the shift from influence to instruction
We’re not watching creators anymore. We’re watching strategy decks.
So.. has anyone else’s algorithm — FYP, LinkedIn, you-name-it — been absolutely flooded with “Everything You Need to Know to Become an Influencer”?
Not influencer content.
Content about becoming an influencer.
It feels like we blinked and the feed shifted from inspiration to instruction.
(We’ll get back to campaign breakdowns shortly — like Brightland’s perfectly timed pre-spring launch of their Sumo Citrus flavored olive oil. Launch timing is a criminally overlooked art, and capitalizing on the sumo citrus craze is impeccable. Adding to cart, immediately.)
But alas. Something even more interesting than olive oil infusions is happening.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve played a hand in making a few TikToks here and there, purely as a creative experiment. Within days, my feed transformed into:
“How to get out of 200-view jail”
“Your plug-and-play content strategy”
“How I gained X followers/views in 30 days”
The energy behind these wasn’t to create something meaningful. It was to optimize the machine.
And that’s when I started wondering: when did influence become instruction? And why is this SO utterly exhausting?!!
Influence used to be natural.
The most magnetic creators weren’t teaching you how to grow. They were just… growing.
They had so much passion for something they couldn’t resist sharing it. They had taste (arguably the most valuable of all), and built full worlds around it.
Now, we’re watching a new wave of creators, whose product is teaching other people how to create.
Let me be clear before I go any further, that there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Education is valuable, transparency is helpful, and there’s room for everyone.
But when the primary aspiration becomes “how to grow fast,” we risk skipping the part that makes growth sustainable (and of true value): actual perspective.
Views without community are just numbers, and meaningless ones at that.
Reach without resonance is just widespread distribution. Who are you actually reaching?
And let me be the first to tell you, brands feel that difference immediately.
From a brand standpoint, this shift is fascinating.
There is more “talent” available than ever.
More creators.
More micro-communities.
More niches.
But there’s also so. much. more. noise.
So the real strategic question becomes:
Are you seeding widely for impressions? Or are you nurturing depth for loyalty?
.. Or is the magic somewhere in between?
I cannot wait to see how brands of all facets leverage this new wave, and how content as a whole continues to shift and turnover as the year progresses.
As for me, the TikToks will remain unhashtagged and mini mic-less (…unless…👀). Can’t it all just be for fun?!
Thanks for being here, and have a campaign or launch strategy you want broken down? Let me know! Spring is nearly here, and we know brands are gearing up to set the tone for the rest of the year.
Until next time,
S♡
Really astute observation! I’m building a small business via social media and have also noticed quick win / how to content gets the best engagement.
Definitely makes me appreciate the more substantive approach to Substack