the answer to "social media is dead"
+ some great quickplays this week
we’re almost to the end of the year. and I’ve never been more ready for a break.
behind the scenes, I’m the busiest I’ve ever been, having the most fun, and building so many meaningful relationships. one of the things that has come out of that hard work is more public speaking, and it’s a muscle I’ve loved building.
last week, I had the privilege of delivering a talk at Metricool’s Unfiltered conference. it was my first #paid speaking opportunity (!!!!) and I had SO much fun connecting with new (and old) friends to talk about the solve for “social media is dead.”
all the thinking from that talk is below.
happy you’re here. let’s get into it.
quickplays
Notion’s Social Lead posted an update on what they’ve shipped recently. Simple talking-to-camera execution with polish—and performing well. I love it.
Really wonderful storytelling from this creator going on gay sidequests. Invite him to something interesting!
Canva used this trending creator video intro to show off a product feature. Borrowing someone else’s hook to start your video is a nice tactic.
Obsessed with all the Dating Wrapped content happening right now, and generally all the Wrapped-style posts. So broadly applicable.
there’s a school of thought preaching “social media is dead.” you’ve seen the takes. you yourself probably feel the fatigue. the feeds feel louder, flatter, and somehow emptier than ever.
but, social isn’t dead. it’s reorganizing itself. specifically, into more niche communities centered around interests and fandoms.
so how do we best understand these corners of the internet?
social isn’t dying. it’s decentralizing
the narrative is that people are “done” with social media. but what’s actually happening is more nuanced: algorithms have compressed culture. the feeling of drowning in content is real—but the conclusion is different.
people aren’t spending less time in their feeds. they’re migrating and focusing. shifting their attention from monoculture to the micro. and subcultures that feel more meaningful.
the old audience model is broken
most brands still define audiences broadly:
women aged 25–45
social media marketers
people who eat mayonnaise
useful? generally. actionable? not really.
these groups are too broad to reflect how people actually behave online. and when a campaign tries to speak to everyone, it ends up speaking to no one.
your north star can still be broad—but your briefs and creative should not be.
communities are where culture is created
so what replaces monoculture? communities.
and not in a Facebook Group way. trackable, sizeable groups of people online who share traits, behaviors, rituals, inside jokes, and languages.
if you want to know where your brand can play, start by asking:
where are people who already care about this brand participating?
your top communities are hiding in plain sight.
swifties. budget chefs. messy bun moms. booktokkers. they’re talking about their favorite artists, hobbies, preferences—and your brand.
the people shaping what shows up in your corner of the internet are what drives the culture you participate in.
mapping community culture
and to best understand these communities, we can map out the trends, values, identities, languages, moments, and themes that are important to them. you can’t just stay at the surface, you need explore the deeper themes that make them up.
for swifties for example, trends might include dance edits, album cover art re-creations, and the latest paparazzi photo. but deeper themes include girlhood, confidence, empowerment, being a business woman, and generosity. start at the surface, then go deeper.
when brands understand the corners of the community, you can best speak to them—authentically.
algorithms reward community-based content
in good news for marketers: algorithms actually reward interest-based content and fluency. because the machine looks like this:
content is shown to a small group of extremely relevant people
if they react, it widens
if they keep reacting, it pushes the content repeatedly
algorithms behave the way communities behave: they amplify what resonates with real people in specific contexts. this is why generalized creative can die in the feed, while community-coded content can not only travel, but also drive deep resonance.
the brand playbook
once you know the communities + their culture, the rules become simple:
01_be additive
find the opportunities where the brand can contribute something that feels native. how can you solve a problem? how can you provide access? how can you make a fan experience better?
02_give people something to complete, not just consume
the most powerful content and campaigns invite participation. how can people get involved? how do you make it feel like a group project?
03_learn the lore through superfans
the people closest to the culture will always know more than you. find them in subreddits, behind fan accounts, or on your own team.
the recap
identify your opportunity communities. study their culture deeply. show up in ways that are additive, participatory, and aware.
it’s not about reaching the most people. it’s about reaching the right ones.
social media isn’t dead. it’s just evolving. and if we evolve with it, the work gets infinitely more interesting.
see you next week!!!!
✨ DRL