.avif)
What to capitalize on early this year
Hey.
Everyone's asking the same question:
What's next for creators in 2026?
We spent the last few weeks digging through expert opinions, platform trends, and predictions to formulate our own opinion on what's next.
Here's what we think.
In today's newsletter:
• 5 biggest opportunities for creators in 2026
• The infrastructure to grow your business
• Quick link highlight: $7k/month UGC opportunity
1. The Untapped Power of Search
What’s happening: Platforms have realized that viral content burns bright and dies fast. Searchable content compounds forever.
Brands are catching on too. Sure, sponsoring your viral moment is cool but if they can own the search results for “best productivity apps 2026,” that’s ideal.
Take this post from Sarah Adam, the Head of Influencer Marketing at Wix, as proof.
Wix paid a median rate of $4,377 for YouTube sponsorships because they were dedicated, search-focused content. Their median Instagram rate was just $975.
Why? People will search on YouTube for decades to come. If that Wix video ranks highly, they'll have new customers for a long time. The same isn't true for Instagram (yet) as they just released better search.
How to capitalize:
• Title your content like search queries: “How to [specific problem” not “You won’t BELIEVE this hack”
• Front-load your videos with clear answers (remember, search traffic wants quick solutions)
• Use specific searchable hashtags and text on screen: “#nontoxicnailpolish” not “#nailpolish”
Note: This is particularly useful for niche creators (think gaming, tutorials, home, fashion), but may not apply as heavily for less niche creators.
2. Substack Sponsorships
Substack quietly launched native sponsor matching to select users in late 2025.
What changed: Previously, newsletter creators had to find sponsors themselves, negotiate rates, handle contracts, and hope brands paid on time.
Now, creators can find sponsorship opportunities directly through the platform. This creates a clearer path to monetization.
Why this matters: You need a way to own your audience. Especially in 2026.
Creators' accounts have been banned for no apparent reason. Entire streams of income ripped out from underneath them, with no way to contact the audience they lost.
The potential: Most advertisers pay on a CPM (cost per thousand views/sends) basis. You’ll see CPM rates of $20 to $100+ depending on niche.
With 10,000 subscribers and one newsletter per week, this could amount to $800 to $4,000 per month in revenue—or $9,600 to $48,000 annually.
How to capitalize:
• Start a Substack even if you’re primarily a video creator.
• Focus on depth over breadth. It’s better to have 2,000 readers who open everything than 20,000 who ignore you.
• Create a lead magnet attracts your ideal audience in.
3. Humanity is Your Competitive Advantage
What’s happening: In a world of AI slop, viewers are developing a sixth sense for what’s authentic and what’s AI-generated.
They’re left craving real, vulnerable, human conversations.
Think about what’s resonating lately:
• Courtney Cook’s bizarre sweet potato lunch.
• Unpolished morning routines.
• Talking to camera content that isn’t over-edited.
Sure, AI-created videos go viral. But most of the comment sections are people wondering whether it’s real or fake and criticizing the use of AI in content.
Viewers are missing the old-school relatable, spur of the moment content that isn't too polished.
How to capitalize:
• Show the unglamorous parts.
• Post your highly-edited content, then refilm it as a casual talking to camera video and post. See what hits.
• Let your personality show through. People are craving humor, witty references, and hot takes.
4. LinkedIn is Wide Open
What used to be a stale, ultra-professional platform for finding jobs is now a space for connection and learning. (And brand deals)
What’s happening: LinkedIn wants to be a creator platform. They’re pushing video content, rewarding consistent posters, and showing creator content to more than just your followers.
The opportunity: There’s a small subset of creators that are dominating the LinkedIn game.
Here are a few:
But there’s room for more.
See Colin's Interview with Us in Creator Studio
LinkedIn brand deal rates range from $200-$500 for smaller creators (10k-50k followers) to $2,000+ for larger creators.
Don't sleep on this platform.
How to capitalize:
• Create a LinkedIn account.
• Start posting (don’t overthink it).
5. Less Viral, More Valuable
The creators who win in 2026 won’t be the ones with the most followers. They’ll be the ones with the most valuable audiences—people who trust them, buy from them, and stick around.
Brands want to work with creators whose audiences pay attention to what they say. Influence matters more than eyes from random people who don’t trust you.
Again, Sarah Adam from Wix shared this:
Authentic, relatable, trustworthy. Close to their audience. These are terms Sarah (and commenters in the space) used to describe the creators they want to work with.
Instead of focusing on reaching more and more people, focus on nurturing who’s already in your audience.
How to capitalize:
• Comment back to as many people as you can. This incentivizes people to continue commenting because it looks like you actually care about what they say.
• Utilize polls, reply to comments with videos, and respond to DMs.
• Put yourself in your audiences shoes. What are they struggling with or curious about? Create content around that.
Build the Infrastructure to Grow Your Creator Business
Want to build the infrastructure to capitalize on these opportunities? We built Karat to give creators the financial tools to run real businesses—banking, bookkeeping, and insights all in one place.
Learn more here.
Quick Links
🎥 $7k/month storytelling creator UGC opportunity.
📈 Deep analysis on what makes YouTube videos viral.
👀 Updates to Instagram algorithm.
See ya next week,
Team Karat
