Emma Griffiths – Mozaic

7 Social Media Hacks for 2025—From a Top YouTube Creator

Emma Griffiths — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:39:10 +0000

If you want to grow on social media in 2025, start here.

At SXSW 2025, former YouTube and Instagram insider Jon Youshaei took the stage to share the strategies he’s used to build an audience of over 1 million—and help creators go viral without burning out.

Named by TIME, Fast Company, and Inc. as someone who’s “cracked the code on how to go viral,” Youshaei delivered a no-nonsense masterclass packed with insider tips and frameworks for long-term success.

Whether you’re building on YouTube, TikTok, or LinkedIn, this is your step-by-step blueprint to grow your audience—and never run out of content ideas again.

1. Master the key visual test

Many creators waste time making videos that should be articles or text posts. Use the napkin test to determine if your idea is worth turning into a video:

When you’re explaining your idea to a friend:

Did you draw something on a napkin to explain it?
Did you pull out your phone to show a picture while explaining it?
Did you say, “You gotta see this” while describing it?

If you answer yes to any of these, your idea likely has strong visual storytelling potential and you should make the YouTube video. Otherwise, consider turning it into a written post for platforms like LinkedIn or X.

Pro tip: Follow Johnny Harris, one of the best YouTube storytellers, for inspiration.

2. Use Instagram’s hidden feature to discover your niche

Instagram’s algorithm already groups your account with similar creators. To find out who they are:

Use a second Instagram account to follow yourself or ask a friend to follow/unfollow your account.
Instagram will generate a “Suggested for You” tray showing related accounts.
Study these accounts to analyze their top-performing content.

This hack helps you understand what works in your niche and what content ideas are pre-vetted for success.

3. The R.A.I.N.Y. framework for better video intros

Most creators lose viewers in the first few seconds of their videos. Apply this formula for engaging intros:

R – Show the Result: What are they gonna get out of it?
A – Address their Objection: Speak to their B.S. detector
I – Make it Instant: Hook them in under 45 seconds.
N – Explain why this matters Now.
Y – Establish Why You are the best person to deliver it.

4. Identify viral content using the outlier method

Instead of guessing which topics will go viral, reverse-engineer success with this strategy:

Search 1-3 keywords related to your niche/idea on YouTube.
Sort by View Count.
Sort by Any Time.
Find the outliers – videos with significantly higher views than the channel’s average.
Start making a list to see patterns and trends.

Pro tip: Tools like Spotter Studio automate this process and identify outlier content at scale.

5. Find unlimited content ideas on Reddit

Reddit is an underused but powerful tool for sourcing trending topics:

Search for subreddits related to your niche.
Filter by Top, All Time to find a treasure trove of content for your niche.
Save posts with strong visuals or compelling questions for video ideas.
Set a weekly reminder to check top posts in active subreddits.

6. Clip yourself before others do

Short-form content dominates social media, and if you don’t clip your own videos, someone else will—without linking back to you.

Use tools like Opus Clip to:

Automatically generate short-form clips from your long-form content.
Optimize for engagement and virality.
Insert embedded YouTube links to drive viewers to your full videos.

Pro tips:

Point YouTube Shorts to longer videos with YouTube’s new embedded feature
Try the Flood Method loved by Mr. Beast – change the links in your Shorts to point to your most recent video, even if it’s not completely related.
Use OpusSearch to search your content – e.g. find me guests who talked about ‘x’

7. Find content ideas to solve popular problems

Use these search-based hacks to ensure your content meets audience demand:

Use YouTube Auto-Suggest: Go incognito mode on Chrome and type a few title ideas into YouTube and see how it auto-completes the sentence.
Check Google Search’s “People Also Ask”: Find follow-up questions to address in your content.
Search Quora for FAQs: Type in your topic, sort by questions, sort by all time. Make a list, make the content.

Final thoughts: The second mover advantage

Many people assume the best time to grow on social media was a decade ago. The truth? You now have a second mover advantage, explained Youshaei. You can study what works, replicate success, and avoid past mistakes. By applying these seven tips, you’ll be ahead of 99% of creators who are still flying blind.

