The Evolving Landscape of Social Media Marketing: A Decade of Transformation and the Rise of Niche Creators

For ten years, Avrielle Cortes has navigated the dynamic currents of social media, witnessing firsthand the cyclical nature of platform popularity, the seismic shift from horizontal to vertical video, and the burgeoning professionalization of the creator economy. This evolution has fundamentally reshaped how brands approach social media marketing, demanding a more nuanced and diversified strategy. Cortes, who recently joined Sol de Janeiro as Director of Global Influence and Brand Advocacy in December, identifies a critical turning point in this journey.

The Collapse of Platform Monoculture

"The biggest shift I have seen has been the collapse of platform monoculture," Cortes stated, reflecting on her extensive experience. She recalls a period where a singular focus on TikTok became the dominant, almost singular, social media strategy for many brands. "In recent years, there’s been a huge shift to TikTok, in particular. There was a social strategy that basically was like, ‘figure out TikTok’ for a while. And now, I feel like we have… not moved on from that, but the landscape is back to, in a more positive way, more fragmentation – which is fantastic."

This fragmentation, according to Cortes, is not a sign of disarray but rather an opportunity for brands to connect with audiences on more specific and relevant platforms. Sol de Janeiro, the Brazilian-inspired body-care and fragrance brand, has adeptly leveraged this fragmented landscape to maintain its prominent position in the highly competitive beauty industry. Their strategic use of social media has been instrumental in their ascent, including a recent successful partnership with Los Angeles-based comedian and actress Delaney Rowe. Rowe, known for her viral parodies of Hollywood films, has garnered over 4 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, demonstrating the power of engaging, platform-native content.

Beyond Follower Counts: The Power of the Non-Follower Audience

The contemporary social media environment demands a strategic outlook that extends far beyond mere follower counts and reach. Cortes emphasizes that algorithms, such as TikTok’s "For You" page, and the cross-pollination of content across platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, mean that content now has the potential to reach audiences far beyond a brand’s direct follower base.

"The rise of non-followers has become equally as important as followers," Cortes explained. "So it’s wildly important to know who your intended audience is and what makes them tick." This insight underscores a significant analytical shift in social media marketing, where understanding audience behavior and content resonance is paramount, regardless of whether they are existing followers.

Glossy Campus: A Forum for Creator-Brand Collaboration

Cortes shared these insights during a live discussion for Glossy Campus, a new creator network designed to foster connections between brands and emerging talent. The conversation delved into Sol de Janeiro’s creator partnership strategies, offering valuable guidance for both brands and creators navigating this evolving ecosystem.

Strategic Creator Partnerships: Defining Success

When questioned about Sol de Janeiro’s approach to selecting creators, Cortes highlighted the brand’s dynamic and goal-oriented ecosystem. "It’s honestly dependent on what goals we have at the moment. We have a very dynamic creator ecosystem, or we like to think that we do."

The discussion around partnerships involves a comprehensive review of key elements, including exclusivity windows and usage rights. Cortes advocates for creators to be more proactive in their negotiations. "What I would love to see creators do is ask more questions. You should be asking, ‘What does success look like to you as a brand?’ Or, ‘How will my success be measured by the brand? What is the approval process? What am I walking into? Who has the final say on the approvals?’ All of that should go into that decision-making for you."

She further elaborated on the importance of clear objectives, warning against brands that demand an all-encompassing approach. "If you ask these questions and a brand partner comes back to you and says, ‘We want it all,’ that’s a [red] flag. They need to have a primary goal; it’s OK to have secondary or tertiary goals, but there has to be a North Star to your success, because one piece of content cannot do all things." This advice emphasizes the need for a singular, overarching objective for each campaign, ensuring that efforts are focused and measurable.

Beyond Engagement Rates: Deeper Dive into Metrics

The conversation then shifted to the metrics that brands are increasingly prioritizing. While traditional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like viewership and engagement rates remain important, Cortes expressed particular excitement about deeper analytical layers.

"Some of the more traditional KPIs, like viewership rate and engagement rate, are all important. And again, it goes back to making sure you’re clear with the brand about the intent and the primary goal of the partnership. But what excites me most when I really start to geek out about the data is going layers deeper than that."

She identified share rates and save rates as particularly valuable indicators of audience resonance. "I would say share rates and save rates are really important. Because that way, you know your community is resonating with what you’re putting out there. They are super engaged." Furthermore, the quality of comments provides crucial qualitative insights. "I would say comment quality is important – going in and seeing what kind of conversations you’re evoking. Are people just spamming your comments with a bunch of emojis?"

