With traditional publishing gatekeepers losing their grip, and established platforms becoming less reliable, audiences sought more direct, authentic relationships with the voices they trust.

Amid the resurgence of newsletters and direct-to-audience models, one platform has quietly but powerfully reshaped how writers create, connect, and get paid: Substack.

What began as a simple newsletter tool has evolved into the engine of a broader movement — one that empowers writers to own their audiences, monetize their work on their own terms, and operate like independent media brands. With low barriers to entry and built-in monetization features, Substack has positioned itself at the center of the creator economy’s literary wing.

Its appeal is much more than just a platform for newsletters — it’s a catalyst for a new kind of writer-led economy.

We’ll explore how Substack is changing the story surrounding content creation as well as what it signals for the future of writing, media, and the people who shape the narratives we follow.

Going Independent

In October 2024, Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz made headlines at the very same publications she had covered technology and government for by departing her prestigious job to pursue a new business model on Substack.

“I want to be able to publish whatever I want, whenever I want, and I want to get the upside of breaking news,” she was quoted at the time.

This high-profile acquisition marked a significant step in the platform’s ongoing effort to attract writers looking to break away from traditional media outlets. By encouraging journalists, commentators, and independent voices to build their own direct-to-reader businesses, the platform positioned itself as a viable alternative to legacy media models.

Part of this pitch to ambitious creators comes from the need to no longer navigate layers of editorial oversight, brand guidelines, and institutional priorities that can dilute or delay their message.

At the core of Substack’s appeal is a direct contrast between traditional publishing constraints and the autonomy that comes from a creator working to create directly for their audience, as well as themselves.

The Payoffs of Creator Autonomy

Substack’s promise as a creator-led platform allows for a more direct, unfiltered connection between the writer and their audience, empowering voices that may not have fit neatly into conventional editorial boxes — as well as offering space for niche perspectives, experimental formats, and honest, personal storytelling that might otherwise be left on the cutting room floor.

Another major draw is the ability to control how work is monetized. Instead of chasing clicks to satisfy ad-based revenue models, creators on Substack can build sustainable businesses by offering monthly and yearly subscriptions.

This subscription-funded model not only offers a more predictable income stream, but it also aligns incentives around value and trust rather than viral traffic. When readers pay directly for content, it reinforces a deeper relationship — one based on loyalty, not algorithms.

For many, this model removes the pressure to cater to advertisers or chase SEO trends, allowing creators to focus on the kind of writing that endeared them to their followers in the first place.

Beyond the practical benefits, there’s a powerful emotional and creative payoff that comes with autonomy. Creators often speak about the freedom to publish on their own terms, experiment with new formats, and grow a community that resonates with their authentic voice. This kind of ownership can be incredibly fulfilling — not just financially, but personally.

Beyond newsletters and blogs, Substack has continued to evolve its publishing capabilities — now offering support for video content, podcasts, and live conversations. This expansion signals a broader strategic shift to embrace and empower content creators across a range of mediums, solidifying its place as a multi-format platform for independent publishing.

Substack aims to transform publishing from a job into a craft, and from a platform into a movement. The result is a more diverse, dynamic media landscape where independent voices thrive and readers have more meaningful choices in the content they consume.

Lowering Barriers to Entry

Though independent publications have been a foundational part of the media landscape for as long as there has been such a thing, the idea of risking one’s livelihood to start a subscription-based venture can feel especially daunting in the current moment.

With audience management analytics and built-in monetization tools, Substack is explicitly courting non-technical users to jump in and take advantage of a feature set designed with professional writers in mind. With minimal HTML coding and custom asset support, newsletters can look as good or better than pages built from the ground up using a competitor like WordPress or Squarespace.

Without having to worry about an algorithmic feed and interference from platform holders, the walled garden approach allows creators to work within the same framework to get off the ground and take advantage of further customizable options to execute their own vision.

Paid Tiers and Models

A Substack newsletter can cost as little as $5 a month, and many creators choose to offer a free trial window or referral program to allow readers to get a peek behind the paywall before committing to their sign up.

With the ability to quantify a single subscriber into actual revenue, creators can build their content strategy around growing organic reach and awareness with free, follow-to-read posts as well as content exclusive to paying subscribers.

For readers, these paid memberships also offer closer access to their preferred creators, including member-only chats and periodic updates on upcoming progress. Substack smartly recognized the traction that creator-led platforms like Patreon and Kickstarter were able to capitalize on and roll these learnings into more traditional business models.

Analytics and Network Effects

With a writer’s financial well-being tied directly to the platform, Substack offers a solid set of analytics for creators, especially those focused on newsletters and written content. Many experiential features are also being added, including leaderboards that highlight referrals from other Substacks and more ways to engage directly with readers via Chat and Notes.

These are some of the main reporting features creators have access to:

Email Performance

• Open Rate: Percentage of recipients who opened an email.
• Click Rate: Percentage of recipients who clicked a link in the email.
• Deliverability: Basic insight into how many emails were successfully delivered.
• Unsubscribes: Shows how many people unsubscribed from a specific email.

Post Stats

• Views: Total views per post (including web and email views).
• Traffic Sources: Where your readers are coming from — direct, social, search, etc.
• Shares: Number of times your post was shared on social channels outside of Substack.
• New Subscribers: How many people subscribed from a specific post or were influenced by it.

Subscriber Insights

• Free vs. Paid Subscribers: Breakdown of how many subscribers are free vs paying.
• Top Referrers: Who or what is driving subscriptions. This could be another Substack, a website, or a social channel.
• Growth Over Time: Graphs showing subscriber growth (free + paid).
• Churn Rate: How many paid subscribers are being lost monthly.

Monetization Metrics

• Revenue: Total revenue, MRR (monthly recurring revenue), and earnings per post.
• Conversion Rate: How many free subscribers are converting into paid plans.
• Average Revenue per User (ARPU): Estimate of how much each paying subscriber is worth.

Writers as Personal Brands

With the proliferation of the creator economy, having a distinct voice has never been more important to building a consistent, compelling personal brand. Substack’s rise has been able to amplify niche voices and move conversations in directions that may have been previously overlooked in other media ecosystems.

Whether it’s a hyper-local politics newsletter, a deep dive into crypto regulation, or a personal essay series on grief and healing, Substack gives creators the tools to build and serve their own corners of the internet. The direct-to-reader format rewards consistency and clarity, allowing underrepresented perspectives to flourish without needing to chase clicks or compete for algorithmic placement.

As a result, creators on Substack are increasingly functioning as entrepreneurs — crafting not just content, but communities. It’s not just about audience size anymore; it’s about loyalty and resonance.

Writers who can consistently show up, deliver value, and be transparent about their perspective are seeing readers willingly support them financially. The content itself is one piece of the puzzle, but trust is an even more valuable currency. Substack turns that trust into a business model, enabling creators to build careers rooted in connection, independence, and purpose.

What Does This Mean for the Future of Media?

Despite all these promises, Substack still faces many challenges and criticisms from readers, rival platform holders, and even creators already embedded in the platform.

New creators can feel daunted by the idea of discoverability, as concerns around Substack cutting major deals with some of its most prolific acquisitions and courting exclusive access has moved more in the direction of the publishing giants it was promising to replace.

There is also an ongoing debate around the platform’s responsibility to moderate content that may be potentially dangerous or confidential. The appeal of independence naturally attracts many creators who deal with data security and political influence, so many of the headlines attracted by stories broken on Substack face the ire of significant government entities.

Still, Substack has become as popular as it is specifically because of its “free speech” mindset. Subscribers are still in direct control of what they want to see in their inbox, and recommendations are typically made by the creators they are already subscribed to.

The sustainability of the paid newsletter model offers more opportunities for writers to branch out and supplement their content strategy with a hybrid model that incorporates video, podcasts, and paid partnerships. As mentioned, the platform has rushed to keep up with the competition by incorporating video support and live-streaming features, but new rivals like Ghost and Beehiv are looking to double down on traditional audience-funded journalism and newsletters.

Substack has become a key player in the realm of decentralized journalism online, but the conversation is still ongoing. However, the demand for independent, longform content is clear and has already shaken the way content is consumed and shared online.

Conclusion

More than just a newsletter delivery system, Substack aims to build a creator-driven ecosystem where writers own their audience relationships, control their revenue streams, and build on their own terms.

