Three thoughts about Facebook Creator

So, Facebook updated its verified-user-only app Mentions to become Creator, which is available to anyone.

Here’s the video that they’re using to promote it:

And here’s how they’re describing the main functions:

• Live Creative Kit: Access exclusive tools that make it easy to create live broadcasts with a personalized and fun feel. Creators can add intros as openers to their live broadcasts, outros that conclude them, custom live stickers that viewers can use to interact, and graphic frames to create a consistent brand.
• Community Tab: Connect with fans and collaborators with a unified inbox, which centralizes comments from Facebook and Instagram, and messages from Messenger.
• Camera & Stories: Use fun camera effects and frames and easily crosspost content to other platforms. Creators can also access Facebook Stories to engage with their fans.
• Insights: Easily access metrics to inform content creation, including analytics about your Page, videos and fans.

Three thoughts

1. This is basically the Pages app, but for individual creators or journalists, rather than brands.
2. They’re still trying to make Live and Stories happen, aren’t they?
3. Boy, having essentially neutralised Snapchat, it really looks like Facebook wants to take down YouTube next, doesn’t it?

Bonus Thought

1. Interesting that Facebook is expanding tools that were once verified user-only to a wider base, even as Twitter is having a crisis over its own verification scheme.