Smaller Circles, Bigger Impact
The future of social isn’t mass reach—it’s micro-reach with macro trust. As audiences grow weary of polished feeds and performative perfection, they’re retreating to private spaces: Finstas, Close Friends stories, Discord servers, group chats.
In these curated pockets, micro-influencers thrive—not because they have the biggest followings, but because they have the most believable voice. Their influence isn’t algorithmic; it’s relational.
For brands, this is a strategic shift: forget chasing virality. Focus on relevance, resonance, and realness in the places people actually trust.
April 2025
LinkedIn as a Creator Platform
There was a time when LinkedIn was little more than a digital CV—stiff, static, and quietly collecting connections. But in 2025, it has become something else entirely: a creator platform. And not just for thought leaders and career coaches—but for marketers, artists, founders, and everyday professionals who understand the new game of attention.
What changed? LinkedIn embraced people-first content. The algorithm now favors storytelling over self-promotion, vulnerability over varnish. Posts that once would have been too personal—career pivots, burnout recoveries, startup struggles—are now the norm. Users aren’t just sharing wins; they’re sharing why the wins matter. The result? A platform that feels more human, and more sticky.
This shift is powerful for brands. Unlike the rapid-fire chaos of TikTok or the visual overload of Instagram, LinkedIn offers something rare: intentional attention. People come here to learn, to grow, to connect. That makes it fertile ground for deep engagement, smart positioning, and long-tail impact.
The most successful creators on LinkedIn aren’t chasing virality—they’re building credibility. They publish value-driven posts consistently. They comment with clarity. They show up not as experts, but as relatable guides. And they’re winning trust at scale.
If you're still treating LinkedIn as a job board, you're missing the point. It’s a publishing platform now. A stage. A community. The brands and individuals who learn to speak in stories—not slogans—will shape the next era of business culture.
January 2025
AI-Generated Content: The New Frontier — But at What Cost?
AI-generated content is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a daily reality in marketing departments across industries. Tools like ChatGPT for copy, Midjourney for visuals, and Runway for video are transforming how brands ideate, produce, and publish content. The result? Campaigns delivered in days, not weeks—and at a fraction of the cost.
For marketers and clients alike, this feels like a dream: more output, faster timelines, less overhead. AI enables leaner content strategies, personalized messaging at scale, and the ability to test creative directions rapidly. But there’s a flip side that’s becoming harder to ignore.
As AI becomes the default, the digital landscape is growing noisier and more generic. We're seeing an influx of content that checks all the boxes—engaging visuals, optimized headlines, perfect grammar—but lacks soul. Consumers are beginning to tune it out. They crave nuance, storytelling, and human insight. They can tell when something was generated by a prompt, not a person. So how do we strike a balance between sophisticated communication and real life soul?
August 2024
Marketing Meets the Moment: Why Cultural Context & Activism Are Reshaping Social Media Strategy
In May 2024, a powerful shift surged through the social media landscape: a call for brands and creators to not only post but to take a stand. The ongoing evolution of consumer expectations—particularly among Gen Z and younger millennials—has made it clear that cultural awareness and social responsibility are no longer optional accessories in a brand’s toolkit. They’re central to relevance, trust, and long-term loyalty.
The Rise of Activist Consumerism
Hashtags like #Blockout2024, born from digital protests around global humanitarian issues, dominated platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Influencers who remained silent or neutral were publicly critiqued, unfollowed, or blocked. It wasn’t just about “cancel culture”—it was a cultural awakening. Audiences, particularly younger ones, demanded that those with influence wield it responsibly.
This moment catalysed a new kind of brand behaviour: one that acknowledges its place in broader societal conversations. Whether it was about climate change, labor ethics, racial justice, or geopolitical crises, companies were expected to listen, respond thoughtfully, and sometimes even step aside when voices from affected communities needed amplification.
Brands as Cultural Participants, Not Just Advertisers
Social media platforms are no longer just channels for promotion—they are arenas of identity, values, and public discourse. Brands that thrived in May 2024 were those that didn’t just post performative solidarity statements. Instead, they invested in learning, aligned their actions with their messaging, and adjusted their content to reflect nuance.
Take for example companies that paused promotional content during tense global events, instead using their platform to spotlight relief efforts or educate their audiences. Others opened up their channels for guest creators from marginalized communities or released transparency reports that matched audience concerns with internal reforms.
The Gen Z Influence
This new wave of accountability is largely driven by Gen Z—a generation that merges activism with aesthetic, ethics with engagement. For them, being “apolitical” isn’t neutral; it’s evasive. And with Gen Z set to represent more than 30% of global consumers by 2030, ignoring their values is a long-term risk.
Crucially, this doesn’t mean every brand needs to comment on every issue. But it does mean audiences expect brands to know where they stand, especially when topics intersect with their industry, supply chain, or cultural identity.
Navigating Cultural Fluency
Being culturally fluent requires more than a well-timed post. It involves:
Social listening: Monitoring sentiment in real-time and adapting content respectfully.
Representation: Collaborating with diverse creators behind and in front of the camera.
Long-term commitment: Making sure cause-based marketing aligns with internal practices.
Transparency: Sharing actions, not just intentions.
Consumers are savvy. They’ll notice when a campaign is built for clout rather than for change.
Balancing Risk and Responsibility
Of course, engaging with social issues comes with reputational risk. But in 2024, staying silent often proved riskier. The takeaway: authenticity and consistency matter more than perfection. Audiences are more forgiving of brands that own their missteps and show growth than those that avoid engagement entirely.
June 2024
Mental Health & Digital Boundaries: The Silent Shift in Social Media Marketing
In 2023, a quiet but significant shift took hold across the social media landscape: mental health and digital boundaries became central to both user behaviour and marketing strategy.
For years, the pressure to "post daily," stay relevant, and chase algorithms created a constant content churn. But in 2023, creators, brands, and audiences alike began asking: At what cost?
The Rise of Conscious Content
More creators openly discussed burnout, anxiety, and the emotional toll of being constantly online. Many began setting boundaries—reducing post frequency, turning off DMs, or taking mental health breaks entirely. Their honesty resonated deeply with followers, sparking a movement toward “conscious content.”
Brands took notice. The most forward-thinking marketers responded not by filling every silence with content, but by respecting digital downtime—posting with more intention, pausing during global tragedies, or offering calming, supportive messaging.
Quality Over Quantity
This shift led to a redefinition of success. Instead of chasing reach through endless posts, brands and creators focused on resonance: content that made people feel seen, heard, or cared for. Some reduced content calendars. Others experimented with slower formats—like carousels, voice notes, or long-form video.
Audiences appreciated the change. Engagement became more meaningful, not just more frequent.
Platform Tools & Cultural Signals
Social platforms themselves responded with wellness features: TikTok’s screen time prompts, Instagram’s “quiet mode,” and YouTube’s reminder nudges. Creators started integrating mental health topics into their content or sharing digital wellness tips.
Crucially, brands that supported these values—by advocating for offline time, promoting balance, or aligning with mental health campaigns—built trust and loyalty with a more emotionally aware audience.
What It Means for Marketers
For social media marketers, 2023 served as a reminder: people aren't just data points—they’re humans. The future of digital engagement isn't hyper-speed. It’s intentional, empathetic, and mindful.
Less noise. More care.
February 2024