The platform’s success has continued to normalize the idea that one person can run a sustainable business model through content creation, showing that loyal, paying communities can replace traditional media gatekeepers.

In 2025, we’ve seen more and more brands warm up to the idea of communicating directly with customers via channels like Substack, and can expect that this direct networking will only become more commonplace in the future.

For writers, podcasters, content creators, and even corporations, Substack promises a world in which depth and authenticity are valued more than volume and virality. If that sounds like something you would like to explore, consider reaching out to NoGood to learn more about the options available to you! 

The post How Substack is Driving the Rise of the Independent Writer Economy appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

It’s a tactical game of strategy and consistency, and you have to understand the platform’s search algorithm in order to play it. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, right behind Google Search. You’re competing for the attention of YouTube’s billions of users who consume millions of videos daily on the largest video platform.

To stand out, you need to understand YouTube SEO and leverage it to inform your decision-making. From choosing the right video topic to creating your titles, thumbnails, descriptions, and tags – all of it ties back to Search Engine Optimization.

And if you do it right, those views and ad dollars won’t just trickle in… they’ll start pouring.

Organic YouTube SEO Tips & Tricks

Very little of what we cover in this blog post will actually be centered around the content production routine – we’re more focused on the backend algorithmic optimizations. But before we hit upload and start diving into all that SEO-ey-goodness, the one part of the creation process we do want to hit on is the ‘Who.’

Who are you creating this content for?

It’s important to know who your target audience is because different niches on YouTube look… different. Tech content presents differently than beauty content, which presents differently than gaming content. And because the presentation is different, the SEO strategy you set up will also differ.

As you’re answering this question, it can also be helpful to do competitor analysis. This doesn’t mean you should just copy someone else’s content word for word, but having an understanding of what others do in your space can help inform your content strategy.

Once you have your content… it’s time to upload.

Core YouTube SEO Components

Tags

When you go into the YouTube Studio to upload your video, the first thing you want to do is draft your video tags. These are the search terms that you want your video to appear for and are the most important piece to your SEO puzzle.

As an example, we’ll use our video that talks about what happened to Skype. For this video, we used a combination of narrow search terms (e.g., Skype shutdown, Skype vs Discord, What happened to Skype) and broader search terms (e.g., Skype, Microsoft, internet nostalgia).

Having a good mixture of search terms will allow your video to serve a specific purpose within the algorithm while still casting a wide net. That said, your wider net should still remain relative to the context of the video topic you’re creating.

While ‘internet nostalgia’ is a wide search term, it works for this video since Skype is often referenced as a piece of internet nostalgia. In contrast, a search term like ‘best webcam for video calls’ doesn’t work. Even though we’re talking about a video call app, and the search term itself likely carries high traffic volume, it’s far too wide for the context of this video.

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with search terms for a video, so if you find yourself struggling, using a keyword research tool like Ahrefs Keyword Explorer or Keyword Tool can help generate additional keywords based on monthly search volume and search intent.

Rapidtags is also a great analytics tool for generating tags that adhere to specific video titles and can be helpful in suggesting long-tail keywords (though you should still prioritize shorter tags, especially because of features like voice search).

Description

Once you have your video tags, work your way up to the video description. The description of your video will work in tandem with the tags in a method called keyword duplication.

Here’s what that looks like using the tags we just covered:

Having your tags in the description will help improve search engine rankings by reinforcing your chosen keywords within the YouTube search algorithm. This practice will increase your potential traffic by allowing YouTube to better categorize your video and show it to the right target audience.

You’ll also want to include hashtags at the bottom. These serve to further help YouTube catalog your content and even appear under YouTube search as their own playlists, which can increase audience retention.

That said, you don’t want to spam your description with hashtags – YouTube recommends keeping it to a maximum of three per video. With those three, shoot for very general hashtags that have high search traffic.

Title

Once you have your tags and description set, it’s time to choose a video title!

Some may argue that doing your video title last is… kinda backwards? However, the reason we’ve gone with this order of operations is so that we can leverage our tags and description to pick an SEO-driven title.

Your video title should include your target keyword while still being engaging and accurately describing your video topic. Try to fit your tags naturally within your title and avoid keyword stuffing. The title should also align with your search ranking goals and engagement metrics.

And once you’ve finished your title, you’re ready to click upload!

…only if you’re doing YouTube Shorts.

The story continues for long-form YouTube content.

Thumbnails

If you are making long-form video content, you can upload custom thumbnails, which are incredibly important in making your video stand out. Thumbnails also vary in style drastically on a case by case basis, and oftentimes boil down to individual videos themselves.

You still don’t want to just fly by the seat of your pants here and end up with something like this…

…so here are the two things every good thumbnail has in common.

1) Every thumbnail image needs a clear center point. Something for the viewer’s eyes to immediately gravitate towards. Without this, your thumbnail lacks purpose and can quickly become too busy.

The easiest way to do this is to include text. This not only catches your viewer’s eyes but also gives them an idea of what your video is about without even having to read the title. Thumbnail choice plays a major role in improving your video listing and engagement through likes and audience interaction.

From the thumbnail alone, I already know this video is about the Worst iPhones…

…the thumbnail tells me so much that the title almost becomes parity (this doesn’t make your title unimportant, for the reasons we discussed earlier).

You can also accomplish this…

…without text too!

You might have to be a little more creative with your composition to pull this off, but even without text, this thumbnail still works! The phones are a clear center-point, separated from Marques because of the slight blur effect that’s applied.

Both thumbnails also meet the second requirement: 2) Every thumbnail should accentuate the video’s title. It all goes hand in hand!

Again, every niche will differ slightly on execution, but as long as you accomplish these two things with your thumbnail, you’ll be set up for success!

Final Thoughts

From the video tags and video descriptions all the way up to the title and thumbnail, every content element plays a role in optimizing your video for the algorithm. Understanding search volumes, competitive keywords, keyword analytics, and SEO impact will help you refine your ongoing strategy for a high-performing YouTube video.

With strategic keyword planning and a content marketing outline, you’ll see your traffic source and click-through rates improve over time. YouTube is a powerful marketing channel, and with the right SEO efforts, you can go from wanting to be a YouTuber to being a YouTuber!

The post Mastering YouTube SEO: A Complete Strategy to Boost Your Videos appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

Duolingo, the worlds #1 language learning app, has earned the title for best brand mascot. Due to their social content strategy, every stunt and campaign they ran further developed their brand personality. Duo the owl is more than meets the eye, and with their recent release of “The Duolingo Handbook,” it makes the perfect sense why Duolingo rose to the top.

No one can do unhinged marketing like Duolingo, but here are a couple of tips that you can take from their social strategy.

Wholesome and Unhinged

Duolingo recently released their own handbook, breaking down the formula of their success story. From the beginning, Duolingo invested in a long-term product. They knew it was going to take time to perfect their product, so they built a quality team and bet on technology, knowing it would improve as the years went by.

By setting the bar for their app and constantly experimenting to make sure everything functions and is up to date, they were able to commit to making it fun. With a capable and competent team, Duolingo ultimately came to the conclusion that balancing wholesome and unhinged content worked for them. They had the space to create and express their creativity. They experimented with different formats and tones only to perfect the angle that worked for them.

They recognize that their humor is subjective and sometimes polarizing, but to the people who get the joke behind their stunts, they love Duolingo even more. They’ve honed that personality and made it their passion to keep it going, even if their humor doesn’t appeal to everyone. This is what helps reflect Duolingo’s authenticity. Nowadays, it’s more important for consumers to see brands stick to their own humor and not fit in a box that isn’t made for them.

Once their mascot was introduced to their socials, Duo became permanent and the lore began. Duo is known to be menacing, threatening, but also “cute and cuddly” as long as you finish your lessons and don’t break your streak. Brand personality ties back to the intent of their app – to teach people a new language. Duo stays on top of the fandom to make sure everyone is completing their lessons.

Zaria Parvez: Social-First Strategy

Social media manager Zaria Parvez started at Duolingo in 2020 to lead the brand’s social channels and quickly became the voice that we all know and love.

When she first started, it was a team effort as engineers, data scientists, and even front desk security participated in her videos. The support from her team brought the Duolingo vision to life, bringing forward storylines like Duolingo hating on people for using Google Translate, his obsessions with Dua Lipa, and many more.

