Explore all emails from Milk Karten

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/follower-count-is-a-misleading-metric Good morning from New York! I am here for work (speaking at an offsite) and play (going to a bachelorette). If you see me walking around in a Link in Bio hat, say hi! I might even have an extra one in my purse. By the way, I have seen the very impressive behind-the-scenes footage [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a236c81-290e-40f6-ae80-ddfe67b11cf1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that Apple shared of their MacBook Neo commercial. The virality has generated a flurry of think pieces about how brands are posting BTS to prove they didn’t use AI. So it’s probably a good time to celebrate the one-year anniversary of writing my “proof of reality” post [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e300c79-1b9f-436c-9a86-cd0f20f5a195?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]! Last April I wrote, “As some brands slopify themselves, it will be the ones that invest even deeper in good creative that will stand out. With this, we’ll see a rise in what I am calling ‘proof of reality’ posts—videos, images, and captions that clarify how specific creative was made.” Spot on, I’d say. Here’s what is in today’s newsletter: Why Adam Mosseri thinks follower count is a misleading metric Opt-in vs opt-out social media I asked Dolly Meckler , Lena Dunham ’s social strategist and trusted collaborator, about how to promote a book (or anything!) online right now Duolingo is having trouble reaching their 17M TikTok followers Three post formats to try this week The choreographer your brand should work with before Gap does A big idea for a skincare brand... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOVFUzTURZek55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzNNemszTlRVeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZzVNek0xTlRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAualJOejE0V0xuN20wZVZ2bUZhWkFQeU1Wdm1fTWFzLVpVVUhmLWgzWjBTVSIsInAiOjE5NTU3MDYzNywicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NzM5NzU1MiwiZXhwIjoyMDkyOTczNTUyLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.OgxRwWiJEqGIQ8x2tif2t-N1uzrWySD2jFMMa521NgM?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/the-content-studio-helping-a-city Good morning! I am still reading through all of the feedback from Tuesday’s newsletter about AI-obsessed bosses [ https://substack.com/redirect/cff1b305-5ef3-4508-8d62-ba9d989a4529?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Many of the responses have come through private messages and DMs, with people letting me know they gave it a “silent repost” out of fear that their boss would see anything public. One person shared, “It made me (and my work BFFs) feel less lonely and crazy.” It’s on track to be one of my most-viewed sends so I’m hoping at least a few of your bosses have read it. Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: A new approach to tourism social media This brand might owe up to $20M for using unlicensed music Emily Sweeney from The Boston Globe shares a social video tip Five post formats to try this week A sponsored post with 35.2M views The only Coachella influencer trip I liked... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORFl6TURjME1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJPVFkxTlRjNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZzFNREUxTnpnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuUXFNZGtDYV9PTnBuR2RlZFBla0RXOV9uQ01scDJ6b1JCOWRMRGx2Ti15ayIsInAiOjE5NDYzMDc0MCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3Njk2NTU3OCwiZXhwIjoyMDkyNTQxNTc4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.AIuh8m7mC8swIuSs_vy_6hDupSqVpmvhWaFCweq214I?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/boss-obsessed-ai-marketing During a recent late-night scroll, I came across a post [ https://substack.com/redirect/33c2006b-23cd-4558-9d30-c2574abd6729?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on r/Marketing. It detailed the impacts of working for a boss who is completely obsessed with AI. Like how the boss calls the chat his “best buddy” and gets its opinion on every piece of copy. I had heard rumblings of this sort of behavior happening on marketing teams but hadn’t seen it spelled out so clearly. In the weeks that followed my discovery of the post, I’ve been having conversations with marketers about what it’s like to be on a team where leadership is obsessed with AI. While the news stories around how AI is impacting marketing mostly revolve around job loss—a recent Adweek headline reads “65% of Marketing Jobs May Not Survive AI” [ https://substack.com/redirect/52e4243f-04ed-4908-8208-19273fc75238?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], for example—I haven’t heard about how it’s impacting those who are still in those jobs. It’s clear these fear-inducing headlines are trickling down, with leadership scrambling to make sure they aren’t left behind. What is it like working for one of those bosses right now? “Demoralizing as hell” When I posted the Reddit screenshot on my LinkedIn, I received almost 200 comments. One read, “It didn’t matter that I was writing excellent content — [the CEO] fully believed AI was better at everything. It was so discouraging and made the day-to-day of my job miserable. And who can create good, engaging content from that mindset?” I heard many more examples just like this. That leadership feedback is now relegated to their AI chatbot of choice. Copy, briefs, and campaigns all run through AI. One person shared with me, “My managers keep taking my copy that’s with them for final approval, running it through AI, and going ‘here, use this.’ A huge waste of time and effort on everyone’s part, not to mention demoralizing as hell.” Marketers also shared that they’ll look to their boss for feedback on something and immediately get told to ask AI instead. One commenter on the Reddit thread said, “CEO was like ‘don’t share anything (i.e. drafts for review) if you haven’t run it through AI.’” Another person told me, “Literally every action item from a meeting is met with ‘just ask Claude it’. Even creative hooks for marketing.” To a boss, that’s just them being “efficient”. To an employee, that’s their boss saying, “I trust AI more than I trust you or myself.” That has an impact on job satisfaction. I heard from a few marketers who have left jobs in part due to this sort of behavior. I should mention that feedback and approvals have always been a frustrating dance in marketing, even before AI. I covered it here [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c0b6b39-5966-46be-9ba9-699643d8a3a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. But at least there was a mutual understanding that your manager was actually taking the time to review the thing you had worked hard on. Even if the feedback wasn’t what you wanted to hear, it came from a place of assumed expertise. Now it feels like AI is the final approver. Not only is leadership using AI in their own work, but they are forcing employees to use it as well. The problem is that many of the tasks that bosses are asking their team to use AI for are the exact ones that made them want to work in marketing in the first place. Brainstorming. Writing clever copy. Thinking outside of the box. One marketer told me, “It feels like our bosses are more intent on using AI to take away the fun parts of our job instead of automating the more menial tasks that take up so much of our time day-to-day.” Some employees are finding workarounds. One person shared that their boss “doesn’t care about his team’s experience and expertise. He wants a summary from Copilot instead. We’ve started writing our own summaries and putting it on fake Copilot chats to get him to listen to us.” Outsourced gut instinct So much of good marketing is instincts. Seeing the signs before anyone else. Translating a spark into a smart campaign. Knowing the line between brilliance and brash. With AI, we’re watching decision makers run big ideas through a machine that finds the median. One of the people who left their job in part due to an AI-obsessed boss shared the worst offense. Their boss would put memes meant to be posted on social pages into Claude to see if they were funny. I asked some of the marketers I spoke with if their boss’s use of AI has changed their perception of them. Many said it did. When the person who is supposedly in a role because of their experience and intelligence is constantly outsourcing their instincts to AI, it says to a team, “I don’t trust my own opinions on humor, storytelling, and marketing”. Which, if that’s the case, wouldn’t that make those leadership jobs the most susceptible to be replaced by AI? One person shared, “It validates to me how absolutely unqualified and inept these people in C-suite positions are that they need a machine/robot to validate their opinions because they have no real POV and strategy themselves. They so desperately want to always be the right answer in the room. To have a machine that can’t argue back and essentially feeds their own thoughts back to them is a case study in the narcissism of executive leadership.” “Sometimes it kind of feels like I’m training my replacement” That’s another comment that a marketer left on my LinkedIn post. As I was writing this piece, I came across an interview [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c1e30a1-b820-4712-ba89-e90642414a85?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with the co-founder of AI note taking app Granola on ACCESS [ https://substack.com/redirect/feb68c6d-a4e5-488f-8e0b-77d428ff37a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. In it, the co-founder said that the CEOs of companies using Granola are making it a requirement that their employees run the note taker during all meetings because “they all kind of realize that it’s going to be such valuable context for all of the internal AI agents doing the work in the future.” Even if you are just using AI for meeting notes, it’s also providing training data for the tools that some executives want to replace you with. It’s statements like the above that make it unsurprising that a recent Stanford study [ https://substack.com/redirect/65f6e657-b5e1-4395-8821-1f4bc08f68ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] found AI experts and the U.S. public have very different perspectives on AI’s future. On how people do their jobs, 73% of experts expect AI to provide a positive impact compared to just 23% of the public. Is the expert opinion optimistic because of the actual opportunity of AI? Or is it because the expert is likely financially tied to there being an opportunity in the first place? I heard that many companies now have questions about AI usage in job interviews and performance reviews. Gold stars for prompting [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f09b5d7-a9ca-42be-ac49-906dcfa264c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. But when every employee is using AI, what’s left? As one person put it, “Lowkey it sometimes feels like my job is ‘I’ll have my AI talk to your AI’”. For many marketers, they unfortunately feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Someone shared with me, “I’m relatively early on in my career and am faced with this uncomfortable situation where I either need to fully embrace AI to feel secure in my job or risk ‘getting behind’ and not meeting performance expectations.” These feelings are shared by veteran marketers as well. One told me, “We’re on a runaway AI train with no breaks — and even less strategic direction. I’ve been doing this for 13 years and this is no longer the marketer I want to be.” Where’s the strategy? My point here isn’t to judge the work of AI (I already did that here [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf127de6-7d55-4f3a-b1ed-db38cffde8be?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]), but to talk about the way it’s being rolled out to marketing teams. I am not naive enough to think that the answer is for companies to stop using it altogether. But, just like any other type of big company change, there needs to be an implementation strategy. A recent Gallup poll [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5ca4415-7ad4-4dbe-a43f-3b7079e1d908?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] found that “while 44% of employees say their organization has begun integrating AI, only 22% say their organization has communicated a clear plan or strategy for doing so.” That’s a problem. Any time that I’ve been in a job where a process-disrupting software is rolled out, there has been change management. A slow, considered approach to how the new tool is marketed internally and adopted team-wide. Usually there is someone on the software team assigned to the company, hand holding and educating. That’s not happening with AI tools. Right now the adoption of AI on marketing teams feels more like a scramble than a strategy. A race to be the first without thinking of the ramifications. One person shared, “There has been no official training, guidance, or even guardrails for how we are expected to use or adopt AI tools, just a directive that we should be doing it as much as possible.” As a recent article in Slate [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e383c5a-e573-4c6f-b61d-5e1763cd2dfb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] put it, “Unless organizations develop clear strategies, A.I. in the workplace becomes a bull in a china shop—with those who never even wanted it tasked with cleaning up the mess.” So much of the dialogue around AI focuses on the long-term employment effects. There’s also something urgent happening in the here and now. Leadership is being sold a future where creative work is done by AI agents and moving at reckless speeds to not get left behind. Meanwhile, marketing teams—and I am sure teams across many industries—are feeling increasingly dehumanized and unsatisfied in their roles because of the way AI is being implemented without any vision or care. In short, we’re all losing our minds. Cartoons by Ryan Cecil Smith [ https://substack.com/redirect/92deb6b2-e678-4d9f-ab6a-29f1e60dfd96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] If you enjoy free essays like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1894e1a-aa56-495e-8570-86819ddcfe51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ca3a831-dcd4-48a8-a7a7-706d8570238c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and quarterly trend reports [ https://substack.com/redirect/b778956d-c3af-403e-9b91-5ef9b0b51baa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], along with access to the Discord community [ https://substack.com/redirect/b872506b-28a6-4a3e-8ca2-6b2040405670?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. One member shared, “The Link in Bio Discord has been an absolutely invaluable part of my growth as a social media professional. It’s allowed me to meet so many fascinating and talented folks in an industry that can often feel like living on an island, and helped me contextualize a lot of the mysteries of social.” It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/beb4aac4-c908-44ce-83fb-7b9ce280fa01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. Finally, if you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! I’ll be back Thursday with the this week’s strategy send. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNelV3TXpFMk5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJOemd6TkRjNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZ3pNVGswTnprc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuRmZmN296c21yWGFBV21MZmpOU3d2RDQxbTA4OE11Q1RfM3ViMTJ1V2tQOCIsInAiOjE5MzUwMzE2NCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3Njc4MzQ3OSwiZXhwIjoyMDkyMzU5NDc5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.4c_P7UTDH_0UPwQg6XjSsnh17SFO_lcA4Uf-g7_lfYA?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/how-music-marketing-works A few weeks ago, musician Eliza McLamb [ https://substack.com/@elizamclamb ] wrote a Substack essay titled Fake Fans [ https://substack.com/redirect/2dc1ab99-f273-44eb-b170-cfe2a59e6e0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It details the work of Chaotic Good Projects [ https://substack.com/redirect/df3a7c86-b3d8-4f00-9dd9-58bff20782cd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a digital agency that utilizes user-generated content campaigns and fan pages to market music artists. She zeroes in on how the algorithm has changed the dynamics of attention. “So, in this new landscape, is creating hundreds of fake accounts just par for the course of being a good publicist?” The essay bubbled up on Twitter for a few days. On Tuesday, WIRED published an article digging into how Chaotic Good Projects worked with the band Geese. The headline? The Fanfare Around the Band Geese Actually Was a Psyop [ https://substack.com/redirect/c69b2466-389b-4e2d-bc80-b1c2fdded3ff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Psyop! They wrote, “Essentially, the firm creates networks of social media pages (typically on TikTok) and uses them to drive the band’s music into the recommendation algorithm.” The Twitter conversation immediately picked back up. It’s not often that marketing discourse makes my head spin. Here’s a peek inside my brain on Tuesday: This is just how marketing works. Get used to it. But if they are paying people to post a song. Shouldn’t it be disclosed as an ad? I wonder if my favorite SpongeBob Squarepants edit to Geese [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ecae726-9bf9-4cdd-bd65-eb8ee738a588?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was part of the campaign… It doesn’t matter that this is “just how marketing works”. How fans and consumers perceive marketing is just as important as the marketing itself. Is it ethical? Wait, the FTC told [ https://substack.com/redirect/85c374c3-8afa-4e61-8b0a-f8e8b6af9bee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Billboard that accounts don’t need disclose if they are paid to use a song. Maybe it’s just that this specific tactic doesn’t match the “brand” of Geese. The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing but when does it go too far? I should log off. For today’s newsletter, I wanted to talk to someone who works in music marketing. Kalesha Madlani [ https://substack.com/redirect/84d05b56-59ec-402c-bfd8-1f560ece737b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] has held roles at places like Sony Music, Epic Records, Interscope Records, and now works in marketing at SoundCloud [ https://substack.com/redirect/1efc2b49-7f4a-4590-86b5-56091d8a8828?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. She’s worked with artists like Lana Del Rey and Zara Larsson. Below we talk about her time running @1DUpdatesOnline, what she thinks of the term “industry plant”, and why she hopes more teams lean into direct-to-fan marketing. Rachel Karten: First, can you tell me a little bit about your background in marketing and music? Kalesha Madlani: I got my start in music by running one of the biggest fan pages in history (I was eclipsed by the Blinks when Blackpink came around). I ran @1DUpdatesOnline, and had nearly a million followers at 17 years old. I leveraged the fan account to live tweet on behalf of the band at events and award shows, which ultimately lead to my first internship at Sony Music. I’ve advocated for fans and fandom long before ‘superfan’ was a buzzword, back when the industry still thought it was uncool, and everything I do in music leads back to my ‘why’—I do it all for the fans! I’ve spent most of my career in between music and tech, working frontline at major record labels and at music-tech companies leading partnerships. At Epic Records, I supported releases across the entire roster—Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Meghan Trainor, Zara Larsson, Mimi Webb, to name a few. At Interscope Records I led digital strategy for Lana Del Rey, Jon Batiste, Willow, Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani, and more. Following my time at record labels, I launched my own creative advisory [ https://substack.com/redirect/dcd735a5-58ba-4ccb-8ad2-c9735020dcfa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Now, at SoundCloud, I work closely with our internal team and joint-venture partners to identify artists before labels catch wind of them, and offer them white glove artist services—marketing, digital, creative, project management, release strategy, commercial strategy, etc—to prepare them for the next step in their career. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of an artists early journey and help them out so they don’t go into these label meetings blind. Most artists have no idea what they can expect from a label or manager and by offering them white glove artist services, we can provide them with a launchpad for success. Rachel: I have to start with Geese-gate. What was your reaction to the reaction? Kalesha: I laughed, honestly. Clipping is such an old strategy. It’s not even innovative anymore. And Geese of all artists! I think most people have no idea how the music business works and they would have a stroke if they really knew what goes into making an artist pop nowadays. Rachel: What other social media marketing tactics are popular in music that you think might surprise fans? Kalesha: So many! Most “fan pages”, especially for newer artists, are team led. You can confirm an artists fan pages are team lead a few different ways: Number of fan pages and viral TikToks do not match up to number of tickets sold Fans at concerts only know the TikTok snippet of a song Fan page doesn’t have “standard” fan behavior (no photos of the fan, no emotional language, no “fan account” mention in the bio—this is necessary to avoid copyright issues, but if its team led, they’re already whitelisting the account—the account always has information early, etc. Rachel: Can you manufacture fandom for an artist or band? Kalesha: The best thing to keep in mind is very rarely is anything on the internet an accident. Everything is planned and nothing is real. While you can manufacture awareness with a hefty budget, you can’t manufacture fandom. That’s an experience that requires years of work and buy in from every angle—artist, manager, label, agent, and, of course, the fans. While you can manufacture the idea of fandom through virality, smoke and mirrors, I do believe we’re going to witness a pendulum shift very soon. People are getting fatigued and marketers need to switch things up. As a future thinking marketer, some of my focuses moving forward are: direct-to-fan marketing, events and experiential, creative OOH, intentional livestreams, and creating safety and meaning for the community. I’ve coined the term “the meaning economy”, which I outline in my advisory white paper here [ https://substack.com/redirect/b1e482eb-6595-4e76-afaf-40ee3255f752?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Rachel: What do you think people mean when they accuse someone of being an “industry plant”? Kalesha: There’s really no such thing. This industry moves off of relationships, it’s all about who knows you. Most people who use the term “industry plant” have no clue what they’re talking about. Most “industry plants” have 5-10 years of hard work under their belt. Blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of money go into making a star. Rachel: You’ve worked in this industry for a long time. These interest-based algorithms seem like a real shift in how both artists and bands post. What are some of the ways music marketing has changed due to that? Kalesha: Before, artists would get signed to record labels and were promoted via relationships the labels had with cultural accounts—TV, press, film, media, etc. Nowadays, so many of those institutions no longer exist or no longer move the needle. The tech companies have more power than the media platforms do, which is why you only see marquee artists getting support from Meta, TikTok, Snap, etc. It’s impossible to service everyone, so you have to pick and choose. The old model of A&R has also changed how artists are signed and marketed. Before, a kid nobody knew would get signed and labels would market the hell out of them until they became a star. Nowadays, nearly every label owns some distribution company that provides them with data. For example, when a major label purchases a distributor, the data from all of the developing artists uploading their music to these free or cheap distributors is given to the major labels. The labels have certain algorithms that trigger alerts whenever an artist reaches a certain threshold, using whatever data they see fit (streams, followers, impressions, etc), and once the trigger hits, the A&R process begins. You have to have motion now in order to get signed or even considered. Rachel: Are there any bands or artists that you think are doing a great job of showing up on social media right now? Kalesha: So many, and it’s a spectrum. On the independent side, I love Liim [ https://substack.com/redirect/07d4ab6d-19e4-4e5c-9710-0a28d78729c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—a Harlem based alt/hip hop artist. He uses social media in such an authentic, genuine way and has leveraged the “finsta” trend to generate hype around him and his music. He’s been cosigned by Tyler The Creator, ASAP Rocky, Joey Bada$$ and more. He’s up next for sure. On the other side of the spectrum, you have groups like Katseye [ https://substack.com/redirect/b48d748f-896b-4813-a7a2-61099c52c5c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] who have an ultra manufactured machine around their marketing—the girls have a dedicated content team that goes everywhere with them. Before rehearsals even begin, they spend at least an hour shooting TikToks. Before shows, all the girls get content for both the Katseye page and their personal pages. As industry darlings, they also get tons of support from the platforms—Meta, TikTok, etc. At the end of the day, it’s less about the artist and more about the team behind them. There’s so much turnover in music marketing—with layoffs and never ending poaching, people are hopping around and not taking their roster with them. So one day an artist will be on top and the next day they’ll be silent because their content / digital / marketing / seeding person left, or the label ran out of budget to pay the secret nerdy teams that are boosting everyone online. There should be awards for the best digital marketers, they don’t get enough recognition for the work they do. On the artist side, I’d love to see more long term focus on content and social. More artist teams need to build out internal agencies. Due to lack of resources and headcount, it seems like artists only get invested in when they’re having a moment (see Zara Larsson [ https://substack.com/redirect/1abc24c1-095a-439d-85f7-2ac044c3059a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for example). The talent has always been there but the digital budget was unlocked only after she had her viral meme. Rachel: What do you love about working in music marketing? Kalesha: I genuinely love telling stories and creating fun experiences for fans. The more depth an artist has, the better story I can tell. I come from a superfan background, so this is my way of paying it forward. What I’m scrolling The New York Public Library posted a Dic Pic [ https://substack.com/redirect/d0bcb4a2-14d1-4812-a92b-6365b54a2892?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Short for Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers, of course. In Link in Bio’s recent trend report [ https://substack.com/redirect/39b0e0bd-296a-4be7-9c60-88c45519b2aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Paulina Mangubat [ https://substack.com/redirect/e639c9fa-2e6a-45f9-9b51-82f8560c84cc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] shared that our feeds would get more ribald…but with purpose. This is a good example of that. So is NYGov’s “hole filling season” post [ https://substack.com/redirect/f07d0839-7f9f-4c18-aca0-9837cbd7b160?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that has 74K likes. This video from a new bandage company has 601K views and 48K likes [ https://substack.com/redirect/e98f90c3-1a91-420d-9d4d-dfc34cdc4a30?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. So much of a social launch strategy is spent overthinking photoshoots and grids, when videos like this are what actually move the needle. Is the best part about Instagram Edits the analytics? [ https://substack.com/redirect/99fd8ef6-5648-4729-9f70-248284985e51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Samantha Yehle [ https://substack.com/redirect/209e785c-cfa0-4ba5-b309-6105ea437cbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] called out on LinkedIn that the editing tool now lists engagement metrics in order of importance to reach. I love Peloton’s ad with Hudson Williams [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b0d526e-df61-44e7-9f03-7bb7d0175b57?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s directed by Bethany Vargas [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3edd41c-58d8-4e5e-9f8d-14e64260c8bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who also directed Gap’s Katseye ad [ https://substack.com/redirect/df5dbbf4-749c-4813-85fd-020959a0d568?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Young Miko ad [ https://substack.com/redirect/27d5357c-768b-44f2-a8d7-d0acde011e10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. A.I. has a message problem of its own making [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a3f06f4-20b8-4550-a986-2b5932052f1f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Great read from Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker. “A more effective strategy might be for A.I. executives to stop appointing themselves as the only arbiters of safety, to stop asking for blind faith, and to start fostering a system of external accountability, with input and involvement from the public.” Every account right now is asking their followers to vote for them in The Webby’s, but this creator did it best [ https://substack.com/redirect/a973813a-4f8c-4793-893e-3f363c80750a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Friend of the newsletter Max Zavidow [ https://substack.com/redirect/9869cdfa-898d-4319-9ad2-b39d091b677e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] filmed his mom handing out flyers in a park and asking people to vote. It’s wholesome and also clearly gets his message across. A good lesson in making a big audience ask entertaining. Carvel made one person’s day and got 2.1M views [ https://substack.com/redirect/0a31a623-b5cf-4af9-aa26-4c74e286ddb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It was in response to this viral video [ https://substack.com/redirect/5fb8c1cf-7309-4991-b600-970c83efc45a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Too many brands would look at the original viral video, see the user has under 10K followers, leave a comment, and move on. Instead, brands should be looking at the velocity of a story—no matter the follower count of who posted!—and if there’s a way to supercharge it. Before you go, check out the Link in Bio Job Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/435c4433-9060-4432-a4c1-ccde31e29b3e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]! There are new roles from The RealReal, J.Crew, JPMorganChase, and more. Finally, if you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/1abf5bbe-6d1f-400c-9d00-fa74588e3799?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee8663ec-e888-4272-b668-e0f0ea1d76b9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and quarterly trend reports [ https://substack.com/redirect/39b0e0bd-296a-4be7-9c60-88c45519b2aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], along with access to the Discord community [ https://substack.com/redirect/86d3f5c9-1d0e-4a54-b288-74db1ae82771?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORE16T1RZeE1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJNelU0T0RjeExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzRPVFE0TnpFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuSHRMMTJtMEgtNEpIQlVIc3dZNlQxTnp4NjFMTC1xaUFrRVA0bEpYVVFNTSIsInAiOjE5NDMzOTYxMiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NjM1ODg3MSwiZXhwIjoyMDkxOTM0ODcxLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.G6CSnlVErHt2Sxu9bDrlopE1j4_4UGRxUWJ9syb7Wu4?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/the-agency-creating-fan-pages-for Good morning! I’m speaking at Cannes Lions this year. It’s website official [ https://substack.com/redirect/5daf8070-7979-4afa-9ca6-7f84ce74db18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and everything! More soon on the topic of the talk and who I’m doing it with. If you’ll also be at the festival and want to work together, shoot an email to rachelkartengroup@caa.com. Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: I spoke to the agency behind @arbysboys [ https://substack.com/redirect/73031202-0a82-45fa-9b33-59169efac4cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and @not_spiritairlines [ https://substack.com/redirect/69c2ac0d-5cfc-492c-a437-64f18d5ff986?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] The Instagram Explore page is changing… Why I’m bullish on ShopMy’s new Substack Four post formats to try this week The skincare brand YouTube channel that got 8M views in 30 days... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNemd6TXpVME1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJNVGd3TXpnNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzNNVFl6T0Rrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAubGNCSnFaWUl4Q0xxR0ZFbG1lVGp5cUdGZkZkcUhja0huYVJ4Zk9scmZFYyIsInAiOjE5MzgzMzU0MSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NjE4MDM4OSwiZXhwIjoyMDkxNzU2Mzg5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.KgHqP7H-zwbpbIYSO10L16Ub6dv71pgttDSBCUTlsNg?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/social-media-sheamoisture-campaign Good morning! On Tuesday I released Link in Bio’s Brand Social Trend Report: Q1 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b0b9a99-195c-46d2-bc08-7569ba1dda50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. One reader commented, “Finally treated myself to a paid subscription and this was worth every discontinued penny!! Genuinely got so much out of this - took a page of notes - and leaving with some very actionable takeaways.” That is the goal! The end of the report focuses on how brands are refocusing on resonance. Ditching quick trends and creating posts that actually stick. While I was writing that section, I thought about the campaigns from the last three months that still felt top of mind to me. One I kept coming back to was SheaMoisture’s Silk Press Conference [ https://substack.com/redirect/041ed57c-f435-4796-b9a0-45024e70efca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], where stylist Law Roach [ https://substack.com/redirect/b46facdf-aa55-4232-bb2f-3b69fef5d882?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] interrupts a “silk press conference” between Clarke Peoples [ https://substack.com/redirect/25713d30-c162-4acb-b9f6-68955e869966?