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For today's businesses, a major shift is underway in how to gain and keep customers. For both startups and growing companies, social media has moved beyond being a "nice to have" tool for visibility to a "must have" to grow and prosper. It's now a strategic asset, critical to differentiation, customer connection, and long-term resilience.
The companies that win in the next decade will be the ones that build and own their own social media distribution. This is not "maybe" - this is "definitely."
The successful people on social media, who used to be known as "influencers", are now called "creators". They use every type of social media - YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, podcasts - and increasingly are going into mainstream media such as music and TV, using these platforms, plus Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, X, Pinterest, and WhatsApp. Most of these platforms have more than one billion active monthly users.
A recent article about Forbes' top social media creators states that this year, the 50 top creators earned $853 million. It was likely taken from traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, and TV. The increase in spending on social media is up 18.5% in a year, and is continuing to grow, as the creators are changing "the way people consume entertainment and engage with brands."
Increasingly, these creators, who used to do social media as a side hustle, are now making incredible inroads into other areas.
A great example of how creators are starting to take over traditional businesses is Chris Duncan. A creator on TikTok, whose posts often got millions of hits, he raised funds to help other creators by producing their films. He cofounded Creator Camp, a film studio built for the internet era. They are creating a new pipeline for stories to go from the bedrooms of creators and online storytellers to the big screen.
In addition to creators starting their own businesses, traditional startups have also become much more focused on media and the distribution around their company. Increasingly, they recognize that it's not just about creating a great product or brand. It's also about being able to tell a compelling story about that product or brand. It's more than visibility and frequency. Companies that succeed today are those that build audiences, not just products. This means that many companies will have to put as much importance on media velocity as on product velocity.
This shift has powerful implications. This is what companies are doing-- or should be doing --to stay on top:
Today's market is saturated with tools, platforms, and products that often look and function similarly. Whether you're building AI software, running a local coffee shop, or launching a consumer goods brand, the big question is: Why should anyone choose you? If there are so many different startups doing the same thing, what is the best way to differentiate and get users to use your specific product? One of the best ways is posting things online, because if you bring people into your mission and into your journey, they're much more inclined to want to use your product or service over someone else's.
One of the most effective answers is storytelling. When you share your company's journey, bring your audience into your mission, and create authentic content, you give people a reason to care. One example is a restaurant in Australia that became wildly successful not just for their food but for the stories they tell. Each week they highlight real customers on social media—some of the most popular have been couples on first dates—and other behind-the-scenes moments. Because it’s very authentic content—a real story around two actual customers—it has made the restaurant hugely popular. That human connection drives loyalty and local traffic in ways no traditional advertising campaign ever could have.
Learning what makes sense for your specific brand or business and consistently putting out content around that is a major differentiator between companies that have momentum and companies that don't. Companies need to create momentum through consistently telling their story online—and telling it authentically. They need to tell a story around their brand and to build community.
Of course you could hire an outside creator to help get your message out. But it’s even better if you own the distribution. There are many advantages to companies that bring someone in house to help build their audience. They are less reliant on external marketing so they don’t have as large a marketing budget. But there’s something even more important than getting rid of massive ad budgets or agency retainers. If you can do everything internally you will have direct access to your customers.
By hiring someone to own content and storytelling—whether it’s a full-time creator, a content strategist, or a social-first marketer—you develop your own distribution channel. This becomes a long-term asset: a way to communicate directly with your audience, to test new ideas, and to build loyalty.
A social media presence provides a direct, real-time feedback loop. You can see instantly what content resonates, what messaging works, and what features your users care about. This kind of immediate insight can dramatically shorten the distance between product development and customer need.
As you get direct access to your customers, you're getting feedback much more quickly. You will know in real time if your product is aligned with their wants and needs. When you need to pivot because a product isn't working or the market shifts, you're not starting from zero. You've built an audience that believes in you—not just your product. That kind of community travels with you. It's an insurance policy against failure and a springboard for reinvention. And once you have developed a community that believes in you, if your product isn't working and you need to develop a completely different product, you can more easily pivot because you will still have a loyal fan base.
Therefore, it will be much better in the long run for companies to have this capability in house. And this will be even more important over the next 10 years for companies that want to thrive in this new environment.
Since bringing this capability in-house is key, who should companies hire and how should they find them?
Generally, you don't want someone who is just starting out without real experience who hasn't proven they can grow an audience. But they don't need to have millions of followers. Instead look for middle-tier creators—those with 50,000 to 150,000 followers. These creators have demonstrated they can grow an audience and understand how various platforms work but their income may be inconsistent and they may be looking for more stable long-term roles. They're often in a perfect position to join a company grow alongside it bring their storytelling skills to your brand.
If you want a more affordable hire and don't mind having it be a bit more of a gamble there can also be value in hiring someone who hasn't grown their own audience but is deeply strategic and obsessed with social media. On occasion companies have hired early-career creators or strategists without huge followings who have crushed it—it's just riskier.
Online there are vibrant communities or collectives of creators. While they don't offer headhunting services you can find potential talent by going on their Instagram or social pages to see what creators they are collaborating with. Start your search in spaces like:
Social media is no longer optional for companies—it’s critical. The ability to communicate authentically build an audience control your own distribution is one of the strongest competitive advantages a company can have. Postponing it is not a wise financial decision. Build it now and it will pay off for years to come.