After many of their social stunts went viral, Duolingo switched to a social-first strategy, seeing the impact of their content on channels like TikTok and Instagram. Storytelling became the forefront of their strategy to build up the plot for who Duo is and what he means to those who follow him or use the app. That’s why prioritizing social channels was favored over traditional TV commercials and ads. They can see the growth and impact of their content in real time on their socials, and they can take those learnings to further improve their strategy and grow as a brand.

As Duolingo’s unhinged and wholesome marketing angle grew popular, Gen Z were the ones who consumed their content the most. Following Duolingo for its shock-value and attention-grabbing content developed a lore and fandom for the green owl. People understand the inside jokes, comments like their in on the storyline, and participate in any stunt they execute.

One key takeaway from their social-first strategy is how often they respond to people in the comments section. There is never a video where Duolingo doesn’t respond to at least one comment, and the responses further the brand personality even more. Oftentimes the tone of their replies are menacing and threatening.

The comment that started it all was when the United Kingdom TikTok account commented and Duolingo replied by calling them a colonizer. This was the first step towards users recognizing what kind of brand Duolingo really is.

Breaking Down Duolingo’s Social Stunts

2024 was a wild year for Duolingo, marking some of their biggest social stunts yet. From making a fake website to producing music videos, here’s a timeline of some of Duolingo’s most impactful social stunts.

Duolingo Superbowl Ad

In 2025, Superbowl ads cost, on average, $8 million dollars, which is estimated to be about $266K per second for a 30-second ad. Duolingo didn’t want to pay for those 30 seconds. Instead, they opted for a 5-second ad and a push notification to be aired at the same time.

This stunt introduced multi-screen experience ads to the Superbowl and was quite possibly one of the most memorable Superbowl ads ever. While their 5-second ad aired, their team perfectly timed a push notification to those who have the app downloaded from Duolingo’s butt saying, “Do your Duolingo.”

What’s so groundbreaking about this ad is that for a fraction of the cost, their ad was one of the most talked about compared to other 30-second ads that brands paid millions of dollars for. It was an accurate description of Duolingo —- unhinged and unexpected. Their efforts paid off, proving that you don’t need to spend millions of dollars on an ad, you just need to authentically show up as a brand for your audience.

Duo on Ice

On April Fool’s day, the Duolingo app tricked thousands of people into believing that there was a multilingual musical happening for four hours with no intermission. 

Duolingo partnered with SeatGeek to launch a website for people to buy tickets. However, it was just one landing page. All the links to the different locations of their musical were fake — clicking the “find tickets” button resulted in a pop up that says “Duo on Ice has been canceled,” blaming Duo the owl for a class action lawsuit which was also fake.

The website is still up to this day, but the most notable thing to take from this stunt was the team’s effort to make this seem believable. Duolingo posted a trailer for their musical, featuring all the Duolingo characters like Lily and Zari actually dancing on ice. The team wore their own mascot suits and skated on ice, teasing an upcoming performance, when in reality, it was the only show people were able to see. 

They even released a song called “Spanish or Vanish” that was posted with dancing ice skaters singing in Spanish and English. This was a nod to a viral trend at that time called Spanish or Vanish. Another example of Duolingo tapping into a viral moment and adding onto the moment by making it their own.

This stunt only showed how far Duolingo was willing to go with their unhinged marketing angle. This is where the difference lies, as brands try to mimic an unhinged brand personality, Duolingo takes stunts to heights like going as far as to make a fake website to push the storyline forward.

Duolingo and Charli XCX

The most attention-grabbing guerilla marketing stunt was Duolingo’s move to get employees to go to Charli XCX’s concert. Taking advantage of a viral moment, Charli XCX’s tour, they paid thousands of dollars for pit tickets. Duolingo knew Charli’s concert would be heavily recorded and posted on social media, and so they showed up dressed to impress — as Duo the owl.

This is a prime example of guerilla marketing. While Duolingo did post about their appearance at the concert, most of the videos that went viral actually came from other people’s accounts and POVs. These videos of the Duo birds at the concert went viral and amassed millions of views on TikTok.

Duolingo is already known for their “unhinged” marketing strategies, but they took it a step further this time by choosing to spend their budget on concert tickets and tactical virality instead of taking the traditional route of ad or billboard placements. BRAT summer, started by Charli XCX, was trending in 2024, making neon green the color of the season. The Duo owl is already neon green, making a perfect parallel between him and the viral trend.

That being said, the actual Duolingo app and Charli XCX don’t have much in common other than the fact that Charli sings “talk to me in French, talk to me in Spanish, talk to me in your own made-up language.”

With millions of impressions on social media to back up the success of their stunt, it enhanced Duolingo’s brand visibility where even Charli XCX recognized the birds in concert and mentioned them. Any Charli XCX fans that didn’t know Duo before probably do now.

Duolingo Christmas Videos

In November 2024, Duolingo released a couple of fully produced music videos on Youtube that were also listed on Spotify for users to listen to. One of them was, “Bring my parents back” where the storyline involved Duo kidnapping a boy’s parents because he didn’t finish his lesson.

The boy sings for Duo to bring his parents back, promising that he’ll do his lessons. There was even a song featuring one of the Duolingo characters Lily, expressing how much she hates Christmas. Once again, we can note how far the social team goes to put together ideas for content to make it as unhinged as possible.

These videos were all made to promote their Duolingo plushie as a gift for Christmas. Their video “Owl on the Prowl” was a holiday video and advertisement all in one to promote their Duo plushie. While Elf on the Shelf was made to watch kids be good so Santa can get them presents, Owl on the Prowl was made to watch and see if you miss a Duolingo lesson.

This was the perfect way to sell a product. On Youtube, their holiday videos generated over 7 million views. Using their social-first strategy, the Duolingo team prioritized sales through socials and links over TV commercials and paid ads. They were able to show up in an unhinged way through the storytelling in their music videos. Shared across all their social channels, people showed interest in purchasing a Duo plushie.

Korean or Get Eaten

Squid Game was notably the most anticipated Netflix show towards the end of 2024. With everyone talking about the show, Duolingo tapped into another viral moment and launched a campaign with Netflix called “learn Korean or else.”

Combining Duolingo’s humor with Squid Game, this campaign was made to motivate fans to do their Korean lessons before the release of Squid Game Season 2. In the app, Duolingo added over 40 keywords in relation to the show. This way, fans can understand the show by learning the language on the Duolingo app.

After Squid Game Season 1, Duolingo saw a 40% increase in Korean learners, so why not motivate them to learn more Korean? Along with this campaign was another fully produced song called “Korean or Get Eaten,” released on Spotify and as a music video on Youtube, featuring Duo the owl in a pink jumpsuit like the Squid Game guards. On Spotify, the song received over 1.1 million streams. 

Duo is Dead

As of now, Duo the owl is dead. On February 11th, it was announced in a post that Duo died. Dua Lipa reposted the statement the day after. Once the announcement went public, fans and brands went on a rampage — possibly creating the biggest funeral in internet history.

Brands like Hootsuite and Buffalo Wild Wings took part in creating reaction videos to the mascot’s death being caused by a cybertruck. This stunt is as far as Duolingo ever went, killing off their own main character. While users are having fun with this stunt, many are questioning how sustainable unhinged marketing is for Duolingo. 

What can come next after killing Duo? Well, the reality is — this was a brand campaign. Duolingo announced a “gofundme” themed goal of 50 billion XP. The goal: users in every country must complete their lessons and earn 50 billion XP total to bring Duo back to life. This is a worldwide movement where the fandom of Duo can work together and play a part in saving Duo’s life.

This campaign is not only interactive, but it also further gamifies the user’s experience of learning on the Duolingo app. As of now, the USA, Germany, and China are in the top 3 for earning the most XP.

Turning this into a game where countries can compete against one another to earn the most XP 1) gets users who have the app downloaded who stopped using it to get back in track and 2) motivates users who only follow them on their socials to download the app.

This entire campaign is to generate more downloads, and ending Duo’s life was the way to do it. With this stunt, everyone who’s invested in the lore can participate in a worldwide effort to resurrect Duo.

