Social Media Strategy That Wins

Hey!

Last week, I had to build a digital strategy for one of our top clients. Big name. Big budget. Big expectations. And honestly? It is hard.

Not because we lacked the tools or the talent. But because - like many brands - we weren’t ready to think like humans.

We still treat social like a media buy. A one-way broadcast. A brand monologue written in PowerPoint and translated into Photoshop/Canva.

But that’s not what people log on for. We don’t open Instagram or TikTok to “engage with brand messaging.”

• We scroll for emotion.

• We’re hunting for a laugh.

• We’re itching for a hot take that will make us mad.

We’re chasing beauty, utility, identity.

Emotion is the algorithm.

Think about your own feed. You follow creators, photographers, artists, meme pages, educators, runners, designers - people who reflect what you care about.

People who feel like people. That’s the bar.

If your brand isn’t more interesting than the average person’s best friend, pet, or favourite creator - it’s invisible.

Let’s look at the winners.

Duolingo held a funeral for their mascot. Wild? Yes. Off-brand? Nope. It’s fully aligned with their playful, irreverent tone. They know their persona—and they commit to it.

Ryanair is snarky, self-aware, and brutally honest. Their CEO openly says the service might suck, but you’ll get the cheapest ticket. And the content mirrors that: funny, cheeky, rough around the edges. It works because it’s consistent. It’s honest. It’s entertaining.

Apple doesn’t explain. It shows. While others brag about “500MP cameras,” Apple just posts jaw-dropping photos with #ShotOniPhone and credits the creator.

Zero budget content. Maximum credibility. That is textbook brand-building.

Airbnb could talk about 7 million listings and 200 countries. Instead, it tells human stories. Hosts. Guests. Experiences. Suddenly, a sleep becomes a memory.

GoPro isn’t selling cameras. They’re selling adrenaline. You don’t see specs. You see someone backflipping off a cliff. That’s not a demo. That’s desire.

Buffer gets educational content right. Their feed is a mix of tutorials, memes, behind-the-scenes takes—all crafted natively for each platform. They don’t “repurpose.” They respect the context. And it shows.

Runna doesn’t just push training plans. They cheer you on. Educate you. Motivate you. Their social feed feels like a running buddy, not a business. And that makes them sticky.

So how do we get there?

Start with this: your brand is a person.

Not a department. Not a system. Not a polished “voice.” A person - with a personality, a point of view, and something worth saying.

That person should:

• Feel relatable

• Share stories, not slogans

• React like a human, not a brand handbook

• Show up consistently, but not robotically

Because the brands we love online… don’t act like brands. They act like people.

Thanks for reading. Social isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being someone worth following.

If this resonated, I’d love to hear from you—

Hit reply and tell me which brand you think is winning social right now.

Always curious to see what’s on your radar.

Best,

Marti