The secret to social media success – and which brands are winning

Anyone who’s been online recently will know that some brands seem to just get how to put out a viral post on X or perfectly make a TikTok trend their own.  

But while creativity and a quick wit are essential for social media success, posts that resonate with audiences aren’t just lucky – there’s some tried-and-tested marketing logic at work, too.  

Here are just some of the secrets to success, and how the internet’s favourite brands are using them to their advantage. 

Don't be afraid of lo-fi content 

First and foremost – social media is no longer a place for glossy campaign assets. 

Youth audiences value authenticity above all else, and our research has highlighted that too much advertising was a prominent reason for students leaving, or choosing not to use, certain social apps in recent years.  

Instead, take cues from brands like Oreo, who aren’t afraid to embrace the weirdness and swap carefully-crafted marketing messaging for lo-fi, relatable and entertaining content.  

Keep it relevant 

To the untrained eye, content like Oreo’s talking cookies can just appear absurd. But brands that effectively lean into comedy and embrace the surreal – or in internet parlance, ‘unhinged’ – all have one thing in common: a clear link to the brand. 

Duolingo’s social media comments and replies (as green owl mascot, Duo) are a shining example of turning social listening into effective content.  

Users’ comedic observations about the menacing tone of the language-learning app’s reminders to complete their daily lessons have been expertly turned into comments wherein the mascot references memes and makes threats to users.  

Elsewhere, Ryanair’s self-deprecating posts personifying their planes and mocking customers have turned a seemingly unexciting or even undesirable brand into a sought-after experience – even in the crowded travel space.  

Be responsive 

Internet culture is notorious for being fast-moving. The viral joke that everyone’s quoting one week is irrelevant the following week – which means getting involved with a trend as quickly as possible is essential to success. 

Nando’s is a brand that exemplifies this reactive approach. Its TikTok content jumps on trending meme formats and sounds while they’re still popular, as well as having plenty of funny content in the back pocket and comedic announcements to keep to a regular posting schedule.  

In many businesses, too much planning or multi-step sign-off processes mean that reactive marketing like this is an impossible feat. Committing to being responsive and having the capacity to monitor online trends and respond to them, are essential to social success.  

So, if you’re looking to get serious about marketing to students, an investment in full-time social media staff who are empowered to act fast could be one that will pay off. 

Enable personalities to shine through 

A recent trend that went viral for all the right reasons was “letting Gen Z write the marketing script”. Far from going over tired stereotypes, the trend poked fun at generational differences while including all parties in the joke, and plenty of brands took the opportunity to make their own version.  

Arguably the best example of this trend, Currys did just that by enabling the featured person to bring their own personality to delivering the script, with a deadpan delivery and obvious enthusiasm that audiences loved. Similarly, Hever Castle’s attempt gained such a positive response that they posted a follow-up video – with excellent engagement results. 

The key to these two brands’ success was using their unique assets – in this case, their employees’ personalities – to elevate their content and help it stand out amidst all the variations of the same thing going around.