THE SOCIAL EDIT: AUGUST
Opinions. Identity. Content that filters itself
A founder listed every reason someone should unfollow her and gained 40,000 followers in a week. A luxury hotel wrote "WTF is a checkout that makes you feel nothing" under an aerial pool shot and it became their most saved post of the year. Netflix posted a photo of an empty chair saying "about to sit down and watch all these documentaries" and accidentally became the most self-aware brand on the internet for a week.
August is the month of strong takes and shareable opinions. The formats winning right now are not asking for everyone's attention. They are asking for the right people's.
Here are five worth using this month:LET’S GET INTO THE TRENDS…
REASONS TO UNFOLLOW ME
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
A single post. A list of reasons someone might want to unfollow. Except every item is actually exactly why the right person will hit follow instead. "I post about marketing without making it feel like homework." "I do not do Monday motivation content." The tension is the whole mechanic.
WHY IT WORKS
Most brands try to appeal to everyone and end up resonating with no one. This format flips that. It self-selects the right audience, filters out the wrong one, and fills the comment section with people saying "this is exactly me." That converts browsers into loyal followers.
HOW TO USE IT FOR YOUR BIZ
Write the list for your ideal customer. If the items make the wrong person unfollow and the right person follow harder, you have it right.Make each item specific to your niche. Generic personality traits do not land. Specific brand quirks do.Great for:Personal brands, founders, agencies, service-based businesses, any brand building a specific community.
Not everyone is your customer. This format helps the right ones find you.
5 THINGS WORTH THE MONEY
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
A short, honest list of purchases the creator genuinely stands behind. Not sponsored content dressed up as a recommendation. Actual things they paid for and would pay for again. People save it to come back to later.
WHY IT WORKS
People are more sceptical of recommendations than ever. A list that feels like genuine advice cuts through that immediately. Saves go up because it becomes a reference. Trust compounds because the creator is not trying to sell anything. That trust converts when the time is right.
HOW TO USE IT FOR YOUR BIZ
Make the list specific to your niche. A wellness brand recommending wellness purchases. A marketing agency recommending tools they actually use.Include your own product as one item naturally, not as the whole point of the content.Great for:Creators, experts, founders, lifestyle brands, beauty, fashion, wellness, almost any category.
The most shareable content is the kind that feels like a favour..
“WTF IS...”
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
An aspirational image paired with a caption starting with "WTF is..." and something specific. An aerial pool shot: "WTF is a checkout that makes you feel nothing." The contrast between the visual and the caption is the whole thing.
WHY IT WORKS
Aspirational visuals already stop the scroll. The ironic caption adds personality that makes the post feel like it has a sense of humour about itself, which is exactly what makes audiences share it.HOW TO USE IT FOR YOUR BIZ
Lead with your most visually compelling image. The caption does not land without the visual doing its job first.Write the statement from the perspective of someone who has never experienced what you offer. That outsider framing is what makes it land. Great for:Fashion, luxury brands, beauty, hotels, restaurants, travel, jewellery, food and beverage.
The best luxury content does not take itself too seriously. This format knows that.
PREPARING FOR MY NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
An empty chair. The creator walks in, sits down slowly, clips on a mic, and looks slightly off-camera as if speaking to a producer. Then text reveals the absurd or niche topic their documentary is about. The trend started on TikTok in June 2026 and Netflix itself joined with a photo of an empty chair captioned "about to sit down and watch all these documentaries."
WHY IT WORKS
Streaming culture has conditioned audiences to recognise the documentary interview setup instantly. The joke lands before anyone speaks because the visual does all the setup. It is low-production, single-take, and endlessly adaptable to any niche or brand story.
HOW TO USE IT FOR YOUR BIZ
Make the documentary topic something hyper-specific to your brand or industry. The more niche the confession, the more it resonates with exactly the right audience.Keep it deadpan. The humour lives in the contrast between the serious format and the absurd or relatable topic. Great for:Founders, personal brands, service-based businesses, food and beverage, any brand with a personality worth showing.
The best brand content right now looks like it cost nothing. This one does.
“KINDA CHIC TO...”
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
Each slide starts with "Kinda chic to..." and finishes with something specific and slightly unexpected. Kinda chic to not explain your creative decisions. Kinda chic to close your laptop at 5pm like you mean it. People either send it to a friend or disagree in the comments. Both are wins.
WHY IT WORKS
It gives a brand's perspective a recognisable structure without being preachy. The opinion lands fast, the format is consistent, and audiences either see themselves in it or feel compelled to respond. Either way, they engage.
HOW TO USE IT FOR YOUR BIZ
Write five to seven statements from your brand's point of view: things your ideal customer values, habits they have, choices that define them.Keep each statement short and specific. Vague opinions do not get sent to anyone. Great for:Restaurants, food brands, photographers, hair and beauty, florists, product launches, creative service brands.
When the transition is the content, make sure the content is worth the transition.