Duolingo’s Impact

Duolingo has ultimately left long-lasting effects on the way brands view unhinged marketing. Time after time, each of their stunts are proven to be successful following their impressions on their social channels. The unhinged marketing strategy is now popular because of them.

Duolingo’s wholesome, funny, chaotic, and menacing personality teaches brands that it’s okay to step outside of their comfort zones to make content. The mascot shows that brands can still engage with their audience in a way that’s authentic and genuine instead of making ads that put their product at the forefront instead of their users.

Embracing an unhinged personality not only engages with the audience but also reaches farther in the digital space by staying relevant to younger audiences. Their social strategy helps them stand out from a sea of brands because they actively make the choice to be as authentic as possible. The outcome? Their strategy impacted other brand ads.

We see brands like Astra Tarot, Chillo, and Lune comparing their brand with Duolingo, using the brand for their own social capital. There’s a standard that Duolingo set that shifted the way marketers view their strategies. When brands try to build familiarity, they compare themselves to Duolingo and automatically, their consumers can get the feeling of what their brand is like — wholesome and unhinged.

It’s similar to seeing a logo and automatically knowing what brand it is like Adidas’ three stripes or the Nike swoosh. Duolingo is just the same to unhinged marketing. It’s hard to mimic Duolingo’s extremely successful strategy but when following their step-by-step process listed in their handbook, it all makes sense.

Key Takeaways

Brands shouldn’t necessarily copy Duolingo to a T, but there are great lessons to be learned from their social-first strategy.

• Be authentic. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to appeal to your audience more. Sometimes, barriers need to be broken to build a loyal customer base where people recognize your brand for exactly what it is.
• Tap in. Being able to speak to your customers the right way isn’t just about solving their problems. FInding ways to be a part of cultural conversations outside of your brand space not only builds recognition but opens the doors for new customers to come to you.
• Go the extra mile. The reason why some brands can’t succeed in an unhinged marketing strategy is because it’s obvious that it’s not authentic. Going the extra mile means going as far as your brand can to push a storyline forward that is still in tune to what your brand voice is.
• Choose brand collabs wisely. Brand collabs are a great way to introduce a new audience to your brand, but sometimes, they can feel pointless. Choose brands that can help support or already align with your brand voice. Think about how you can elevate them while also speaking to your audience from your perspective.

The post Duolingo Social Media Strategy and Impact of Unhinged Stunts appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

The employee.

What is Employee-Generated Content?

Employee-Generated Content (EGC) is the new driving force of influence in 2025. This revolutionary social media marketing approach can be defined as a form of content created by a company’s current employees. The material gives audiences a more engaging look at company culture, workplace experiences, and employee perspectives on the brand’s product or service.

What might come to mind first are employee contributions via company blog posts, articles and/or long-form, video testimonials. But, brands have more flexibility to lean into EGC than they might think. The marketing methods that drive real success with their EGC efforts often win by showcasing employee personalities on their socials.

Short-form, personalized videos, styled like classic YouTube vlogs, are highly engaging options. These can be serialized as “A Day in the Life” or “Behind-the-Scenes” content, shared across both personal and brand accounts.

A misconception is that brands need to force employees to participate and be the face of the company’s brand on social media. Truthfully, it doesn’t have to work this way at all. While these initiatives can be internally spear-headed for a brand (with those who volunteer), there is an entirely other realm of EGC to consider and encourage: the personal brands of your employees.

You may be shocked by how many working individuals create content in their free time, directly and/or indirectly, about their experiences at specific companies or industries. By recognizing and nurturing this organic content creation, companies can unlock a wealth of opportunities to enhance their brand image and attract both customers and top talent.

Why Your Brand Needs to Implement EGC Into a Content Marketing Strategy

Employees are the lifeblood of any brand. They serve as the living, breathing manifestation of a company’s identity, playing a crucial role in shaping both internal culture and external perception. So why not use them to enhance your brand marketing?

Businesses that choose to capitalize on the power of EGC in their marketing strategy experienced a notable 27% surge in online engagement and a substantial 19% increase in sales during the first year. These findings underscore the profound impact of employee advocacy on expanding a brand’s reach and enhancing its credibility, which is necessary in the marketplace now more than ever. 

The advantages of embracing employees in your content marketing strategy extend far beyond these impressive statistics. Let’s explore the multifaceted benefits that make EGC a game-changer in modern marketing.

Builds Trust & Authenticity

In spite of traditional company beliefs, employee perspectives compose a more authentic image of the company culture and core values. To the audience, the narrative about a company is more realistic and less performative when it’s shared by an “insider” on their own terms.

People are 3x more likely to trust company information if it’s coming from an employee. Voices coming from inside an organization help brands meet the demand for authenticity in an increasingly skeptical marketplace. You’ve probably heard this phrase time and time again, but it still rings true: People want to buy from people. 

This principle expands beyond consumer behavior to the broader marketplace, where individuals (especially GenZ) increasingly demand real connections with the brands they give time and money to. If a brand is actively displaying a real employee experience, they’re able to cultivate a deeper sense of trust and credibility with their audiences.

In a time where skepticism is raging, creating more brand authenticity is crucial to develop customer relationships and loyalty, as consumers are drawn to brands that reflect their values, interests, and beliefs. Ultimately, organizations that embrace and promote genuine voices from within will not only enhance their reputation but also thrive in an environment that demands transparency and sincerity.

Humanizes The Brand

The need to humanize a brand is not a new concept. Traditionally, marketers might use live-streaming, visual branding, user-generated content, and/or personalized email marketing in an attempt to illustrate the human elements behind a brand.

While those tactics certainly work to a degree, EGC accomplishes this goal much more effectively and creatively. Employee voices and experiences molded into a content marketing strategy that are also encouraged to be shared externally, inherently allow a brand to appear more relatable, approachable and genuine.

As these employees share their exposure to a company or industry – via comedic skits or heartfelt narratives – they’re creating a sense of transparency that resonates with audiences. People absorbing this content either relate to the experience, aspire to connect with it, or simply find themselves captivated by the situation, even if they’re not directly involved.

Essentially, employee content functions as a peer review. This is evident in the fact that 54% of consumers trust online peer reviews first, outweighing opinions of friends and family (24%) and company claims (18%). 

Attracts Top Talent

The competition to recruit top talent in any industry is intensifying. Employee-generated content has emerged as a powerful differentiator, enabling companies to showcase their company culture and values executed in real life, serving a dual purpose: help organizations initially stand out amongst competitors and serve as the deciding factor for candidates in the final stages of the hiring process.

Through EGC, potential candidates gain real insights into the company culture, allowing them to assess if that culture aligns with their own values and career aspirations. This unfiltered view offers a window into the day-to-day life of current employees, the collaboration within teams, leadership dynamics, and overall work environment. This material provides job seekers with a clearer understanding of what it’s like to be a part of the organization.

The impact of this content marketing approach is not to be diluted, with 88% of candidates saying employer branding influences their decision to apply. This branding ideology naturally extends to social media, where its influence is even more pronounced due to the evolution (and domination) of social search. 

At the end of 2024, a striking study found that 79% of job seekers use social media platforms when conducting their job search. Brands need to view these transformative channels as critical touchpoints for potential candidates during the recruitment process. 

Companies who effectively leverage their employee voices on social media position themselves at a significant advantage by harnessing EGC across social platforms, not only to attract attention but make an attempt at winning the race for the best talent for their teams.

Increases Brand Awareness & Refine Reputation

According to Linkedin Business Research, an employee network has 10x more connections than organizations have followers. With these large employee networks, brands can strategically encourage and harness their power to enhance brand reach and refine reputation. 

Employee-generated content gets shared 24x more than branded content. Let that sink in. Unlike traditional employee advocacy, which relies on employees to share pre-approved company messages, EGC empowers employees to create content in their own unique way. 

Airlines have effectively leaned into EGC to combat negative public sentiment and enhance their reputations. United Airlines, Delta, and Emirates have strategically incorporated employee voices into their social media strategies, countering scrutiny over customer service issues and safety concerns.
This approach has proven particularly powerful for the airline industry, where public perception can rapidly shift based on isolated incidents. Let’s quickly explore three impactful employee-generated content social pieces implemented by these airlines.

