🦅 The 3 Creator Shifts That Will Actually Matter in 2026

In this issue, you’ll find:

• The 3 creator shifts that will actually matter in 2026

• News creators should know

• The HypeViral Bank for Threads by Meta

The 3 Creator Shifts That Will Actually Matter in 2026

2026 is going to feel like two opposite worlds colliding.

Content¹ is getting cheaper, faster, and more automated by the week.
At the same time, trust is becoming the most expensive asset on the internet.

I have spent a lot of time digging into what is actually emerging right now.

And the reality is this: most predictions do not matter.

So instead of listing 20 trends and hoping a few stick, these are the 3 shifts that actually change how creators and solopreneurs should think, build, and position themselves going into 2026.

1) Trust Becomes a Premium Asset

We are entering a phase where audiences assume content is fake by default.

AI video keeps getting better. AI testimonials are one click away. AI screenshots, AI case studies, AI proof.

That is why the open web gets noisier, and smaller gated spaces quietly become more valuable. Not because people love gatekeeping, but because trust needs boundaries to exist.

The new flex online is not reach.
It is credibility.

What this means for us

We are no longer competing for attention.
We are competing for belief.

And belief is built from three things:

1. Proof: evidence that is hard to fake

2. Friction: effort that filters out bad actors

3. Proximity: access that creates real interaction, not passive consumption

The goal is simple: make it easy for a stranger to believe we are real, competent, and worth listening to.

Some plays that will look obvious a year from now

• Stop treating trust as a byproduct of content—instead build an infrastructure around it

  • The real signal is not that everyone can see everything.

  • The signal is that some people can see more.

  • Early access, private breakdowns, closed sessions, limited rooms.

  • Trust follows proximity, not volume.

• Use interaction as a filter, not a growth tactic.

  • Live Q&A, office hours, small group calls.

  • Not to scale faster.

  • To see who shows up, who asks better questions, who sticks.

  • Content scales trust slowly. Interaction reveals it instantly.

2) The In-House Creator Boom

Brands have a problem 👇

They lost search clicks. Ads got more expensive. Content feeds got more crowded.

So they will do the most logical thing.
They will hire creators.

Not influencers for one-off posts, but creators who can consistently produce original content that earns attention.

At the same time, brands will stop paying for “big audience, unclear expertise.”
They will pay for credible experts with a point of view.

How to position yourself so brands come to you

This is not about looking like creators.
It is about operating like creators.

1. Create a “content operating system” and show it (brands love process because it feels repeatable)

2. Build a portfolio that looks like a mini media brand:

   • Pick one industry you want to work with

   • Do 10 posts that look like you already work there

3. Turn “I make content” into “I print demand.”

   • Add one conversion path:

     • a free resource

     • a short email sequence

     • a consult offer

   • Then show numbers: leads, replies, calls booked

In 2026, the most underrated skill is being able to create content that does not feel like an ad, but still moves people toward a decision.

3) The Platform Becomes the Funnel

The old model was:

Post → Link in bio → Website → Buy here

The new model will be:

Post → Buy here

Platforms want the whole journey inside the app because it keeps users inside the app.

This changes the creator business game because it rewards people who build offers that convert in the same place where attention happens.

How to take advantage of this

• Build a “micro-funnel” per platform (Hypefury can help you with this)

  • Instagram: DM keyword → auto reply → short call link

  • TikTok: in-app shop or lead form

  • 𝕏: thread → reply CTA → email capture

• Protect yourself from platform changes:

  • Your email list stays

  • Build one owned channel alongside any platform funnel

Instagram bets on TVs, feed controls, and glasses to keep up with TikTok

Instagram is rolling out an Amazon Fire TV app, and Adam Mosseri says the team is still figuring out how people will use Instagram on a living room screen, starting with passive Reels viewing and shared watching. He claims TikTok has slowed under US regulatory pressure, says TikTok is better at breaking new content, and argues Instagram is better at monetization. Mosseri also hints Instagram may eventually need long-form or premium video, even though it has avoided that lane so far. Longer term, he expects users to get more direct control over what shows up in their feeds and says smart glasses could replace phones, forcing Instagram to adapt to more audio-first use.

→ Find out more

Sam Altman maps OpenAI’s moat: personalization, enterprise, and $1T+ compute

Sam Altman says OpenAI’s plan is straightforward: keep users in ChatGPT by pairing top models with reliable compute, then expand into enterprise and new hardware. He argues everyday model quality will converge, so product layers like memory and personalization become the real lock-in, alongside more agent-like workflows and richer interfaces. On infrastructure, he frames massive data center spend as necessary because demand rises as costs drop and capability improves, and he expects revenue to keep tracking available compute. He also hints at major model upgrades in early 2026, while keeping the timing of an IPO intentionally open.

→ Find out more

Growth Lessons Behind Lovable’s $6.6B Valuation

Lovable reached a $6.6B valuation just 13 months after launch by focusing on fundamentals rather than new growth hacks. The team prioritized fast shipping, building in public, and investing heavily in community to drive trust and word of mouth. Social distribution replaced search as the main organic channel, while generous freemium access helped users experience value before monetization. The result is a compounding growth system built around empathy, velocity, and community, not paid performance.

→ Find out more

The HypeViral Bank for Threads by Meta

We’ve collected 50 post templates that generated 47M+ impressions on Threads by Meta.

Steal the exact formats that went viral.

Last poll: What's Your Prediction for 2026?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 💸 𝕏 Money will launch (41.18%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 😎 Digital glasses will be the next big thing

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 📈 Threads by Meta will be bigger than 𝕏

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🛍️ TikTok livestream shopping will go mainstream

That’s it for now, everyone! We’ll meet again next week to discuss some more of this!

Don’t forget to try Hypefury (for free) if you haven’t yet.

Feel free to reply to this email. It goes directly to me.

Cheers,

Yannick Veys
Co-founder and CMO of Hypefury

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