Inside YouTube’s Creative Collective: What Every Creator Should Know About YouTube
On February 3rd, I had the chance to attend the YouTube Creative Collective event in downtown LA, at a venue I’d never been to before. I’ve been going to YouTube events since December 2021—a year after I became a full-time content creator—and I can confidently say this: YouTube is the best platform out there. Period. Let me explain why.
I’ve been creating content seriously and consistently since August 2021. I mainly focus on short-form content, which, if you’re not familiar, is one of the main “categories” in the content world. There are typically three types: long-form creators, short-form creators, and livestreamers. Some people do a mix of all three. Of course, there are also creators on platforms like X, but in my experience, it’s the long, short, and livestream folks you mostly run into at events like this.
To me, a full-time content creator is someone who earns their income through creating content. And there are so many ways to make that happen—working with brands, being an ambassador, doing campaign collabs with brands, monetizing platform ads, offering channel memberships, selling your own products, using affiliate links… You name it. The opportunities are there.
And YouTube is where those opportunities are the most real. Not only do they offer the best monetization options, but they’re also the platform that actually seems to care about us as creators. Seriously. They don’t hit us with random algorithm changes out of nowhere (looking at you, Instagram), and they don’t constantly dump new tools on us that no one asked for. YouTube actually thinks things through—and then, get this, they ask for feedback from creators. Imagine that.
As of today, I have 159,000 subscribers on YouTube, and I’m so close to hitting 160k. Being part of YouTube’s Shorts Creator Program has been a game-changer. And it’s not just about Shorts—we learn how to grow and succeed on the platform as a whole. They run online sessions with other creators and actual YouTube employees, and they even organize roundtables where they want to learn from us. I went to one recently, and it was such a warm, inspiring, and collaborative experience.
That’s what sets YouTube apart: they actually listen. They create a tool, let creators use it, and then check in to see what we’ve done with it—often surprised and impressed with how creatively we’ve used it in ways they hadn’t even imagined.
Welcoming words from Kevin Ferguson / Director of Global Operations and Partnerships for YouTube Shorts / Creator Collective event in Los Angeles 4.3.2025
If I were just starting out today, I would go all in on YouTube. I’d still repost content elsewhere, but my main strategy would be fully focused on building a presence on YouTube. No question.
This latest Creative Collective event left such a lasting impression on me that I’m still thinking about it almost two weeks later. That’s the power of a well-run event and a supportive community. YouTube made me feel something—seen, heard, inspired. And as a content creator, when that inner fire dims, experiences like this can reignite the spark.
I want to share one thing that people talked a lot in the event and that’s YouTube live streaming. A tip: You can do vertical live streamings. And did you know that you can actaully post vertical long content videos?! Some of the creators put their short content together as a long content video and these vidoes go well!
If you’re just starting to create content, remember that it takes time to build a channel — but it’ll be worth it. Think of it as a side hustle and enjoy watching it grow. Always remember that you’re part of a social platform, so be social within the community you’re creating.
I already have a plan in place to go deeper into the YouTube world. Big things are coming in 2025 for the Niina Carita brand, so stay tuned!
And hey—if you’re a Shorts creator and you’d love to be part of YouTube’s creator program, I can refer you! They even have a system for that. Of course they do. Because YouTube cares <3