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Kirah Ominique [ https://substack.com/redirect/55f3626c-b00c-4ac5-99ce-99e1cc048bde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Masai Russell [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9b862e2-97a5-46f4-9f0b-2a63ff87fea3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and Serena Page [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c678813-6f93-476d-a986-7d0c2e6a7042?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s clever, entertaining, and somehow still heroes the brand’s new product. As one commenter put it, “I just love that we’re making marketing fun again 😍 ATE!” The campaign has over 3M views across platforms. For today’s newsletter, I spoke with Alyssa Ackerman [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d99e3ca-7655-43e1-a651-27884f992a9b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Social Lead at SheaMoisture [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c31a919-1695-498f-9980-738c2947ee3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], to understand how the campaign came together. (It was born out of a sticky note brainstorm!) Alyssa is also the Creative Editorial Director at CultureCon [ https://substack.com/redirect/58525de5-85ce-4548-949f-0d1d705f3c78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and The Creative Collective NYC [ https://substack.com/redirect/f88b6d76-ab77-49a2-8b9d-2724f3f2dd26?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], where she oversees all creative and editorial output across social, email, website, and experiential. She previously worked at or consulted for Topicals, Hypebeast, Parkwood Entertainment, Refinery29, BREAD, Farmacy Beauty, and more. A big part of why SheaMoisture’s campaign resonated is because it made their audience feel seen. As Alyssa tells me below, “I never try to make content go viral…I’m trying to make content that makes someone feel seen—and if it goes viral, that’s because we got the first part right.” I talk to Alyssa about her favorite tools for content planning, the role instinct plays in her strategy, and why social should be there to build the foundation of a campaign and not be “handed the keys after the house was already built”. Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up your social media philosophy, what would it be? Alyssa Ackerman: The best social doesn’t follow culture, it understands it well enough to move with it. That distinction matters more than people realize. Anyone can hop on a trend. And any brand with a big enough budget can hire an agency to reverse-engineer what’s working and produce a version of it two days later (sometimes hours, if they’re really good 😉) . What I care about—and what I’ve built my unique sauce around—is something harder to replicate: it’s the kind of cultural fluency that lets a brand show up in a way that feels native, not performed. That fluency starts with listening. Like, really listening—not just to what your audience is saying about your brand, but how they’re talking to each other, what they’re celebrating, what they’re tired of, and what kind of content makes them feel like someone finally gets it. When you build from that place, social stops being a distribution channel and starts being a relationship. And relationships, over time, become the thing that no algorithm update or competitor budget can take from you. You own the #1 spot on their story lists. You’re the pinned conversation in their DMs. You’re the one they want to hear from, not the one they quietly mute. I never try to make content go viral (anyone who still says this should remove from their vocabulary stat). I’m trying to make content that makes someone feel seen—and if it goes viral, that’s because we got the first part right. Rachel: About a year ago you wiped SheaMoisture’s feed and started fresh. What were some of the big changes you made to how the brand shows up online? Alyssa: Shea is a special brand to be a part of. There’s so much heritage there to respect. But years of history also comes with the weight of old habits—and the very real need to capture the hearts of a new generation who’d rather reach for the trendy new haircare line from their favorite influencer or celebrity. I came in as a strategist tasked with building their new annual playbook. A brand refresh was already underway, and a strong social perspective was needed to help tell that story in a way that honored the brand’s legacy while signaling to new audiences who the OG in Black beauty really is—one of my favorite phrases I coined for them. After playbook was done, I was invited to join the team full-time. Some of the biggest changes I made centered on visual content first. Our creative director, ShaNiece Pyles [ https://substack.com/redirect/8112bafe-9a61-4003-912c-c828e1ff7d57?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and her team had captured hair, versatility, and expression so beautifully—I knew I wanted that work to live across every format, every piece of real estate I owned. It was bold, fresh, and an undeniable representation of Black girlhood. Beyond visuals, I knew how important it was for our audience to not only see herself, but to hear herself. Shea had long been associated with the aunties—and honestly, to some, it probably still is, and rightfully so. But in this new era, I wanted us to claim authority and cultural relevance. Not through gen-z speak or borrowed slang, but in the ways she and we actually talk: playful, casual, and 100% ownable. I also had the pleasure of collaborating with my Topicals-alumni, Imani Moss, [ https://substack.com/redirect/b5b993ac-82cf-4cef-a361-a525d99f0b85?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on influencer and social crossovers—one of my many favorite places to play. She had the it-girls that worked for Shea’s new direction, I had the vision for how it would live on social, and together we created some of the brand’s best social-owned moments. That kind of cross-collaboration is what I believe helped put Shea back on the map in a genuinely remarkable way. Rachel: I want to zoom into your recent Silk Press Conference campaign. You’ve shared that it was born out of a “dream like you have no budget cap” sticky note brainstorm. Do you remember what was written on that sticky note? Alyssa: Honestly? Not even a little. There were hundreds of sticky notes by the end of that eight-hour day. What I can tell you is that the session itself was magic—and that’s largely a credit to our Head of Marketing, Reema Amin. [ https://substack.com/redirect/b36f247b-3438-4084-b96c-8cd743ff91c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] I’ve sat on a lot of marketing and creative teams over the years, and I tell her often: this is my first experience working with a marketing lead who truly gets social. Not “social-first” as a buzzword, but someone who genuinely sees eye to eye with me and understands that leading with this mindset creates immediate, measurable impact—for growth, for the business, for every cross-functional team it touches. Our full internal brand team was in that room. We had to dream without limits, but we also had a product to launch: our newest innovation, Silk Press In A Bottle. So the dreams had to mean something. We threw out our wildest ideas. I originally pitched Katt Williams as our Silk Press King—and the team instantly ate it up. It didn’t work out, but we landed Law Roach, who turned out to be an even better fit. And as a Chicago girl, the fact that we share the same roots made me feel giddy inside. Casting from Reema and our influencer team was impeccable, but it wasn’t the only spark. What made Silk Press Conference actually work was every person in that room and our external partners deciding to protect the idea all the way through—from a sticky note on a wall to the brand’s most engaging campaign to date. That’ll never get old for me. Rachel: How do you know when a campaign idea has it? I know it can just be a feeling, but I am curious if you’re able to put it into words. Alyssa: It’s actually pretty difficult to put into words, so I appreciate you calling that upfront. I’m lucky enough to work in spaces where I’m part of the target audience. Which means my friends and peers are too. That proximity is a kind of leverage most people underestimate. Because of it, knowing whether something has it is less of an analysis and more of a light switching on (or off) in my brain. A feeling in my gut that I’ve learned to trust deeply. I lead with intuition more often than not, and I don’t take that inner knowing lightly. That instinct, paired with the ability to simply vibe test an idea with people who reflect the audience, is how I know. If I don’t have an immediate reaction, it’s more than likely a no for me. I’m not someone whose enthusiasm can be easily manufactured or sold—I can tell pretty quickly whether something has it or not. That said, I’ll admit I’m not always right. And I genuinely love being proven wrong, because there’s real growth in that. Rachel: I’ve covered a lot of big campaigns. I can almost immediately tell when social was involved from the beginning. Why do you think it’s important for social teams to be brought in at the outset of a campaign? Alyssa: I say this often: in today’s marketing landscape, social is the nucleus. It’s also the connective tissue between creative and brand—one of the only teams that gets to see the full arc of a campaign from both sides and pick up workstreams from each. Traditionally, brands would spend hundreds of thousands—sometimes millions—on a single ad spot with a single asset. Once it was live, you stepped back and waited for a signal from your CMO the next morning. That model is over, or at least it should be. Social is your opportunity to directly connect with your audience in real time: to address pain points, build genuine relationship, and—my favorite part—tell a story that keeps unfolding long after launch day. When social is brought in early, you gain three things: invaluable cultural perspective that can shape the campaign before it’s too late to change course, a strategic throughline that ensures every asset has a life beyond the hero moment, and more content than you’d ever get from a single shoot day. The difference between a campaign that lands and one that fades is usually whether social helped build the foundation—or was handed the keys after the house was already built. Rachel: Do you have any tools you use to help prepare for a campaign shoot? Alyssa: My boss at Topicals once coined the term “left brain creative”—and that’s me to the T. Though I’ll admit, some mornings I wake up more right-brained than others. Tools are my secret weapon. And I think they’re a big part of what makes me more than just a social girl. I see things 360 and I act on them 360. I consider all angles, evaluate risk, and ask myself the simple question: is this cool, or is it not? But then from there, I build. An idea becomes a plan, a plan becomes a brief, and a brief becomes execution—whether by me or my team. My go-tos: Airtable for daily planning and project management, Pitch or Google Slides for presentations, Notion for team knowledge bases, and Canva or Figma for collaborative creative direction. Each one serves a different part of my brain, and together they keep the work organized without killing the instinct. Rachel: A lot of big brand campaigns flop on social. If you had to diagnose an overall theme for why, what would it be? Alyssa: They’re still working from old approaches to marketing, resulting in them not trusting the people closest to the audience to inform them on how to show up. Social teams at large companies are often the youngest, most culturally plugged-in people in the building. They know the audience. They live in the same feeds, use the same platforms, speak the same language. And yet they’re frequently the last ones invited into the room (if they’re invited at all). That disconnect between where the decisions are made and where the culture actually lives is, in my experience, the root of most campaign misfires. Rachel: Do you have any advice for advocating for yourself when you work in social media? Alyssa: When you work in social for a company that wants to actually succeed on social, your job is to be present in as many rooms, and on as many projects as your strategy can support. If you see a campaign in the works and you have no seat at the table, knock on the door. And when it opens, come prepared with a point worth fighting for. The honest truth is that some people simply don’t consider social when a campaign is being built. And some people don’t take it seriously enough to seek out the person who does. That’s not an excuse to fall back, let that be your motivation. Come with the data, the precedent, the case for why your presence changes the outcome. Make social impossible to overlook. My favorite way to frame it: would you rather have my input now or would you rather watch the asset tank later? Bold, I know, but you can soften the delivery without losing the point. Either way, the truth remains. Rachel: I’d love to do a few rapid fire questions to end! If you could only post on one platform for the next year, which would you choose? Alyssa: TikTok - one repeatable content series that never changes. You know the brand for that kind of content, that’s it. Rachel: What’s one thing you wish more CMOs understood about social media? Alyssa: It’s never as simple as you think, and reducing tasks to simplicity is undermining someone’s skillset. Rachel: Biggest brand social pet peeve? Alyssa: Corny community engagement comments. Rachel: Best social media tip you’ve ever received? Alyssa: Stop trying so hard. Rachel: One thing you love about working in social media Alyssa: The ability to flex my creative, entrepreneurial, and marketing muscles all at once. Before you go, Check out the Link in Bio Job Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/6087ead9-6c33-4f12-b310-80b333e1504c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]! There are new roles from Fly By Jing, Anthropic, PBS, and more. Finally, if you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ff44731-0a4d-43bc-85e5-faf759f806d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters [ https://substack.com/redirect/b94d144a-d6a0-482f-89a2-376e3c4d11bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and quarterly trend reports [ https://substack.com/redirect/64ccd341-8b8b-4fca-943b-0d2cccb8cb1a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], along with access to the Discord community [ https://substack.com/redirect/94a0ab0d-fbea-46b3-8eb8-f1a91c377ba6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! 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View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/brand-social-trend-report-q1-2026 If this is your first time receiving one of these reports, welcome! Like I always preface, this isn’t your usual graphs and stats trend report. Think of this like the scribbled notepad version of the trends you’ll eventually end up seeing in six months. It’s like getting early access. A little bit of science and a whole lot of gut. The Brand Social Trend Report: Q1 2026 covers topics like: Delayed virality TikTok’s slow down Accounts going create mode “Drop everything” campaigns Human interest = brand interest A refocus on resonance There are also trend contributions from people working at places like New York Magazine, Amtrak, BÉIS, Jeopardy, and more. Thank you to paid subscribers for supporting the newsletter and making reports like this possible! If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your free subscription, this is a good one to do it for. Plus, you’ll get access to the Link in Bio Discord, which has been described as “an essential place to be for anyone managing social media.”... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNakUwT0RjNE15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFOVGcxTVRFeExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3hNakV4TVRFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuWlJsS2w0QXZXOTcwZ0M0X2RDTHJwMTVob0RfVFRwSGRzYXp6QXRjVWtOYyIsInAiOjE5MjE0ODc4MywicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NTU4NTExMSwiZXhwIjoyMDkxMTYxMTExLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.a9XyWEuPWwwgRZ5TrRQ15qIc4yUksh6_-WF1GUKSZ88?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/scrubs-figs-cmo-social-media If you read this newsletter with any amount of regularity, you already know that I think the scrubs brand FIGS [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc006811-6160-4dad-873b-57c362ee1cbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] has a great social presence. Not because they post all the time or participate in every trend, but because they show restraint. When so many brands are throwing spaghetti at a wall, FIGS is throwing darts at a bullseye. The brand’s recent Women in Medicine campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/16334df6-5d86-44bb-86f6-6d614b760392?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], which features Lenny Kravitz’s It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over, has 4M views and 34K shares on Instagram. They worked with The Pitt’s Noah Wyle on a custom FIGS tuxedo [ https://substack.com/redirect/1cf73fae-ebad-49dc-9fa4-016e1449f28c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that he wore to the Emmys. They recently introduced the Healthcare is Human Act [ https://substack.com/redirect/9bffb70e-c03b-4a82-8fe9-87c16722b0aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a bipartisan bill that would provide a federal tax credit of up to $6,000 per year to healthcare professionals serving communities most impacted by shortages. The emotional truths in their holiday film [ https://substack.com/redirect/83863537-7f73-4f09-8947-c22486ccb132?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] led to over 143K likes. They showed up [ https://substack.com/redirect/fbffa7d5-724d-4543-b41f-80c2f940095c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with a coffee truck at the New York nurses’ strike. While many of the examples above are expressed on social media, I’ve worked in this industry long enough to know that’s not where they all started. These are clear reflections of how the entire marketing organization operates—a team that takes risks and acts with purpose. Want to be a social-first brand? Start with marketing leadership. That’s why for today’s newsletter I wanted to talk to Bené Eaton [ https://substack.com/redirect/76c61718-6f59-4062-a669-c5c334e4526e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the CMO of FIGS [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc006811-6160-4dad-873b-57c362ee1cbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], about her approach to big brand moments. She’s held marketing roles at places like Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Under Armour. She also reads Link in Bio. Below we talk about the unexpected campaign metric she tracks, how the brand uses music as an “emotional shorthand”, and the advice she’d give a social media manager who wants to be in her role one day. Rachel Karten: What role does social media play in your position as CMO of FIGS? Bené Eaton: Social is where our brand breathes. Alongside in-person connections, social is where we listen, learn, and reflect our community back to itself. I think what makes the healthcare community so unique is that they have so many lived experiences and they share those experiences online—their highs, their lows, the intensity of what they go through every day. Social gives us a space to connect with them. And then, of course, to also share their stories. It’s central to everything we do. Rachel: What I love about FIGS on social is that it’s less about the technical qualities of the scrubs, and is more about a celebration of healthcare workers. If you work in healthcare, you want to follow FIGS. How intentional is that positioning? Bené: 1000%. Everything we do is about telling the story of the people who are wearing FIGS. I love that you say it feels like a celebration. I mean, that’s the best compliment. Our mission at FIGS is to celebrate, empower, and serve healthcare professionals. And so it’s awesome that you see our social as the living embodiment of that mission. I think for us, in culture, we’re used to seeing celebrities revered. Or even in my past life, coming from Nike and Under Armour, you see athletes put on center stage and billboards. Our founders, Heather and Trina, even from the beginning, they asked themselves, “What about the people who are saving lives? Who’s telling their story? They are doing the world’s most important work. They’re curing diseases, they’re researching, they’re literally saving people’s lives every minute of the day. And so why aren’t they celebrated?” That’s really the intent of what we try to do in all facets of our branding and marketing, but social really is the embodiment of that. Rachel: There’s also an amazing specificity to your campaigns. In the recent Women in Medicine campaign there’s a subtle eye roll and line about epidurals that your audience all picks up on in the comments. Do you have healthcare professionals who are on the marketing team or brainstorming with you? Bené: We are genuinely obsessed with the healthcare community. We have what we call an Ambassador community. These are a group of healthcare professionals and their full-time main job is working as a healthcare professional. We have about 500 of them globally. We lean on them for all of our sort of insights and really try to understand what they’re going through. With the women in medicine film [ https://substack.com/redirect/74910abe-a0bb-4a28-8905-7b0c6708225d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], every single scene that we shot came from an actual story. We sat with all of the women that we were going to feature and we were asking them about the types of scenarios they’ve been in. So we captured that. When we rolled cameras, we told them to do what they would normally do in the office and relive the experience they shared. Those details matter, like the eye roll or those little vignettes that we capture. I think that’s what makes someone feel seen. I’ll say on a personal note, I’m super fortunate because my husband is a doctor. He is a good gut check. I’ll be like, “Would you actually say this? Is it correct?” We met in college, so I’ve been there through medical school, residency, and now working for years and years in healthcare as a physician. I have that lucky advantage as well. Rachel: That specificity also makes the campaigns more memorable. There’s a real resonance to what FIGS posts on social media. It’s not because you are doing every trend or participating in every cultural moment. It’s because when the brand does speak, it matters. How do you prioritize memorability? Bené: We are comfortable taking risks. I think designing a tux for [ https://substack.com/redirect/c123a77d-8971-42ec-bbb0-df0c0b65b22b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]The Pitt’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/c123a77d-8971-42ec-bbb0-df0c0b65b22b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Noah Wyle [ https://substack.com/redirect/c123a77d-8971-42ec-bbb0-df0c0b65b22b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was completely out of our lane. We had never designed or created a tuxedo before. I had in my past life working at Ralph Lauren, but not in the world of FIGS. But we really believed in what he represented and it was coming from a genuine real place because he had such a passion for this community. He also thanked the healthcare professionals when he received his award at the Emmys. Rachel: In today’s algorithm, everyone is an influencer if the story is told right. I love how you highlighted Lindsey Vonn’s doctors, for example. You essentially gave them the star treatment in this campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/06abefa7-985d-4261-8b02-0f2f1d7f6218?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. That really resonates on social right now, especially when you’re highlighting the effort that goes into these healthcare roles. It’s like an antidote to the “make everything more efficient with AI” story we’re hearing everywhere right now. Bené: Healthcare is just human nature, right? AI can never replace the work of a healthcare professional and the way they connect with their patients. So I do think, by nature, when we’re telling these stories, they hit at these deep human truths. In the age of AI, I think that really cuts through. Rachel: Music plays such an integral part of your campaigns. There was I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) and now It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over. How do you decide the song that will carry through the campaign? And why is it important to use a known song as opposed to stock music? Bené: We spend a lot of time on music, so thank you for seeing that. For us, music is a bit of an emotional shorthand. It can carry stories in such a beautiful way and so we always look for songs that amplify the feeling that we’re trying to create. For Lenny Kravitz’s It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over, it is just a song that makes you feel something—where you smile but also get teary-eyed at the same time. It worked for our women in medicine campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/74910abe-a0bb-4a28-8905-7b0c6708225d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] because there’s this idea that women still have so much work to do in this space and it’s not over yet. We’re just getting started. Rachel: Are you working with agencies on these campaigns or are you doing most of them in house? Bené: Everything’s in house. Rachel: Wow. That is extremely impressive. Bené: The in-house team we have at FIGS is so special. I can say this because I’ve worked for the most amazing brands and with the best agencies in the world. Jenny Seyfried [ https://substack.com/redirect/73dbe344-fbfc-4492-b68c-6d535ba372aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], our SVP of Brand & Creative has amazing relationships with all of our community members. Sam Pepke [ https://substack.com/redirect/67048ab0-b26b-4755-91b5-c4b884aaad40?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], our director, who creates all of our films, has great chemistry with the team. I always tell my team, life’s so short, we’re here to do the best work of our lives. Rachel: You have a film director who’s in house? Bené: Yeah, we have an in-house film director. He does all of the films you’ve seen—including our “Where do you wear FIGS?” [ https://substack.com/redirect/5065c577-49a6-4848-ade7-fccd291317a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] films from last year and our “Never Change” [ https://substack.com/redirect/74910abe-a0bb-4a28-8905-7b0c6708225d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] films this year. We have an in-house film director, in-house art directors, graphic designers, in-house narrative and copy. Everything is done by the FIGS team. Having an in-house film team means we’re not reinventing ourselves every campaign. We’re building on a deep understanding of our community. That continuity creates a consistency you can feel. Each campaign is distinct, but all unmistakably FIGS. And just as importantly, it allows us to move quickly, trust our instincts, and create without layers. Rachel: That’s amazing. Bené: They are so talented. It’s a very humbling experience to get to lead this team because they bring so much passion and they want to shine a spotlight on this community, like you said, that doesn’t always get the spotlight. Rachel: Are there any unique or unexpected metrics you like to track when it comes to campaigns? Bené: We pay attention to things that do not show up neatly in a dashboard. I love what I call “break room buzz.” It is not a formal metric, but it is very real. Like I said, my husband is a physician, and when he comes home from the hospital and says, “everyone was talking about the FIGS Women’s film,” that is gold. That is when I know the work traveled. Peer to peer. Human to human. In the spaces that actually matter. We look for signals of that kind of organic velocity. How ideas move inside hospitals. How often FIGS comes up in conversation when we are not in the room. It may sound anecdotal, but when you see it consistently, it becomes directional truth. If we are showing up at the nurses’ station, we are doing something right! Rachel: A lot of social media managers read this newsletter and some might want to be in a CMO position one day, what advice would you give to them? Bené: I would say be a student of what’s around you, but don’t copy it. I think there is a lot of pressure to follow trends or just replicate what’s working. But the most valuable thing someone can bring is having a point of view. If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a668f74-a541-420b-8cc0-8bee0a4d5c23?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters [ https://substack.com/redirect/823f837a-61b7-402b-a525-6d7faa732037?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and quarterly trend reports [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ea1b302-ba2b-4286-a965-2f21271bf099?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], along with access to the Discord community [ https://substack.com/redirect/5683e1a0-53f9-4f6d-8f1f-02e0a4b09f05?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! Finally, check out the Link in Bio Job Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c4c8ee9-5530-48f3-ba6a-84dc747023b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. There are new roles from Substack, Audible, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and more! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNamMyTkRjek5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFNVFExTmprM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTJPREUyT1Rjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuZW5CSnZfZERzQmtYSEhwVnlvZWtzeWlmNzN0ZnVrd0VMQUt2ZFhTX2JlQSIsInAiOjE5Mjc2NDczNCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NTE0NTY5NywiZXhwIjoyMDkwNzIxNjk3LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.mUY5DtMRqBRRp_YPNubTqeuv0eQnI92BkXvG_UTsghI?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/this-candy-shop-gained-43k-followers Hello! I’m back from my week off. I spent the majority of that time in Sea Ranch, where I ate grilled oysters at The Marshall Store [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0592dee-97ca-43dc-ae6b-42da70f3fdf9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], played tennis on a court next to the ocean, and completed one very hard puzzle. I also finally cracked open George Saunders ’ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain [ https://substack.com/redirect/4219b38d-7f9a-43c3-9a18-6905a266cc6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The book is about writing fiction but it’s also about keeping a reader’s attention. In it, Saunders highlights the role escalation plays in short stories. He says, “Always be escalating. That’s all a story is, really: a continual system of escalation. A swath of prose earns its place in the story to the extent that it contributes to our sense that the story is (still) escalating.” A story that escalates builds reader investment. So does a good social media strategy. In my recent interview [ https://open.substack.com/pub/milkkarten/p/fishwife-social-media-strategy?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web ] with the Fishwife team, a reader commented, “What I take [away] is how they’ve really focused on the emotional bts component as part of their social strategy, which generates the feeling of people rooting for them even as their brand profile has rose.” A business is, by nature, filled with escalation. How do you capture it all in a way that allows your audience to root for you? Kate Bolger [ https://substack.com/redirect/02663a2f-82d0-4503-bff0-4b886c95b37e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the owner of The Village Confectionary [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae9c6efb-16eb-4117-86ff-3adc983cbcec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], knows the answer. Her candy shop doesn’t open for another 10 weeks, but has already accumulated over a million views and over 43K followers. Kate is building online investment early through her beautifully-scripted videos, prompting comments like “Ok, watched all your videos like I’m binge watching Netflix 😍 you are an amazing story teller. I’m here for your journey and cheering you on!” Below I share her tips for telling a small business story online and why she thinks of her social presence in seasons not posts. I also cover: Four post ideas to try this week The best movie marketing isn’t about the movie Is Instagram’s new premium subscription available to brands? Why I’m going detective mode on Chanel’s social media An early bet on the MLB team with the best social this season New roles on the Link in Bio Job Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a7514f3-8059-400a-be0b-cbe31d4014bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]!... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNakUwT1RreE1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBPVGMzTnpnMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTFNVE0zT0RVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuTkhmY0VTWElIbU9NQUtxakIxOGN1cGxRTXkxc19oa1VsNUlhVmNVbmQxMCIsInAiOjE5MjE0OTkxMiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3NDk3Nzc4NSwiZXhwIjoyMDkwNTUzNzg1LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.ruLRxp-ET8v6kr64iulwBF-Ni6ZpppkoCZlOR_ygpCM?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/fishwife-social-media-strategy Good morning! While reflecting [ https://substack.com/redirect/887c1a5d-53ef-427f-bbe2-6c813b805888?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on the past five years of writing Link in Bio, I realized I haven’t been great about taking time off. Next week there will be no newsletters while I attempt to reduce my screen time and actually read a book. I’m thinking George Saunders ’ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain after Zach Fried [ https://substack.com/redirect/e0029fbe-f190-488d-acd5-067f3aa0e99d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from Craighill [ https://substack.com/redirect/13242379-6e3e-4d62-8a6a-f6ff2d026909?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] recommended it here [ https://substack.com/redirect/d991fd2e-9cfa-456d-8c6a-0b7616f091a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I’ll still be hanging in the Link in Bio Discord [ https://substack.com/redirect/94f2c764-6a9f-494d-93a2-e428573488c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], so if you’re a paid subscriber, I’ll see you there. In today’s newsletter, I talk to the Fishwife [ https://substack.com/redirect/7c1522fe-2f4f-46ab-8b7d-2b305282ef4e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] team. I’ve written about the colorful tinned fish brand a handful of times, covering their carousel strategy [ https://substack.com/redirect/1718ad8e-537a-47e7-b80e-0bf29ec94f24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and TikTok Shop presence [ https://substack.com/redirect/359d5c82-a0e8-4515-9c02-9a6d3558cd3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], but have never done a deep dive. It’s an interview that’s long overdue. Below you’ll hear from Becca Millstein [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9ff5f39-e3c8-4235-8f90-f7d671f69ebf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Co-Founder and CEO of Fishwife (who also oversees company leadership and brand marketing!), and Lauren Murphy [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbc11173-3d5f-40ef-8f80-8539162f57a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Senior Brand Marketing Manager, on their social media playbook. We cover why all carousels need a good hook, the online trend that’s showing up “explicitly” in product sales, and how the team builds social momentum through newness. Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up Fishwife’s social media philosophy in a sentence or two, what would it be? Lauren Murphy: Fishwife’s social media philosophy is rooted in making people ~feel~ something, blending emotional consistency with a warmly irreverent, funny (humble brag), and community-obsessed voice. Across every touchpoint (whether a recipe, meme, or retail announcement) the goal is to make tinned fish feel fun, culturally relevant, and deeply human. Becca Millstein: I also think of Fishwife’s social media as the diary of our extremely dynamic, maximalist company story. So while our platforms have unique content and voice, I also see them as vessels for all of the new products, ideas, events, retail launches, partnerships, initiatives, etc. which breathe so much life into these platforms. Rachel: What platform would you say has been the most impactful for Fishwife’s growth? Lauren: Instagram and TikTok have both fueled Fishwife’s growth—but in different ways. Instagram lets us engage deeply with our community, while TikTok helps us reach new audiences and tell our stories to people who might not know us yet. Becca: I agree with Lauren overall. I’m biased because I started building the company’s social media presence on Instagram (and barely touch TikTok), but I think the connections forged on Instagram over the years in DMs have had a massively duplicative effect on the company’s community and customer base. Ever since the beginning, we’ve maintained such personal relationships on Instagram, and that closeness engenders at least some degree of brand loyalty, passion, and word-of-mouth. Rachel: Becca, what role do you see yourself playing in the Fishwife social media ecosystem? You show up quite a bit on the feed! Becca: I told Lauren she didn’t have to answer this one but now I’m wishing I hadn’t, because she’s the one responsible for smearing my mug all over Fishwife’s social media!! As we all know too well, founder-led companies tend to lean into being founder-led, and for good reason. A face makes a brand more relatable, easier to root for and all-in-all is an unfair advantage against other companies that might lack an origin story or founder character to loop the story of the brand back to. Rachel: I’ve talked a lot about how important product newness is on social media. So much of what people are reacting to when they say they love a brand’s social presence are those big announcements and partnerships. Your team is really good about this. How often would you say you’re announcing something new? And would you say that newness is a big piece of your overall social strategy? Becca: Momentum is everything in brand-building. People want to engage with brands and companies that are actively and enthusiastically engaging with them. To us, engaging with our customer base means consistently talking to them to understand what they want to see from us (we’re big survey people), and then bringing their (and our) visions into being. Our first company core value (we have four and we really live by them) is “Build a delightful world.” This relates to both our customer and our team—there’s nothing the Fishwife team loves more than coming up with a wild idea and bringing it to fruition. It delights us to make delightful things! In turn, our customer base derives so much energy and joy from all the newness—whether it’s a new tinned fish product, a long sleeve t-shirt (shhh!), a pop up, or a one-off cobranded demo at Whole Foods. The company is a living, breathing organism, and our constant newness is the expression of that lifeforce!! Big caveat—we also really try not to fatigue our base. It’s a delicate dance. Lauren: About 75% of my role (with Becca’s support) is dedicated to planning and executing newness. Whether it’s a new tin launch, a small merch item, or a bigger brand partnership, our marketing calendar is always stacked with exciting new moments (at least 1x/month). Rachel: Is there a specific post or announcement you recall driving meaningful sales? Why do you think it worked? Lauren: It’s hard to say which individual posts drive sales, so I usually look at retail launches as a clearer signal. Our first Costco announcement [ https://substack.com/redirect/f107dcef-53c0-428d-93c5-89dc54de4f19?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] is a standout. We first announced our Midwest rollout, and the number of organic UGC posts was a strong early indicator of excitement. One of our CTAs was to fill out a Costco request form (to request Fishwife at your local club), and so many sweet people submitted that Costco had to email us multiple times asking us to pause promotion—oops! The bigger takeaway is that Fishwife has been thoughtful about launching in retail when demand exists, rather than jumping in too early. That timing has been a key part of why our retail expansions work so well. Becca: I remember that we launched the our Valentine’s Day chocolate sardines over email and SMS in the morning, and sales were doing solidly, but when we posted on IG [ https://substack.com/redirect/939d1e8b-280b-4411-bb6c-113de3d456d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], they popped off. There are certain items—tinned fish, merch, or anything in between (like choco sardines)—that we know are really going to resonate on social. If the price point is approachable, like it was with the chocolate sardines, conversion from social is much likelier to be high. Rachel: How do you interact with “trends” within the category? It seems like tinned fish is having a moment every month. Lauren: We’re not chasing trends, but we think strategically about how to stay top of mind when tinned fish moments happen. That means building strong relationships with creators who are shaping the conversation, staying present in the cultural conversation, and making sure our brand voice and story are visible—so when interest spikes, Fishwife is already part of the conversation! Becca: I’m obsessed with talking about tinned fish trends, because we’ve basically had a new one or two every year since 2021 and it’s so fun to watch (especially when you’re running a tinned fish business). 2026 is just…sardines!! How healthy they are, how they make your skin glow. We’ve never had a trend show up so explicitly in our sales. Rachel: Wow. What has the jump in sardine sales been? Becca: On the retail side, our baseline unit velocities 3x'd between Q4'25 and Q1'26, and 2x'd on DTC. Rachel: I’ve written about how Fishwife’s carousels are best in class. Do you have any tips for making sure they are shareable and engaging? Lauren: Carousels have always been Fishwife’s bread and butter, but we don’t create them just to fill the feed—they’re designed with purpose. Every post starts with a strong hook and a clear reason for someone to swipe to the next slide. For more complex stories, like sourcing content or nuanced rollouts (like this [ https://substack.com/redirect/0572cad3-6332-4fa6-b8a4-bffac905c699?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] or this [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1d5a099-3691-4e39-93dc-51142ade4890?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]), we layer in text overlays, music (which I spend way too long picking 😅), and pacing to make the story easy to follow and engaging. I would think of each carousel as a mini narrative: plan why someone should keep swiping, make each slide meaningful, and use format elements strategically to tell the story in a way static posts alone can’t. Rachel: I can’t stop watching Toni Bravo’s videos about tinned fish [ https://substack.com/redirect/627dfa6a-fbbd-4858-851b-8b1911790671?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Do you have any tools you love or helpful tips for finding influencers and creators to gift and work with? Lauren: Toni!!! An angel. As longtime fans, we’re overjoyed seeing all the love she’s getting. She’s built such an magical moment around tinned fish, and we’re so, so grateful to be part of it. In terms of how we think about creators, we keep it pretty simple and really relationship-driven: We prioritize creators who already have a genuine food ritual. It’s less about size and more about behavior: are they already building snack plates, cooking with tinned fish, etc. Most of our discovery is actually organic. We’re lucky to get a ton of inbound love, so a lot of our relationships start from a really genuine place, people who are already part of the Fishwife universe. From there, we lean heavily on gifting and our affiliate program. Typically, the people we invest in are folks we’ve already seeded and built a relationship with over time. Up until about a year and a half ago, we weren’t spending much (if anything) on influencer marketing, and even now, we’re very intentional about it. For us, it’s less about “finding” creators and more about paying close attention to who’s already showing up for us, and then nurturing the heck out of those relationships. Rachel: Sourcing is a big piece of the Fishwife story—and you do a great job of telling it. Many brands struggle to make that style of content engaging. How do you get it to resonate with audiences? Lauren: Becca and our Head of Ops, Jack [ https://substack.com/redirect/00d8244b-b91e-486a-a9b3-05564521e7eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], visit our cannery partners across Europe every summer so to say I’m spoiled with incredible sourcing content is an understatement. We focus on bringing humanity into the process: showing our cannery partners faces, sharing their names, and giving real visibility into the hands that bring each tin to life. Paired with thoughtful, story-driven carousels, it makes sourcing feel personal instead of just a step in the supply chain. Becca: For most folks, seafood and its supply chain feel incredibly foreign and intimidating. This is where putting faces to the brand really helps, it brings the customer closer to the source. Instead of a stock photo of tuna swimming in open water, it’s a picture of me and our head of ops breaking bread with our cannery partners in Spain, Washington, Scotland, Denmark, Norway. All of them grew up in the regions we source from. For many, their ancestors founded the cannery, their families have spent generations carefully tending relationships with local fishermen and olive farmers. It’s just so much more human, much easier to envision and understand. Rachel: What advice would you give a food brand that’s struggling to break through on social right now? Lauren: Prioritize emotional consistency over aesthetic perfection or chasing trends—people follow brands that make them feel something, consistently. That consistency isn’t just about what you post or how often you post, it’s about how you show up in conversation, too. The brands that win aren’t treating social like a distribution channel, they’re treating it like a conversation. If you’ve DM’d with a customer or creator a few times and they still don’t know your name, something’s not right. Last tidbit! Sometimes there an opening in the social calendar and I just can’t think of what to post for the life of me, so I don’t. Showing up with intention matters more than just showing up for the sake of it. Becca: Such good advice from Lauren!! Authenticity is the be-all, end-all. Start with what your “unfair advantages” are and build your strategy off of those. If you’re a founder-led brand, recognize that as an advantage and lean in. Important caveat—this does not mean that you have to become a founder-creator. In fact, I’d advise against that (one woman’s opinion, but who’s got the time!?). What I mean is that because you’re starting the company, you almost can’t help but be authentic in your vision and your voice. OR, is your unfair advantage that your product has a really cool production process or sourcing narrative? Then lean in there! Do you have a teenage cousin who’s really good at memes? Do you have someone on your team that writes really funny Slacks? It can be anything, but finding your special little golden nugget, and leaning in there, usually yields positive results. And if you’re being authentic, you don’t have to worry about being precious. We’re chaotic, and all-over-the-place, and share a million different types of content—but we know who we are, we all embody the Fishwife brand, so it all works out in the end. Five takeaways from my conversation with Fishwife Start carousels with a strong hook and a clear reason for someone to swipe. “I would think of each carousel as a mini narrative: plan why someone should keep swiping, make each slide meaningful, and use format elements strategically to tell the story in a way static posts alone can’t.” Newness builds momentum. “Whether it’s a new tin launch, a small merch item, or a bigger brand partnership, our marketing calendar is always stacked with exciting new moments (at least 1x/month).” Tinned fish trends have real impact. The online conversation around sardines showed up in Fishwife’s sales. “On the retail side, our baseline unit velocities 3x’d between Q4’25 and Q1’26, and 2x’d on DTC.” Nurture your existing fans. “For us, it’s less about ‘finding’ creators and more about paying close attention to who’s already showing up for us, and then nurturing the heck out of those relationships.” Prioritize emotional consistency over aesthetic perfection or chasing trends. “People follow brands that make them feel something, consistently. That consistency isn’t just about what you post or how often you post, it’s about how you show up in conversation, too. The brands that win aren’t treating social like a distribution channel, they’re treating it like a conversation.” One more thing! Final reminder that all annual subscriptions to Link in Bio are 20% off until Friday. That’s $16 off, or two free months. The paid tier gets access to weekly strategy emails, quarterly trend reports, the running list of post ideas, and an invite to the Link in Bio Discord. Upgrade your subscription here [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f851f75-ef37-4763-afa3-78c38ab37c01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVFF5TnpRd01Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pPVE15T1RZMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVTBOamc1TmpRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuZkZSY01kNGFHc3pxd3RrR0s3S0hRaGhRM3lOWjZ6NlBvRzV3cTBiOEhxQSIsInAiOjE5MTQyNzQwMCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MzkzMjk2NCwiZXhwIjoyMDg5NTA4OTY0LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.NGAJUZvyigWM7w4h7taFMo7cWCDipExbA6e6vuviQ3E?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/social-media-contract-broken Hello from Austin. I spoke on a panel at SXSW on Sunday, but many of the highlights of my time here have been the non-conference things. Dinner at Birdie’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/1589e9bf-1d3b-4f2d-a422-2f9c59d56044?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with Emily Sundberg and Casey Lewis . Watching Caleb Hearon play baseball at The Long Time [ https://substack.com/redirect/1764ce56-2ee9-4344-b5a3-47c9b70fb2b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Buying silk pants at perfectly-curated ByGeorge [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1e24ae5-f4da-468c-a70e-e852bbc3586c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The biggest highlight was hosting a joint Link in Bio and After School [ https://substack.com/redirect/03846f49-f1f6-4d5e-bfad-e62c5914849c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] subscriber happy hour at Nickel City. I loved meeting so many of you! Thank you to Nuuly [ https://substack.com/redirect/885c187a-dd9f-4713-986c-1a1f62bed2b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for partnering with us on it. Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: I talk to Jeremy Carrasco (@showtoolsai [ https://substack.com/redirect/7fc21029-630b-4941-9cb2-1c79ea28a8d9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]) about how AI-generated content is breaking down the inherent social media social contract The hook that took a video from 166K views to 18.5M views Five post formats to try this week The video framework more brands should utilize Is Facebook back…? Quick reminder that I’m running a sale to celebrate five years of writing Link in Bio. All annual subscriptions will be 20% off until March 20th, 2026. That’s $16 off, or two free months. The paid tier gets access to weekly strategy emails (like the one today!), quarterly trend reports, a running list of post ideas, and an invite to the Link in Bio Discord. Upgrade your subscription here [ https://substack.com/redirect/463c8ce9-7e76-4c07-b446-2e63dacb45a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVEUwTmpZMU55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pOemMwTkRneExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVXpNVEEwT0RFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuRGoyS3JSTmVGcUdJQlpXQk5LNDdZeUw3Znhpa0VtM2k1ZXhxN0J5MkNOMCIsInAiOjE5MTE0NjY1NywicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3Mzc3NDQ4MSwiZXhwIjoyMDg5MzUwNDgxLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.1FejdqcWdAsZg2ZO-6LQkbpg-CtuENwamrxaEwtrQG0?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/five-years-of-link-in-bio My very first Substack post was a haphazardly-written essay demanding that people stop calling social media managers “interns”. In it, I shared my goals for Link in Bio. How I hoped it would be an “actually-useful resource for people who work in social media” and maybe even “illuminate all the work social media managers do to any higher ups or CMOs who might be subscribers.” I sent it on February 3rd, 2021, a few days before my 30th birthday. Link in Bio was born out of a bone to pick. A frustration that social media managers didn’t get the credit they deserved or the resources they needed to do their best work. Five years later, those goals remain the same. We still get called interns, but now there’s someone in the comments who immediately writes “Interns don’t run the accounts of corporations!”. That back up didn’t always exist. CMOs, founders, and marketing leaders tell me all the time that they read Link in Bio to educate themselves on the trends, platforms, and strategies shaping this world. If you’ve ever had a boss who doesn’t “get” social, you know how big of a deal this is. Of course, I still put every newsletter send through the “actually-helpful resource” test. One of the most important projects of this newsletter was also the first. I launched the inaugural compensation survey only a few months after my first send. Since then, it’s become a core piece of the Link in Bio puzzle. In 2021, the median salary for a social media director was around $97K. In 2025 it was $138K. There’s still so much more work to do, but I’ve been encouraged by stories from readers who tell me they’ve received a raise by using the data. I often get asked how I decide what to write about. I use my own interest as a barometer for coverage. I need to see how a brand’s post or campaign lands online before ever deciding if I want to talk about it here. While this might not sound radical, I’ve found that a lot of advertising and marketing media is more interested in an exclusive than covering something that’s proven. I have no interest in writing about an expensive campaign from a fancy agency until I see that it’s actually working. I’d rather interview a small coffee shop getting 1M views than a Fortune 500 getting 50K views. I don’t publish every platform update, just the ones I think you should know about. There’s a place for all of that, but it’s not Link in Bio. Once I notice that something is resonating? I sprint. I’m grateful to every brand and social marketer who has trusted their story with Link in Bio, sharing big insights and answering late-night emails. Link in Bio wrote about serialized social shows [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b8a8bdb-8a3a-48a4-bebd-69df373eb014?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] all the way back in 2023, interviewed Zohran Mamdani’s video agency [ https://substack.com/redirect/0996eef7-8b91-4e27-aeeb-71892d23f587?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] before the primaries, and investigated how Wimbledon [ https://substack.com/redirect/531c52ac-ce5c-439d-b01f-679ddd151ff4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] makes their “Overheard” videos by calling a stranger who was in one. “There’s always a social angle” is something I often tell myself. Link in Bio has received over 21M views since sending that first newsletter. I’m grateful to every single reader. When reflecting on these past five years, I was a bit shocked at how little has actually changed in my process. It’s still just me writing the newsletter every week. My screen time remains dangerously high. I don’t use AI. I cold DM social managers on LinkedIn for interviews. I consult for brands. I get nervous before every send. I have bones to pick. I am consistently delighted by the inventive work that social teams do. I’d be thrilled if the next five years looked exactly the same. I remain laser focused on making Link in Bio the most helpful resource for social media teams. Growth to me looks like going deeper not wider. I’m dreaming up a summit where we can learn from one another and developing a long-form video strategy. I can’t wait. In the meantime, I’ll see you in your inbox. Thanks for letting me in. What I’m scrolling Brands are posting the new “Distorted Face” emoji on Twitter [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ce7e4e3-f07c-4ad0-b7d8-959a3dfdfaa8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Figma here [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc27da19-80f8-403c-a733-341217dfe4dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Wendy’s here [ https://substack.com/redirect/8670e987-ab99-467a-ae8c-c1c9275da563?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and McDonald’s here [ https://substack.com/redirect/39ab0ab2-7131-4806-a460-e870c8c16248?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Adweek reports that 65% of marketing jobs may not survive AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/959ecda0-f8f5-4eee-82b4-345fe79c3647?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The same publication recently announced their “AI Power 50” honoring the “leaders driving innovation and adoption of artificial intelligence tools within the marketing and advertising industry.” Apple launched @helloapple on Instagram today [ https://substack.com/redirect/775f6408-ad5b-4788-adeb-9fd6dcb3f74e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I really like this post [ https://substack.com/redirect/773b6176-c86a-40f7-8c43-01d35181cf85?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from inside their durability lab. Last week, I noted that they hadn’t posted their popular Neo TikTok videos on Instagram yet. One of them [ https://substack.com/redirect/08de3a62-9265-46cc-bc0b-72a6fbca9427?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] is already on this new account. AI could never replace Taco Bell’s Live Más LIVE event [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c72bc99-9974-4a97-ab3f-3b0753f8ffef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. My feed is full of UGC [ https://substack.com/redirect/2789f3e3-5fd5-40bf-91d5-d74e997227c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from it. Gen Z’s negative feelings about TikTok are starting to affect their usage habits [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff0f469a-43e4-4ce8-ace3-7b407b2be776?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. “Gen Z still shows up to TikTok every day, but they’re showing up skeptical, exhausted, and nostalgic for a version of the platform that’s already gone,” said Harris Poll Chief Strategy Officer Libby Rodney in a statement. “That’s not loyalty—that’s habit. And habits break.” Meanwhile, The Harris Poll survey found that 78% of Gen Z views YouTube favorably, and 66% of that group visits YouTube every day. Regrettable minutes will have a profound impact on the direction social media goes! The beer company Happy Dad just tweets news headlines now [ https://substack.com/redirect/825825c1-70bb-4fce-ab01-02919c89c351?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Very bleak strategy! Thanks to the reader who tipped me off to this. Speaking of Twitter, everyone is very confused by this Axios tweet [ https://substack.com/redirect/d40185e0-2712-4bd0-9a20-25bcf0d94fa6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s a quote tweet of an article they shared that reads “It's the terminally online news junkies who are detached from the actual reality. We've been manipulated by algorithms and politicians amplifying the worst of humanity. Our feeds and screens spread a twisted, inaccurate view of America.” Joshua Charow makes the most beautiful social videos [ https://substack.com/redirect/296e04d2-442a-40f1-a315-54bb19ec9c47?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Brands should study the subtle ways he hooks viewers. Gap had a campaign director and a making-of-campaign director [ https://substack.com/redirect/55762aea-353d-476b-9aa4-6e9b70589bf5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Mick Kelleher [ https://substack.com/redirect/2147dbe4-1839-436c-a7c6-bf33c54ec277?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was responsible for capturing how the recent spot came together. That “making of” video [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9cd11cd-79ae-4b7d-af51-fff2f311dae9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] has over 20K likes. A few more things Get 20% off an annual paid subscription. To celebrate five years, all annual subscriptions will be 20% off until March 20th, 2026. That’s $16 off, or two free months. The paid tier gets access to weekly strategy emails, quarterly trend reports, a running list of post ideas, and an invite to the Link in Bio Discord. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading, now is the time. I rarely run sales. Want to work with Link in Bio? If your brand is interested in partnering with Link in Bio, sponsoring in-person events, or having me speak at a company offsite, please email rachelkartengroup@caa.com. The job board is back! I switched providers and the Link in Bio Job Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/c496ee41-5852-4f28-a788-2066f22bf470?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] is up and running again. It features all of the best social media roles in one place, updated daily. Right now there are roles from places like Disney [ https://substack.com/redirect/5de4880e-50be-46cf-89dc-c0c5eb999bff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Ramp [ https://substack.com/redirect/21929f1a-9397-4425-b86e-b8710f8ab29a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and Ben & Jerry’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/9cb3e119-28c2-4bcc-aaf4-2cfdd1156e59?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. If you work for a brand that’s hiring within social media, this job board is for you too. You can post your job listings to get in front of the most talented social media professionals in the business. Check it out here [ https://substack.com/redirect/c496ee41-5852-4f28-a788-2066f22bf470?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Join the Link in Bio Discord. A reminder that paid subscribers get access to the Link in Bio Discord. Think of it as an always-on chat with some of the smartest people who work in this industry. It’s been described as “invaluable” and “as close as you can get to the pulse.” If you’re a paid subscriber and haven’t joined yet, shoot me a DM on Substack for an invite. Thank you for reading! If you’ll be at SXSW this weekend, please say hi! Unfortunately my happy hour with Casey Lewis filled up in an hour, but you can find more details on our panel here [ https://substack.com/redirect/d092d310-b6c9-4d4e-b4a2-8e249ea6409a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRFUxTXpZME55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNek15TURjMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTROamd3TnpRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuMV9jS3FNTkszZXhUbGc4WDFaUTY5UmdGU08zVHFmV0hSQUVGZEQ1NGN5NCIsInAiOjE5MDU1MzY0NywicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MzMzMjA3NCwiZXhwIjoyMDg4OTA4MDc0LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.iFtyq-DHIV1S2xgqnRBY41SnxsvVHhKtyairArudXvw?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/should-your-brand-start-a-side-quest Up until a few years ago, the argument against creating a new account was straightforward. It takes a lot of time, money, and resources to build a following on a fresh page. Brands needed followers to make sure their posts got seen and the effort of starting a new account often didn’t make sense. Today, that logic no longer holds up. I’ve watched as creators like Taste Buds [ https://substack.com/redirect/429ebfe8-10b9-4e43-89cb-54a5c20a3a1f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Kid with Crocs [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a3a8dab-5795-4861-9ecf-c8953eda1409?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] get over a million views on their first few posts. If there’s a FYP-market fit, the video will get seen—regardless of how many followers the account has. Some users even speculate that the platforms give a bump to new accounts, although I cannot verify that. Meanwhile, so many brands continue to use their main account to do everything. They program their feed like a television network—product images, campaign videos, recurring series, UGC testimonials, sales announcements, and more. It doesn’t work like it used to. I’ve written at length about the benefits of focusing your feed [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc9b8e2e-51b4-4fa7-8065-4699594f74d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—which many small brands have done a very good job of!—but for larger brands I understand that they can’t just turn their main account into one serialized show. It got me thinking about what brands could unlock if they took a more relaxed approach to starting new accounts. What if instead of programming the brand page like a network, brands programmed each platform like a network—spinning off new specialized accounts. A movie studio with a fan edit account. A fashion company with a style makeover social show. In today’s newsletter, I explore what this approach might look like in practice. Here’s what’s inside: The psychology of discovering a new account How to take an ecosystem approach to social media Why politicians have “team” accounts The five types of additional brand accounts How I’d apply this model to J.Crew Social strategist Matthew Stasoff [ https://substack.com/redirect/419e748d-abaf-4301-8d5b-60e0d4526d4d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on the benefits of “side quest” accounts... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNREkwT0RBeE1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNVFl4TkRNNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTJPVGMwTXpnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuMjl6dXdHcHpmdEZBM200Q1FJbWt4azl2eUpyYjRXVE94NXVzZzBaazc4USIsInAiOjE5MDI0ODAxMCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MzE2MTQzOCwiZXhwIjoyMDg4NzM3NDM4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.eHCNbtAhOzcTqIJRB-n5iGG801VvKI38MfPLKQ7pFkE?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/la-metro-social-media Last week the Los Angeles Metro [ https://substack.com/redirect/984ac7ee-57b3-4140-98ea-0f041b953f99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] announced three long awaited subway stations on the D line. The video [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6ee4242-4d7c-457b-97a6-6231235d9936?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] has over 1M views across platforms. An hour after posting, the team quickly followed up with merch [ https://substack.com/redirect/15a44904-0647-4c5e-a2da-cea807ba4528?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to celebrate. A shirt that simply reads “Ride the D”. They did a full year’s worth of sales in under 24 hours. The design made it onto Late Night with Seth Myers. They couldn’t have predicted one piece of merch could become such a moment. When you work in social, you’re often asked to see the future. What format will break through? How can we get this to go viral? The truth is, even the best social teams surprise themselves. Jane Ashley [ https://substack.com/redirect/89eba184-f39e-4a2f-9748-e3d9214331bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who leads the social media strategy at LA Metro, told me, “We didn't anticipate that the announcement post would be completely eclipsed by something we barely officially promoted.” That’s the fun of working in this industry. I talked to the LA Metro team to learn more about how they announced the D line. The announcement One thing the social team did expect? People were going to care about the D line. Jane shared, “The vision for the D Line subway in its fully extended glory (!) dates back to the 1980s or even earlier. Political strife meant it took decades to become reality. That long history, combined with its location through the highest-density corridor in Los Angeles and its status as one of only two fully underground, heavy-rail lines in our transit system (allowing riders to truly bypass all car traffic), makes the D Line extension among Metro’s most highly anticipated openings of all time.” While the social team knew there was anticipation, they weren’t given a heads up before the announcement. Joseph Lemon [ https://substack.com/redirect/9868820c-b708-4dee-a72f-19d62cb1fe11?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the social content manager at Los Angeles Metro, said, “The social team finds out when everyone else does. On the morning of the announcement, we gathered in our ‘War Room’ (our regular conference room) with a livestream of the official Board meeting pulled up, waiting for the news just like the public.” Once the announcement was live, it was time for the nine-person social team to move. Jane tells me, “The moment the board member announces the date, each channel manager downloads the file with the correct date from a prepopulated Dropbox and scrambles (read: fights against abysmal Internet speeds in our building) to upload to their respective channel with independent oversight to modify the file or caption for their platform.” The video [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6ee4242-4d7c-457b-97a6-6231235d9936?