Rachel Karten
Social strategist and Link in Bio author; analyzes platform shifts, social content strategy, and creator-brand playbooks.
Senator Warnock’s YouTube Soars to 1M Views Monthly
At the beginning of the year, @senatorwarnock's YouTube was averaging around 7K views per month. Today it’s averaging 1M. I talked to the Senator's Deputy Communications Director about their growth playbook. A few insights below:
Interview Reveals Why Artemis II Captivated Global Audiences
The Artemis II mission is one of the most fascinating and universally engaging social media moments I have witnessed in my entire career. I can't believe I got to interview the digital team behind it.
Why Artemis II Chose Threads for Growth
In today’s newsletter I interviewed the Artemis Digital Lead about the Artemis II social media strategy. I asked her about the decision to join Threads.
Substack Promotion Boosts First‑Week Book Sales
lena dunham reportedly sold 60k copies of her book in the first week. she did a ton of press on substack—guest essays, q&as, etc. thought this was an interesting insight that likely also applies to products other than books.
When Leaders Turn Into AI‑Obsessed Overlords
Does your boss have AI brain? I've spent the past few weeks talking to marketers about what it’s like to be on a team where leadership is obsessed with AI. Here's what I heard:
Rogue‑style Fan Pages Can Drive 100M Organic Views
i interviewed the agency making “fan pages” for brands. secondary accounts that feel more like a rogue employee took over than a strategy. the “arby’s boys” page generated over 100m organic views in the first six months.
AI Content Fuels Gen Z’s Growing TikTok Skepticism
We’re underestimating how much AI-generated content is going to change the way people approach social media. What happens when there’s a layer of distrust to everyone’s scroll? We already have an idea of the impact. A recent Harris Poll survey...
Stunt Accounts Turned Brands Boost Launch Intrigue
influencers are launching stunt accounts to tease new products. those accounts are then typically converted into the brand account, with built in audience and intrigue for day one of the announcement.
Consistent Brand Threads Beat Outdated Mood Boards
the best brand accounts have a through line of familiarity. content woven together by a thread that makes people comment “my show is on”. the old mood board model does not work anymore.
Outrage Alone Won’t Mobilize; Give Audiences a Cause
“you can’t rely just on fueling outrage to activate your audience...they need something specific to get behind.” one of my favorite quotes from my interview with @perfectunion’s director of audience engagement.