United Airlines’ witty lip-sync skit captures the universal boarding experience, humorously portraying the shared struggles of passengers cramming carry-ons into overhead bins and flight crew’s urgency to expedite the process. This relatable content cleverly transforms a common travel frustration into a comedic moment, creating camaraderie between passengers and airline staff. 

Delta’s rotating lip-syncing female staff, from engineers to pilots, creatively highlights the diverse careers held by women within the company in celebration of Women’s History Month. The bold and sassy tone of the trending audio (at the time of publishing), not only underscores Delta’s commitment to empowering women in the aviation industry but also challenges traditional gender norms in a field historically dominated by men. 

By showcasing real employees happy in their expert roles in an engaging and relatable way, Delta reinforces its role as a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion while inspiring the next generation of women to pursue careers in aviation.

The Emirates example offers an educational yet fascinating behind-the-scenes look at their aircraft maintenance operations. The video follows an airline engineer, providing an immersive journey from a vast hangar facility to intricate aircraft inspections. EGC social concepts like this unveil the expertise of employees and the complex world of the aviation industry. 

Emirates simultaneously addresses safety concerns and commitment to technological advancements via this form of EGC. The airline reinforces passenger confidence and demonstrates an industry-leading position in aviation innovation.

These airlines have strategically implemented EGC, each with a unique approach, to powerfully enhance brand awareness and refine their reputations. The critical takeaway is that EGC isn’t merely a crisis management tool; it’s a proactive strategy for success.

Consistently showcasing company culture and values through authentic employee voices builds a foundation of trust and transparency, differentiating brands in a competitive market and creating a resilient public image. Proactive EGC implementation establishes relatability with audiences that can often withstand potential future PR crises.

Serves as Cost-Effective Marketing Method

EGC offers dual advantages: it’s both budget-friendly and streamlines the content creation process more effectively. Whether employees contribute to brand content or independently create personal narratives about their careers, the cost savings for brands can be significant.

Consider the popular alternative for personable content creation: influencer marketing can be very costly with up to 20% of U.S. companies spending anywhere from $11,000 to $500,000 on campaigns. This type of content creation can get expensive with external, high-end production houses or third-party agencies involved. 

However, employees are already living and breathing your brand values. As creators, they require less time for briefings, revisions, and overall mindset adaption. When employees become presenters of social media messaging, they can more efficiently create content that aligns with the brand’s purpose and goals. This insider perspective not only saves money but results in more authentic, relatable content.

Amplifies Employee Expertise & Professional Growth

Employee-generated content also benefits the employee as an individual. Becoming a voice of expertise, relatable personalities, or industry insiders, employees have the potential to gain the following key advantages:

• Personal brand development and career advancement
• Increased job satisfaction and company recognition
• Leadership roles and cross-departmental collaborations
• Skill development in social media and content creation
• Networking opportunities with industry professionals and management
• Enhanced credibility and visibility in professional networks

EGC allows a medium for employees to show their expertise and creativity, potentially leading to recognition as thought leaders in their fields. This skill alone can open many doors. Employees who embrace the opportunity to participate in brand content or boldly share their insights on personal social channels are making a powerful investment in their professional growth and future career success.

How EGC Thrives on Linkedin: Executive-Led Marketing

LinkedIn is a game changer for working professionals dipping their toes into content creation, with or without the intention of promoting their company brand. Additionally, the platform has revolutionized how professionals can share their career journeys, experiences, and expertise. Here, they can expand their networks and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries. 

The impact of this type of EGC is significant: nearly 75% of decision-makers consider an organization’s thought leadership content more trustworthy for assessing capabilities than traditional marketing materials. This underscores just how beneficial employee personalized voices can be for a brand’s credibility and influence.

When reading content on LinkedIn from an individual, it’s natural to associate them with their employer. Consequently, the sentiment and value of an employee’s content is inherently linked to the brand they represent. Let’s dive into two compelling examples of executive-led B2B marketing on the platform, examining their distinct approaches to EGC.

ServiceNow: Bill McDermott

Bill McDermott, Chairman and CEO of ServiceNow, consistently creates thought-provoking content on his personal Linkedin channel. He masterfully blends visionary confidence with relatable authenticity, seamlessly fusing a professional tone with personal charisma. This approach creates a powerfully influential voice that cements his position as a preeminent thought leader across both business and technology sectors. McDermott strategically comments on these four key themes:

1. Transformative Company Events, Milestones, and Success Stories: Discusses company insights to highlight rapid growth and industry recognition 
2. Cutting-Edge Insights on Tech Innovations and Business Trends: Analyzes and contributes his ideology behind AI and digital business transformation 
3. Shaping His Career Legacy: Illustrates leadership principles through personal stories of resilience and success
4. Universal Empowerment for Personal & Professional Growth: Offers encouraging messaging and distinct perspective on universal concepts

McDermott’s Linkedin presence is a strong demonstration of positioning oneself as a thought leader who articulates complex technological concepts and business strategies in an engaging manner. This reinforces his credibility as an industry leader and creates deeper audience connections while exemplifying EGC that indirectly markets ServiceNow, the company he leads.

OKCOOL: Jolyon Varley

Jolyon Varley, Co-founder of OKCOOL, has captured the essence of EGC with his daily Linkedin content. His edgy delivery and cheeky brand voice stand in stark contrast to the conventional, buttoned-up tone prevalent on the platform, effectively engaging his audience. Varley strategically comments on these three key themes:

• Social and cultural trends in creative branding:
  • Analyzes cutting-edge campaigns from brands around the globe
  • Explores the delicate balance between counterculture and youth energy
  • Offers insights into emerging cultural movements influencing brand strategies
• His raw entrepreneurial journey:
  • Shares personal experiences of founding and growing a company
  • Discusses challenges and triumphs in the startup ecosystem
  • Provides valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Thought-provoking, inspirational substance:
  • Crafts universally motivating material that resonates across industries
  • Addresses broader themes of personal growth and professional development
  • Encourages followers to build their own personal brands 

Varley stands out as a creator who signifies EGC with his sharp, snappy delivery of trailblazing ideas, which dynamically redefines perspectives of his industry and embodies the mission and values of his company, OKCOOL.

Gen Z’s TikTok: A Playground for Employee Voices

TikTok is a direct line to Gen Z, which is crucial for brands to incorporate into their social media marketing strategies to effectively reach and engage consumers. This specific generation wields significant power and influence over brands due to their large population, digital fluency, and strong emphasis on authenticity and social responsibility. EGC embedded into TikTok content is a must for brands that want to speak to these potential consumers in their own language.

For more justification, social material from employee advocates can generate 8 times more engagement than branded material. Additionally, some EGC posts on the platform have achieved engagement rates of up to 35%, significantly outperforming the industry benchmark of around 1.4%. 

This aligns with the growing preference for authentic, relatable content from generations outside of GenZ as well. In fact, 50% of social/video platform users are looking for “content that mirrors their lives,” which EGC encompasses seamlessly.

Here’s how to start and some examples:

• Build Recognizable Faces – Showcase real employees to humanize your brand.
• Leverage Parasocial Relationships – Lean into Gen Z’s emotional investment in one-sided digital connections where viewers feel they know your featured employees. 
• Serialize Brand Narratives – Develop storylines around your employees, similar to characters in a TV series, to keep viewers invested and eager for more content. 
• Satisfy the BTS (Behind-the-Scenes) Craving – Offer glimpses into company culture, how employees interact in their roles, and different employee personalities to feed Gen Z’s curiosity.
• Tap into the Domination of Comedic Voice – Use humor as a magnet to draw people in. Jump on trending audio/music, chaotic memes, and relatable scenarios to create shareable content that resonates with Gen Z’s experiences in real life. 
• Engage Customers with Product Knowledge – Take advantage of employees having a strong understanding of your product to simultaneously entertain potential consumers while educating them on its value.

The Jennifer Hudson Show exemplified this point by launching a social media series that features guests walking through a tunnel of employees who creatively compose jingles tailored to the guest star’s name or promotional project. This engaging approach not only highlights employee creativity but also enhances the overall guest experience, making it memorable and shareable. To top it off, they have serialized these content pieces, collecting them in a playlist on the brand’s profile titled, “Spirit Tunnels.” 