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] creative caught my eye because they took a popular format—screenshots of comments asking for something—and tweaked it. They took those comments, but placed them within drone footage using After Effects—animating them popping up on the screen as the first-person footage moves into the new station. It was a slight build that made a big difference. Joseph said the style “was a new take on something we have used successfully in the past, which carried the tension all the way into the station entrance and the date drop.” He said they don’t use After Effects often but the “bigger moment” felt like it needed it. The video has over 1M views across platforms. The shirt Then there was the shirt. One hour after the launch video was live, the team followed up with another post [ https://substack.com/redirect/15a44904-0647-4c5e-a2da-cea807ba4528?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. “Give the gift of the D before opening day 5.8.2026!” with a shirt that simply says “Ride the D”. Just the right amount of chaos. Jane tells me the idea came from Reddit. “Months prior, the shirt concept had been mocked up by a Redditor [ https://substack.com/redirect/b626de98-e8d5-43ce-b251-834aeb57d2f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and r/LAMetro all but demanded we make it.” The team knew diehard fans would buy it—but they didn’t expect the reality of the response. They did a full year’s worth of sales in under 24 hours. And then continued to do an additional year’s worth of sales over each of the next three days. It’s worth noting that the Metro Shop [ https://substack.com/redirect/c24c079b-053e-461b-bab8-b5882ca72bd5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] is essentially a “passion project by the social media team”, without even one staff member dedicated to it full time. Many commenters assumed the post was executed by a Gen Z intern. Jane told me, “While we do absolutely have Gen Zs on the team driving tons of successful ideas (including handling most of the legwork of the T-shirt execution), the reality is all three working-age generations are represented plus a range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds.” She says, “Our different lenses and freedom to give and receive feedback, regardless of bureaucratic hierarchy, is one of our greatest strengths.” Of course, I had to know about the approval process. Jane said that they seek buy-in from everybody on the immediate team and “generally operate under the assumption that senior leadership trusts our expertise and judgment to push the edges of what’s acceptable for a government account without actually crossing it.” The team reads Link in Bio (thank you!) and understands how to play with the tension that exists between what audiences might traditionally expect from a government account and what they deliver. It’s ultimately a good reminder to provide multiple on-ramps for announcements. It’s a concept I learned from Matthew Stasoff [ https://substack.com/redirect/5cdafa2f-dd2b-4b7c-b85b-ed0d63533f4e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]’s very good social signals deck [ https://substack.com/redirect/c4b70df0-9be6-4f6b-8248-636efdc3ff3d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Brands must utilize different tactics—not just one hero asset—to bring audiences in. Get in the comments. Release merch. Make a meme. You never know what piece of the announcement will take off. For the LA Metro, merch was a powerful (and unexpected) on-ramp. The story The excitement for a piece of merch isn’t about revenue for the LA Metro team. It means more. Public transit needs branding and fandom too. It’s why they do collab posts with @nathanialpov and Metro Art [ https://substack.com/redirect/124b638d-2be7-4579-a9bf-cc4f1ad3f45c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] or get 5.2M views for simply showing real people celebrating a new train line [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2325b26-fb24-4abc-b3ac-80e54bba6f0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Jane told me that a number of team members are car-free Angelenos (“Yes, we exist!”), so the impact of the shirt has been meaningful to them on both a personal and professional level. It became an opportunity to reach people who rarely think about public transit. “A T-shirt got more people excited about a subway opening than any official announcement ever could. Wouldn’t it be a marketer’s dream to have every other person in LA walking around in a Ride the D tee in the weeks prior to the opening?” What I’m scrolling AI-generated art can’t be copyrighted after Supreme Court declines to review the rule [ https://substack.com/redirect/0a3d34aa-e0d2-44dc-bed8-005eff89fb52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Cory Doctorow has a great thread on the decision here [ https://substack.com/redirect/479501e1-e720-4c0e-a77d-069a2768e845?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Facebook was an important platform for James Talarico to reach online audiences [ https://substack.com/redirect/549c4374-e369-4e4b-b3dc-fee8fbd3b704?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. “Facebook was the last platform we joined for the @TeamTalaricoHQ [ https://substack.com/redirect/6987d731-b65d-479e-857b-2ecac44ad305?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] accounts. Despite that smaller window of time, the platform caught up and grew to be our biggest platform! Out of over a million followers, over 379k were on Facebook—reaching the most critical voters across TX.” Their digital strategy is led by Luminary [ https://substack.com/redirect/1170976e-85bf-4d40-aee7-2ac4186bffaa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The New Screen Fest reflected words into someone’s eye to announce submissions are open [ https://substack.com/redirect/90c31e35-ccc8-4925-8f4b-46321a92333f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The video has 3M views. I’m speaking on a panel at SXSW [ https://substack.com/redirect/c592f04a-34bf-456e-b8ec-aac14ea61534?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]! See you there? This video from BANDIT reminds me of [ https://substack.com/redirect/43d1946c-8022-4d7c-aef4-ad3da27d8419?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]The Studio [ https://substack.com/redirect/43d1946c-8022-4d7c-aef4-ad3da27d8419?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s directed by my friend Henry Kornaros [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc6b02f2-2c37-4490-b760-3c25c961c903?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who is the co-founder of Public Opinion [ https://substack.com/redirect/3738651f-ea5d-46bd-8ab8-eb9dd1f036ce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and works on Track Star [ https://substack.com/redirect/02338c38-a07d-4eb6-9f2d-055c3b022783?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Clothing brand Hanifa shared a thoughtful post announcing they are hitting pause [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2cf67c8-0f7a-4c76-adf3-fddaaee1fdbe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It happened amid pre-order backlash and fulfillment struggles [ https://substack.com/redirect/5755a47f-3a42-4394-98f3-dfec732a1de0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The video is filled with lots of comments of understanding and support. A24’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e32e3ab-3c9f-458b-a9e6-968b8a081ff6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]Backrooms [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e32e3ab-3c9f-458b-a9e6-968b8a081ff6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] trailer is the 9th most-shared TikTok on the platform in the last seven days [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e32e3ab-3c9f-458b-a9e6-968b8a081ff6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It has 36M views. Sinners [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7c06e69-028e-4779-befd-622831b67940?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] released footage from their hair and makeup test, narrated by Ryan Coogler [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7c06e69-028e-4779-befd-622831b67940?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. A good example of how b-roll paired with interesting VO can turn into an entirely new story. It has 2M views. I’ve come back around on the McDonald’s CEO [ https://substack.com/redirect/b94bc405-01bc-4a04-a056-265a9fa57c54?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I’d like to see the other fast food CEOs grow their social accounts like he has! Have you seen his LinkedIn [ https://substack.com/redirect/cdfc8586-2b68-4a87-b33b-9cfd1577f358?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]? That being said, I bet the Burger King team is very happy that they just so happened to be running a very fun campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e256985-cd63-415b-94a3-74405f3ddad4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with their CEO at the same time. Zara Larsson doing the Portland bike bus has 13M views [ https://substack.com/redirect/aac9bfaa-8063-42e3-a5da-312677c44aa6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Outside but also online. The strategy of 2026. If you enjoy free sends like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/14f0244d-af48-4f14-b7bd-bdfa44fe6604?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/c43dbcfe-2200-4c7b-8544-a36de5f25ffe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! 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View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/evidence-of-effort I’ve probably studied over 10,000 social media posts since starting this newsletter. I’ve interviewed 150 social media marketers. I’ve published 350 articles. My brain is like an accordion folder, stretched to its limits, filled with formats and themes and strategies. This week I flipped through the documents. What’s the larger story here? There are a few things that I know to be true right now. The consumer reaction to AI-generated imagery and video isn’t consistent. Audiences might like an AI-generated meme of Victoria Beckham [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0ec7099-9e3f-48c0-a2c2-70ad01ff6cc8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] but hate their favorite brand—like Gucci [ https://substack.com/redirect/1b80a2b7-08de-4794-91e9-dd18d75d424e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] or Equinox [ https://substack.com/redirect/7dc140cb-db94-475e-8028-c387b4b100ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—using the same technology in a campaign. Brands are held to a different standard and it’s important for marketers to understand this. At the same time, consumers have never been more aware of how marketing works. Campaigns are dissected on TikTok. Announcement posts are littered with comments like “Best campaign of 2025” and “Now THIS is marketing”, as Emily Sundberg has pointed out before [ https://substack.com/redirect/a333afdd-7181-4097-96f4-b5e5d6432e87?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. We’re increasingly seeing consumers conflate the quality of the creative with the quality of the product. The pendulum swing of glossy content into one-take iPhone video has reached it’s maximum amplitude. Trends have homogenized feeds. Standing out on social is often about a tension of doing something that feels different. Finally, as a society, we’re being sold ease. Optimize this, save time with that. The people posting AI-generated movie clips with “we’re so cooked” forget that so much of what makes something interesting is implied effort. The plot of Mission: Impossible is almost as important as the subtext that Tom Cruise does his own stunts. This all leads me to that larger story. The best content on the internet right now heroes effort. Telling the story of people actually trying. The effort heuristic is a studied cognitive shortcut [ https://substack.com/redirect/0171bd63-b68c-43e0-a71b-6d0f9f9fd2b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that assumes that tasks requiring significant investment—whether it’s time, energy, or skill—will result in a better quality compared to those achieved without that investment. On social media, audiences are often making snap decisions on whether they want to stick around to watch a piece of content. Perceived effort is a strong way to create that cognitive buy in. In today’s newsletter I am breaking down exactly what I mean and how to do it. The three categories of effort 24 examples of how brands are bringing this to life An interview with the filmmaker working with brands like Notion, Spotify, Patreon, and more The brand that’s hiring someone to build “scalable storytelling franchises”... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPREU0TmpnMU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lOVFkwTlRJMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXhNREExTWpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuTUpZTE5KMkZoR0RKVVlPa0d4X0Y0REdNa1dVcGJ1aTJCTVdqN200TFhsbyIsInAiOjE4ODE4Njg1NSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MjU2NDUyNiwiZXhwIjoyMDg4MTQwNTI2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.thkQzlQUfbSqgYmz5RVsijsdjdWz7ROFqcqnJtBPLv4?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/treat-linkedin-like-an-ecosystem Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Slate [ https://substack.com/redirect/387f0327-a05c-43f7-94d4-4f9540abad7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the content creation platform made for social teams. Part of being a good social media professional is knowing your blind spots. B2B marketing is my blind spot. I have only ever worked for consumer-facing companies. I know how to show up on LinkedIn as a person (I have a Top Voice badge [ https://substack.com/redirect/fff9fcd9-f7cb-4b8c-921d-c12989698d6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]!) but brand strategy feels out of my wheelhouse. I know there’s a good amount of you who’d like me to cover the space more. Today, I called in Christina Le [ https://substack.com/redirect/dcc9a131-6d9b-4481-939d-658558dad06c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Head of Marketing at Slate [ https://substack.com/redirect/3cfd2d28-b665-4b35-824d-129a86c5d3b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], to share her B2B social playbook. She’s spent the past 10 years almost solely working in B2B social. What’s refreshing about her approach is that she views social media not as a distribution channel, but as one big ecosystem. It’s a framework I’ve been circling lately too. She told me, “When we approach our LinkedIn strategy, we don’t think ‘how do we grow the Slate page?’ We think, ‘how do we increase Slate’s surface area on LinkedIn?’” It’s an important distinction. I attempted to sketch out what that looks like in practice below. Christina’s job right now as Head of Marketing is to make sure the Slate story gets out there and that the product is positioned in a way that actually resonates with people who do social media for a living. (Slate is like your favorite video editing app…but for brands.) That story can come to life in so many ways beyond just the official brand account. Below we talk about using people as a distribution engine, why message is more important than format, and the LinkedIn metric she loves to track. Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up your philosophy when it comes to social media, what would it be? ​​Christina Le: Social isn’t just a distribution channel. It influences so many different avenues of the business like how the product is perceived, how we hire, investor confidence, sales conversations, customer support, literally everything. The brands that treat it like “just content” are limiting themselves. And if social is that central to the business, then the teams running it shouldn’t be treated like the meme department. They need real budget, real authority, and real tools. At Slate, we build with that assumption and empathy. Our team has all worked in social before, so it makes all the world a difference. Social teams aren’t junior marketers anymore. They’re operators who drive real revenue and brand equity. They deserve software that respects their time and complexity. RK: Your background is in B2B social. What do you think the biggest difference is between working in B2B social vs B2C social? CL: The biggest difference is friction, I think. In B2C, the path is pretty clear: here’s the product, here’s the desire, here’s the purchase. You’re driving awareness and emotion toward something tangible. But in B2B, you’re not just selling a product, you’re selling change inside an organization. That means you’re speaking to practitioners who feel the pain, but you also need decision-makers who control budget. And those aren’t always the same person. So the content has to do two jobs at once. It has to resonate emotionally with the person doing the work, and it has to justify itself strategically to the person signing the contract. That’s why I fully believe that B2B social requires more positioning discipline. You can’t just be entertaining. You have to be useful. You have to build credibility, and be commercially aligned. And candidly, I think B2B social marketers could move into B2C more easily than the reverse. In B2B, you’re constantly balancing. You’ve got the challenge of building a brand and then education, and then there’s revenue pressure. All of which sharpens you. It’s a different game. I mean, there’s much slower buying cycles. More stakeholders. But when it works, it compounds. RK: Let’s focus our conversation on LinkedIn. I love the way Slate shows up there. What would you say LinkedIn’s superpower is? CL: LinkedIn’s superpower is precision access. You can identify the exact companies in your Ideal Customer Profile and then see the actual humans who work there. Not a vague audience bucket, like “people interested in marketing.” Real names with real titles. On other platforms, especially for B2B, you’re competing in a mixed feed. Your buyer, their employees, their cousin, and someone’s grandma are all scrolling the same algorithm. The signal gets diluted. On LinkedIn, I feel like the intent is different. People are there as professionals. They’re using their real identity. They’re thinking about work, growth, hiring, vendors, performance, you name it. You’re not interrupting their downtime outside of work. It’s also one of the few platforms where distribution is still relatively democratic. A strong idea from a practitioner can outrun a polished corporate page. And I feel like for B2B, that combination clear targeting and professional intent plus the organic reach that still works is very powerful. If you know who you’re trying to reach and you’re saying something worth listening to, LinkedIn gives you a straight line to them. RK: Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how brands should think about LinkedIn like an ecosystem. When I think about Slate’s presence, it’s not just the brand page. It’s employee posts, influencer posts, outbound comments, and more. How do you operationalize an approach like that? CL: If you treat LinkedIn like just a brand page, you’re going to grow slowly. That’s just the unfortunate truth in 2026. For us, LinkedIn is layered. It’s our brand page, yes. But it’s also all those things you’ve listed and a few others, working together. When we approach our LinkedIn strategy, we don’t think “how do we grow the Slate page?” We think, “how do we increase Slate’s surface area on LinkedIn?” That age old belief that “people follow people” is true. So we invest in personal brands internally. I wouldn’t call it a traditional advocacy-program because it’s more like, if you want to build your voice, we’ll support you. And because our team actually enjoys this, it compounds. Operationally, we have swim lanes. Christina Pearo [ https://substack.com/redirect/4be42a42-df7c-4dff-ba6f-6fd5c916d88f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] owns community and engagement, including how Slate shows up in comments and conversations. Carmen Vicente [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a791a19-2ef6-469b-bdc2-9df276c76d41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] owns content output and consistency. I own partnerships and external distribution (creators, customers, collaborators, all that). Everyone knows their lane. Things overlap, but one person drives each stream. When we look at everything we do it might look scattered from the outside, but it’s intentional. We decide where reach should come from, then assign ownership. We review goals weekly. We iterate constantly. We’re also a fairly new team, so we’re still calibrating. Thankfully there is zero ego. If something needs help, we say it. Even our cofounder treats LinkedIn like a serious growth lever. That team alignment is what makes the ecosystem work. RK: What types of post formats have you seen work particularly well on LinkedIn? CL: Hmm. I actually think format matters less than clear messaging and direction. You can package the same idea as a meme, a video, a carousel, a text post and if the insight is sharp, it’ll land. If it’s weak, no format will save it. I see people obsess over “carousels are hot right now” or “video gets reach.” That is all so secondary to me. The real question should be, whether this is something your audience actually thinks about? Like, does it feel earned? Format trends also come and go. I think brand operators should focus on saying something specific, and from experience. Good messaging travels. RK: How do you track performance? Are there any unexpected metrics you like to look at? CL: LinkedIn finally adding post-level follower growth and share tracking is huuuuuge. Impressions are fine. Engagement rate is fine. But shares tell you if something actually moved someone. If someone reposts your content, they’re attaching their reputation to it and what’s a better way to signal that your content is work than that? I also care about qualitative signals like who is engaging? Are the right people in the comments? Are decision-makers responding? You can have a viral post that drives nothing meaningful. And I still believe in dark social. The DMs. The “saw your post” in sales calls. You can’t measure all of it, and going so deep with attribution will have your head spinning but you can feel when things work. Trust that it’ll show up. RK: One tip you’d give a brand that’s struggling to break through on LinkedIn? CL: Stop putting all your effort into the brand account! Use people as the distribution engine. Start internally. Who actually wants to show up? Support them properly. If that means giving them editing help, content prompts, or production support—do it. Don’t just tell them to “post more.” That’s not helpful. Then layer in customer advocates. Then creators. Then partners. There are more levers than paid ads, I promise. Oh, and don’t quit after three months. LinkedIn rewards consistency and voice. Commit. RK: What do you love about working in social media? CL: It never gets boring. NEVER. I’ve been doing this for over a decade and it changes so fast. The platforms are constantly changing. The algorithms is forever humbling us. You can’t coast. And I like that. If you hate repetition, social is a great place to be. And I love being connected and aware of what’s happening in the world. Social, even with all of this faults, is a great place to keep you connected. If your social team wants to see Slate [ https://substack.com/redirect/387f0327-a05c-43f7-94d4-4f9540abad7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] in action, you can request a demo here [ https://substack.com/redirect/3cfd2d28-b665-4b35-824d-129a86c5d3b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The tool is made by social media managers for social media managers. Video and image editing, branding, and collaboration built for how social teams actually work. Thanks for reading! See you next week! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVEEyTWpFMU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lNVEkyT1RrekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTJOakk1T1RNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAubHJES1R5aHlhc3ZrMFpyUU9TbE55R2Q2ZHhfUlZ1ZTdkbHlSYzBJaDV2USIsInAiOjE4OTA2MjE1NSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MjEyNjk5MywiZXhwIjoyMDg3NzAyOTkzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.EbhXjbbw11wNFgvd1PcBXrNAW-34_jWfPZZqKaoYoeI?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/i-found-instagrams-finsta Before we get into today’s newsletter, an invite! Casey Lewis [ https://substack.com/redirect/4587cdae-f9a0-4bda-9b01-df25c4839ff7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] of After School [ https://substack.com/redirect/03efa377-c44b-40e9-a2d6-b36137d6e58f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and I are hosting a subscriber happy hour in Austin on March 15th. There will be drinks, bites, and screen time comparisons. Thank you to Nuuly [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9907957-58ce-4a28-8b5f-a3b24976e059?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for partnering with us on it! You can RSVP here [ https://substack.com/redirect/de7a979c-80b9-4e23-8fdc-6d727241285c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Why @Instagram has a finsta A few weeks ago, a selfie [ https://substack.com/redirect/8912335c-0259-415d-80d3-0a1ea5d85cec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] of Fred again.. came across my Instagram feed. Except it wasn’t from his account. It was posted on an account called @notfit4main [ https://substack.com/redirect/c095ce0e-d8e3-4557-ba8a-8eecfec44a92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with the caption “hey guys im takin overrrr”. I clicked into the account. It had no profile photo and the bio was “guess who… 🫡”. I did immediately notice one thing though. Almost every person who I follow that works at Meta, also followed this account. I scrolled through the content. A lot of it is what I’d call inspirational shitposts. Low quality photos with text like “respect anyone trying” and “make it. (i did.)”. It’s very 2014. Then there are talent takeovers from people like Tyrell Hampton [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa67a767-6a10-470c-a82f-25f1ea4e07b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Tamir Omari [ https://substack.com/redirect/d13d4963-e1ca-4fdb-9aa1-3ebc2599e315?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The first takeover was from Tyla [ https://substack.com/redirect/cd6da806-4d61-40ab-ac62-84828d0ce0f2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who many commenters still think runs the account as her own finsta. I searched if anything had been written about who was behind the account and found nothing. When I emailed Instagram about @notfit4main, they confirmed that they are indeed behind the account. Of course, I was curious about the strategy, but I was also curious why Instagram wanted to create a finsta in the first place. What does it mean when the platform itself has an account called @notfit4main? I found out below. Rachel Karten: First, can you tell me a bit about your role at Meta? Jackie Tan: I’m the creative strategist [ https://substack.com/redirect/3b694232-23f4-4312-8ad7-88e9e97afe7a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] who oversees the @Instagram [ https://substack.com/redirect/89e18bfc-3fc5-43f1-a73a-c0d04540c516?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] channel, as well as @Threads [ https://substack.com/redirect/05dec4df-0fe6-4833-8f62-252cf7d52fc5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and @Facebook [ https://substack.com/redirect/1121c970-55c6-4f84-926e-bee38de9e1b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I lead the strategy of our finsta @notfit4main [ https://substack.com/redirect/c095ce0e-d8e3-4557-ba8a-8eecfec44a92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I also help with various projects like Close Friends Only [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee7789fe-f09c-4206-a352-5355e0130564?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Carversations [ https://substack.com/redirect/91edd636-dd42-4aa0-b250-3808d0de344d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], fashion initiatives and other various talent driven projects on @Instagram. Rachel: Why did Instagram create a finsta? Jackie: We have been talking about starting a finsta for so long now. We really wanted creativity at the heart of the account. We do a lot of programming on @Instagram, but we really thought @notfit4main could hone in on that brand ethos. It’s a carefree and open space that celebrates and unlocks creativity through spontaneous and mysterious posts. Rachel: How did you come up with the name for it? Jackie: There was a lot of back and forth. We had a lot of names. We were like, should it be @instagrammer or @instagram_user? We always wanted it to feel anonymous though, which is why there’s no profile photo. We felt that @notfit4main really encompasses what a finsta is—alluding to close friends, being intimate with your friends, and posting things that maybe you wouldn’t exactly share to main. We really love the idea of it not having a singular identity and being anonymous. Like those ghost accounts you see on Instagram and playing into people not really knowing whose account it is. And that’s exactly how people use their finstas, like Addison Rae [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f3f599d-49e0-440b-b9ab-8be2a7011ab6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] who has @freedomandcontrol [ https://substack.com/redirect/41e049ba-e899-4aad-b350-cacef2637ad0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], which she never outright says “hey this is my finsta”. We want @notfit4main to feel separate from @Instagram since this is how people are using finstas on the platform. Rachel: There are two buckets that the account posts, the first is talent takeovers. People like Tyla, Fred again.., and more have all posted from the account. Can you talk to me about how those work? Jackie: @notfit4main takeovers are a great way for our partners to talk about their own projects in a new way. For example, the Fred again.. takeover coincided with Instagram’s Ask It Anyway campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/e245ccec-2210-435c-84a1-948e5ae2fde6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. His team was excited about centering the takeover around his time in NYC. We were able to feature some of the shows he played in NY as well as his new song “scared”. We see these takeovers as a fun way to show that Instagram really stands behind these people by giving them another outlet and way to show up on the platform. We’ve also worked with content creators. We just did our Close Friends Only podcast episode drop recently and had a screening at a movie theater in NY. We invited the creator Tamir Omari [ https://substack.com/redirect/79bdc882-82cf-45dd-858b-ad1b171c48d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], gave him an old vintage iPhone, and just said go do your thing [ https://substack.com/redirect/d13d4963-e1ca-4fdb-9aa1-3ebc2599e315?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. At Instagram events, like this one, we’ve been handing them off to creators and letting them run wild. Rachel: The second bucket is what I’d call…inspirational shitposts. It reminds me of photos I’d take in 2014. They feel intentionally ugly. Jackie: I grew up on the internet and just feel like what’s old is new again. It always recycles. On the platform right now I’ve been seeing a lot of creators doing text posts on images. We actually commissioned the artist Lola Myers [ https://substack.com/redirect/0cb397be-1b61-4f44-9a1c-3bec3d84d06d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who’s based in New York, to take these photos. Her work includes these sort of “Post it anyway” lines. So we thought it was a good tie-in to the brand ethos. Rachel: Does the official Instagram account ever interact with the finsta? Jackie: We don’t want to outright be like “This is @Instagram’s finsta” or whatnot... When we do interact with @notfit4main, we use the repost feature on @Instagram as a subtle way to connect the two accounts. In the past, we would have to share content through @Instagram Stories, but now we can use the repost function from @notfit4main to @Instagram. This feels more lightweight and anonymous, since the content just appears on our audience's timeline rather than being posted on our stories. We typically reserve these reposts for talent takeover moments, allowing us to interact between the accounts without drawing too much attention to the connection... Rachel: Finally, the entire concept of a “finsta” was created to combat the pressure of maintaining a super curated main feed. Some might argue that a lot of that pressure has come from the changes made to Instagram over the years. What would you say to a person who might feel confused by the fact that even the official platform has a finsta? Jackie: @notfit4main highlights a different side of sharing from @instagram. It embodies the creative risk at the heart of our brand: connecting creativity and self-expression directly to Instagram. We’ve been seeing a cultural shift, with people like Justin Bieber [ https://substack.com/redirect/247f7f98-044d-4e74-856a-72df72f85186?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Steve Lacy [ https://substack.com/redirect/83da148e-466a-48e7-b5ac-74d5394000a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], that are actually posting it all on their main accounts. For us, @notfit4main is not meant to replace @Instagram; they’re supposed to live together. They support and amplify each other. You can see this tie in our talent takeovers. With Tyla, we shot a Creative Process feature on @Instagram with Tyla [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7e37809-28d7-4d53-800f-655232da5e7c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] about her upcoming tour followed by her takeover on @notfit4main [ https://substack.com/redirect/ba86134e-4e0b-4c34-9cd7-92304fb1eed4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], allowing her to go deeper into her creative process on the making music video for CHANEL. So I wouldn’t say it’s a response to the pressure to post, but that there are all kinds of ways to post and express yourself on Instagram! Here’s what else is in today’s newsletter: Five post formats to try this week How one brand used Reddit to spread joy The beauty campaign video getting compared to The Office and Nathan Fielder IKEA’s viral Punch post came together in just 20 minutes Your invite to join the Link in Bio Discord... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPRFkzTWpjd09Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hPVFUyTWpjMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTBPVEl5TnpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuYW9ibFo0OVRHT1BZZVlOWUJvUFFJajRsdjZvY3NCWW9vVUdBTGNPNkJiWSIsInAiOjE4ODY3MjcwOCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MTk1NjI3NiwiZXhwIjoyMDg3NTMyMjc2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.Qxy1oJ78OkAzq4A3u1BONRp9S_GgxkqF6Mjv1PikgoY?