Creator Weekly: YouTube Shorts Bonuses, Facebook Algorithm, Creator Search Profiles

Hello readers! This week there are bonuses for short videos on YouTube and X, custom algorithms on Facebook and Substack, new creator tools on LinkedIn, more prominent links in Google’s AI Search and more.

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Top Updates

YouTube pilots a Shorts bonus program.
Ask YouTube expands to mobile search and more.
Facebook lets you customize “Your Algorithm” (as does Substack)
YouTube Music labels AI-generated tracks.
YouTube Live added floating hearts for vertical streams.
YouTube Shopping adds affiliate campaigns with flat fees.
X pilots a Video Kickstart Bonus program (which is very similar to YouTube’s Shorts bonus program).
Edits lets you add interactive music links and create a style kit.
Google Search updated AI Search to more prominently display links and is testing linking video creator names to Search Profiles.
The new beehiiv plugin for WordPress lets you automatically publish posts to your newsletter.
Meta Accounts are rolling out as a single account for all your Meta apps (including Instagram and Facebook) and devices.
LinkedIn launched a new creator Dashboard with analytics, content management and monetization.
LinkedIn now lets Premium subscribers offer 1:1 Advice Sessions, where they manage the booking.
Plus new features in Bing Webmaster Tools, Blogger, WordPress, Amazon Affiliates, Threads, Bluesky, Google Photos, Photos for Windows, Gemini and more.

YouTube Shorts Bonuses

YouTube has launched a pilot for Shorts bonuses, with the tag line “turn your consistency into monthly cash”.

Based on screenshots shared on social media, if you publish a minimum number of Shorts per month (16 in the example), you get a guaranteed payout, plus extra depending on Shorts performance based on valid engaged Shorts views (organic only). Examples indicate that some bonuses could be as much as $2000 per month.

This is available to invited channels in the YouTube Partner program in the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.

Check “Ideas for You” on your YouTube Studio dashboard to see if your channel was invited. You should also get an email. Learn more.

Why is YouTube testing this? When Shorts first launched in 2021, there was a Shorts fund to reward Creators. Ad revenue sharing for Shorts was introduced in 2023. But that is changing.

In February 2027, there will be stricter YouTube Partner Program eligibility requirements. Creators will have to maintain 10 million qualified Shorts Views over the past 90 days to earn from the Shorts revenue sharing pool at all.

My speculation is that this is to encourage current Shorts creators to keep active enough to meet those requirements. Maybe some creators won’t realize they can post that many Shorts until they try. But I would expect this is going to be too much grind for some.

And it matches other steps platforms have been taking to encourage creators to publish more original content. (See also the X video bonuses below).

Ask YouTube Expansion

Ask YouTube, YouTube’s AI-powered conversational search, is coming to more platforms. The answers combine “real-time information from the web, key moments from videos and Shorts, and helpful text summaries”.

In August it started rolling out to smart TVs, and it’s now coming to search in the mobile YouTube app (not Google Search). YouTube is also testing Ask YouTube in the Shorts player on mobile, desktop and TVs.

Is this good or bad for creators? YouTube says this can get your videos in front of viewers who might not have seen them previously. But it’s not clear to me that people will watch if all the information is summarized for them already. Watch your analytics! Ask YouTube is treated like other search results for impressions, views and watchtime.

This is available in the US in English. Click the Ask YouTube sparkle icon to start. Learn more.

Facebook “Your Algorithm” (and Substack)

Social platforms have realized that people want to feel like they have some control over what they see in their feed. To that end, users can now indicate what topics they want to see.

X has basic Custom Timelines by topic, Threads and Bluesky let you create custom feeds with select profiles and topics. Instagram lets you tune your algorithm with your interests. And on YouTube you can create multiple Custom Feeds with AI-powered prompts.

The latest addition is “Your Algorithm” on Facebook. You can tell Facebook, in your own words, what you want to see in Feed and Reels. Facebook says that the AI LLM “under the hood” will let you “tell it what you want more or less of, and your recommendations respond in real time, adapting within the same session to reflect what matters to you right now.”

Click the 3 dot menu icon on Posts in your Feed or on Reels and you should see the Your Algorithm option in your menu. This lets you manage the topics you are (and are not) interested in.

If you indicate you are “Interested” or “Not Interested” in that menu, you can describe in your own words why you want more or less of that content.

Also this week, Substack launched “dials” to let you shape your feed. You can manage the topics you are interested (and not interested) in and indicate how much video, audio and podcasts, chats, and longer posts you want to see.

YouTube and Video

YouTube Music has new labels for AI-generated music, which will also be coming to YouTube proper. The new labels for tracks where AI played “a significant role” are on the player page. The information comes from uploaders, YouTube’s music partners and YouTube’s own AI detection tools.

You can now show your love for vertical live streams on YouTube by double tapping. That adds floating hearts, rather than a thumbs up. You can keep tapping for more hearts, but only the first tap counts as a like. This is only on mobile.