Cortes stressed the importance of creators being intimately familiar with their own performance benchmarks. "So I would say, make sure you’re going a bit deeper on the KPIs. Make sure you are so immersed in your own benchmarks and analytics that you know them back and forth. Because those are also key negotiating tactics. If you can be so deep in the numbers of your content, you’re able to leverage those to the best of your ability." This deep understanding of analytics empowers creators to advocate for fair compensation and more effective brand collaborations.

Building Communities in a Fragmented World: The Power of Niche

For aspiring creators looking to establish themselves in today’s crowded digital space, Cortes offers a potent piece of advice: "specificity beats scale." She observes that the fastest-growing creators are those who occupy a defined niche.

"If you’re building, specificity beats scale. The creators who are growing the fastest in today’s day and age are folks who own a narrow lane. If you are in the fitness category, at a point in time, we will sort of lump these categories of creators together. And I think there are still umbrella categories, but I would go a step beyond being known as a fitness creator and become known as a strength-training creator for women over 40, for example. Or if you are passionate about the travel space, maybe you are creating content focused on slow travel on a local salary. It’s sort of niching down within these categories."

This focused approach, while seemingly restrictive, can foster a deeper sense of authenticity and encourage creative differentiation within a specialized domain.

Authenticity and Repetition: Finding the Right Balance

The question of whether it’s acceptable to repeat content formats or topics within a niche was also addressed. Cortes suggests that audiences often seek familiarity and consistency. "If you’re a fashion girl like me, you can repeat an outfit, and you can repeat a topic of the conversation or a content format. And I honestly think audiences and communities look for that, and you’ll tell based on your benchmarks and your performance, whether it’s organic or in a paid partnership capacity, what’s working and what’s not. And you should absolutely repeat what’s working because that’s what your community is there to engage with."

She points to the "FragranceTok" community as an example of creators who have successfully carved out a specific content format that resonates with their audience. Simultaneously, she acknowledges the existence of creators in broader categories like lifestyle or fitness who may employ more dynamic formats. "So there is a brand, a program and a topic for everyone out there. I wouldn’t be afraid to niche down because almost when it’s too general, folks are like, ‘Well, what are we standing for?’" This highlights the importance of a clear brand identity, whether for an individual creator or a commercial entity.

Sol de Janeiro’s Standout Partnership: Delaney Rowe

When asked to highlight a particularly impactful partnership, Cortes enthusiastically pointed to a recent collaboration with Delaney Rowe. "There is a partnership that we are so, so proud of that is actually dropping this week. We are working with Delaney Rowe. If you are unfamiliar with Delaney, she’s a fantastic creator. She’s an entertainment-first, comedic creator. She really rose to popularity on TikTok, but she has since diversified her community across other channels."

The success of this partnership was rooted in a collaborative approach that empowered the creator’s unique vision. "She’s a known brand fan, so we did a little bit of brand education. But she’s familiar with us. Of course we did product education, because we want to make sure she’s feeling comfortable and confident speaking to them. But really, she took back that brief and then re-pitched to us what her creative concept would be, and it was so fun. We were literally laughing out loud at her content in the most positive way possible." This exemplifies an ideal scenario where brand objectives are met through authentic and creatively driven content.

The "Edu-tainment" Imperative

The power of entertainment in capturing audience attention on social media cannot be overstated. Cortes champions what she terms "edu-tainment" content, a blend of education and entertainment. "Absolutely. We really find that content should, first and foremost, entertain, and then it should either inspire or educate. So we call it ‘edu-tain content.’"

In an era of information overload, entertainment serves as a crucial hook. "You are inundated with content, whether it be organic or sponsored content. We understand that folks are scrolling endlessly, and how are we going to capture their attention in a sea of content? Entertainment is the way to do that."

Cortes further observes the blurring lines between social media platforms and traditional entertainment mediums. "I find that social platforms are the new entertainment platforms. There’s a crazy stat out there that people are on YouTube more than they are on broadcast or streaming TV or streaming movies. Talent these days is reaching certain levels where streaming services are reaching out to them, and they are the lead talent in an upcoming series. So the lines are consistently getting blurred between social, digital media and other forms of media that consumers have traditionally leaned toward."

Ultimately, Cortes concludes that success in the contemporary social media landscape hinges on a brand’s or creator’s ability to authentically entertain and educate their audience, regardless of their specific niche or category. This dual approach ensures sustained engagement and a lasting connection with the community. The implications of this shift are profound, suggesting a future where social media is not just a marketing channel but a primary source of entertainment and information, demanding a sophisticated and adaptable approach from all players involved.

Additional reporting by Jill Manoff