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/merit-cmo-social-media When I started this newsletter five years ago, I joked that I would never interview a CMO. It came from a place of frustration—traditional media would often feature quotes from executives about campaigns that I knew were built by social teams. Of course, it wasn’t true across the board but it served as a strong guiding principle for how I made editorial decisions. Today I am breaking my own rule. Below you’ll find my conversation with Aila Morin [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c4e471f-29ff-4ec2-9d9c-0a4828844c3e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the CMO of Merit [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd0acf58-8507-48ca-af94-3548a9cb3f7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. She’s one of the rare marketing executives who comes from a social media background. She got her first job by creating a hundred-page document analyzing a brand’s Instagram. (This was before analytics tools existed.) She later joined Mejuri as the first marketing hire. When Merit launched, she was doing all of the social media. When I talk to social media managers about why they leave jobs, it’s often because they felt their boss didn’t understand what they do. It’s hard to deny that Merit’s impressive social media output is, to some degree, a direct reflection of what happens when your boss has done the work before. Last year, I asked [ https://substack.com/redirect/99feb7b3-bb52-4749-b536-94fde9fbf83c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Link in Bio readers to share one brand account that exemplifies “great social”—Merit tied at number two, right behind Duolingo. I wanted to learn more about the infrastructure that allows that work to happen. As Aila shared, “We guide campaigns off of social instead of retrofitting it into social.” We talk about why the marketing funnel doesn’t work, creating the campaign before the product, and the importance of understanding the internet. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Rachel Karten: I’ve joked before in this newsletter that I don’t interview CMOs. But through reading interviews and talking to people on your team, I get the sense that you really understand this world. In your role right now as CMO, what is your relationship with social media? Aila Morin: I think what’s quite different for me is that my career started when these platforms were coming out. I was coordinating influencer marketing deals off of YouTube before there was even Instagram. When Instagram launched, I started doing social marketing. I had the fortune and the timing to start my career at a time when all of these platforms were coming out. When Merit launched five years ago, I did all of the social. For me, not only is the work not far away but it’s also formative to how I was taught marketing in the first place. To this day, I am in every single social review. I don’t believe the delusion that social media is done by one manager, which I think is one of the most damaging things that executives believe about social media. We invest in it. We take the time to really think about how a story rolls out. We guide campaigns off of social instead of retrofitting it into social. RK: When you zoom out to marketing as a whole—what would you say your philosophy is? AM: For the last 15 years, marketing got diluted to a funnel that we all know doesn’t work. But it was a philosophy of CPM views into CPCs into traffic into conversion. Everybody forgot about sentiment and retention, which is actually so much more important than your funnel can ever be. My philosophy is very much focused on telling tangible stories that people remember and that evoke emotion because then it’ll have a positive sentiment. It’s very simple and streamlined, but if everything doesn’t come from that and doesn’t come from building something from a position of a pain point and fixing a problem and telling the story around that problem, then it’s not marketing. You can see a photo without product in it and know that it’s Merit because we built a brand, not just product marketing. It’s something that a lot of brands are still missing today because they think that every single post needs to drive revenue immediately. RK: Obviously I look at social media for a living, but it feels notable how I am able to recall Merit posts from years ago. The Solo Shadow thesis video comes to mind [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdfe1814-7ecd-4807-920e-2e0771cf867d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. They stick in a way that a lot of brands aren’t able to accomplish. What role does resonance play in your strategy? AM: Merit develops product in a not-so-linear way. We actually develop campaigns before we even develop a product. To use Solo Shadow as an example, the thesis existed before the product existed. I knew what we were going to say. I knew what the product had to do. The video [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdfe1814-7ecd-4807-920e-2e0771cf867d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from this campaign, where we read the thesis out loud, wasn’t actually planned. We had our whole campaign ready and then a retailer told us that they were going to launch 10 other eyeshadows on the same day as us. So we had planned this entire campaign around Solo Eyeshadows and we were being launched in an animation featuring palettes. We had never made that internal-facing thesis public before but we felt we had to say the why so it’s clear what the intention was behind this new product. That ended up becoming a step change in our marketing because it was the first time that we had publicly put forward the why or the problem that we’re solving. I would also say that we didn’t design that to go viral, nor do we design any of our content to go viral. We’ve done many similar videos since that have not gone viral. It’s always a mix of timing and sentiment and what else is going on in the world. We used to try participating in TikTok trends. My theory though is that why would you even want that to be the content that goes viral? Because it’s probably not the best representation of your brand. And is that what you want people to remember? Not only are we not fast enough for it—nor are we very good at it, to be honest—it’s never really driven anything for us that’s been of value. That viral video is actually the only one that I think drove value for us because it also was about the brand ethos. RK: You’ve talked about this concept of being relevant and rooted in previous interviews. What does that mean to you? AM: I think brands spend a lot of time talking to themselves or looking at what other brands are doing. Rooted for us means marketing in a way that is honest to the brand and coming at it from a direction that hasn’t been done 50,000 times. I also don’t keep social media on my phone and that is a very intentional decision. Relevant means that it serves a purpose in people’s lives. Otherwise, why do I care? A post should either fundamentally trigger an emotion—with Whitney on the trampoline [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa45af79-b995-44ac-a35d-497835abf8c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], we’re not selling a product, we’re selling a feeling. Or a post should sell a product—show the shades and the lineup, explain what it does, explain why it’s valuable. Ultimately every post needs to have a purpose. I think so often you’ll see people post content because they’re still thinking in a grid. That era of social media is dead because people don’t consume like that. We’ve just gotten so much more focused on high-value content. We are posting a lot less. We were posting every day on Instagram. We’re now down to every other day, because you can’t expect teams to create 365 days a year of perfect content. It’s not realistic. We focus much more on quality engagement instead of quantity of posts that go out. RK: Something I’ve been circling recently is this idea of a brand respecting their audience’s attention. Treating them like they are intelligent. Merit does a good job at this. AM: It’s such a small thing, but we’re very clear on what we are and what we’re not. Right? Merit’s core consumer is Millennial and Gen X. We are 30 to 50-year olds. That’s who we serve. Gen Z is welcome to come join in. And it’s happening, but we know who we serve and we speak to her like she’s a grown adult and it’s such a subtlety, but I think it makes such a difference. I think if we were super trend driven, it would feel very asynchronous for the consumer. RK: There is so much talk about “going analog” right now. Chatter about logging off and throwing our phones out the window. Does that conversation impact how you think about marketing at Merit? AM: First, because I came up in marketing in the 2010s, I was very aware of what happens when you depend on one algorithm to make your business. So you put 90% of your bad spend at a Meta and then the algorithm changes and you’re screwed. At Merit, we have never invested more than 30% of our ad spend into any one platform. That strategy meant that we went offline in marketing very early—things like billboards, direct mail, podcasts. We also have a consumer that is less online because the 30 to 50-year-old consumer spends way less time on social media. There’s many that don’t have it at all because they made the decision that it’s not adding value, which means you have to find a way to reach high value customers. And most beauty brands are looking at this tiny segment on TikTok of Gen Z and Gen Alpha because that’s who’s there. So I think if you look at our marketing as a proportional spend, we’ve always been investing offline. When it comes to the ethos of spending more time offline, I identify with that so much. In our marketing for this year, for example, we are investing much more into community events. We’re continuing to push the budget into offline spend because, frankly, buying a billboard ends up actually being cheaper than a lot of digital marketing. We’re also continuing to invest a lot more in relationship building, very old school stuff. I think the movement away from the dependency on social media is only in the early stages. RK: What keeps you up at night about the future of marketing? AM: Many things keep me up at night these days on marketing. AI definitely keeps me up. It has pushed us more towards real content and stories. It has made me more bullish on not editing, on keeping things more unfiltered, on keeping things more emotional and less polished. The recent Minimalist campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/17e4b3e9-a479-42a2-8261-d744bf854df9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that we just ran is such a good example of that. We were celebrating five years in business and everyone that I talked to was like, What product are you launching to celebrate five years? And then when you look at what we do as a brand, the whole point is that we don’t launch that many products. So to re-hero a five-year-old product in a campaign and expect it to work is kind of crazy because nobody does that. So how do you take something five years old and tell a new story and make it relevant and make it move units? The Minimalist was an example of us being able to do that. It keeps me up at night to know, can you continue to do that over the years? Can you continue to market core is a very hard question to answer, and not many beauty brands have done it. RK: So much of what people react to when a brand has “good social” is simply newness. Some brands are releasing new products what feels like weekly. How do you find a balance? AM: This is such a deep cut, but there’s this column called LaineyGossip that I used to read in the 2010s. She had a phenomenal sociological lens on gossip. One of the things I always thought she was so right about is if you think of celebrities, sometimes they need to be quiet for a little while for you to fall in love with them again. There is a mystery to brand building. If you launch something once a week, it’s irritating. Brands can ebb and flow. Sometimes we can be in your face, but right after we do a big campaign, it’s very intentional that we get really quiet. You have to know how to read the room and give people breathing space to miss you to then come back with a new idea. RK: Finally, how important do you think it is for a CMO to understand the social media landscape? Can you be a good CMO and not understand what’s happening on social media? AM: 50% of our sales are online. Sephora is a proportion of online. The majority of our sales happen on the internet. If you don’t understand how internet conversation works or how to drive a narrative or how to understand sentiment or when not to step in, I don’t know how you possibly drive a digitally-native brand. The comment that every manager says about their boss when they leave, across roles, is that they didn’t understand my value or how I spend my time. There is a lack of understanding in the demands and nuance that are expected now of marketers and creatives. Every creative is now essentially a marketer, and every marketer has to think like a creative. And you cannot expect that one person encapsulates all of those things because social media is creative, it’s analytical, it’s a sales channel, it’s a storytelling vehicle, it’s customer experience and feedback. To not understand that ecosystem is a huge disservice. I don’t think I would be effective at holding people accountable to their jobs if I hadn’t done their job myself. If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/6760b951-b4bc-4ccf-8797-77f4539cacf7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/2df7e067-7619-4f9e-b2e3-4c2e6424eedd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPRFF5TmpnNU1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hOVEU1TWpVekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETXdOVFV5TlRNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuOVFXd3Z2cGxNbTk5YnFfVW43QS1teENyc0JwOVpTNnItQ1hXMUFSc0JBWSIsInAiOjE4ODQyNjg5MSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MTUxOTI1MywiZXhwIjoyMDg3MDk1MjUzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.wpe6Qx6nA1p8a0dJXQBGQOPXTmTffF16QsFZCUIj1Eg?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/six-data-points-guiding-my-2026-social Good morning from rainy Los Angeles. I spent the weekend watching Oblivion’s TikTok videos [ https://substack.com/redirect/5681cfde-4565-49f9-9af8-76ce6cc9bbbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a Staples employee who documents everything the store offers. One of her most viral videos shows how to make a mug [ https://substack.com/redirect/cab67b7b-8c7f-4b65-8b73-d4241665a18a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I did some quick math and she has accumulated more TikTok views last month than the official Staples account got in all of 2025. By a lot. A comment with 72K likes reads, “As far as I’m concerned this is the President and CEO of Staples.” The brand has been outwardly supportive of her making content, and I hope it stays that way. A quick heads up that I recently updated the Link in Bio Running List of Post Ideas [ https://substack.com/redirect/e96523d3-e4ee-4853-ba5c-67a781141434?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It now has over 150 formats for your brand to try. A resource I return to over and over again! Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: The charts, graphs, and stats guiding my 2026 social strategy I talked to the Heated Rivalry fan editor who HBO just hired Five post ideas to try this week The camera app used in Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” videos Access to the Link in Bio Discord (“An essential place to be for anyone managing social media”)... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPREEyT0RRd015d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hNelV4T0RZMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESTRPRGM0TmpRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuM0JWRGktMjVkNEZTbkkzN1FZRURvY1FTSTVnXzNlVGRLc0NTSWtsd0RoSSIsInAiOjE4ODA2ODQwMywicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MTM1MTg2NCwiZXhwIjoyMDg2OTI3ODY0LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.vT5CYFk8O8pvDW_oIhO4wtdwA3yrSDnVzDqUhZf5Yfk?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/more-perfect-union-social-strategy I sometimes wonder if we’ve over-indexed on what it looks like to be “social first”. Five years ago, it felt like a mandate: iPhone only, trends break through, attention at all costs. What have we lost? I understand that engagement—specifically shares and watch time—are signals that help a piece of content perform better. It’s a non-negotiable if you want to be seen. But I worry that we’ve slowly boiled out substance in search of performance. The sugar high of a trend feels good, but I have a feeling audiences want something more to chew on. Attention doesn’t always tell the full story of resonance. Of course, this isn’t true across the board. Plenty of accounts have been doing a great job at this. It’s hard work. One of those accounts is More Perfect Union [ https://substack.com/redirect/c646f3d1-6c16-414d-b341-7afae15b9ef3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the nonprofit newsroom dedicated to building power for working people. They are one of the fastest growing partisan-leaning YouTube channels, according to Kyle Tharp [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e1cee8d-3ea1-45ce-9342-ff2e1bb73fe7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], author of Chaotic Era [ https://substack.com/redirect/23083636-0a9e-4196-ade8-4d3901166b7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Their posts, like this investigation into stadium prices [ https://substack.com/redirect/3df99c9a-14f1-4bcf-8835-8532c32898af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and this carousel on the median age of homebuyers being 59 years-old [ https://substack.com/redirect/8fc0cf6d-f6c1-4709-81ca-a9c863dcbbbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], regularly go viral. When I ask myself—What social media content has moved me lately?—their posts come to mind. In today’s newsletter, I talked to Georgia Parke [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc22388a-d858-478d-bed0-970458b188c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Director of Audience Engagement at More Perfect Union [ https://substack.com/redirect/c646f3d1-6c16-414d-b341-7afae15b9ef3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. She oversees all of their day-to-day social media content, vertical video program, and distribution strategy for long-form videos. Her background is in politics—starting her career as a press intern for Bernie Sanders in his DC Senate office and eventually leading the social media and design team for his 2020 presidential campaign. We talk about how carousels contribute to follower growth, the role Shorts have played in their YouTube success, and why you can’t just rely on “fueling outrage to activate your audience”. Inside More Perfect Union’s social media strategy Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up More Perfect Union‘s social media philosophy, what would it be? Georgia Parke: Build power for working people by producing substantive, informative content that can have real impact. Our audience is smart, informed, and desires substantive news content that relates to their lives—not to be patronized or told that everything is great when it obviously isn’t. My personal philosophy is also to give yourself as much room and permission as possible to be in the moment and responsive to news. I’m very resistant to making content schedules too far in advance or trying to make posts overly polished. On the Bernie campaign, we would joke that the more time we put into making a post, the less likely it would perform well. You should have high standards, yes, but not set so many rules for yourself that you waste time trying to follow them all. RK: What really stands out to me about More Perfect Union is how you show up in truly platform-first ways. The Twitter presence feels different from the Instagram presence—you meet people where they are. Which platforms do you consider your priority platforms? GP: More Perfect Union started out with a very YouTube-centric strategy, and a lot of our work is still focused on that audience. It’s our largest account by far at nearly 3M subscribers, and we’ve added more than half of those in the past year. Right now we’re very focused on building up our Instagram and TikTok in a similar way, with their own strategies and personalities that connect best with the people following us there. Our journalism and social content runs on several different timelines. We do mini documentaries that are produced over weeks or months; create vertical videos with on-the-ground reporting produced in days; and engage with news on a daily or hourly basis. But the common thread among all is relevance and substance. No matter what platform something goes on or how long it takes to produce, it needs to be relevant to the current moment and our audience, and it needs to give people some substantive information or storytelling. RK: Researcher Kyle Tharp [ https://substack.com/redirect/378f2761-b1d1-4178-920f-ae5727c2b050?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] recently published a chart [ https://substack.com/redirect/add88ac3-b316-4fbb-850f-a337cda08e5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] showing that More Perfect Union was one of the fastest growing partisan-leaning YouTube channels in 2025. What do you attribute that growth to? GP: Our team produced over 100 incredible long-form videos last year that covered everything from why skiing has become a terrible experience [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a713817-4ae1-4699-a421-dcd5b7f09ca1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to talking to Trump voters with Bernie Sanders in West Virginia [ https://substack.com/redirect/34dfb458-13a1-4d0b-96fd-c4b44ea8f84f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. We also went all-in on producing vertical videos a year ago, and that drove fantastic growth on YouTube. In 2025, we had nearly as many views coming from Shorts as we did from our regular channel videos. But separately from any particular tactic or format: I think many people are eager to see journalism and social media content that tells the news through a working class lens, about the labor movement, the economy, corporate accountability, political corruption, and more. I think a lot of people find our content refreshing and unique, and can see themselves represented in stories about working people speaking on the realities of the current economy. RK: Can you share an example of a long form YouTube video that you cut down into a successful short form video? What sort of things do you keep in mind when converting long form to short form? GP: We try to produce cut-downs that don’t necessarily condense the full video but pull out a compelling piece of it. We’re also not trying to leave you hanging or drive you to our site; we want you to get a full piece of compelling info even if you only watch for a minute or two. For example, this video [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfbf36f7-f2d9-41b5-91c6-274c98bd0a49?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] about the impacts of a Meta data center was cut into this clip [ https://substack.com/redirect/d09b7233-f812-4e8e-952f-bb7ca2feb407?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] focusing on one of the individuals in that story. It’s our most-viewed Short ever and led to Meta reaching out [ https://substack.com/redirect/ced157b3-e911-4387-9c3f-c11c4775945d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to the affected person directly. RK: I also recently covered your Instagram carousel strategy [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf15b148-784f-40a9-b13d-607ec59cc72b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] in the newsletter. They are really great! Can you talk to me about your approach to carousels and some of the success you’ve seen from posting them? GP: Carousels are a central piece of building up our Instagram audience. Especially when they are tied to breaking news—such as workers launching a strike at Starbucks [ https://substack.com/redirect/8fa86a17-6a0a-4a11-ac3b-bd157f82d37d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] or the election of Zohran Mamdani [ https://substack.com/redirect/47011662-aa10-4fa0-810e-eeda54614311?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—they tend to bring in more followers than single slide posts. They’re also very helpful way to repackage our videos and investigations for a different audience. For example, our social team put together this great carousel [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5fd4af2-bc37-44eb-9d89-459d527a6932?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] based on an [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5fd4af2-bc37-44eb-9d89-459d527a6932?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]investigation of Instacart [ https://substack.com/redirect/f90585af-0a97-4c94-93a6-6af663b06d89?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] by one of our video producers. We’ve also used carousels to collaborate with other outlets; on this post [ https://substack.com/redirect/7b5af28e-e1c3-4918-a3ca-cae166b3ade1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], we worked with BreakThrough News to illustrate their report on how people’s retirement accounts are funding ICE. RK: A lot of media companies are struggling to break through on social media right now, especially when so many platforms suppress links. What are some tactics you implement to make sure your posts get seen? GP: We don’t rely on link sharing very much because we usually post content directly on the platforms themselves to maximize engagement there. Unlike many other news outlets or companies, we’re not aiming to drive traffic to a website. We’re also constantly looking for opportunities to collaborate and crosspost with other pages and outlets to reach other audiences that might not know about us yet. RK: In my interview with Melted Solids [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f3950d1-5aaf-43e4-8374-1ef131106c06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] they told me “well-produced media is a weapon in any fight”. It really stuck with me. A lot of people who read this newsletter work in corporate social. Some see what’s happening in the world today and want to use their digital skills for good. What advice would you give them? GP: I have to stay on message here—unionize your workplace! But also, I’m very lucky to work in a role that enables me to do advocacy work I care about. I know that’s not the case with many social media jobs—but there are countless ways to support your community or causes you are invested in if you have a solid skillset in digital or social. Movements need communicators and designers and videographers, too. And you don’t have to have access to a multi-million-follower account to do something impactful. RK: Last week, Twitter was debating how to create content with substance that also captures attention. I'd consider More Perfect Union to be very good at finding this balance. What kind of content do you think actually mobilizes people? GP: We have entire meetings and Slack channels dedicated to finding the perfect titles, tweets, and thumbnails that will accurately represent the story and grab the most attention possible. It takes a lot of work but makes a huge difference in viewership, especially when the subject matter is not particularly sexy (i.e. anything with the word “tariffs”). But beyond engagement strategy, I also think you can’t rely just on fueling outrage to activate your audience. You might need to lean into some conflict or tension, but people won’t be mobilized if they watch your video and just feel despair. They need something specific to get behind. In our videos we try not just to identify and explain a problem; we also lay out potential solutions. This might be proposed legislation, regulatory action, a union’s list of demands, or an international or historical success story. We want to provide a blueprint for a world where working people aren’t subject to the whims of the billionaire class and can live in security and dignity. Five takeaways from my conversation with More Perfect Union Prioritize relevance and substance. “No matter what platform something goes on or how long it takes to produce, it needs to be relevant to the current moment and our audience, and it needs to give people some substantive information or storytelling.” Make sure your short-form content tells a complete story. “We try to produce cut-downs that don’t necessarily condense the full video but pull out a compelling piece of it. We’re also not trying to leave you hanging or drive you to our site; we want you to get a full piece of compelling info even if you only watch for a minute or two. Don’t discount YouTube Shorts. “In 2025, we had nearly as many views coming from Shorts as we did from our regular channel videos.” Carousels drive follower growth. “Carousels are a central piece of building up our Instagram audience.” You can’t rely just on fueling outrage to activate your audience. “You might need to lean into some conflict or tension, but people won’t be mobilized if they watch your video and just feel despair.” Ask me anything! Quick reminder that I am going to use an upcoming newsletter to answer reader questions about social media strategy. Want my advice, feedback, or thoughts on something social related? Submit your questions here [ https://substack.com/redirect/19b273c2-62c4-41cc-a874-2092771bc93b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac9dd0f1-704e-4806-b13d-9be2475b9b9e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Link in Bio Discord. Here’s what one person said about the Discord community: “Definitely an essential place to be for anyone managing social media. As close as you can get to the pulse—and one of the best places to get insights from others in the industry.” It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5319391-c7f8-419f-b72e-3ff51d3d4fd8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, ignore this and thank you! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROelk0TmpBek5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dPVEUzTURFM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESTBOVE13TVRjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuQmk5d3Y0Qk9ZaTJoRVFESFF0NnE2OC14TVozWjZjVVlsVVR6ZGpMQXV1MCIsInAiOjE4NzY4NjAzNCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MDkxNzAxNywiZXhwIjoyMDg2NDkzMDE3LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.bM2pLzQ6rTa3LtqYOJr85QTB-LKL5EzJUkhRmZ-wDjY?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/doordash-gave-their-social-team-a Hello from New York. I am here for a quick 24 hours to speak at a company offsite. I don’t write much about my consulting work, but leading these closed-door conversations has been a really fun piece of the Link in Bio puzzle over the last few years. To bring some of that energy here, I am going to use an upcoming newsletter to answer reader questions about social media strategy. Want my advice, feedback, or thoughts on something social related? Submit your questions here [ https://substack.com/redirect/7dfa42dd-f7ba-43d9-a141-271726e18dba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter: Zaria Parvez, Head of Social at DoorDash, on what happens when you give a social team “full autonomy” and “a Super Bowl-level budget” Five post formats to try this week One of my favorite video creators is looking for his next role (you should hire him) The NFL’s Head of Social Strategy on how the Postgame Lombardi Portraits come together An invite to the Link in Bio Discord... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROekl6TlRFd09Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dOell6TWpJd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESXlPVGt5TWpBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuTm9LUlNIVWZBUEhpcWJsbUhhN0ZWWUV6eUlsNmFPLXItSHRsUWs0MG1xSSIsInAiOjE4NzIzNTEwOCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MDc2MzIyMCwiZXhwIjoyMDg2MzM5MjIwLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.WSk4HK4giDX7DUM3ywB8d0T7jHFVP7GMD8zIYwV_hvc?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/national-gallery-of-art-museum-social-media Before we get into today’s newsletter, a quick ad! I partnered with the team at Slate [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f0a8ae3-1665-4b9b-9306-797b0963eac5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to bring Link in Bio subscribers a critical discussion on the state of social right now. There’s no better person to have that conversation with than Carmen Vicente [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0fcbcf8-ea32-46c9-924f-fb9fd2d2cc83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Content and Social Lead at Slate and the creator behind some of my favorite videos on the algorithm. We’ll be talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly of working in social media—and answering some of your questions too! It’s happening on February 18th at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. You can RSVP here [ https://substack.com/redirect/20dca507-9614-4909-85eb-7a74c8d85f85?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. How the National Gallery of Art is “rizzing up the internet with art history” “Chat, peep this bussin’ clay dish from the 16th century, made in the workshop of an Italian rizzler named Orazio Pompei.” This is how a recent viral video [ https://substack.com/redirect/05cd13cc-e719-4b0c-aab1-61f4e592a6d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from the National Gallery of Art [ https://substack.com/redirect/aebba0a9-d754-4d55-8370-5e3a8d53d749?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] opens. No, it’s not a Gen Z intern speaking. It’s Alison Luchs [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2793356-a0fb-4d08-8123-0fc0b2085e5e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a 77-year-old curator of early European sculpture. It is now the most-watched and most-engaged social post in the National Gallery’s history. The idea for the video came from Sydni Myers [ https://substack.com/redirect/f41ec12c-d2ca-4fb1-b339-d0bd08d8d4be?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the Senior Social Media Manager at the museum. She told me over email, “I noticed a pattern among museums—mainly in the UK—where curators were speaking in Gen Z slang, language that originates in Black internet culture and AAVE.” Sydni wanted to see if she could push the trend in a more educational direction. She shared, “I was more interested in what would happen if we treated that language as a vehicle for art history, not just jokes. The idea was to focus on one overlooked object at a time and pair it with a curator who could deliver the language with sincerity.” Sydni caught Alison, who she knew would be perfect for the role, as she was walking out of an all-staff meeting. Sydni asked if she’d be open to “rizzing up the internet with art history.” She remembers Alison pausing for a second and then saying, “If it helps bring attention to the sculptures, I’m in.” The rest is, well, history. The juxtaposition of Alison, who commenters often call “grandma” and granny”, and the words coming out of her mouth creates a tension that immediately engages audiences. As Sydni put it, “People don’t expect to see a 77-year-old curator from a traditional art museum recite terminally online slang with monk-level seriousness.” That unexpected hook makes viewers want to stick around to learn about, say, maiolica plates and red purple stone urns. When I asked Alison what she thought when Sydni first pitched the video, she said, “I was puzzled. I wondered who would want to watch a video of a very senior curator speaking Gen Z slang.” Turns out, a lot of people. Since the initial video’s success, the team has published another installment [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a0645a5-6469-4dd4-a743-bd35b8599443?