Looking to pay your collaborators and see everything you need to know about your creator business in one place? Check out Mozaic.

Cracking the Code on Creator Pay: Insights from SXSW 2025

Emma Griffiths — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 20:40:02 +0000

The creator economy is thriving, but many creators are still struggling to get paid fairly. With no standardized rates or clear benchmarks, compensation remains a guessing game.

The result? A growing pay gap, delayed payments, and financial instability for creators.

At SXSW 2025, industry leaders tackled the messy reality of creator pay during the panel Let’s Talk $$$: Pricing Transparency and Equity in the Creator Economy.

The discussion made one thing clear—the industry has a lot of growing up to do.

Here are our key takeaways:

Problem: The creator pay gap is real—and it’s systemic

Blair Imani, content creator and founder of Smarter in Seconds, emphasized how creators from marginalized backgrounds often earn less for similar work:

“There is a pay gap between creators across gender, across race, and so having some set of standards will help to alleviate the biases that might come and infiltrate that process.”

Christen Nino De Guzman, founder of Clara for Creators, described the unregulated nature of creator pay as “the wild west,” noting that unlike the corporate world—where salary ranges help reduce disparities—there are no consistent standards for compensation.

This inconsistency leaves many creators vulnerable and unsure of how to price their work. Jamie Gutfreund, founder of Creator Vision, argued that brands contribute to the problem by failing to set benchmarks or establish clear payment structures.

Solution: Set baseline rates to ensure fair pay

To reduce disparities, De Guzman recommends that brands establish baseline rates across campaigns:

“One thing I’ve seen quite a bit recently is brands establishing a baseline rate for creators in a campaign so that you’re not paying any creator under, let’s say, $2,500 for a particular campaign.”

Problem: Intermediaries are slowing creator payments

Delayed payments are a top frustration for creators, often caused by a long chain of intermediaries, including media agencies, creator agencies, and managers.

While many brands assume they’re paying creators on time, the reality is very different explained Gutfreund:

“The brand thinks, okay, I’ve paid, but the agency doesn’t get paid for 120 days. That means that the creator and the marketing agency aren’t going to get paid for a hundred and God knows how many days.”

This lack of visibility can lead to PR disasters when creators call out brands, not realizing the issue lies further down the chain.

“The creator, the agency, the brand—all the people—should have a grown-up conversation and figure out the process.”

Solution: Brands must demand transparency in payment cycles

Brands often spend millions on creator campaigns without knowing when, or if, creators actually get paid.

“Brands need to ask: When are creators getting paid? Are they getting net 60? Net 7? Are they getting paid at all?” said De Guzman.

Pierre-Loïc Assayag, co-founder of Traackr, shared how some leading brands are starting to demand full transparency from agencies:

“Just that seemingly simple thing is completely changing their practice. Now that they know how much each creator makes, it gives them the opportunity and the responsibility to make sure this is done right.”

Solution: Direct payments

One way to avoid delays? Pay creators directly. Blair Imani described this approach as more pragmatic and equitable:

“These standards that we’re trying to set industry-wide are not about trying to remove agents or media makers. We still need this infrastructure. It’s about making sure that everyone is paid equitably and paid on time.”

Problem: Exploitative payment models

Some brands base creator compensation solely on KPIs like engagement or views. But the panel agreed: performance-only pay—without a guaranteed base rate—is exploitative.

“A lot of the larger creators know what their average yield will be, and some of them will say, ‘I’m going to guarantee you this many impressions. If I go above it, you bonus me. If I go below it, I’ll do a make-good,’” explained Gutfreund.

But for most creators, this structure is risky and unfair.

“You can’t guarantee what the return will be,” said Imani. “It’s bad for micro-creators. It’s bad for bigger creators. I really think it’s a scheme to underpay people.”

Solution: Payment structures with base pay and performance bonuses

Creators put in the work regardless of how content performs—so pay structures should reflect that. “You’re still doing the editing, still putting in the hours,” said De Guzman, pushing back on models that offer only affiliate earnings or KPI-based bonuses.

A fairer approach? Guarantee a base rate, then layer on bonuses for strong results. It’s equitable, sustainable, and rewards creators without making them shoulder all the risk.

