5 Social Media Strategies That Actually Work

Social media is a beast, a loud, fast-moving, ever-changing entity that devours content and spits out trends before most brands can even blink. However, there are five approaches that I believe will stand the test of time when we’re thinking of developing social-first creative.

1. Create for the format, not the platform

Too many brands think ‘We need a TikTok strategy.’ Wrong. What they need is a great idea that just happens to work brilliantly on TikTok. Every platform has its own native behaviours, learn them! Think Duolingo’s chaotic brand voice on TikTok or Apple’s ASMR-style product demos on Instagram. Know the medium and you’ll develop a far more effective message.

2. Make the audience the hero

The best brands don’t talk at people; they make them the centre of the story. Take ‘Spotify Wrapped’, it’s not about Spotify, it’s about you. Personalisation, interactivity, and user-generated content aren’t just tactics; they’re the magic that turns passive scrolling into active engagement.

3. Subvert expectations

Consumers are drowning in predictable brand messages. We’ve created a content landfill in social where most work goes unseen and unheard. The best social work hijacks conventions, memes and trends whilst flipping them on their head. Think Wendy’s Twitter
roasting competitors or Aviation Gin’s rapid response work. Surprise is an incredibly effective tool, it grabs attention, drives shares, and makes brands feel in the actual moment.

4. Steal from culture (and give back to it)

Great social creative doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It borrows from music, memes, film, fashion, and everything in between. This is because social is the breeding ground of culture and it is the easiest place to find it. When brands insert themselves into the cultural conversation, without looking like a brand, they earn relevance.

5. Commit to a creative point of view

The biggest crime in social media? Being forgettable. The best brands have a distinct creative voice that runs through everything, from their visuals to their copy, to how they interact with comments. Look at Oatly’s irreverent, self-aware branding or Liquid Death’s punk-rock water marketing. Ensure that your voice is distinct and consistent across all parts of social.