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with more on the way. In total, the two videos have almost 9M views and a total watch time of over four years, according to the museum. The process Before scripting the first video, Alison took the social team on a tour of Italian Renaissance drug jars. (Yes, that kind.) They happened to pass by a specific maiolica plate which sparked a lot of conversation. (Watch the video, and you’ll understand why.) They decided to make that object the star of the Reel. After the tour, the team set up what was essentially a writers’ room, with social media copywriter Mary King [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e69c78a-751c-4da6-90b4-6d4f5eadda8d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] shepherding the script. “A group of millennials and Gen Z team members brainstorming how to make art history resonate online in the basement of an art museum,” as Sydni describes it. Alison then memorized the script by treating it like a “linguistic challenge.” Alison speaks French, some Russian, and more languages. The videos are all shot and edited in-house. “Because we do quite a lot of media production across exhibitions and digital channels, we are lucky enough to have a production studio team,” Sydni tells me. One of those team members is Amelia Mylvaganam [ https://substack.com/redirect/4df7e328-161a-46fe-99a0-af6015d88405?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who fans might recognize as the person who helps Alison get on set at the beginning of each video. When I asked Alison if there’s a favorite phrase or term she’s learned from filming, she says, “How can you beat ‘The glow still slaps after 500 years!’”? That’s one of our main messages.” Humor is a gateway While most of the comments on the videos are positive, there are some that imply that art should be revered and not turned into a comedic sketch. When I ask Nick Sharp [ https://substack.com/redirect/1882c499-ba34-4b6a-ba8b-6fc18a1e3843?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Chief Digital Officer at the museum, what he thinks of this, he says, “Artists, authors, academics, and philosophers all joke, tease, and play in their everyday lives. The funniest person you know is probably also very smart. Art is made through discipline and seriousness, but also through mischief, curiosity, and humor. Those things are not in conflict. You can have fun in a serious way.” The museum’s audience seems to understand this. Some of the top comments read “I’m in love with this series and love it when i can understand the significance of a piece!” and “I'm not even kidding, I learned a lot from this video.” Alison also made clear that the artworks they are choosing are very intentional. She says, “In each case so far, we picked a work with playful content, that even the original audience was meant to have fun with. The approach could be disrespectful for a work of devotional art, for instance, or a painting of a tragic subject. But in the objects chosen for these videos, the joke is already there. It's not some trick we're playing on dead artists, it's something they wanted people to notice.” For a lot of viewers, these videos might be their introduction to art altogether. That means something. As Nick put it, “Humor is a gateway. It makes people pause and pay attention, which is the first step toward looking and thinking. Take the maiolica plate: yes, the bird absolutely is giving phallic energy. And many people, myself included, did not even notice the exposed breast until Alison’s cheeky reference to it in the video. The humor, the surprise, makes you look, and then look again. That act of looking more closely is one of the core functions of an art museum.” Alison’s line of “titty out” is now one of the most referenced moments in the comments section. The format is not only allowing the museum to highlight rare objects but also big organizational initiatives. At the end of the second video, Alison announced Open Call [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd511e4b-a8d3-4054-860e-67e79009fa8d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], inviting followers to submit a proposal for a 15- to 30-second social media video inspired by a work from their collection. Off camera, she had a little bit of a hot mic moment saying, “I hope this works.” A few days later, the museum started seeing comments like “it worked, queen,” along with hundreds of submissions. Sydni tells me they have over 400 entries, with a goal of reaching 500 by the end of February. What’s next This concept was never meant to be a series. The first video was simply a one-off idea. “I remember publishing the video while on an Amtrak train home at 7pm, seeing just a few supportive comments before I turned off my phone and took a nap—nothing more than usual. Then the next morning…I thought I signed into the wrong account!,” Sydni tells me. Now, with two very successful videos under their belt, they are committed to making more. “For us, this series is part of a broader shift toward collaboration vs. broadcast. It’s one way we’re opening our doors wider and acknowledging that culture is co-authored,” Sydni shares. As I’ve talked about quite a bit in Link in Bio, the goal for many social teams now isn’t one viral video, but retention over multiple videos. Content that has a through line of familiarity and makes people comment “my show is on”. The National Gallery of Art seems to have found their show. When I asked Alison if she was surprised by the success of the two videos she said, “I’m totally amazed. It never occurred to me that anything like this would happen. I figured we’d get a few likes and a few cringes and then it would disappear. But the comments have been really heartwarming, especially the ones from people who say the videos helped them get through a tough time, or the ones from people who say they now want to come to the National Gallery of Art and check out the artifacts, or that now their children might be more willing to come.” So far, Alison has been recognized in public once. I have a feeling that number will have already gone up by the time I publish this. What I’m scrolling Speaking of accounts finding their shows, the Los Angeles Public Library is back with another reference desk video [ https://substack.com/redirect/e150af51-fed9-4f16-b08e-b62c53cdf222?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. 2.1M views and counting. College athletic departments are wooing recruits with content studios [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf3ea8ec-099b-4bf8-8458-d4b1143d090e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Good read fromFront Office Sports. “Creative work was once largely an afterthought for collegiate athletic departments—maybe a lone social media coordinator tucked into a sports information office. But for many schools, multimedia has become a well-staffed strategic function resembling a Fortune 500 marketing team, complete with specialists including photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and social creators—plus suites of analytics dashboards and performance-tracking tools.” The artist Lisett Ledón keeps popping up on my explore page [ https://substack.com/redirect/6103e4b8-f488-4b5c-bfd6-e73d3767786e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I love this post [ https://substack.com/redirect/be37e665-c64b-488e-83a2-2e6608238a8e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with Bad Bunny. A brand should partner with them on a campaign! @kamalahq has relaunched as @headquarters_67 to “to give Democrats the digital boost they need to win in 2026 and beyond.” [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2b142c3-610c-4ac0-b6eb-61cea5d8fe34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] They are also hiring [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2b142c3-610c-4ac0-b6eb-61cea5d8fe34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—giving us a clue into what the social content will look like. Lauren Kapp [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2b142c3-610c-4ac0-b6eb-61cea5d8fe34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who is one of the strategists behind the account, tweeted “If you like to cover politics, edit fancams, dunk or Republicans, or shit post… apply to be a Platforms Strategist or Video Editor on the HQ team!” I’ve noticed a few brands gamify the horizontal video format. Starbucks did it here [ https://substack.com/redirect/564c78bd-d250-4f19-9264-b526f662dab2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Edinburgh Festival Fringe here [ https://substack.com/redirect/a799aa3c-d2b4-4824-8a12-a60f0ce5d102?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I updated the Link in Bio Running List of Post Ideas [ https://substack.com/redirect/b40f4b4d-5bd0-4f5c-8b63-8f927653f5f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It now has over 150 formats to try. A resource I return over and over again! “I really don’t look at it as promotion or marketing. I see myself as an artist expanding.” [ https://substack.com/redirect/603034d3-2276-409e-ba5e-3b8034295b41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Timothée Chalamet on his press tour stunts but also me rationalizing my job. WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS? is a new Instagram account I am excited about [ https://substack.com/redirect/95c16b0c-6cf3-4c88-b303-70ea482790fb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. So far they’ve only posted two Reels—one on the process of designing costumes for [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f43f8a3-5461-4f36-8c00-44ebb10a890d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]Heated Rivalry [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f43f8a3-5461-4f36-8c00-44ebb10a890d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and another on the process of handling the best dogs in America [ https://substack.com/redirect/2c8fc2be-2224-46ac-80f0-a1c910f548c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]—but they are both really fun to watch. Claudia Sulewski’s video announcing that her brand Cyklar will be in Sephora is very sweet [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b5f2c4d-e983-4d08-891a-bb3455b55744?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It obviously helps to have tons of footage from your vlogging days, but I like how it turned into a moment for her audience to root for her. A top comment reads, “nooo. i’m genuinely crying. i’m so happy for you” If the Berklee College of Music social director is reading this, we want more of these videos [ https://substack.com/redirect/df6fec32-4808-4888-b2b6-18b47fca0a04?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The three videos of students singing “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters in different styles have accumulated over 1.2M views. If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/47505a1e-d7f5-467c-b84a-53dd2b0ad75b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/3b258872-cbc8-4d43-bbb3-e0ab70a106b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, ignore this and thank you! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROamd3TVRBME5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dNekV3TVRJeExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTRORFl4TWpFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuMHl2aUhhVmhXREFFQWlkeXZmS1VOTWJ3b2ZkQW8tTnl0NnAxcDdrOUtRayIsInAiOjE4NjgwMTA0NCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MDMxMDEyMSwiZXhwIjoyMDg1ODg2MTIxLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.-Fm0dbP02kHm6g40h-4CF8Wo4hBCGZVvp6ezzoQP_Ic?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/30-social-media-marketers-on-where Hi from Los Angeles. Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Sundance Film Festival for the first time. The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a8f620f-e116-4edd-a096-207afb48dbd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] team generously invited me out. During a screening of Josephine [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e2eacc1-8a6f-49a1-99f8-26d84a340f52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], the director Beth de Araújo mentioned that the music composer would read a chapter or essay from Roxane Gay [ https://substack.com/redirect/7796ee5f-3067-4462-bf37-72fc956d5dd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] every single time before he sat down to write music for the film. It got me thinking about the important and sometimes unexpected places we find inspiration for our jobs. This stayed on my mind throughout the weekend. When I asked Jeremy Cohen [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d70b20c-57ad-4035-9d87-f9a66eabeb3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who was helping the Chase team cover the festival on social, where he finds inspiration outside of his phone, he mentioned Listers [ https://substack.com/redirect/20fbcc6d-c77f-4f89-9d58-385cf3064298?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s a documentary about two brothers who go to extreme measures for a full year to get into competitive birding. “Any doc or photo project about a niche subculture I often find interesting,” he told me. At a party, I talked to Felipe Mendez [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f27fceb-c58d-4799-89f4-271853e4fee6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] about how he was inspired by the work of fan editors and ended up hiring them for Lionsgate's social [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff81c8a4-89f8-421e-868d-023d752f5ccb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. As for myself, I found the film festival more impactful to my day-to-day work than any traditional social media conference I had been to in recent memory. When you work in social media, it’s easy to use existing brand posts as inspiration for your own brand’s posts. The reference becomes the brief. I get it, sometimes that proof of success can help sell through a concept. But what happens when we’re all relying on the same feeds for ideas? For today’s newsletter, I asked 30 social media professionals where they find inspiration outside of scrolling. Like the book that informs the Craighill [ https://substack.com/redirect/73f39821-a8bc-4c51-9ffd-ec7b2cb1ed6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] team’s creative process, the movie monologue that Jack Corbett [ https://substack.com/redirect/79085fdd-25c3-4330-841b-d1730ad84f6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] at Planet Money [ https://substack.com/redirect/02b79859-57ed-47c2-966f-b8a7f57955e0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] always comes back to, and the grocery store that Reformation’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/14c068f2-25b9-4ae7-9ddd-2cc40dbbe338?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Associate Manager of Social Media browses. You’ll find ideas from people who work at places like Adobe, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, East Fork, OUAI, Sesame Workshop, Notion, Amtrak, Alex Mill, and more. Plus, I share a five places I turn to for inspiration... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROakV4TXpZM09Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dNVFF6TlRnMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTJOemsxT0RVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuQUxCVTgtMHVDYWxaeVNaVVMtU0dVNi0xY2pEQl9tbWRLU3pPX0Z4VFV3OCIsInAiOjE4NjExMzY3OCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc3MDE0MzU4NSwiZXhwIjoyMDg1NzE5NTg1LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.7d44IoaaoT-0SzjfJPjJ0hFUgeHDv4EMxHUhB5NFjrg?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/i-talked-to-the-minnesota-public Hi everyone. On Tuesday I wrote an essay [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f524fdd-887c-4273-be3c-602283f49faa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] about how brands respond to crisis. It inspired a lot of dialogue in the comments and I’m so grateful to have the most thoughtful readers. Since that newsletter went out, a new type of brand post has been popping up: closure announcements for the general strike tomorrow. Small businesses like Block Shop Textiles [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2504175-6e56-4fab-809d-b0ddb0856731?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Happy Isles [ https://substack.com/redirect/28a85864-8718-4ccf-bf2b-2e15c6043e0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], 3sixteen [ https://substack.com/redirect/c5493418-2daf-46c2-9a49-b7a377decb03?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Fashion Brand Company [ https://substack.com/redirect/ebe6030b-6b47-44a1-b61c-207708498f2f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and more have all shared updates on their social media pages. Regardless of what your brand decides to do, I would personally advise not posting tomorrow. Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: I talked to the MPR News social team My guidance on the TikTok situation The pizza shop account that feels like one big Tim Robinson sketch Why I’m into DM activations An invite to the Link in Bio Discord... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROakV5TVRFME1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVOekE0TlRBMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXlORFExTURVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuVmZUblpLOXVQWVd6NTZrbDdaVXBUM2NEdmtTT3hpcFc5RFRyS0hBd0hMQSIsInAiOjE4NjEyMTE0MiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2OTcwODUwNSwiZXhwIjoyMDg1Mjg0NTA1LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.47YCTiWZUCa3uLlIQc8GgtR1m4h5admLwWtrpRN0_xc?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/brands-want-to-post-like-humans-where Over the past few years, consumers have watched brands try and act more human online. Large corporations comment on viral posts in the first person, saying things like “she’s so me” and “i just know we would be besties.” Entire content strategies are built around reacting quickly to culture and news. The people behind the posts are now also seen in front of the camera. Brands want to be friends, but do they care about you? As the ongoing brutality of ICE has been broadcast on social media, most brands have paused their posts. Some are opting to say something. FIGS, a scrubs company, was quick to post [ https://substack.com/redirect/649362ac-a91d-4594-836c-5830ab841df2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] in memory of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, continuing their use of social media to advocate for nurses. For example, they also recently delivered hot coffee [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e49ce04-01d3-4378-9b0c-15bc68f77946?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to nurses during a strike and donated $20,000 [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfcb8d0e-21f5-48ab-909a-b7d959eaf9eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to support nurse well-being programs during Nurses Week. Sesame Street addressed the news by sharing resources [ https://substack.com/redirect/99d32421-dcaa-4cf3-8268-745150442d96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on “offering comfort in scary times.” We already know Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of standing up for progressive causes and speaking out on social justice issues. But as someone pointed out in my DMs, that consistency makes their latest statement [ https://substack.com/redirect/06b094fc-0179-4341-b902-263fa718bb83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] not an “if they” but a “when they” would post. The beauty brand Cocokind shared a post [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed421bfa-6344-4965-9448-af3f47d65bd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] saying that “choosing to act is all we know how to do in times like these” with a promise to donate 100% of the week’s net proceeds to Immigrant Law Center Minnesota [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdc3c6ad-be70-4c17-a5b6-f2e41910c2b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The brand has become known for putting their community first. Whole30 gave their social media presence over [ https://substack.com/redirect/d7f7ac2f-ce00-4931-b92e-eabfe5ccbe0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to their founder, Melissa Urban [ https://substack.com/redirect/83f5d381-6d6d-489a-951e-9564b4338739?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who firmly wrote “You cannot separate your business from your values.” Brands like East Fork [ https://substack.com/redirect/af89a6bc-fbd8-403a-84a3-c8459e08a75a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Coterie [ https://substack.com/redirect/070ee0e5-7b8f-4501-b947-778edcf87859?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], MOTHER [ https://substack.com/redirect/131a42de-274d-46d8-a9d7-327ce3c7c6c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and Fly by Jing [ https://substack.com/redirect/57e7ac5e-1ada-46f3-9500-0aef426de3c4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] have also posted statements. Then there are the local businesses in Minnesota that have been using their social media pages for action, likely paving the way for national brands to also find their voice. Curry Corner handing out warm vegetable samosas to protesters [ https://substack.com/redirect/349ed7fd-f3c6-45ef-8ac3-5ac0944e350a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Little Joy answering “ [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2f4d9b2-5a41-43e8-aae1-5a89d4c377fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]Should a business stay neutral? [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2f4d9b2-5a41-43e8-aae1-5a89d4c377fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]” [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2f4d9b2-5a41-43e8-aae1-5a89d4c377fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Wrecktangle Pizza raising $200,000. [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe5f330e-1ab7-450d-826c-1fdffa881b65?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] On Sunday, I asked my Instagram followers if they appreciated when the brands they follow use their accounts to speak out. The overwhelming majority said that they do. The prevailing sentiment was “Words are great. Big donations are even better.” One person wrote: “I remember when a business lives by their values and I choose to support that business over others, even if there are other less expensive options.” I know a lot of social teams are in meetings this week, thinking about what their account should post, if anything at all. I’ve worked in this industry long enough to know that those decisions are often out of our hands. Still, there is a responsibility to the audience—the people that brands increasingly treat like “besties” in a group chat—to find some humanity. If those conversations aren’t already happening, a good place to start would be to sit down with your leadership to understand what your company actually stands for. Ask why or when your brand should speak up. Who do you advocate for? What causes are connected to your work? How are those values lived throughout the entire organization? Corporate mission statements rarely get pressure tested for how they will stand up to the darkest of times. They should. Posts around social and political issues only feel performative when they aren’t coming from a meaningful place, but that starts with doing the work of finding out what is meaningful to your brand. Now is the time. When there’s a framework in place, these moments won’t feel like fire drills, and you’ll be able to fall back on firm beliefs instead. Thank you for reading and I’ll be back on Thursday. One quick note before I go. I recently learned that Hootsuite, a brand I partnered with late last year, is reportedly [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea05a059-8a3a-44c5-a552-a17f55f7068d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] providing services to ICE. While I am no longer working with the brand, I feel it’s important to publicly acknowledge that I do not support that business decision. In response to this news, I will be donating 100% of the fee I received for participating in the campaign to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network [ https://substack.com/redirect/b32dd980-8740-40d4-a6b0-11e7229ba2e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] in support of legal defense, organizing, and advocacy efforts for immigrant communities. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROVGMzTmpZME9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVOVE16TVRBeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXdOamt4TURJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuZ0VLSHlTUEVPbW96NXpsem5OM3M3QXVUYkpRcWd3RFUwQ0xzMm9qdkZMNCIsInAiOjE4NTc3NjY0OSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2OTUzMzEwMiwiZXhwIjoyMDg1MTA5MTAyLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.EkW7qJE0qBA0nHSDxViVbSGZY9hik2RJ178gShdbULE?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/modern-animal-social-strategy I’ve found myself drawn to a particular style of content lately. Posts where I, as the viewer, feel like a fly on the wall. No one is talking at me, instead I’m simply observing. In my Brand Social Trend Report: Q4 2025 [ https://substack.com/redirect/3b8f7e5a-116f-4915-a666-2b1d80639eb9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] I called it “spectator social”. The format uses a similar approach as Wimbledon’s Overheard [ https://substack.com/redirect/45cfa09b-e356-4824-994c-f4699541f2a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] [ https://substack.com/redirect/45cfa09b-e356-4824-994c-f4699541f2a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]videos [ https://substack.com/redirect/45cfa09b-e356-4824-994c-f4699541f2a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] or NFL’s Mic’d Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a1000d5-11b9-4fbf-be04-d0a0e9c5d7ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] series—but applies it to places like orchestras, restaurants, and medical offices. Esthetician Sofie Pavitt [ https://substack.com/redirect/93b8d660-c306-4152-864e-100b52d8fac0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] films her consultations [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6ab642a-7616-4193-8889-da29e8d1ad37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with clients, talking to them instead of the viewer. Minnesota Orchestra [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc5729a6-4e5c-4456-96bb-ded3f6fb99e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] recently mic’d up their second violin during a Brahms Requiem rehearsal [ https://substack.com/redirect/8245f473-13bc-4725-aaca-ced5dd2b1904?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The Elbo Room [ https://substack.com/redirect/74def2b4-96d4-453c-a2c6-cb24c8f48225?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a bar in Fort Lauderdale, takes this format to the extreme by livestreaming [ https://substack.com/redirect/871087fd-b60a-43c5-90ae-f35ea7bdfef6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] different areas of the bar every single day, with clips going viral on TikTok [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c5b8c36-5239-4cf1-91d2-5d82dd222a2e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. When I interviewed [ https://substack.com/redirect/7650a535-099b-4d12-ba51-f386ea0e1f23?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] the team behind The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a83b6db-8c68-4399-9551-f69905828f8a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], they told me a big unlock moment came when instead of filming employees talking directly to camera, they stepped to the side to film real customer interactions. “That was really one thing that made a huge difference in the performance of the videos.” Perhaps the most unexpected version of this format comes from Modern Animal [ https://substack.com/redirect/05cd050c-bc44-4fd3-b183-8aae5cb6700b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], a veterinary care company that has garnered over 50M views in just three months. As I learned in today’s interview, they have a multi-camera setup in their office, filming hours of footage of their veterinarians interacting with animals. One reel might swap between two or three different camera angles of the same scene. Their approach feels more Bravo than medical office. What I’ve found through studying these accounts is that it’s clearly one of the most effective formats for building trust with your audience. It allows your brand to show, not tell. There’s not the usual “performance” that comes with participating in a trend or talking directly to camera. Importantly, it makes you want to be a customer, without ever hard selling. For today’s newsletter, I talked to Bailey James [ https://substack.com/redirect/819eb23a-190e-47d6-8e7a-85fe3ce0a9f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Senior Manager of Brand at Modern Animal [ https://substack.com/redirect/05527e96-b364-4bc5-bc20-55e3b115562c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], about how they operationalize “spectator social”. We cover the reality show psychology, what a shoot day looks like (“the team is rolling for five to seven hours in a clinic”), and the growth they’ve seen from these videos. Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up Modern Animal’s social media philosophy, what would it be? Bailey James: The point of social for us has really been to build trust in our people and brand at scale. Like a lot of other health and wellness brands trying to solve for the same thing, we started with a ton of assumptions about how that trust gets built, like: “we need to be viewed as an authority; to be viewed as an authority, content needs to be a certain fidelity level; we need to ~EDUCATE~ people!” We’ve obviously now tested out of a lot of those assumptions and into a much more grounded philosophy, which is that the best way for us to build that trust is by getting on peoples’ level and focusing more on showing people, rather than telling them, how much we care about the work we do here at Modern Animal. RK: In November, you gained an impressive 36K followers on Instagram. What do you attribute to that growth? BJ: We’re building a genuinely fun, character-driven world that feels closer to Bravo’s social playbook than a typical veterinary company’s, and that less obvious approach has definitely played a role. But I think the pop itself came from nine straight months of pretty relentless consistency, volume, and pace finally compounding. In the months leading up to November, we’d been chipping away at this strategy for most of the year and had built a really enthusiastic fanbase within pockets of both TikTok [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce075846-e606-4bee-98ba-fda74dfafafb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Instagram [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb52ce74-bde8-451f-b978-2ed354a64e08?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that were immediately relevant to our niche (shout out to the people of VetTok!). Paying close attention to what those early fans were engaging with helped us fine-tune the format, so when we finally broke containment from our corner of the internet with a 25M+ view post [ https://substack.com/redirect/205cb388-a062-4a91-8184-8bc805443ed0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], we were ready to pour gas on the fire and give people more of what we’d already gotten pretty good at making. That led to the massive jump in our following. And as is often the case with things like this, luck and some blessings from the social gods probably played a small part too. RK: Talk to me about how you came up with the idea to mic up your veterinarians. Why do you think the videos are resonating? BJ: So huge shoutout to Zoe Taylor [ https://substack.com/redirect/369f7f33-4728-4910-9092-cd13e6931331?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], our Creative Producer, for being the driving force behind this concept. She spent the beginning of her career in the sports world before joining us for a change of scenery, and the mic’d up format is obviously huge in that space as a way to pull back the curtain and engage fans. While we don’t have world-famous athletes on our payroll, I’d argue that our clinic teams are no less enigmatic, and full of big personalities who are incredibly talented and genuinely passionate about what they do. Our team has always been central to our brand, but mic’d up’s ability to capture them in their element, with minimal editorialization, felt really refreshing compared to the carefully composed branded content we’d been making before this shift. As for why it’s resonating, I think there’s a lot of psychology at play. In most veterinary practices, pet parents are never allowed “in the back,” and in that sense the content helps counter some of the anxiety that comes from veterinary care historically feeling opaque. And maybe a slightly conspiratorial take, but because people are seeing something they’re normally not privy to, I’d bet there’s probably a bit of subconscious voyeurism there too. I wonder what Freud would think of our TikTok. RK: Commenters will regularly say that this is their new favorite reality show. I think there’s a psychological difference between an audience watching someone talk face-to-camera in a social video versus the audience almost feeling like they are peeking in on a real moment. Did you notice a change in the nature of the comments when you started filming this way? BJ: Yeah, those comments have been really cool to see, because they’ve shown us that people are actually picking up what we’re putting down. We’re all fans of reality TV shows like Love Island and Big Brother, and workplace comedies like The Office, which also gets referenced in the comments a lot. You’re definitely right about the psychological effect of the format. Reality TV works because people develop parasocial relationships with the cast, and we’ve seen that same thing start to happen in our comments. People quote callbacks to things someone said weeks ago, reference running jokes (phrases like “don’t worry ginger [ https://substack.com/redirect/212ace07-5ca9-4b9d-bce1-027597f8ac48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]” are here to stay), come up with nicknames for members of our team, and get excited when a familiar face shows back up in their feeds. It’s honestly been a trip for everyone involved. RK: I’ve spotted a few cameras that are set up around the office that capture these moments. Can you explain to me how you are filming? How much footage are you capturing on a shoot day? BJ: The big thing to keep in mind is that we’re filming inside clinics that are open and actively seeing patients, so being as out of our team’s way as possible is non-negotiable. To make it happen, Zoe’s built a pretty impressive multi-camera setup that can be remotely monitored via feed and controlled from a more tucked-away part of the clinic. On a typical shoot day, the team is rolling for five to seven hours in a clinic, which gives us a ton of raw material to pull from later. RK: How many cameras you have set up around the office in that multi-camera set up? BJ: Depends on the day but up to four! RK: What does the team look like who films and edits this content? BJ: The Zoe(y)’s! I’ve already mentioned our Creative Producer, Zoe Taylor [ https://substack.com/redirect/369f7f33-4728-4910-9092-cd13e6931331?