Learnings from 60M+ Views
I racked up more than 60M+ views on Instagram & Youtube over the last few months. And here are my learnings.
Hello You,
It’s been a while in here. But I come bearing gifts, in the form of learnings from these past few months.
Life Updates: (must know if you’re looking to read any further)
I launched a new media business, Sosh, in Jan 2024 where we create original content as well as work with brands on IP creation & community building.
Became a content creator over the last year. Hell yeah, feels f*kng awesome to say it. Can we still use the f word anymore though?
Crossed a cumulative of 60M views across Instagram & Youtube.
Worked with some of the best brands on their content strategy
And now I’m back in here, to share some of my learnings & life-updates. Why you ask? Why not.
I’m sick of talking to brand managers on calls where all I’m thinking is: do you even understand content?
So here’s my endeavour to help with what I understand about platforms: Instagram & Youtube. How often are we going to meet each other here? I dont know. As often as I can have enough to talk to y’all. But every edition is going to be raw and power packed, I assure. So lets dive in.
How Brands Win in 2025
Let’s be honest—social media isn’t what it used to be. Back in the day, all you had to do was build a brand account, rack up followers, and boom—you had a loyal audience waiting to consume your every post. Today? That strategy is dead. The game has changed, and if you're still playing by old rules, you’re setting yourself up to lose.
The Problem: Why Are Most Brands Are Failing on Social?
The biggest mistake brands make today? They stick to their brand guidelines and assume that’s enough. But here’s the issue: your audience doesn’t want to follow a logo. The reason brands like ESPN, TSN, and Morning Brew are thriving isn’t just because of their content—it’s because they’ve built multiple, distinct online personalities.
ClickUp, for example, doesn’t just have one corporate account. They’ve got an office comedy account, skit-driven characters, and even “fake” influencer personalities. Why? Because people relate to people, not brands. If you’re just posting polished brand content every day, you’re missing the point.
Your audience needs a reason to follow your accounts. You need faces. You need permanent, relatable personalities tied to your brand. It’s not about abandoning your brand guidelines—it’s about expanding them. You need to go beyond just being thrown into someone’s feed and instead, give people a reason to search for your brand, follow your accounts, and share your content.
If you’re not creating multiple voices for your brand—if you’re not building characters, personalities, and perspectives that make your brand more than a corporate entity—you’re losing ground. This isn’t optional anymore. This is the future of social media.
Community Is the Real Currency
Everyone talks about “building a community,” but let’s be real—most brands have no idea how to actually do it. And no, it’s not just about replying to comments or posting “What’s your favourite flavour?” polls on Instagram stories.
Here’s the hard truth: Instagram is the worst place to build a community.
Why? Because Instagram is built for discoverability, not depth. Your audience is always just one swipe away from the next trending reel. Even if they love your content, they’re being hit with so many distractions that it’s hard to create real, lasting engagement. You’re playing a game where someone will always be louder than you, funnier than you, or just trendier than you.
So if Instagram isn’t the place, where do you actually build a community?
The Answer: YouTube, Creators & Offline Experiences
YouTube is where brands actually get remembered. It’s where people choose to spend time, not just scroll. If you’re not thinking YouTube-first, you’re playing a short-term game.
But here’s where it gets interesting: You don’t need to do it alone. The best brands today are bringing in content creators to host, produce, and distribute their content. Why? Because creators already have an audience that trusts them. They understand what makes content engaging. They don’t just create videos—they create communities.
Instead of forcing your brand to be the main voice, partner with creators who already know how to hold attention. Imagine launching a YouTube show for your brand, but instead of it being a corporate snooze-fest, it’s hosted by someone people already love watching. This instantly gives you credibility, built-in distribution, and a higher chance of being remembered.
And it’s not just YouTube. Offline is making a comeback. Digital fatigue is real, and people are craving in-person, intimate experiences more than ever. Brands that create real-life moments—where their audience can meet, connect, and build memories—are the ones that will dominate in the next five years. I’m going to double down on offline activations over the next few editions.
What Time Slot Does Your Brand Own?
Everyone has limited time in their day. They maybe spending 6 hours of screen time but how much of that is meaningful? So just by creating long form content, if you’re expecting views, that’s not going to happen. As a brand, you would have to think: how am I going to displace the current content that my potential viewer is watching (maybe Netflix, maybe sports, maybe a podcast) and how am I going to get a share of their time?
What will I really displace?
Now when you think in terms of displacement, you think in terms of ‘value per second’ and that’s the metric your audience is subconsciously optimising for, while watching your content.
People are craving real value from content. They either want to learn something or be entertained. The question is—where do you fit in?
Are you a 9 AM podcast people learn from while sipping coffee? Or are you a 9 PM YouTube show that people binge with their friends?
If your brand doesn’t occupy a mental time slot in people’s routines, you’re fighting a losing battle. You need to create content that people actively make time for, not just passively stumble upon.
Execution Is Everything
It’s not enough to “understand” this shift—you need to act on it. If I were running a brand today, here’s what I’d be doing:
Stop treating social media like an announcement board. Every post needs to serve a specific audience segment. If your content isn’t built for a niche, it’s going nowhere.
Launch a dedicated content series on YouTube. Something people can binge-watch, something they can return to.
Think beyond your main brand account. What secondary, hyper-targeted accounts can you create? Think skits, interviews, niche communities.
Collaborate with content creators. Let them be the face of your brand’s storytelling. Leverage their audience, their expertise, and their ability to keep people engaged.
Move your audience from digital to real-life experiences. Host meetups, events, and activations that make people feel like they’re part of something bigger.
The brands that win in 2025 will be the ones who stop chasing viral moments and start building ecosystems. The ones that understand that community isn’t built in comments—it’s built in conversations, long-form content, and real-life interactions.
So the question is—are you just trying to go viral, or are you trying to build something that actually lasts?
There’s more in the next few editions. We’ll hopefully meet soon. Same time same place. Until then,
Gratitude,
Sak
(PS: If you’re looking to work with me as a consultant or as a creator, I’d love to chat)
Excellent post Saksham! Love how you clearly break down the added benefits of building an engaged community and the social media platforms that generate the best long term returns. Thanks for writing this and throwing light on this!