focus—long-term success requires defined lanes. Alakija noted that deep niching can later support broader personal brand growth, but the path now starts with precision.
The panel’s consensus signals a mature creator economy where strategy, analytics, and niche authority are non-negotiable from day one. Future success depends less on sudden virality and more on disciplined, informed groundwork.