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who’s architected our ability to capture and process all the raw material needed to make this format work. Her partner in crime is our social manager, Zoey Greenberg [ https://substack.com/redirect/68ff26f1-d878-443f-8d9d-3be38e491e9a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who’s mastered the art of distilling everything we capture into the social-ready clips that find their way onto your feed. Together they’ve formed a symbiotic relationship that’s been critical to our success. (By the way, I swear having the name Zoe/Zoey is not a prerequisite to join Modern Animal’s brand team.) RK: Do any of the veterinarians get recognized now or have people request to see them specifically? BJ: Yep, and it’s honestly been one of the coolest parts of this whole thing. Dr. Emma Gober [ https://substack.com/redirect/303fc37d-6123-466e-89e7-beb8bbfcf74f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], who practices in our Cherry Creek clinic in Denver, was featured in the post that ended up hitting around 12M views on TikTok and 25M on Instagram. Since then, she’s seen a huge lift in her own following. Before that moment she had fewer than 10K followers on TikTok, and last I checked she was up around 80K. She’s even had a visiting veterinary extern ask for a photo together so they could send it back to their friends at school! I’ve also heard other members of the team mention that old classmates and friends have reached out after seeing them organically pop up on their FYP. It’s been pretty wild all around, and I’m really glad Modern Animal has been able to give people who want it a moment in the spotlight. RK: Related, have you noticed an uptick in customers or inquiries based on the virality? The success of the mic’d up videos really lends itself to your core business. I see people commenting that they always worry about what’s happening to their pet when they get taken to the back and this series helps them feel so much better. It builds trust! BJ: We’ve definitely seen our more viral weeks correlate with elevated branded search volume and traffic to our site. That awareness naturally means more people willing to give us a try with their pet’s care when they need it. And there’s that word again! Trust! Like I mentioned earlier, I think that the content does a great job of showing people from outside the world of veterinary care something they historically haven’t been allowed to see when visiting the vet. Interestingly enough, one of Modern Animal’s main value props is that our clinics are “open concept”—meaning you can follow your pet through their whole visit if you want—so the content really emulates that transparent experience for the uninitiated. RK: Will you be leaning even more into this style of content in 2026? BJ: For sure! And hopefully some other weird stuff too. RK: What advice would you give a social team that is struggling to break through right now? BJ: Look for the idea sitting right next to the one you’re already in love with. If you really know your brand and your customer, you’re probably directionally right about what you’re trying to say. You just haven’t challenged your assumptions enough to figure out how to say it in a way that actually lands for your audience on social. What I’m scrolling We’re not nostalgic for 2016 — we’re nostalgic for the internet before all the slop [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e500667-092b-4055-a697-0bed58376418?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Great read from TechCrunch. This video from Luxembourg Philharmonic is gorgeous [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f209432-93f5-4d31-861c-2664db4728bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I can’t stop watching it. Creator Bashel Lewis posted a video about getting fired from his job in social media, warning others to look into their company’s Conflict of Interest policy [ https://substack.com/redirect/546962b7-246a-41e7-9f9b-d7394db8a06e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I emailed him to learn more. He shared, “I wanted to share my story because we’re seeing more and more creators start in corporate roles, discover a passion for content, and then gain visibility outside of their jobs. What I realized is that a lot of companies don’t actually know how to define conflict of interest when it comes to creators. That uncertainty creates a gray area where creators are often limited or penalized for building something of their own. At the same time, companies say they want to move at the speed of culture. But doing that requires having people on your team who actively participate in it like being a creator. I’ve heard from hundreds of people who have experienced something similar, and it reminded me why I shared in the first place.” These AI explainer videos are going very viral [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd4cbd7f-72e4-406b-91e7-e72bb6362f9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I prefer this guy’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/b882af27-50bf-4351-8d91-a8ce1d674ac2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] recreation of them. Romeo Bingham’s Dr Pepper jingle, which went viral on TikTok a few weeks ago, was featured in a TV spot aired during the College Football Playoff National Championship [ https://substack.com/redirect/e79d6a1c-4e1e-4c2d-9374-28c511034a96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The TikToks celebrating [ https://substack.com/redirect/6419d36a-9677-46ae-9474-7fbd057fcdd8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] the move have millions of views. I love this sweet vignette the restaurant Tony & Pete’s shared [ https://substack.com/redirect/aedb87a1-3a5e-4039-9116-78ddc52e1812?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Perfect music. Finally, thank you to the reader who DMed me Modern Animal’s content a few months back! If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/c1b78971-0637-4467-b94d-4cf989712953?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/d663b55e-72f9-4dfd-a409-82fb584dea50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you for making this newsletter possible! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROVE0xTmpVeE5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVNVEF4TkRnNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQTJNemMwT0Rrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAudUh6Vnpwb0tybVdBRVRla3J6UjI4a0NIY3JraUduZ3pQQ2RIVk5EYTNhYyIsInAiOjE4NTM1NjUxNCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2OTEwMTQ4OSwiZXhwIjoyMDg0Njc3NDg5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ._BNl7_1IF42lP1TfzuFH4mi2FaPiwQBdixMGKyLDaw4?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/mister-rogers-marketing I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a social media post memorable. Why do some posts leave me the second I scroll away? While others stay lodged in my brain to be referenced in a conversation years later? To play out the exercise, I wrote down a brain dump of brand posts that have stayed with me. There was this powerful Nurses Week video from FIGS [ https://substack.com/redirect/3818e122-e6f3-4727-a31b-41a974efbef9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I somehow recalled a 2023 video from influencer Mikayla Nogueira [ https://substack.com/redirect/31f4e03b-1c39-4e8c-8155-6c06a3300ede?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], where Rare Beauty gifted her a video of her friends and family saying why she’s a positive light. From left field came a post from Duolingo and Scrub Daddy [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e5180f0-783d-43a4-b70a-9754a9ef7cf4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] where they have a “baby”. Elmo tweeting “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9802d27-359d-4043-94e3-81a0469b9804?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. A 92-year-old grandpa named Norman getting gifting from V8 in 2024 [ https://substack.com/redirect/2daf990f-d14b-467f-a8fd-c8006ca8b581?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Denny’s tweeting [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8d1dc85-4f63-4ec7-aa0d-1fc1fa457e62?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] “the trough is open piggies”. This beautiful post that Willy Chavarria [ https://substack.com/redirect/13d23aa3-c91f-4858-b96f-8723f9dbd1de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was shared yesterday but already feels permanent. Of course, I’m not a perfect test subject. I write a newsletter about social media, which means I think about the posts I see more than the average consumer. Still, there was a clear pattern. Most posts that stuck made me really feel something. Sometimes it was shock (looking at you, Denny’s tweet), but more often than not it was because the post struck an emotional chord through joy or beauty or hope. “Emotion acts like a highlighter that emphasizes certain aspects of experiences to make them more memorable,” writes Psychology Today [ https://substack.com/redirect/603e3727-4154-4e86-b26d-cce681ed79fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The thing is, there are a wide range of emotions the average human feels—and brands get to choose which ones they tap into. Shock is a popular choice. We see a certain gym do it every January. This administration daily. Brands gift over-the-top trips and products. The algorithms are even programmed [ https://substack.com/redirect/89fd16bd-9bad-4871-a206-d3686679b885?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to favor it. Social listening tools can detect “negative sentiment”, but have a harder time picking up on eye rolls and loud groans. The real, and sometimes harder, opportunity is for your post or campaign to simply make people feel good. As feeds get more hostile and confusing to navigate, consumers will have a lower tolerance for rage bait and trickery. In response, brands should optimize for kindness. In today’s newsletter I am exploring what I am calling “Mister Rogers marketing”. Posts that sink in, make you wonder, leave you hopeful. Here is what’s inside: I talked to Topgolf about turning a customer comment into a campaign How I define Mister Rogers marketing Brand examples across industries @worldbycharlie [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c97d7e8-fece-4b65-9f32-9d4914b7ec8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on why slow stands out Five feel-good post ideas How Topgolf turned a comment into a campaign On December 27th, user @810ladyboss posted a TikTok [ https://substack.com/redirect/a35e501e-cb82-412a-b465-24603938c32a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] of the net falling at the Topgolf’s Auburn Hills location. Someone named Logan Phillips commented “They better have that fixed by January 9th my work Christmas party is there”. That comment currently sits at over 300K likes. Nili Kamolidinova [ https://substack.com/redirect/473e0094-141c-44d8-b7ad-636e7ff84831?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Social Media Manager at Topgolf [ https://substack.com/redirect/87048216-0726-41ef-9029-b9a8639b9fb9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], tells me over email, “As we saw the comment garner more and more likes, we knew this was something the internet had collectively decided to care about and an opportunity for us to join in on the fun.” The brand then turned the inside joke into various viral posts, tracking the progress of the net [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c7e1532-a1b1-440f-8a71-bce6c3ba97db?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and ultimately throwing an epic Christmas party for Logan [ https://substack.com/redirect/47ee592c-6fcc-40e5-9720-89a185833f12?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It feels important to say that most brands would have likely responded to the comment and moved on. Instead, Topgolf saw it as an opportunity to show just how much they value their customers, who they call “players”. Nili says, “We made the conscious decision to make it about the player, Logan, and not about us. We chose to lean into the collective energy the internet was creating around his party to ensure Logan and his company party felt genuinely special, which is what we strive for with every event in our venues.” As part of this impromptu campaign, they released a promotional code “4LOGAN” [ https://substack.com/redirect/5903b1fe-7e25-49a2-b036-5a2e475ce8e8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for half-off golf all day at all venues on the day of Logan’s party. Nili tells me it was their most successful promo code redemption campaign to date leveraging organic social media as the only channel. She says, “Venues displayed ‘4Logan’ signage in the lobbies to greet Players, creating a shareable photo opportunity. It really showed how a local story at Auburn Hills could become a national celebration.” The joy of making one player’s day is contagious. Finally, when I asked Nili what advice she’d give to other brands that might find themselves in a similar situation, she gave me what I’d consider a playbook. I’m publishing her response in full below: The biggest lesson is that authenticity can’t be manufactured, but it can absolutely be amplified when you recognize it. We didn’t create Logan’s moment, the internet did, but we took the opportunity to show up genuinely and add value to the story that was already being written. Sometimes the internet hands you the idea and your job as a social media manager is to make sure you don’t fumble it. For other brands looking to capitalize in a similar way, I recommend having the systems in place that allow you to move quickly. This campaign worked because we could make decisions fast and execute immediately. Second, make it about your community, not about you. We could have easily made this about Topgolf being the hero, but instead we made Logan and the internet community the heroes of the story. Third, commit fully. This allowed us to really lean into the viral moment. We posted multiple videos, created promotions, documented the entire journey, and even included side characters like Tony [ https://substack.com/redirect/964f7c4f-78da-4112-818b-ad4678174540?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. That level of commitment is what turned a single comment into a weeks-long campaign. Through this process, we saw a lot of success. We gained over 40K new TikTok followers, achieved a 20.19% engagement rate with 4.1M+ engagements, reached an average of 1.38M people, and generated over 27.83M impressions. We even had other brands like AT&T, Oreo, Slim Jim, and Sweetgreen joining the conversation on social, and even garnered 19M press coverage impressions on the story. And most importantly, it provided an authentic moment to remind people why they love coming to Topgolf. Our brand ethos is about making their moments special through genuine care. The internet is looking for brands that feel human. When you show up authentically in these unscripted moments, people respond because they can feel the difference. What is Mister Rogers marketing I tell that Topgolf story as an illustration of what kindness in marketing can look like in practice. When I published my 2026 social media ins and outs list [ https://substack.com/redirect/84a8dffe-33f0-4dc1-a03a-df58b5dbaf34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], I wrote that Mister Rogers-style content was “in”. I got a lot of comments agreeing—and a few that made me feel old by asking “Who is Mister Rogers?” The children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa4e95f2-4f52-41f3-9834-cd6649deec3a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] hosted by Fred Rogers aired for over 30 years. Each episode, gently guiding the audience through a life lesson. Mister Rogers approached his viewers with an assumption of intelligence and depth, even if they were five years old. In the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? [ https://substack.com/redirect/f34f26ac-9699-40d5-96dc-110505a2bf96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Fred Rogers talks about the powerful new medium of the television and his frustration that it was being used for “people throwing pies at one another”. He saw it as his responsibility to use that power for good. The parallels to social media today are clear. Mister Rogers marketing takes the values of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and applies them to the work we do online. Here’s how I define it... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRORGN6TlRZMk5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTRPVFV4TnpRekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQTBPRGMzTkRNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuazBLeEQ4eU84MU9zZGNUYzNwaHE3SXZXLXZKSVZhempQcHdYUWR4d08yNCIsInAiOjE4NDczNTY2NiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2ODk1MTc0MywiZXhwIjoyMDg0NTI3NzQzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.-6CEbIly6pXjJjmoRwxRxJItGDKCWFhBRflx3DXJd8A?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/growth-over-going-viral Last year, when I asked subscribers what brands they think exemplify great social [ https://substack.com/redirect/287b9131-d8cc-40c5-9e5a-82306325c2d7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], travel and lifestyle company BÉIS [ https://substack.com/redirect/74263460-3d1f-4221-a06a-05f8b46c34a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was one of the most mentioned. It makes sense, their founder content is genuinely fun [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc33b47c-366b-452b-84db-b69c9b791f13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and they dream up smart activations that break through [ https://substack.com/redirect/39e29b4c-063d-48f7-a52f-557d3442e5fb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The brand’s collaboration with Gap [ https://substack.com/redirect/0176ac26-2310-4d87-b043-067dfbebecfa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] was one of my favorite social roll outs of 2025. Hours ago they announced their latest campaign with Tyriq Withers [ https://substack.com/redirect/02ceeaf4-b066-4185-b76f-dc43a8bed60c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Today I am talking with Paige Tapp [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f2a1b9c-b528-4a9b-8f87-aa341625096d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Senior Social Media Manager at BÉIS [ https://substack.com/redirect/74263460-3d1f-4221-a06a-05f8b46c34a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Like many social media professionals, Paige’s path to this role wasn’t straightforward. She started out as a creator herself. Her first few years out of college, she played volleyball on the U.S. national team. As a professional athlete, she got the opportunity to work with brands on partnerships as the talent. She knew when she retired from sports, she wanted to be on the other side of those campaigns. Below I talk to Paige about the tactic she’s hoping to try in 2026, how she’s built her personal social media following (this video of hers is forever seared into my memory [ https://substack.com/redirect/c441e2b0-e479-4fae-882c-2d613bb6de8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]), and why “going viral isn’t the most important thing on social media.” Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up your social media marketing philosophy, what would it be? Paige Tapp: I think it should never be taken too seriously. Which shouldn’t be misconstrued as it’s not UNBELIEVABLY impactful and important to a business, but rather, the more you try to fit within the rigid constraints other areas of a business often have to fit within, the more you risk the loss of creativity. The beauty of social media is its ability to relate to communities like never before. We have the chance to pull back the curtain of large corporations and see a bunch of silly adults doing the best they can. RK: How would you describe BÉIS’ approach to social media? PT: BÉIS is a rare and wonderful place to work. The people are so clever and our social media is a melting pot of ideas from some of the most brilliant minds out there. Our approach is flexibility. We try so many different things, of course recreating what’s worked in the past, but always adapting and adjusting to what our community is loving, and what our chronically-online workforce is cooking up. RK: I’m catching you at the beginning of the new year. Are there any specific strategies or tactics you’re hoping to try in 2026? PT: A good series. RK: What’s your favorite BÉIS post that you worked on last year? PT: This past year was the year of partnerships and collaborations. Getting to work with the teams at Gap, Chipotle, Rare Beauty, and more will always be the most fun and rewarding for me! RK: As you reflect on the last year, is there something that stands out as having really worked? Maybe a specific format or content theme? PT: Behind the scenes. Whenever we have a big production, or a final result being executed, capturing the behind the scenes will out-perform the final product nearly every time. Especially if BTS is caught on an iPhone [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3c61242-ba4d-43e1-a346-8f427333cb70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The less produced, the better. Keep it as organic as possible, and it will work every time! RK: I love all of the social tips that you post on your personal TikTok account. This one about prioritizing growth over going viral [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a3d0d64-23ce-46dd-9c28-e0e518627ea1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] felt timely. Can you talk to me about how that concept might relate to brands? PT: No need to keep my learnings to myself! I love this newsletter, because we can all be incredible assets to each other. TikTok’s ability to connect like-minded creators is unmatched, so posting social tips to connect with a community of other marketing professionals running social platforms at other brands has been amazing this past yet. I recently posted a video [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a3d0d64-23ce-46dd-9c28-e0e518627ea1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that said going viral isn’t the most important thing on social media. Reaching the intended audience and connecting to them in a meaningful way is. I provided a small example, showing a short, trending video that went viral [ https://substack.com/redirect/291ab724-45b7-4b6b-9834-8fac764e84f1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] (reaching 30M views), with a strong engagement rate, +2K follower growth, and hardly any clicks. I then compared it to a long-form, informative video [ https://substack.com/redirect/9310f1d5-1c23-474c-8357-299141480891?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that reached only 50K views, with a similar engagement rate, +2K followers, thousands of link clicks, while simultaneously educating the community on the product and brand. If brand reach is the goal, the first video is the most successful, being viewed over thirty million times. However, if conversion and brand loyalty is the goal, where the viewer sits for over a minute to learn about an aspect of the brand, or a function of the product, the second video is the most successful. A video with only 50K views can convert 10x compared to a video with almost 3M more views. It’s important to diversify content, creating different types for every goal. Looking at one KPI to measure success could prevent you from seeing the full story. Determining a goal for each campaign and measuring KPIs specific to each goal will better help you track success. RK: I know a lot of social managers who also dabble in personal content creation. You are clearly doing a great job at it! Any advice? PT: When you work in social media, you live and breathe it every day. For some, when work ends, they may need a well-earned break from content, but for others it’s time for a creative outlet to maintain the love for it! For me it’s the latter, creating personal content is how I started, and it’s always been fun for me. We’re the experts in what works and doesn’t work, and it’s not hard to adjust our brand findings to apply to our personal accounts. The hard part is finding the time! RK: I’m curious if there was anything you learned in your professional athlete life that has been helpful to bring into your social media career? PT: When I was a part of a team, we were the product. Telling our stories was always the focus. When I switched over to a brand, the focus was on the product, or a celebrity face, but beyond that, behind every product is a team, people that bring it to life, and we’ve seen social media cares about that. I think the team aspect of being an athlete inspired me to let our community into the behind the scenes of our brand. RK: What’s the best social media tip you’ve ever received? PT: Just try it. As long as an idea isn’t offensive to anyone, go for it. You’ll never know how it will perform until you try it. Take the risk and test it. If it doesn’t work, there’s always tomorrow, and the next day, and 365 other days to try something else. RK: Any final thoughts? PT: It should always be fun. Yes, there are business goals to meet. Yes, there are KPIs to track. Yes, the entire company can watch your every move. BUT, on the flip side it can be as creative and fulfilling as you want it to be. If it gets to be too much, lean on your teammates for support. Start a group chat to share ideas. The less you gatekeep your brand’s social media to only your ideas, the better the content will be and less stress you will feel to constantly create original ideas. What I’m scrolling Creators are posting like it’s 2016 [ https://substack.com/redirect/1f8a88ca-8f8f-499e-abb4-8b229f5e81ec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Which means brands are following suit—Eater here [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e3b6bc1-66c8-4227-9612-7055b9215fdf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Chipotle here [ https://substack.com/redirect/f5afd61f-b0e8-4d48-b516-f9a1869da6a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and Billie here [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ca3e24f-dcd9-467f-9071-ea23e817560f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Dig back in those Valencia-hued archives. Gap has named former Paramount top executive Pam Kaufman executive vp, chief entertainment officer [ https://substack.com/redirect/c08ab163-775c-4e83-98ce-0bf3c343bafe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. "Fashion is entertainment, and today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel, they’re buying into brands that tell compelling stories and drive cultural conversations." I loved Play-Doh’s “a post you can smell” carousel [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e55a66d-2b66-4903-9e5f-11a017fbc652?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I noticed Walmart made a similar carousel [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d3ee1ca-ee44-4795-8f18-d6d6c440cc94?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with rotisserie chicken yesterday. Three would make it a trend! The team behind Seattle’s new socialist mayor, Katie Wilson, breaks down how social media played a role [ https://substack.com/redirect/85e4d59d-05e1-4756-b027-ce679b6c0e0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. “We committed to posting one explainer video a week, no easy feat given that our entire video production team was composed of volunteers.” One month later, Canada Dry Ginger Ale finally responded to the [ https://substack.com/redirect/37c48fd1-eb16-44d6-bc6b-565e239a8fde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]Heated Rivalry [ https://substack.com/redirect/37c48fd1-eb16-44d6-bc6b-565e239a8fde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] conversation [ https://substack.com/redirect/37c48fd1-eb16-44d6-bc6b-565e239a8fde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Someone wrote,“As someone who worked in social for years, I can only imagine thelayers of approvals it took for you to be allowed to post this and the scrutiny it probably went through before you did. But at least you’re here now. Welcome, the fans are the best!” CAVA partnered with Courtney Cook to announce that sweet potatoes are back on the menu [ https://substack.com/redirect/6148797b-b44a-4cdd-ad40-7d070c84c60f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. It’s one of her first brand partnerships! The post has almost 1M views in less then 24 hours. (Disclosure: I consult for the brand.) Left-leaning watchdog Media Matters is leaving X [ https://substack.com/redirect/d0941bbc-7806-4916-9cc1-bd623b0db992?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The Bulwark has a good explainer [ https://substack.com/redirect/2af19e34-b267-4276-8a01-7a7d0425e6a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] on the legal reasoning behind the move. NFL on Fox is getting roasted for posting AI-generated graphics [ https://substack.com/redirect/7bbc6957-7d07-4812-bb78-7b5a5288624c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I assume the Senior Designer at CBS Sports quote tweeting [ https://substack.com/redirect/83f5ab3e-0319-4ea5-b39a-a311f3221c66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] a post from NFL on CBS with “New game graphic just dropped! (zero ai)” is a wink at the discourse. Emily Sundberg reported that Myles Tanzer will be deputy director of [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bd9baa8-2079-45d5-80de-727ee6b9cbde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]WSJ’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bd9baa8-2079-45d5-80de-727ee6b9cbde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] Talent Lab [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bd9baa8-2079-45d5-80de-727ee6b9cbde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Part of the role is to coach reporters to “talk to readers more directly: that could be in a variety of ways, including making their own videos, pitching a new newsletter or moderating a live event.” A brand should hire photographer Szilveszter Makó for their next campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/a88e9f11-9f8c-4a4c-8a32-609421ec8c10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. He’s behind this shoot with Elle Fanning that was everywhere this week [ https://substack.com/redirect/7232225e-8840-4eba-b162-c67647261054?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and those perfect Rama Duwaji portraits [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb704261-132e-40b8-9b20-71aa609ff008?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. For any social managers thinking about joining their brand’s subreddit, what’s happening on the HelloFresh page might be worth looking at [ https://substack.com/redirect/e387e34d-7487-49aa-8145-5fdf8869617e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The mods introduced u/KatieFromHelloFresh one month ago and the reception has been mixed. According to eMarketer, social media still dominates marketers’ priority lists [ https://substack.com/redirect/8990d12b-bbb4-4bac-b59d-cfdc2e4b0aeb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. “Social media tops the priority list for 84% of US digital media professionals, outpacing influencer marketing (61%) by 23 percentage points.” This is a good stat to show your boss when advocating for a raise or more resources. If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/a4939323-530c-4139-91f5-fc90b01cf37f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/cd7e949e-c9d3-4d35-a062-dbdea075089d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, ignore this and thank you! Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRORFU0T1RrM09Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTROVEF4TkRVNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQXdNemMwTlRrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuVFVGdjRVWWp2SDRrM1BBcjY2UndaTW5FcEhSSG5YZWV3VXR4Nzl4dFhadyIsInAiOjE4NDU4OTk3OSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2ODUwMTQ1OSwiZXhwIjoyMDg0MDc3NDU5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.WC4azUq-2LEwbonBuzLJzRYgXmsQQWrmqmUMCHrDqtQ?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/instagram-carousel-strategy-brand Last week, Adam Mosseri [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce0d0339-2455-4c02-b4aa-6ba43e586643?