ClickUp has made their TikTok channel a space for all things corporate humor. ClickUp’s social media strategy brilliantly capitalizes on workplace stereotypes and interdepartmental dynamics. Their content humorously exaggerates the contrasts between Sales and Marketing professionals, or the overzealous participation of HR and IT in company-wide meetings. 

The brand’s “Olympics” skits cleverly spotlight role-specific challenges, such as a project manager’s struggle to resist over-communicating across multiple channels. This approach not only entertains their TikTok audience but subtly underscores ClickUp’s value proposition as a streamlined, cloud-based project management solution that addresses these common workplace pain points.

SheerLuxe took on the trending format of Gen Z employees writing scripts for leadership to read off, emphasizing how confused and silly they sound. This concept not only highlights the generational divide in communication styles but also humorously illustrates the stark disconnect between traditional corporate language and contemporary slang. 

Unlock the Power of EGC: A Win-Win For Brands and Teams

In essence, employee-generated content is a strategic powerhouse in brand marketing. It brings fresh perspectives that drive business results and attract new customers while nurturing authenticity, boosting brand awareness, and enhancing employee engagement and professional growth. One thing is true about social media, it moves fast. Brands that quickly adapt to shifting trends and customer expectations for personalized communication and targeting online will be the ones dominating their spaces.

The post Complete Guide to Employee-Generated Content appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

These brand-driven communities are not just about physical activity; they’re about facilitating social experiences that feed humans’ craving for authenticity, meaningful relationships, sense of belonging, and shared purpose. While various types of physical events can support community building, fitness and wellness experiences stand out as the most potent catalyst for generating genuine brand loyalty, reshaping social interaction, and driving stronger connections as evidenced by the impact of fitness-focused brand communities.

What is “Community” in 2025?

The term “community” is due for an upgrade. The formative concept was significantly tied to geographical proximity, mutual interest, cultural heritage, shared governance, religious beliefs, and natural resources. Universally, these early communities were characterized by strong social bonds, face-to-face interactions, and deep commitment to their values.

What powered the unification of people into communities was a primal need for self-reliance and autonomy, crucial for survival. Groups of people that did not sustain a healthy relationship with local resources did not last long.

After nearly a quarter of the 21st century, community is defined much differently, thanks in large part to technology. People now experience digital-physical hybrid communities as a result of seamless integrated online and offline experiences, technology-enabled real-time interactions, and global connectivity that transcends geographical locations.

Here are the defining aspects of community in 2025:

In the last decade, brands have leaned heavily into how technology can be a driving force in creating modern-day communities. Online platforms became the primary medium for building and sustaining connections, replacing in-person interactions. Social media and other digital platforms dominated communal experience.

In 2024, 76% of internet users actively participated in online communities, signaling a significant shift towards digital. This trend is primarily driven by the unparalleled convenience and global connectivity that digital spaces offer, enabling instant, borderless communication and community engagement. 

However, the pendulum is swinging back. Despite the convenience of digital platforms, people are recognizing the irreplaceable value of in-person connections. These recent trends are manifesting in modern dating as well, with a growing desire for authentic, face-to-face relationships.

A 2024 survey revealed that 73% of singles expressed a strong preference for meeting potential partners in person rather than online. This shift is further evidenced by the rising popularity of in-person dating events, which offer a blend of first-date-like conversations and bar-like mingling, allowing attendees to form deeper connections while easily transitioning between interactions. 

As people increasingly recognize that virtual interactions alone cannot fully satisfy our innate need for physical human connection, this trend has significant implications. So why is this shift important for brands in 2025?

The Power of Physical Brand Communities

Today’s top-leading brands understand the multi-dimensional perspective of community needed to stand out in the marketplace and impact culture. This shift has compelled them to elevate their community-driven strategies by launching physical, in-person activations.

By creating tangible experiences, brands are able to 1) transform potential and current customers into loyal community members via anatomical benefits; 2) tap into the psychology of social identity; 3) and nurture authentic relationships that digital platforms only scratch the surface of.

First, here are some unique anatomical benefits of physical brand communities:

1. Sensory Engagement: According to a study by VML Intelligence, 63% of consumers crave multisensory brand experiences, and 72% desire new experiences that engage as many of their senses as possible. Physical experiences activate multiple senses simultaneously, creating more vivid and memorable interactions. When it’s real, it sticks. 
2. Oxytocin Release: Face-to-face interactions trigger the release of oxytocin, often called the “cuddle hormone” and “morale molecule,” which promotes trust and social bonding. Studies indicate that oxytocin levels can increase by 47% during in-person social interactions.

When consumers develop a profound anatomical and emotional response from brand-driven experiences, they’re significantly more likely to internalize them as a component of their personal identity. How people view themselves is powerful, and brands need to tap in. Understanding the psychology behind the internalization is a crucial factor in the power behind a brand’s decision to build a physical community.

Social identity in community is built on categorization, shaping self-perception through shared values and norms. This involves both emotional and functional connections, often strengthened by comparing the “in-group” to others, boosting self-esteem and solidifying long-term membership. Ultimately, once brand-driven communities have locked themselves into some fraction of people’s identities, they’re one massive step closer to creating a loyal customer base that not only makes repeated purchases but becomes brand advocates.

This identity-centric consumption manifests in various ways: consumers make purchases that align with their self-concept, use products to extend their identity, balance group affiliation with individuality, and prefer brands that match their self-image. They also use purchases to facilitate identity transformations, express values, support personal narratives, and communicate their identity to others. These patterns underscore how deeply intertwined consumer behavior is with self-perception and social identity.

By leveraging the principles of social identity theory and tapping into the innate human desire for connection, brands are fostering stronger emotional bonds with their customers and cultivating a thriving, engaged community that extends far beyond mere transactions.

The final benefit of brands facilitating tangible experiences is authenticity. This word has been a huge buzzword after the last few years, but are brands really fulfilling the concept? Brands with physical communities are on the right path.

Brand-created physical communities and experiences are playing a crucial role in creating true brand authenticity and helping individuals make authentic connections with others. These interactions provide a tangible dimension to brand values, allowing customers to experience and embody the brand’s mission in real life.

The Health Meta

We’re in a new Zeitgeist, defined significantly by the health meta. What is it? Why is it important to brand evolution? Why should brands outside of the fitness/wellness space consider leaning in?

The health meta is a holistic and integrative approach to understanding health and wellness that goes beyond traditional medical models. Principles of this concept include the mind-body connection, biological intelligence, root-cause diagnosis, neuroscience understanding, personalized approaches, and holistic well-being and empowerment.

The health meta concept is gaining significant traction in 2025. Health is no longer just a necessity; it’s evolving into a spectrum of lifestyle choices. We’re witnessing:

1. Health as a Hobby: For some, health-boosting activities are trendy pursuits, integrated into their lifestyle but not dominating it.
2. Health as a Lifestyle: A more extreme mindset, health becomes the cornerstone of existence, encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

This spectrum reflects a broader societal shift towards more conscious and diverse approaches to personal wellness.

A massive derivative of the health meta is social health. You’ve likely seen this come to life in the trendy experiences flooding your social media feeds; run clubs, Hyrox competitions, yoga/pilates, pickleball, padel, and five-a-side football. Brands are catching on fast and positioning themselves as facilitators of health as a lifestyle by creating wellness experiences.

The wellness revolution is reshaping brand strategies, with mental health at the forefront. Brands that authentically align with these movements are crafting meaningful connections with consumers. Trust is cultivated via a blend of online initial interplay and real-world interactions.

88% of people state that authenticity is key when deciding which brands to consume and engage with and 78% of consumers (and 88% of Gen Z) agree a brand’s social media presence has a larger impact on whether or not they trust a brand than traditional advertising. Modern consumers prioritize brands that foster genuine relationships across both digital and physical realms, aligning with the elevation of authenticity as an unprecedented importance. 

The wellness economy is surging. For example, the city of Miami will be the new home to a $650M luxury development and membership community, built by The Well. Talk about a city with a major cultural and lifestyle shift in the works. 

The wellness real estate market is projected to reach $887.5 billion by 2027, according to The Global Wellness Summit. This rapidly expanding sector reflects a growing consumer demand for living spaces that prioritize health and well-being. The Well is a brand wasting no time networking with hospitality partners to capitalize. 