YouTube is adding affiliate campaigns with flat fees and bonuses. Check the YouTube Studio Shopping Hub for creative briefs from brands. These are non-binding, so all you really need to do is make sure your video is the required format (Short or long-form), tag the relevant product in your video, and keep the video public for 30 days.

X launched a pilot Video Kickstart Bonus, where invited creators can “earn $3,000 for posting your own videos”. This is for short (under 3-minute) vertical videos, and requires at least 15 different videos over 15 days, within a 30 day period. Videos shared on other platforms are allowed, as long as there’s no watermark.

If you are using Edits to create Instagram Reels, you can now add interactive links to music in the Instagram music library. Larger accounts (10,000+ followers) can see the topics followers are interested in. There are new effects. And you can create a Kit with your colors, text and caption styles, so you can use them again later.

People are reporting seeing a notice that linking Instagram Reels to other Reels will no longer be available as of October 28, and all existing links will be removed.The linking option launched in August 2025. Instagram has been testing Series, which may be a replacement.

Web Publishers and Newsletters

Google Search is updating AI Mode and AI Overviews to more clearly highlight links and sources.

Inline links will display higher up in responses more frequently.
Testing prominently displaying relevant official websites in a special section at the top of a response.
Prominent carousels for timely news articles, highlighting your Preferred Sources.
“Dive Deeper” section with prominent links to related articles.
Testing clickable creator and publisher names on video results that link directly to Search Profiles. (You’ve set up your creator Search Profile, right?)

Bing Webmaster Tools launched Topics Portfolio, a beta feature in AI Performance reports. It “shows the thematic shape of your site’s presence in AI Search”. The AI Performance report shows your site’s performance in Copilot AI-generated answers, including the queries, while Topics Portfolio is more broad (it could be something like football or taxes or any other broad topic).

If you have a Blogger blog, try the new Google Maps widget. Use this in a post to insert a widget highlighting a location or business, including photos, address and other details.

If you use WordPress(dot)com as your platform, Premium themes are now available on the cheapest Personal plan.

If you have a beehiiv newsletter, and use WordPress to post, then new beehiiv WordPress plugin lets you directly publish posts to your newsletter.

If you are in the Amazon Affiliate program, your Storefront is now “global”. If someone in your audience clicks your link, they will be sent to the Amazon store for their country. If the same product isn’t available, they will show the best local alternative. More details.

Social Media

Meta is rolling out Meta Accounts (originally announced in April). This lets you manage all your Meta apps (Instagram, Facebook, Threads, WhatsApp), MetaAI and Meta devices in one place. One username and password will let you sign in to everything, and you can (and should) set up 2-step verification for security. If you already use Meta Accounts center, it will automatically be migrated to Meta Accounts.

Threads adjusted their algorithm to increase the posts from people you follow.

LinkedIn is adding “new ways to earn”. These aren’t for everyone, as many are experimental or require a paid subscription.

Testing in-stream ads on videos for eligible creators.
Invite-only Creator Marketplace links creators and brands (this launched earlier this year).
Premium Business and Premium All-in-One subscribers can offer “Advice Sessions”. These are 1:1 free or paid consultations. Booking, payment and video calls are managed by LinkedIn.
Premium All-in-One subscribers can set parameters to get daily prospect suggestions. Filters include job title, seniority and industry.

LinkedIn also launched a new creator Dashboard. It has Audience and Content Analytics in one place, and you can see all your content drafts, scheduled posts and past posts in one place to manage your content.

If you have a side hustle or work two jobs, LinkedIn will now indicate that with a “+1” on your profile. Learn more.

On Bluesky you can browse quote posts by “Top” in addition to “Latest”. Click the number of Quotes on a post to see them all.

Bluesky adjusted their search result ranking algorithm to favor recency more. That means searching for current events (for example) will be improved.

Tools

Google Photos for Android updated the Markup tool for editing your images. This includes a “Redact” pen to blur or pixelate sensitive information, updated text styling, a full color picker wheel, and sliders to more precisely adjust the pen thickness. Learn more.

Photos for Windows 11 has been totally redesigned.

The updated Gallery includes photos on your PC, OneDrive and iCloud.
Moments brings images together in a slide show (for images on OneDrive only).
You can filter your photos by People, finding the same faces.
Organize photos into Albums and Favorites.
Use natural language search to find photos.
There is a new faster native Editor with tools to crop, enhance (including Relight), repair (including AI removal of objects) and stylize.
Redesigned native image viewer.

If you don’t pay for a Google AI plan, your default setting in the Gemini model picker is now “Auto”. That chooses “the right model for your prompt”. If you turn this off, your only option is the Flash-Lite model for chats. Learn more.

Got a Microsoft 365 subscription? Your storage is about to shrink. Currently Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscriptions include 1TB of OneDrive storage per family group member. After the update the plans will only include 2TB of shared storage.

Getty Images is undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, and will become a privately held company. It’s not clear what this might mean for photographers and other content contributors.

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