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Head of Instagram, said in an Q&A that their team tweaks the algorithm almost every single day. The changes that users feel while scrolling aren’t the result of a switch being flipped but rather a tinkering over time. I use their announcements as clues, following patterns to help inform what these small changes might be adding up to. From a new TV viewing experience [ https://substack.com/redirect/6258901a-5496-45c7-993a-8a77b67cd6a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to testing the reels tab as the home screen [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f1ecf4a-c421-41ec-b13c-9d969c5e4b21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], it’s become very clear that the platform is prioritizing content that appeals to broad audiences, not just existing followers. When I spoke with the Instagram team last year, they shared [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7452d39-8d86-41ac-995f-2013b0c874a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] the two post types that are most effective for reaching those non-followers: reels and carousels. I’ve covered reels thoroughly in this newsletter (this guide to video hooks is a favorite! [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a69a43a-11c1-40e6-a966-a9fe886cf37c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]), so for today’s newsletter I’m digging deep into carousels. In the last year, we’ve even seen brands become known for their carousel strategies—like Nude Project [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4bd9194-f849-4da0-a181-444c2473ed3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Jellycat [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce7b1226-e37e-40d5-abbf-57e28a2273e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], and Gentle Monster [ https://substack.com/redirect/59f75393-fbca-43e0-88d6-f0504f49d4eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. When I think about what makes carousels unique within the Instagram ecosystem, it’s that they are the post type with the most visibility opportunities. They show up in the reels tab if they feature music, while single-photo posts do not. Carousels also receive multiple ranking chances—slides within your post that your followers didn’t swipe to are sometimes treated as new content and resurfaced on the feed. I can’t think of another type of post that gets a second chance for engagement like that. Finally, in Link in Bio’s 2025 Very Online Survey [ https://substack.com/redirect/fce535e3-69b2-4c55-a9a5-26044ad56f9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], 70.3% of respondents said that carousels are a best performer, eking out short-form video. Despite the effectiveness of carousels, I still see too many brands treat them like a dumping ground for random photos. Good carousels tell stories, have a through line of familiarity, and create a curiosity gap that keeps you swiping. Today’s guide covers: Why carousels are performing well in this specific moment Six carousel formats to try Brand examples across industries Common mistakes that accounts make Carousel inspiration from creators Plus a few favorite links, campaigns, and news stories from the past week. ... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROREExTlRVNU5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTRNek0wT0RFNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09UazROekE0TVRrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuV1hJREFvWlBGWXhFSmdaNFpUOEFmLU41YldLWmdiTFZXWkZIMjY1WHQ2cyIsInAiOjE4NDA1NTU5NiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2ODMzNDgxOSwiZXhwIjoyMDgzOTEwODE5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.VZZDnUC4VVuxkBM8WUV-Gv5a4pOS8uTvNLMMjSar01s?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/instagram-is-betting-on-the-momentum Last week, Adam Mosseri [ https://substack.com/redirect/89e287e5-8a4d-42d2-b4e0-d504cf5b0b66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Head of Instagram, shared a 2,000-word essay [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1264949-8134-4850-b09c-df05d59411a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] in a post on Threads, on the future of Instagram. In it, he essentially argues that “everything that made creators matter—the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn’t be faked—is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools.” He goes on to say that “authenticity” is fast becoming a scarce resource due to AI, which will “in turn drive more demand for creator content, not less.” Mosseri then makes it crystal clear what kind of creator content he thinks will succeed in this new environment. “The camera companies are betting on the wrong aesthetic. They’re competing to make everyone look like a professional photographer from the past.” He claims that “flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume. People want content that feels real.” With this, he expects we are going to see a “significant acceleration of a more raw aesthetic over the next few years.” Of course, this is all coming from the guy who posts weekly Reels that are likely shot on a professional camera [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ee8bc9c-9615-497c-a643-8a9b3c6c8b57?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The problem here is that Mosseri is betting on the momentum, not the reaction. The momentum This past year, there was a universal “wow, AI is getting too good” moment. It was an image [ https://substack.com/redirect/227508e3-25c3-4503-8d7e-dd794c33533f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] of a woman sitting in a cafe, made using Google’s Nano Banana Pro. It wasn’t because the photo looked professional that made it “realistic”, it was because it looked like a typical photo shot on an iPhone. It had that “raw aesthetic.” Meanwhile, the company Arcads [ https://substack.com/redirect/c170b6cf-400f-497e-80d2-96db02acc58f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] touts their “AI UGC generator” using “the most realistic and captivating AI Actors” to make videos about your brand’s product. When you scroll through the company’s example videos, they look almost identical to how a real creator shows up on social platforms. The GRWM-ification of AI is already here. Instagram users like Professor EP [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d813180-aad0-4daf-828e-7c8d1783ec55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Professor EVS [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d7a723d-9f35-4dad-980f-534e10cc8e6d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] create AI influencers. Between the two of them, their accounts, like @isabellasofiarossi [ https://substack.com/redirect/64f0523e-e15d-4c66-9b16-24fb6fa8b7c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and @majafitness [ https://substack.com/redirect/029439fc-3c21-48c8-85e9-c88b3fe06e0c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], have a cumulative 2.2M followers. Professor EP wrote in a post [ https://substack.com/redirect/c21ea543-48c7-4865-9650-5e3f38dd34d8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] “AI Influencers are going to be everywhere. This is one of the biggest opportunities of our time — one that will completely transform the multi-billion-dollar social media industry in the coming years.” Commenters often can’t tell that they are AI generated. In Mosseri’s essay he says, “In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal. Rawness isn’t just aesthetic preference anymore—it’s proof.” If Mosseri thinks “rawness” is proof, he’s missing the bigger picture. “Rawness” is now just part of the prompt. The visual cues that Mosseri is essentially demanding from creators to keep up with AI are the exact same ones AI creators will use first to “appear” more “real.” The TikTok account @loganreed515 [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ed5c747-6e83-4c6b-8d8a-ccf5ccf0d54f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], which AI literacy creator Jeremy Carrasco [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f10e37a-8ba6-4b8d-af80-8e75b8b8e278?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] revealed is an AI-generated scam, is proof of this. Just watch this video [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3584aae-342b-4cf7-88f4-41c6ed136d94?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] with 11M views. In the past few weeks, we’ve watched everyone from tech CEOs to The New York Times journalists grapple with how “real” AI is getting. A screenshot of an AI-generated Reddit post [ https://substack.com/redirect/c5889f39-7e86-42a1-9a93-d6d0a38e8f00?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] went viral and the CEO of DoorDash responded as if it were real. (Casey Newton’s investigation [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ae43223-ae91-4307-95a0-9b00cd3713a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] into it on Platformer is worth a read.) The New York Times published an entire article [ https://substack.com/redirect/b7b3a86d-dacd-4f65-895e-759807be5855?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] explaining why they couldn’t verify multiple photos of Maduro. Mosseri acknowledges this is happening too, writing that “all the major platforms will do good work identifying AI content, but they will get worse at it over time as AI gets better at imitating reality.” Audiences might hate AI slop, but they hate being tricked by AI more. In Greg Ip’s article in [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bdc438c-1686-494a-9aac-1f51ff442076?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]The Wall Street Journal [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bdc438c-1686-494a-9aac-1f51ff442076?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], he writes, “While Wall Street greets AI with open arms, ordinary Americans respond with ambivalence, anxiety, even dread.” He goes on to say, “This isn’t like the dot-com era. A survey in 1995 found 72% of respondents comfortable with new technology such as computers and the internet. Just 24% were not. Fast forward to AI now, and those proportions have flipped: just 31% are comfortable with AI while 68% are uncomfortable, a summer survey for CNBC found.” He also included data from a poll of roughly 2,000 people by Narrative Strategies which found just 40% said the AI industry could be “trusted to do the right thing.” As kyla scanlon succinctly put it in her essay [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a742293-87de-4822-aa5d-bc437d6ced7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]Everyone is Gambling and No One is Happy [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a742293-87de-4822-aa5d-bc437d6ced7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]: “We have all this technology. But we don’t trust each other and we feel terrible.” The reaction Let’s leave the camera companies out of it, and focus on the concept of effort. Mosseri wrote, “Savvy creators are going to lean into explicitly unproduced and unflattering images of themselves. In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal.” I see the opposite being true. As AI-generated content gets more realistic, we’ll see creators lean into craft as a differentiator. It doesn’t matter that you’re shooting on a Sony FX6 or an iPhone 16—it’s about how much work happened before you pressed record. You don’t need a big budget, you need a big idea. In 2025, we saw creators like Paige Lorenze [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a941a2a-131e-41d5-96d9-a983606baad7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] team up with artists like RJ Bruni [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7bdbb44-9c8c-47e1-9609-583d67e63841?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to make short films. Skylar Marshai’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2f1061a-2d15-4177-adee-3195096b075a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] creative videos have caught the attention of brands like Microsoft 365 [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bda12e3-4b5e-4243-b75e-38a5fc05dd69?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and New Balance [ https://substack.com/redirect/826a054b-3906-414d-a77d-fcd3440f2dc5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Mayor Zohran Mamdani [ https://substack.com/redirect/fbbe11df-3f93-4874-9228-4c0d4ce0dee4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], one of the politicians most praised for their social media strategy, color graded his Reels like a movie. Comedians like Max Zavidow shot David Lynch-ian Reels [ https://substack.com/redirect/b878942e-b4e2-4ffa-946d-8addb1dd60ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] that, as I learned in this interview [ https://substack.com/redirect/415ad3b7-6310-479a-a5fc-8af7184ed654?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], can take up to six weeks to make. Creators that gained popularity off that “raw aesthetic” are starting to produce more high-effort videos, like Ballerina Farm’s [ https://substack.com/redirect/fac94cc5-9725-4c1b-86f3-47217a10af0c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] move into a cinematic style [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3f4bff7-c9d3-485c-9359-98fc208ca9f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. I know Mosseri was speaking to creators specifically in his essay, but I also think about how brands like Ffern [ https://substack.com/redirect/dde491a9-1eed-4ee3-8b3b-e0d078f90cff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and restaurants like Osteria Renata [ https://substack.com/redirect/b212fe8c-3bf7-49e8-950b-39d070142d51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] have built dedicated followings from publishing content that inspires comments like “now THIS is art”. Of course, iPhone footage will always visually feel at home on Instagram, but as AI companies use that as the blueprint for assimilation, then what happens? Mosseri might be betting on this reaction too, even if he doesn’t know it. In 2025, Instagram created an award called Rings [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ee6bb6e-8460-4ce4-bd97-8361f28c5c17?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] to highlight “the creators who don’t just participate in culture - but shift it, break through whatever barrier holds them back to realize their ambitions.” I went through all 25 of the winners. Around half of them shoot on a professional camera and create what I would deem more polished content. Funny enough, one of the winners, Adrian Per [ https://substack.com/redirect/478975bb-978c-4bbf-9751-a8ff3183ea06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], has gained massive popularity for teaching people how to make cinematic videos. The distraction Maybe I’m focusing on the camera portion of Mosseri’s essay too much. But I think that was his goal. Instead of making AI the problem in need of a solution, Mosseri deliberately pointed the blame at the camera companies. It’s on them to “cryptographically sign images at capture, creating a chain of custody.” Flattering imagery is “boring to consume.” In fact, AI might be a good thing because it’ll “drive more demand for creator content, not less.” Coming from the head of a platform that is pushing AI features and clearly profiting off of AI content, this all feels a bit disingenuous. I write this response because I care about Instagram. I’ve worked in social media for over 12 years and in that time have seen the positive impact the platform has had on creators and businesses. I’ve built my career around it. To me, the biggest threat to users on Instagram isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about AI. It’s about skepticism getting so loud that even creator posts are drowned in comments like “is this AI?” It’s about the experience of scrolling feeling worse—with regrettable minutes [ https://substack.com/redirect/1fe7104c-a920-43d2-91f6-573b9a50c6b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] adding up. We’ve already seen this happening on Pinterest [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae603950-2f94-455e-a3d7-929457452214?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and X [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a32ef4e-d5d2-4aa0-8196-abc171ea33ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. A new study from Kapwing [ https://substack.com/redirect/a9996666-1dbc-4428-8a7a-fc0c30a45199?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] found that “21-33% of YouTube’s feed may consist of AI slop or brainrot videos.” In my opinion, the danger to creators isn’t that they aren’t posting enough blurry photos, the danger is a continuing slow creep of AI content leading to their followers using Instagram less, or even leaving Instagram entirely. Mosseri does propose a few solutions—like labeling AI-generated content, surfacing “credibility signals” about accounts, and building “the best creative tools, AI-driven and traditional, for creators so that they can compete with content fully created by AI.” Instead of expanding on how they plan to get any of this done, these proposed solves unfortunately end up feeling like passive afterthoughts. Mosseri ends the essay talking about the need to improve ranking for originality, but “tackling algorithmic transparency and control is probably best left for another essay.” There’s always tomorrow. If Mosseri were being honest with himself on how to keep Instagram “authentic”, he would have used his essay to advocate for AI regulation, creator protections, and industry standards. To introduce a program that shields creators from AI copycats trained off their likeness and their posts. To take his own advice and lean into “unflattering” content. Being truthful about the problem AI poses to Instagram creators won’t always make you look good, but at least it will be “authentic”. If you enjoy free essays like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/887862a9-b031-4459-b2f7-f4eeed26dbd5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/930e8d7e-2b1c-4b7f-8d70-719308518c93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, ignore this and thank you! 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View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/16-lessons-from-interviewing-50-social-managers Welcome back! Did everyone enjoy some time off? I watched over a dozen movies during the break. My record was four in one day. A few favorites were Misery, Weapons, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Sentimental Value. I also went to see Marty Supreme in theaters because I support audacious marketing. Before we dig into today’s newsletter, I sent out my Brand Social Trend Report: Q4 2025 [ https://substack.com/redirect/a50d36d8-c132-4096-8e65-f2936c444a2d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] while a lot of us were offline for the holidays. The report covers things like the rise of spectator social, brands creating nostalgia for the future ("me and you in 20 years"), puppets, mirror memes, horizontal videos (I know!), voice memo Reels, TikTok Shop performing for “premium” brands, and more. You can read it here [ https://substack.com/redirect/a50d36d8-c132-4096-8e65-f2936c444a2d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. Today’s newsletter includes: What I learned from interviewing 50 social media marketers in 2025 The new brand social show with only three episodes and over 700K views Inside NYC DOT’s recent viral post (“The best government social media doesn’t feel like a press release; it feels like a window into how the city actually works.”) A company is being sued for posts they shared on Instagram The 2026 cultural calendar you need for all of your marketing planning... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNekk1TnpFek5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTNOekkwTURVeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09Ua3lOakF3TlRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAudGN3aGhxLUg2UmxVMnN2TG9fVkQ3TkdZMHZySDZrTTVtMkhEcWVJbEdzUSIsInAiOjE4MzI5NzEzNiwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2NzcyNDA1MiwiZXhwIjoyMDgzMzAwMDUyLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.3xGdo37Jlvnk5Tmsg2zbdldcb4dnBOaviBQQSdR4eyU?

View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/quinn-moves-fast Like many of you, I’ve been watching a lot of Heated Rivalry over the holidays. Both in the form of actual episodes and in the form of cinematic fan edits [ https://substack.com/redirect/99ebb822-f96b-4422-9add-d5f72c77054e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The stars of the show, Hudson Williams [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1c15325-3cb0-401f-bc43-e234d2d307ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Connor Storrie [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a1f46dc-7e42-480e-98cd-9a7d0ca50a7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], have each gained around 1M followers in the past 30 days. The content surrounding the duo’s GQ HYPE [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7271c55-e76a-444a-914b-73300e6caf1d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] cover garnered over 8M likes. Actual professional hockey teams are winking [ https://substack.com/redirect/65b5dafe-5369-4f4c-add4-9a9031e3f420?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] at the plot. To say the show has taken off would be an understatement. Of course, my brain goes to, What brand will be the first to tap into the fandom? I wasn’t planning to send another newsletter this year, but then a post [ https://substack.com/redirect/518b6cad-3e5d-49ab-8a4e-3f56b999d475?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] from Quinn [ https://substack.com/redirect/94113a77-2eb2-41b2-a646-2bba8db9dd98?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], an audio erotica app, came across my feed. They were teasing their new romantasy series narrated by none other than Hudson Williams [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1c15325-3cb0-401f-bc43-e234d2d307ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] and Connor Storrie [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a1f46dc-7e42-480e-98cd-9a7d0ca50a7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. The caption? “We did what had to be done.” It was filled with comments like “SHAKING” and “Whoever secured this deal deserves a raise omfg GOATTTT”. Less than one month from the premiere of Heated Rivalry, the Quinn team had pulled off a full blown campaign with the two leading actors. Today, the tease is over. Quinn released Ember & Ice [ https://substack.com/redirect/94113a77-2eb2-41b2-a646-2bba8db9dd98?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], an audio romance about “two fae princes from feuding courts, bound together by a years-long forbidden affair.” Their app almost immediately crashed due to demand. Below I spoke with Caroline Spiegel [ https://substack.com/redirect/f79dc985-fd8d-4856-89d6-38b6410fc39e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], CEO and Founder of Quinn, Brooke Wilczewski [ https://substack.com/redirect/6d54bdf3-45cf-4843-bb6c-f733d568730d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Director of Social & Community, and Michaela Kelly [ https://substack.com/redirect/022781c5-15d7-4fbc-9408-4477c149e00d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ], Social Media Manager, about how they pulled it all off. We talk about when the idea was developed, the team that made it happen, and how this is on track to become their biggest Quinn Original yet. They also shared exclusive photos from set. Rachel Karten: First, congratulations. The reception to this announcement has been amazing. When did you first come up with the idea to have Hudson and Connor be your next celebrity narrators? Quinn: We first developed the idea in mid-November, before Heated Rivalry premiered. We’re fortunate to have a very engaged community that’s also active in the BookTok space, and there was a great deal of excitement around the series ahead of its release. After seeing that enthusiasm, it felt like a natural opportunity to reach out to Hudson and Connor’s teams early and begin the conversation. Thankfully, they were interested! RK: One of the top comments your account is getting is how quickly this seemed to all come together. Can you give me a timeline of just how fast you worked to make this happen? Q: While we initially connected with Connor and Hudson in November, the series was recorded in mid-December, and the promotional campaign was shot on December 16. Bringing everything together so quickly wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible work happening behind the scenes. A huge shout out to our whole team for their dedication and hard work in executing this campaign on such a tight timeline! RK: Was Ember & Ice already in the works or did you also write the Quinn Original in that time as well? Q: While we had a general outline of the story we wanted to tell with Ember & Ice, the author, Colleen Scriven, wrote the full story between the end of November and early December. She is truly exceptional, and we couldn’t be more grateful for her work! RK: Talk to me about the social rollout. The captions, the mystery, the tease. It was flawless. How did you think about building that tension online? Q: As fans of Heated Rivalry ourselves, we were connected to the ongoing conversation around the series. We were in those comments, tags, fan edits, commentary, news coverage, Reddit threads, inside jokes, and more! From there, our team was constantly collaborating—living in our group chat, brainstorming, refining, and iterating—until we felt genuinely excited about the captions, storytelling, and overall teaser narrative we were putting out. RK: How does the engagement on those posts compare to your usual engagement? Q: Engagement consistently peaks when we feature celebrity guest narrators, and this series has been no exception, particularly given the moment Connor and Hudson are having right now. Across all social platforms, we’ve seen a significant increase in comments, shares, fan videos, reposts, and likes, compared to our typical content. RK: Your team is known for moving quick and getting celebrity narrators at an exact moment when audiences really want them. I think about the Chris Briney rollout [ https://substack.com/redirect/beb6a1a5-e632-41ea-93b6-bd8f29ba5fd1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. What role does timeliness play in your overall strategy at Quinn? Q: Timeliness plays a significant role in our overall strategy. The internet moves quickly from one story, trend, or obsession to the next, so it’s essential that we move just as fast to meet those cultural moments as they emerge. RK: What does the team look like that’s making this all happen? What sort of culture internally allows you to move quickly and take big swings? Q: We’re genuinely passionate about the stories we’re telling and the communities we’re sharing them with, so we’ve been able to build a highly collaborative environment rooted in enthusiasm and creativity. While we’re a small team, our approach allows us to move quickly and create meaningful moments for our audience. We’re down to take risks, experiment with different video styles, push creative boundaries, and be scrappy! RK: How big is the team? Q: We’re 11 people total at the company and our social team is three people (me, Brooke, and Michaela). Obviously that doesn’t include the many people involved with the video production from colorist to gaffers to set design etc.! RK: Any early indications of how this is performing? An uptick in app downloads? Q: We don’t want to jinx anything, but so far Ember & Ice is on track to become our biggest Quinn Original yet! We have seen a massive spike in new Quinnlings and are hoping to share this series with every HudCon fan out there. Happy listening! RK: Finally, any BTS shoot photos that you can share with the Link in Bio community? Q: Here are a few unseen moments! If you enjoy free interviews like this one, you can upgrade to a paid Link in Bio subscription [ https://substack.com/redirect/03ce4bf7-429c-44c3-99e6-2d8ddb32f32c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ]. You’ll get weekly strategy newsletters and quarterly trend reports, along with access to the Discord community. It might even be an educational expense at your company! Here’s a template [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf18842f-3d62-4a9c-9197-11f121d7bb99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzF4cDQwIn0.VLQsNiiAawz-DS2VtWTrcrG2IFeLIxnWNFcK9akSjpY ] for you to use when asking. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, ignore this and thank you! 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View this post on the web at https://www.milkkarten.net/p/brand-social-trend-report-q4-2025 If this is your first time receiving one of these reports, welcome! Like I always preface, this isn’t your usual graphs and stats report. Think of this like the scribbled notepad version of the trends you’ll eventually end up seeing in all those graphs and stats reports in six months. It’s like getting early access. A little bit of science and a whole lot of gut—kind of how I approach social strategy in general. The Brand Social Trend Report: Q4 2025 covers things like: Spectator social Nostalgia for the future Momentum marketing Puppets “AI could never” Posts about not posting Mirror memes TikTok Shop for “premium” brands There are also trend contributions from friends of the newsletter who work at places like Amtrak, Figma, lululemon, DoorDash, Fishwife, Ramp, BAGGU, InStyle, Melted Solids, Los Angeles Public Library, and more. Thank you to Link in Bio paid subscribers for making reports like this possible! If you’re a CMO who hasn’t upgraded yet, this is the newsletter to do it for. Your social team will thank you... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlsa2thcnRlbi5uZXQvYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME1qWTFNVFV3TkRBc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNakF6TkRVeU9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTJOVEl3TmpVekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09UZ3dOVFkyTlRNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHlNell4T1RZaUxDSnpkV0lpT2lKa2FYTmhZbXhsWDJWdFlXbHNJbjAuMXU1emI2Z2tHMVRFYzZWbHZ6YXBjV3lTLXFqSlVYNDhpSk1MaWczUUtaQSIsInAiOjE4MjAzNDUyOSwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1Ijo0MjY1MTUwNDAsImlhdCI6MTc2NjUyMDY1MywiZXhwIjoyMDgyMDk2NjUzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.nP1-vN0U4P0LndSr8Poz9t6zgMsyEsQ7eQmmIkqw9JE?

[https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/open?token=eyJtIjoiPDIwMjUxMjE5MDcxMDMzLjMuYzU1NGQ3ZGFkNDA1NTM0Mi4yY3BnNDhsa0BtZy1kMS5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6NDI2NTE1MDQwLCJyIjoiYkBlbWFpbC5nb21vZHVsci5jb20iLCJkIjoibWctZDEuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tIiwicCI6bnVsbCwidCI6bnVsbCwiYSI6bnVsbCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJjIjoidW5maW5pc2hlZC1zdWJzY3JpcHRpb24iLCJmIjp0cnVlLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6InRvcCIsImlhdCI6MTc2NjEyODIzMywiZXhwIjoxNzY4NzIwMjMzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImVvIn0.8jEqeNiVOqzb6rB9QdE-ND9LuwQvgyn5Q-wYjql8NJc] Welcome to Link in Bio! ͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­ Link in Bio [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-6fL!,w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F59825d03-06f8-49a7-bc7f-afe611e7f28f_1280x1280.png] Welcome to Link in Bio! I’m Rachel Karten [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx0kMuOtCAQRp9Gdm2guKgLFv_G1zBAoU0UNFz-Tr_9xJ7FzGbWlfrOyXGm-u3Mb93SGlIoT4-P0mxxOVw1nImg5pOlo1PEazYoxWAEzomPJhzL5pPPpnpcTP115UKQp14lY1aiHccVB1QTs1bJFRn1CAOXkgQNFCQDNtGBUc573jspBQ5oUFApuYAe3LWJ8dg7QeP2QNbfctW4vXdnJKEsa_YfF11z8-TQz1qv0vF_HcwdzK_Xqw-pVLNlE--XDuYYjn03ufrUwUyuZhd3xthSqO_FJ2MPj99jV7NHcObOsATUwBWbFMnadoJ-mP12xhPbkT8ypVk8owlJ_xBI_TNsKz7fswKUZJIKSv5r-AoAAP__KoWEVw], a social media consultant based in Los Angeles. I have worked in social media for over ten years and previously led social at Bon Appétit. Link in Bio is the resource I wish existed when I was starting my career. Want to catch up on some of the most popular newsletters I’ve sent? Check out how to write better captions [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx00LvO5CAMBeCnCV0iMJBLQbHNvEbExZNBk0AEZqN5-9Vki93mr23Z3zneEm65fExLz5hifWHoa3PVl3hSzIkFIxfHZz8yNGIaRwEzSMnwsHFfN0xYLGFYLf03lUqxlwnWcwsBplmpcZGTw2nG57RoCV4LJ1k0wEELEAufBJdykIPXWoUp2KC41lLBAP7c1Ly_O8WPrQ9i-OLI-vfg88FiXZ8Fb4uh0pDt5kV01k7-6uDRweO6ruGI-_ttC2EaElIHj7ODxytfPeX-KpGwd0iEpff2jlzZ2dzq83G0FOmzYrJux_D3wdncHr397q0xGJCjWEZWjOsUvx3Dlo8c2l5uYG0u5MPGZP4pGP1YdqtYvmcVjFporjj7beBPAAAA__-Rioui], why so many brands are joining Substack [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx00DsOnDAUBdDV4A7LX8CFizRsA_nzYCywjfzJaHYfMVGUNKmfdN-515kGRy4f3dMeUqgv8GPttroS7hZyQl5zZcniJgSaztNE2cI4RxBNuLYDEhTTwG-m_XPlQqCX3g0omAX1yqmJGuuEVDDvaudWWZgXFDQjTFJGFZkp4Rxz7KQUfvbGCyIlFwwzdx9iuc5BkHiMnuIH14w7scsRhbrtBb4W3UoHdOlXa3cd-I-BrQNb3-83juE6T1MaJJygDWy9B7baYpKv451rC-kYcxr_BI-1PZWOD7q73VyOsafQPhskYy_wv__c3V7BmWehLXjN-ETVhIq2gyBfDj5yzL5f5eus3focTUj6Lwa1_27eK5QnVrBJUkkEQT81-xUAAP__tLKPZg], and how Duolingo's TikToks lead to new learners [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx00DnO2zAQhuHTiJ0I7pYKFml0DYHLSCbEReDyG759YKdImtQDzPfgdabDWepbj3yEHNoT_NyGba6Gu4eSkdd8tWRxCoGmD6UoWxjnCJIJcT8hQzUd_G76P1cuBHpqog7qHgyotYQS58xBPBWrXRZJiSIrCpoRJimjK3lQwjnm2Ekp_MMbL4iUXDDM3H2KJV6TIOmcPcUfXDfuwq4kFNp-VPhadK8DUNTP3u828V8T2ya2vV4vnEK8LlM7ZJyhT2y7J7a9oc1-lBjyWdr8E6qJcw9XL1ebIxiP7mF3V1IaOfT3DtnYCP7PyD1sDM588uzBa8YVXRWq2k6CfC34LKn4EesX2Yb1JZmQ9V8J6v8NPhrUz1vBlKSSCIJ-NPsdAAD__7uvjSE]. 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I’m so glad you’re here. © 2025 Rachel Karten 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx00ruOm0AYBeCngW7RXGCAgmKzXhycYHsjx7cGzQ08XAbEDEvw00d2iqRJ_UtH53z6ObWy6sclmXSptDI3KV7MxAwf1WBVr12R4JiBiBNXJjAkBKIIYezKjqq2qKSWI7VSFNT-c8W-794SQpDgMix5QGI_CnEZRBAzRGIchVRK5qoEARRABGMQQoCxhz0eBL4IBRU-CALsIw_xofKjtnF80FUvAnqPcpbyxuN95ypTlKN8dknsOEm3TW7WDsbBrw5KHZTO8-x1qm0aOlqpPS2tg1LKH8sclAplKGtl8QxwcGr7RmoHr-SygRwdlzNqm6zuQV5fYH74OW9XrybTXz45_lHS04fadQFk69lkXXsTbxnJDxxt6_dlt8ru-TKr6_k2Z3X_a3tv8La-gLzO79_fNgPHudqpzSxOmc3rHOWHBmVqVhwfVVb36rpu75fTxlyPcctO6cDeNrHHy697_W3_MkWGg_R9P1c7SAqxPqNtIIuM7KMVz-OLGHcf7jCxgvddN2lll0Lqx0rxR2iYWKs4fQgUSiQIExgTd0yY44Ong1f1XS-mdnwKm4mJvqNKJ38ZXfvfb5mMHB-xPiIBDIAP3M8E_Q4AAP__p3DMYw] Get the app [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IzGP!,w_262,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Femail%2Fgeneric-app-button%402x.png]https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx0kb2O5CAQhJ8GMlvQYGYcEJy0mtew-OnxIBuwcHPSvv3J3mSTSzqpUvXXXcERrrV9217eqaTzg3E4uz9DSwelWni0avbiGQxHKx_GSHiCUhyzS_uyYsHmCOPi6JeqtOYfC7NHE_Us9Czgqd8zqKABjBEPPzmJPFkQMEmQs3hIodSoxjBNOj6ii1pMk9IwQjhW_dw3pkVehyjHC45c2MZQM0_n8m54s1hqHfluP0THydQfBi8Gr99uBi93HD9zOKk2HBrG1DAQU69OeQkuHy6thamvy5Nd25BSWRmYW66FsBBTX_fG4V0rYRt8J6qFH90voebcS6LvBYvzO8YfqqP7PQV3_XNJ0YIycja8Wc-0uKPGteYa-97uq87uY80uFZvTvm2uERZO_22on9iuWA1mkpPQgv-18C8AAP__kgWeWAStart writing [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LkrL!,w_270,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Femail%2Fpublish-button%402x.png]https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJx0kU2u2yAUhVcDs1jAxdgZMKjkZgNdgIXh2kHhx8JQ9e2-sl9flUE75HD08aFjTcUtlw_d0uqTP57obkdbDlv8Xn1O1Gm4L2y0iqLmg1JcjAKAYjQ-zBsmLKaim019uwUp6VOPjA0orRQLGCnFwBlj43qXDtXIjOmp14KJngt-ZwNnAB10tu-lG5xxkvU9SNEJu29yDC8iWdxujnenXDX21dkcqT_mteDlomtpSIN-1rofBL4R8SDi8d4-j35LbSfwaDXOR27FIoHpq0SEOvOIzrdIYLq4f0KbU8VUCUxrzhXLV2zibvyWCEym1bz6ENDd_lZOuR_Xm98vFkwLkezidluO2bVQPtVUITAN_NcuGd3bMtscY0u-fsyYzBLQff5vb0vw1pzLzN5pAYrfFS3631h6tMXlaHzS0YfXy5SKidb_bt0OLCdWCtXznklGf2rxOwAA__9PoLdw [https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/open?token=eyJtIjoiPDIwMjUxMjE5MDcxMDMzLjMuYzU1NGQ3ZGFkNDA1NTM0Mi4yY3BnNDhsa0BtZy1kMS5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6NDI2NTE1MDQwLCJyIjoiYkBlbWFpbC5nb21vZHVsci5jb20iLCJkIjoibWctZDEuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tIiwicCI6bnVsbCwidCI6bnVsbCwiYSI6bnVsbCwicyI6MjM2MTk2LCJjIjoidW5maW5pc2hlZC1zdWJzY3JpcHRpb24iLCJmIjp0cnVlLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6ImJvdHRvbSIsImlhdCI6MTc2NjEyODIzMywiZXhwIjoxNzY4NzIwMjMzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImVvIn0.nseHKJKFBG554Zh1288qgcAx4wavOqJTbJ-42v-3g-0][https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/o/eJx0kE2O6yAQBk8TdrGg-bG94CwW0B2nZQMRhifl9k_JYjSbWZdUqu9LodNe29uP8uDC15Pwfo14pcavzrUI9HqNcklOkFezcwoW0FpQDnxuOxVqoRNuof-i2hjx9BAwgiEFi5YAa1IQMbowzyhNVBIEe5BgFahVzkpqPekpWWtwxoBGWqsNTJBeu1nO42Zk3u-opk9cD-mYUs2Cr-3R6NviexskXiNuqeY8Cvf3RiXEk_AHnZzCZ9TG6EE7tTrRfLwZ-TVMe80Vx9m-6mtErDlw8ZnP4witUxH9z5vGRe2jNeCsstJI8c_D_wAAAP__FbZyxw]