As this niche within the economy surges, brands are pivoting from setting goals of product sales to lifestyle creation. It’s about crafting a dynamic, aspirational ethos that resonates with people’s desires and values. Brands that embrace this cultural shift and offer holistic wellness experiences will not only survive but rather, thrive.

Case Studies: Brands Winning at In-Person Fitness Communities

There are several brands that stand out in the market thanks to their increased attention towards physical communities and the health meta.

Red Bull

When you think of Red Bull, what do you visualize? Is it an energy drink? Or is it the F1 race car, cliff jumping diving board, the helmet of a skydiver, the logo on a mountain at the XGames? For me, it’s certainly not the aluminum can. Red Bull’s strategic use of fitness and sporting activations has been instrumental in its transformation from an energy drink company to a global lifestyle brand.

The brand’s intentional approach to in-person activations has allowed them to evolve into a household name and expand credibility universally through the following strategies:

Targeting Niche Sports

Red Bull’s initial focus on extreme sports like motocross, skateboarding, surfing, and BMX in underserved markets brilliantly mirrored the essence of their actual product, an energy drink. By establishing a strong presence in these niche areas, the brand not only built a unique identity but also embodied its promise of “giving you wings” and pushing boundaries. This approach allowed the brand to create an authentic connection between its product and the daring, adrenaline-fueled lifestyle of extreme sports enthusiasts.

Creating Original Events

The company has developed numerous proprietary sporting events, such as the FlugTag, Red Bull Cliff Diving, and Red Bull King of the Air Kiteboarding. These events generate excitement and media attention, reinforcing Red Bull’s association with adventure and pushing limits.

Record-Breaking Initiatives

In 2012, RedBull rewrote the guide for brand marketing when they went to space to beat the longest free fall in history. The brand consistently pushes athletes and inspires others in their community to break records.

Expanding into the Mainstream

Over time, the brand broadened its scope to include more conventional sporting activities such as soccer, basketball, and Formula One racing. The expansion helped increase brand reach and solidify a strong global presence.

Content Creation & Brand Expansion

Rebull’s strategic move to develop into sports allowed them to become a content creator, producing highly shareable, entertaining content around extreme sports and daredevil stunts. This approach transformed the brand’s recognition from a beverage brand into a media conglomerate.

Adapting to Local Markets

From the jump, the brand clearly communicated its goal of establishing a global image. Red Bull went a step further and tailored its sporting activations to resonate with local cultures and preferences in each market they enter. Their “Flugtag” event, meaning “flying day” in German, challenges participants to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and launch them off a pier into the water. This specific sporting activation has since been curated to resonate with other cultures within Singapore, the United States, and Australia.

Red Bull has cracked the code. Their identity transcends its product category by leveraging sporting (fitness) activations to interact with different communities and facilitate social bonding over extreme, jaw-dropping moments. The decision to step outside of product development and into elevating in-person communities has not only made them a household name but has also sold over 10 billion cans annually, generating revenues exceeding $8 billion.This solidifies their position as a global icon in both the beverage industry and the world of sports and entertainment.  

While Red Bull pioneered the strategy of leveraging extreme fitness and local cultural events to build a global brand, a new wave of fitness-focused companies is now creating in-person communities to boost brand awareness and tap into the health meta trend. Brands like Bandit Running, Nike, and Alo have been at the forefront of this movement, fostering shared experiences that resonate with health-conscious consumers tapped into the lifestyle.

Bandit Running

Bandit Running, founded in 2020, has quickly become a key player in the running apparel sector by emphasizing their community-first lens. The brand has established a strong presence in New York City, collaborating with local running clubs and hosting fitness events straight out of their retail locations.

The initial concept centered around changing the visual face of running apparel. Founders Tim and Nick West grew up deep in the New Jersey skater/surfer culture. With their passionate appreciation for brands born out of subculture communities, they wanted to tap into and transform the NYC running subculture, which was spreading like wildfire during the pandemic. They distinguished themselves as a running community built for people with strong ambition, rather than the existing social or performance-based communities. “The Goal-Driven Runner.”

To drive home just how pivotal community is to Bandit, co-founder Nick West stated that community is the product. They built a brand around a community, not a community around an existing brand. Strategies they’ve implemented to expand the community include:

• Highlighting local NYC runners outside of their “runner identity” on social media channels
• Inviting members to their office to capture sentiment and anecdotes about the community 
• Producing pop-ups at marathons across the country
• Designing marathon training programs
• Continuing the operation of their original run club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
• Opened a coffee x runner shop in the West Village of Manhattan 

Bandit Running’s unique origin story and ability to 1) identify a community, 2) identify their needs/desires, and 3) elevate the member journey by delivering more impactful, personalized interactions has skyrocketed their brand and further exemplifies how creating shared, in-person experiences can drive brand loyalty and awareness.

Nike

In the same vein, iconic American brand Nike has caught on to the increasing need and desire for in-person communities. In this case, the community they were seeking to entertain needed to sprout from their product-driven brand. 

They established Nike Run Club (NRC) to support runners of all fitness levels, including in-person group runs across 40 different cities worldwide. This extension of the brand provides individuals with social connections, participation in global challenges, leadership opportunities, and a chance to chase more achievement in their lives.

More recently, Nike launched a new 2025 brand strategy, “Nike After Dark Tour,” a women’s nighttime race series. With declining stock and increasing competition blooming with brands like Hoka and On, Nike is attempting to return to their core – athlete storytelling and community engagement.

The tour empowers women through strategic nighttime running events in major cities worldwide. This innovative series addresses a universal concern among female runners: safety after dark. By creating a secure, vibrant environment for nocturnal runs, Nike not only tackles a pervasive issue but also facilitates a powerful sense of community among female athletes. The tour transforms a common fear into an exhilarating, shared experience, blending fitness, in-person community, and female empowerment.

Additional Brand Examples of Successful Community Events

Nike’s approach aligns with the broader health meta trend, where brands are creating multi-faceted, experiential in-person spaces to engage consumers. In the above case study, Bandit’s NYC flagship exemplifies this by combining a run club, coffee shop, and retail store all into one.

On Running has embraced this strategy as well with their Track Nights, merging athletic competition with festival-like atmospheres. Lululemon has stepped up too, adopting this approach by organizing an ultramarathon fostering community among female runners to push their boundaries. 

Similar to Red Bull in the beverage product-space, Michelob ULTRA, an alcoholic beverage brand, tapped in as well. The brand launched an in-person and digital unique event series that combines boxing workouts with live music performances. Their “Boxing Experience Tour” took place across multiple cities in the U.S. and appealed to those looking to create social connections and experience a unique community in real life.

What Not to Do: Alo Yoga

However, not all brands stepping into the game of community building are finding success. Within the last few years, Alo Yoga applied significant pressure to their marketing efforts to drive home their well-known exclusivity and luxury positioning. The main pursuit out of this shift was their “Alo Yoga Studio.” In an attempt to build unique collaborations and community with high-profile celebrities and social media influencers, the “invite only” exclusive gym concept inadvertently created promotion of elitism.

The major miss of this strategy is that GenZ demands relatability. This rising generation in the marketplace is demanding authenticity, inclusion, and connection. By prioritizing exclusivity over inclusivity, Alo Yoga squandered a transformative opportunity to democratize wellness and build a truly expansive fitness in-person community.

Overall, we’re seeing a larger shift toward immersive brand experiences, and the brands that are succeeding understand that modern consumers seek more than just products – they crave authentic connections, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded individuals.

Technology’s Role in Building Fitness Communities

Wearable technology, AI agents, and mobile apps are optimizing the membership experiences of physical communities and creating engaging, personalized, and socially connected fitness experiences.

Technologies like Strava empower fitness-focused communities by enabling progress tracking, achievement sharing, and friendly competitions, which allows a brand to encourage accountability and connection between brand community members. 

Brands like Bandit Running leverage Strava’s user-friendly interface to create “Clubs,” digital spaces that act as an extension of the previously created, in-person community connections. These branded “Clubs” help support easy member recruitment, showcase real-time community activities in a feed, lifetime community stats, and host ongoing fitness challenges. 

Some brands have the opportunity to imbed social connectivity into their modern health and fitness tech, with community-driven features to transform individual wellness journeys into collective experiences. For instance, Oura Ring introduced “Circles” in 2023, allowing users to share their daily Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores with up to 20 friends in customizable groups.

