Newer/smaller brands will start shifting more efforts to alternative ways of getting in front of new customers; samples bundled into food delivery boxes, “Spend $50 and get a free sample of [whatever new product]!” partnership type stuff.
As people contort themselves to please the algorithm for short-term payouts, there’s even more of the less legible, less liquid, but ultimately more important long-term value up for grabs for you if you continue to just be yourself and talk about whatever lights your fire, algorithm be damned.
The first wave of media was fueled by cheap audience acquisition from social media companies like Facebook which created BuzzFeed and UpWorth. The second wave is the subscription wave. Consumers want curation, contextualization, and recommendations
In my experience with Hardbound, Gimlet, Substack, and now the Everything bundle, I’ve come to believe that content can create incredibly strong moats.