The seasons are changing (whether we like it or not) 🍂
+ YouTube's unhelpful algorithm + the downfall of wife guys
Hi friend,
Traditionally, I feel conflicted when fall comes around.
It’s already getting colder here in New England where I’m writing to you from. The trees are slowly changing, we’re breaking out the warmer clothes, and the days are getting shorter.
I love leaning into the coziness (and the fall flavors!) but I dislike what it signifies.
Winter has always been my least favorite season and fall warns me it’s on the horizon.
But I recently came across this TikTok which addresses this “September Scaries” feeling.
Instead of looking at fall and winter as the end of summer, the video suggests creating rituals to head into the season as its own opportunity for good.
Instead of heading into a new season with dread and sadness, head in with things to look forward to and enthusiasm.
Maybe this year, I’ll try to choose excitement and joy.
How do you feel about the changing of the seasons?
Are you fighting the inevitable? Or welcoming the months ahead?
Let me know, friend.
with warmth + love,
N
—
📚 The Click Throughs
Long-form reads for the marketing geek + content creator
Wall Street Journal: She Tried to Block Eating-Disorder Content on TikTok. It Still Pops Up Daily.
The For You Page algorithm can be wildly accurate and personal which can be great and horrible. If there’s a toxic topic you’re looking to avoid, chances are related content will still find its way to you which can be greatly harmful, especially to impressionable + struggling youth.
The Verge: How platforms turn boring
Is there any interesting and original content anymore? This piece discusses how TikTok’s initial culture-driven focus made it unique and enjoyable. But now content exists mostly to garner enough views just to turn into an advertising channel. It’s a conflicting inevitability.
MIT Technology Review: Hated that video? YouTube’s algorithm might push you another just like it.
A new study from Mozilla analyzed YouTube activity from over 20k participants and found that YouTube’s “like/dislike/not interested” content controls have a “negligible” effect on the content that was recommended to participants. Annoying? Yes. Surprising? Not really.
Glossy: Brands are hiring TikTok influencers to run their accounts
If you’re considering getting into TikTok or any new network, consider hiring a content creator. This article proves how many beauty brands are embracing this strategy, but it can work across all different industries. Who better to run your channels than the experts?
Sprout Social: How prioritization frameworks can make you a better marketer
Have you ever felt like there are a million and one ideas your company can run with but you don’t know where to start? My friend Kushaan Shah outlines this super helpful decision-making framework that will help you focus on the most important initiatives to grow your marketing.
—
🧘🏼♀️ Mindful Moment
One actionable thing to get you through this week
As we’re working on welcoming in a new season, I’ve found resetting meditations to be hugely helpful to reshape my mind. Here’s one of those ~10 minute reset meditations from Headspace:
—
🔗 Link(s) in Bio
Things I’ve been loving that have absolutely nothing to do with marketing or business
New York Times: Fall Is the Season for Building Mindfulness and Resilience – Using this idea of looking at winter as resilience + a moment for growth to propel me into this new season.
Nautilus: The Real Magic of Rituals – Come for the Nadal game rituals, stay for the brain analysis. This piece is a bit longer + academic than my usual reads, but I find habitual behaviors like this fascinating + maybe you do too.
Harvard Business Review: Stop Being So Hard on Yourself – Have I shared this before? It’s from May 2021. Maybe I’ve shared this before. Idk I’m still working on this, so maybe it’s evergreen.
Buzzfeed News: It’s Official: Wife Guys Are Out – This is for everyone who’s seen the names “Ime Udoka,” “Adam Levine,” or “Ned Fulmer” on their timelines recently + had no idea or time to figure out what was going on.
Inverse: Scientists Finally Know Why We Get Distracted and How We Can Stay on Track – Again, a longer piece + a bit academic but I enjoyed seeing how our brain waves work when our mind wanders.
Insider: Infertility TikTok has helped me realize I’m not alone – I’d be a horrible marketer + writer if I didn’t plug my own piece which just went live in Insider (!!!) last week. There’s a lot of personal stuff here, but I hope you takeaway something useful + learn about a niche area of creators who helped me a lot the past couple of years.
—
💭 Content Calendar
Ideas for you to take into your week ahead as a content creator
It’s a skill to know whether or not to take part in a trend or meme.
Not every trend or meme fits every brand.
It may feel like every brand around you is taking part. Like you’ll be missing an opportunity.
But knowing how to appropriately jump on a trend or a meme is just as important as knowing how to perfectly jump on a trend or meme.
(i.e. no, you don’t need to post your own Rihanna Super Bowl take)
—
👋 The (ring) Light at the End of the Tunnel