Similarly, Apple Watch users can share their activity data and workouts with friends, encouraging friendly competition and accountability. Other fitness apps like Freeletics and Peloton have also incorporated robust social connectivity features, including community feeds, training groups, and the ability to send virtual encouragement.

These social elements not only enhance user engagement but also drive home the brand’s attention to crafting community and support. These strategic moves transform solitary fitness routines into shared experiences that keep users motivated for more.

Technology should enhance, not replace, your brand’s community — serving as a dynamic extension of the physical connection and shared experiences of members. By integrating tech into the strategy, brands can create more meaningful, accessible, and engaging community interactions that transcend the traditional boundaries.

Measuring Success and Scaling Your Community

76% of consumers wish their favorite brands had a community. This should signal to brands that they have a massive opportunity to meet consumer desires and differentiate themselves in the market via an extension of the brand. By creating genuine, in-person communities, brands can tap into this unmet need, acting as a bridge for deeper connections and potentially gaining competitive edge. However, building a community is just the first step; measuring its impact is crucial for ongoing success and optimization.

Here are five key performance indicators (KPIs) to consider when evaluating the success of your branded, in-person community:

1. Membership Retention Rate: This measures the percentage of members who remain active over a given period, indicating customer satisfaction and investment in the community. 
2. Average Activation Attendance: Tracking attendance for in-person activations, whether it’s a run, fund-raising event or challenge. This helps gauge member engagement and the popularity of different offerings. 
3. Net Promoter Score (NPS): This metric measures member satisfaction and loyalty, indicating how likely members are recommending your fitness community to others.
4. Community Satisfaction Scores: Regular surveys can assess members’ sense of belonging, satisfaction with the community, and overall experience. 
5. Conversion Rate from Membership to Additional Services: This measures how effectively the community drives sales of the brand’s OG products or services. 

As brands navigate building in-person, fitness/wellness communities to drive further brand investment, they need to consider 1) the delicate balance between creating intimate yet inclusive experiences, 2) technology emerging as a powerful ally in enhancing these shared experiences, and 3) the accelerating trend that is the Health Meta and how physical experiences where wellness and fitness is top priority have a psychological and social force that inspires further brand growth and loyalty.

The post Leveraging Physical Wellness Experiences to Drive Brand Loyalty: Transforming Customers into Community appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

LinkedIn has progressed over the past few years to become much more than what we originally knew it to be – a job board. Now, it’s about networking and spreading the word. When it comes to the latest marketing trends, ad campaigns, or any other hot topics, LinkedIn is the place to look for professional opinions and thoughtful insights.

I’ve collected a list of 10 valuable LinkedIn accounts to follow in 2025 to stay up to date on all things trending.

TL;DR – The Best Linkedin Marketing Accounts to Follow in 2025

1. NoGood
2. Ryan Pearson
3. Eugene Healy
4. Martin Zarian
5. HubSpot
6. Ashwinn Krishnaswamy
7. Grad Girl Marketing
8. Pretty Little Marketer
9. Ali Kaltman
10. The Marketing Millennials

1. NoGood

Profession: Advertising Services

Follower Count: 58.2K

Topics Covered: Ad Campaigns, Trends, AI, Growth Marketing, Content Marketing, Graphic Design

Most Recent Posts:

• You don’t need proper spelling to have a good ad.
• Let the TikTok clone wars begin

NoGood is not only a marketing agency, but we’re also a community of creative thinkers who are all about social media. Our team posts weekly news updates about the latest marketing trends, from brand collabs to movie pop-ups. We look at news from a holistic perspective — connecting the dots to strategy and the ecosystem of social media.

2. Ryan Pearson

Profession: Brand Strategist

Follower Count: 12K

Topics Covered: News Roundups

Most Recent Posts:

• 10 things I’m paying attention to today…

Ryan Pearson is a strategist who stays on top of the latest marketing news. He covers a wide variety of topics, from brand campaigns to AI, and he always provides his users with unique insights. His series, “10 things I’m paying attention to today,” is great for people who are looking for important sources to read about the latest news. He highlights important marketing news occurrences Monday through Friday, giving users a lot of timely information.

3. Eugene Healy

Profession: Brand Strategy Consultant

Follower Count: 8K

Topics Covered: Hot Takes, Brand Analysis, Culture Analysis

Most Recent Posts:

• Identity Marketing Is (Sometimes) Overrated
• The End Of Hollywood Celebrity

Eugene Healy is the king of hot takes. He posts short-form videos on his account where he does a deep dive into an analysis of all things brands and culture. His videos explore topics such as leveraging nostalgia in branding, the importance of creativity in late-stage social media, and effective marketing tactics for emerging generations.

4. Martin Zarian

Profession: Full-Stack Brand Builder

Follower Count: 26.7K

Topics Covered: Marketing Strategy, Branding

Most Recent Posts:

• There’s a lot of BS out there…especially B2B tech space.
• Bad branding is incredibly more expensive than good branding.

Martin Zarian is all about honesty when it comes to his breakdowns. With his straightforward and blunt answers, he’s a trustworthy resource for what to do and what not to do when building your brand. Martin can be leaned on for branding tips and tricks for new and current brands.

5. HubSpot

Profession: Software Development Company

Follower Count: 1M

Topics Covered: Marketing Memes, Courses, Tips and Tricks

Most Recent Posts:

• “You’re so funny”
• Unhinged behavior

In the past, it’s been rare for big brands to develop online personalities, but companies like HubSpot proved it can be done – and well. Their witty, tweet-like posts reflect on office culture, current trends, and overall build a character. Their page can be taken as inspiration for other brands as they build their online presence and personalities.

6. Ashwinn Krishnaswamy

Profession: Partner at Forge

Follower Count: 8K

Topics Covered: Brand Breakdowns, Strategy, eCommerce

Most Recent Posts:

• What goes into designing a new brand?
• Walmart rebrand

Ashwinn Krishnaswamy provides depth-analyses on rebrands, new brands, and product releases. He often goes over the ins and outs of what’s new and why it does or doesn’t work. His insights offer great value when it comes to building consumer brands.

7. Grad Girl Marketing

Profession: Global Marketing Community

Follower Count: 152K

Topics Covered: Marketing Campaigns, Trends, Trend Marketing

Most Recent Posts:

• Top Marketing campaigns of the week
• The hottest of trends…

Grad Girl Marketing is a global, women-led community. Their series of “top marketing campaigns of the week” is a regular roundup of 4 campaigns plus one throwback. We can often find industry trends and insights, relatable marketing content, as well as tips and career advice for marketers who are building their personal brands.

8. Pretty Little Marketer

Profession: Global Marketing Community

Follower Count: 302K

Topics Covered: Marketing Memes, Marketing Hot Takes, Tips and Tricks, Trends, Predictions

Most Recent Posts:

• Dear Lord when I get to heaven…
• Is LinkedIn the future of influencer marketing?

Global marketing communities are not to be underestimated. Pretty Little Marketer aims to simplify marketing and social media strategies. They talk about industry news, trends, and professional development content tailored to marketing professionals. They also post witty, tweet-like text posts to showcase their page’s personality, delivering knowledge and character.

9. Ali Kaltman

Profession: Brand Director

Follower Count: 7K

Topics Covered: Brand Marketing, Trends

Most Recent Posts:

• Abercrombie x White Lotus
• Trader Joe’s just launched…

Ali Kaltman is a marketing professional who shares content on marketing strategies, industry trends, and personal development tips. She engages with her network by sharing articles and participating in discussions related to marketing and business development.

10. The Marketing Millennials

Profession: Media Production

Follower Count: 1M

Topics Covered: Marketing Memes

Most Recent Posts:

• It’s meeeeeee
• We are spies!

If you need a mental break from all things educational and informative, The Marketing Millennials specializes in office culture marketing memes. They’re witty and comedic, providing marketing agencies with relatability and funny memes to share in the work chat. Inspiration can be taken from this page for marketing tweets and threads.

Takeaways

When learning how to stay in the loop of what’s currently happening, LinkedIn is a great tool for that. Valuable and insightful conversations can be started, giving you the outlet to network with others on your marketing journey. Stay up to date on the latest news, strategies, and trends with these accounts to further your knowledge and personal brand.

The post Top 10 Marketing Accounts to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025 appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.