Why being creator-friendly is good for business

Paying creators fairly and on time isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a competitive advantage. As Gutfreund explained, brands and agencies that prioritize equity don’t just avoid PR blowups; they earn trust and attract top talent:

“Being a creator-friendly brand is a business benefit. It is a strategy. Brands that treat creators well have a much better chance of getting the best talent.”

Creators notice when brands step up.

“It’s about the money,” said De Guzman. “Creators care about getting paid—and getting paid quickly.”

She’s seen firsthand how setting baseline rates and reducing pay gaps earns long-term loyalty:

“That is going to go SO far with creators.”

And for younger or underrepresented creators, that support is even more important:

“Anything your brand can do to advocate for creators will go a long way.”

The takeaway? Fair, timely, and transparent pay doesn’t just strengthen your campaigns—it strengthens the entire industry.

Looking for a creator-friendly payment solution?

Mozaic is the only global payment platform designed for creators.

Why Mozaic?

Mass payouts made easy – Pay teams and collaborators at scale.

Seamless payment splits – Automate payouts across teams and collaborators.

Total transparency for creators – Let creators track their earnings in real-time.

The future of creator payments starts with Mozaic.

The Anatomy of a Hit: Music Collaboration in 2025

Emma Griffiths — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:20:43 +0000

We’ve come a long way since the 1970s when the Bee Gees and Elton John ruled the charts and, according to iMusician, it took 1.7 songwriters on average to write a hit song.

Fast forward to today’s highly collaborative music landscape and the numbers look very different thanks to a number of factors that we’ll get into below.

But first, what does a hit song look like in 2025?

It’s been a while since anyone crunched the latest collaborator numbers, so we took a look at the current Billboard Hot 100 to find out.

Let’s dig in:

Music collaboration by the numbers:

According to our calculations, the average Billboard Hot 100 hit today has:

4.5 songwriters
2.73 producers
6.66 total unique collaborators

The track with the most collaborators?

“Voy A Llevarte Pa PR” by Bad Bunny, with 26 unique collaborators
It also has the most songwriters (17)
And the most producers (15)

The track with the least collaborators?

“Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez is the only song on the list that was written, produced, and performed by the same person, making it a true solo effort.

Interestingly, the top 10 songs have the highest average number of unique collaborators (7.20).

The changing music collaboration landscape

	2000*	2025	% change
Average number of songwriters per Billboard hit	2.4	4.5	87.5%
Average number of producers per Billboard hit	1.5	2.7	80%

*data taken from Billboard Top 10 July 2000 (Source: MIDiA Research / Billboard)

Top 10 analysis:

The ongoing Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar rap beef is playing out in real-time and while Kendrick leads with the highest-charting tracks, Drake has the most tracks in the top 100 overall. Here are the names dominating the music landscape right now:

Top 10 Songwriters:

Drake (19)
PARTYNEXTDOOR (14)
Amy Allen (11)
Sabrina Carpenter (9)
Kendrick Lamar (8)
John Ryan (7)
Bad Bunny (7)
Sounwave (6)
Jack Antonoff (6)
Jose Jr. Roberto Rosado Torres (6)

Top 10 Producers:

Noel Cadastre (9)
Jack Antonoff (7)
Julian Bunetta (7)
Sounwave (6)
John Ryan (6)
DJ LEWIS (6)
O Lil Angel (6)
Kid Masterpiece (5)
Charlie Handsome (5)
La Paciencia (5)

Top 10 Artists:

Drake (20)
PARTYNEXTDOOR (15)
Sabrina Carpenter (9)
Kendrick Lamar (8)
Bad Bunny (7)
SZA (3)
Morgan Wallen (3)
Sexyy Red (3)
Bruno Mars (3)
Lady Gaga (2)

What’s behind the rise in collaborations?

The changing creative process

Modern hits require intricate production techniques, drawing in multiple specialists. Big-name artists like Drake, Bad Bunny, and Kendrick Lamar rely on extensive songwriting and production teams to maintain their dominance in the charts.

