Brands need to ditch the “more is better” mindset and focus on creating killer content that actually resonates, says Mike Khouri
In today’s digital jungle, simply having a social media presence isn’t enough. Algorithms have evolved, prioritising quality content over sheer volume of posts. Highlighting the need for brands to ditch the “more is better” mindset and focus on creating killer content that actually resonates and engages. Because whether you post it at noon or midnight, great content travels.
Forget the old days of just posting and praying for engagement. Content opportunities are everywhere now. It’s not just about your regular posts; think bigger. Your social media bio? Prime real estate. The comments section? A goldmine for interaction. Every digital nook and cranny is a chance to make your mark. The aim? Create content that sparks emotion, ignites conversation, and builds genuine connections.
To stand out, you need to be creative and innovative; entertaining your audience rather than just pushing products.
Mike Khouri, CEO of Tactical
Social media has become our primary marketplace. Our entertainment centre, social hub, learning platform and new source. Meaning you aren’t just competing against other brands. You’re fishing for attention inside a tidal wave of content. To stand out, you need to be creative and innovative; entertaining your audience rather than just pushing products. Here’s how you can do that:
People crave entertainment, not sales pitches. To grab attention, dive into cultural moments as they happen. In other words, ride the wave of interest in trending people, places, or events, whether they’re global phenomena or hyper-local happenings.
Take the NFL, for example. They cleverly tapped into the buzz around Taylor Swift’s dating life by tweaking their X (formerly Twitter) bio with a lyric from her song “The Best Day” to highlight her game attendance. This move amongst others generated significant buzz and introduced the NFL to a whole new demographic. That’s the power of aligning with culture.
When you engage with these moments in real-time, you’re not just relevant; you’re relatable. Whether it’s a celeb like Taylor Swift or an event like the SuperBowl, these cultural triggers are your ticket to staying current and connected.
Ditch the sales jargon and speak your audience’s language by using familiar expressions, slang or even memes - whatever makes you relatable. A casual, nuanced approach will instantly make your brand feel more human. Remember, being on social isn’t enough; you need to actually be social.
UK-based bank Monzo is a master at this. By using humour, Zillennial memes, and a playful tone across their social media channels (especially TikTok), they’ve grown their organic following to hundreds of thousands. Sure Monzo jumps on cultural triggers, but doing so with irresistibly human wit is how they've driven genuine brand love and real business results. Growing a cult following in the process and standing out in their category as a finance savvy friend in a sea of financial institutions.
Innovation often means breaking the rules—or at least bending them. A great way to do this is by using social media features & technology in unexpected ways to create unique and memorable content experiences.
Consider the strategic brilliance of Billie Eilish, who recently redefined engagement on Instagram by leveraging a familiar feature in a novel way. The singer made waves by adding her entire 111 million Instagram followers to her "close friends" list, an honour typically reserved for more personal content sharing. This unexpected move not only created a sense of privilege among her followers, but also sparked widespread curiosity, buzz and anticipation for her upcoming album.
In today’s content saturated world, it’s no longer enough for brands to simply show up online. Creating content for content's sake isn’t just ineffective; it’s also a waste of valuable resources. Brands must create content that reflects their audience’s interests in order to earn their attention. By leveraging public interest in cultural moments, highlighting brand personality over product pushing and finding creative ways to use the social platforms they play on; brands can move from merely being on social - to truly being social.
Mike Khouri is an agency founder, early-stage investor and industry thought leader. In 2013, he established Tactical, a global creative and innovation agency that partners with category leaders including Spotify, Amazon, Google, Snap and more. As a pioneering creative technologist, Mike created the region’s first mixed reality studio in 2018, becoming the first local creative partner to Snap, Meta & TikTok. And most recently delivering the region’s first ever branded Vision Pro experience. Since then, he has spoken out on global stages, podcasts, and articles to champion the power of culture and technology in connecting brands with their audiences.
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