Hey there,

As a copywriter, I navigate the current content-overloaded social media landscape by keeping the work I produce human. I never use AI to write, and I never will. I stick to the fundamentals of capturing the voice of the particular brand I’m working for and writing as specifically for their audience as possible. When I can, I write copy that is fun and silly because that kind of content always resonates with me personally, and I think it sticks with people. 

TikTok is the content that engages me most at the moment, although Instagram Stories are a close second. The key difference is that with TikTok, I’m much more willing to watch strangers on the Internet and let myself get swept up in trends, memes, and drama like what I’m affectionately calling #bizcochogate. (Here’s a link to a video introduction to this rabbit hole for non-Spanish speakers.) When it comes to Stories, I’m there to see what my friends and a few select small businesses I love are up to on a day-to-day basis, and I’m far less likely to engage with anything beyond those kinds of accounts on that platform.

The thing that mystifies me the most about working in the content creation space are the algorithms that our content lives and dies by, without really understanding those algorithms myself. (Does anyone, really?) They are fickle, ever-changing, and unpredictable. So-called experts online have dozens of tips to achieve virality, and though being consistent pays off for the lucky ones who go viral, luck is still very much needed.  

The tips I’ve come across as I’ve been building a side project from the ground up have been interesting. In talking to a friend recently, he pointed out one particular editing trend I’ve been seeing but didn’t have a name for previously: the circular edit. You’ve probably seen videos edited in this way — the creator gets to the point as fast as possible right at the top of the video in hopes of grabbing your attention and getting you to stay for the rest of the story.

I know that our attention spans are shrinking across the board, but I also want to acknowledge that long-form content still does well, and there is definitely an audience for it (hey, you’re reading a blog post/newsletter right now, which are definitely seeing a resurgence). My husband’s favorite kind of content is deep-dive video essays on YouTube, and I really enjoy watching those with him when it’s a topic I’m interested in, as well.

It’s a point of personal pride for me to continue to cultivate patience with regard to my attention span. Unrelated to social media, reading and cooking are activities that help me feel grounded and present in a world that seems to only be moving faster with each passing day. After all, I’m only human.