Another key factor is the streaming economy. Where only top hits make real money, collaboration is as much survival as creativity. As one article puts it, “The winner-takes-all streaming economy forces artists to become more conservative, requiring multiple songwriters and producers to piece together hits like Ikea furniture.”

Today’s hits are often penned in collaborative “writers rooms”, or organized gatherings of producers and songwriters known as songwriting camps, with various contributors adding to the songwriting and production process.

Sampling and legal precautions

Sampling and interpolation have long been a defining feature of music production and play an increasing role in the ever-expanding number of collaborator credits.

Take Travis Scott’s 2018 hit “Sicko Mode,” which credits no fewer than 30 songwriters. Three MCs and six producers actively participated in the recording of the song, but look under the hood and you’ll see that the song also features 3 samples. One of these is Notorious BIG’s “Gimme the Loot”, which itself itself samples three other hip hop records .

And if we look at Bad Bunny’s “Voy A Llevarte Pa PR”, the current Billboard 100 hit with the most collaborators (26 total), it contains samples of three other songs.

There’s also legal considerations at play here. Since the 2018 Blurred Lines ruling shook the industry, artists have taken greater precautions, often preemptively crediting original creators to avoid disputes.

Evolving genre trends

Compared to the 1970s and even the noughties, the modern music landscape is far more genre-diverse. Latin music, reggaeton, and hip hop, all heavily collaborative genres, dominate the charts.

Latin music, for example, thrives on collective production, with artists like Bad Bunny frequently bringing in multiple writers and producers. Meanwhile, hip hop and rap’s reliance on sampling and collaborative songwriting naturally results in more credits per track (a pain very much felt by music supervisors).

Strategic cross-genre collaborations

Artists are blending genres more than ever to expand their reach and boost streams. Bad Bunny is a prime example – his partnerships with artists like J Balvin and Rosalía haven’t just shaped his unique sound; they’ve helped cement his global dominance.

Looking at the current Top 100 you’ll see Bruno Mars teaming up with K-pop star Rosé, or Tyler, The Creator collaborating with rising British singer-songwriter Lola Young. These cross-genre, cross-continent alliances aren’t random; they’re strategic moves to tap into multiple fan bases and maximize exposure.

The latest IFPI data underscores the potential of cross-cultural collaboration, with the fastest-growing music markets—Sub-Saharan Africa (24.7%), Latin America (19.4%), and Asia (14.9%)—offering huge opportunities for artists to tap into global audiences through collaboration.

The role of digital tools in collaboration

Modern technology has made it easier than ever to collaborate remotely. A recent survey by Soundplate found that 70% of independent artists have collaborated with someone they’ve never met in person.

Tools driving remote collaboration include:

Splice, BeatStars, and Tracklib, who offer extensive sample libraries and beat-sharing platforms for music production.
Soundtrap and BandLab, who provide cloud-based DAWs that enable real-time remote music creation.
A growing number of AI tools opening up the floodgates for music creation, production, and collaboration, though concerns over copyright and ethics remain an ongoing debate (we’ll get into this in another blog!).

Music’s shift to social

Social platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Discord are already driving artist collaborations and direct fan engagement, but MIDiA Research predicts this will escalate in 2025.

“It’s social’s stage now,” says MIDiA, as the music industry leans further into monetizing superfans. Fans today don’t just want to consume, they want to participate, whether that means creating fan-made merchandise or collaborating and interacting with the artists and songs themselves.

This marks a major shift toward a more interactive, fan-driven music ecosystem where engagement fuels creativity, collaboration, and community.

Collaboration: great for creativity, chaos for admin

The future of music is undeniably collaborative, and that’s a powerful thing—collaboration drives innovation and new possibilities. But there’s no getting away from the fact that increased collaboration = increased admin.

More collaborators mean more complications in crediting, royalty splits, and payments. With so many songwriters and producers involved, disputes over revenue can lead to delayed payments and legal battles.

Solutions like Mozaic help artists to easily manage their split agreements and automate royalty payouts to their collaborators, no matter how complex the deal structures.

As the industry moves toward an increasingly collaborative future, these tools will become vital in keeping payments transparent and disputes minimal.