That time Jackie Ortiz angered the birding community (and other stories from a content creator & social media pro)

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That time Jackie Ortiz angered the birding community (and other stories from a content creator & social media pro)

On It’s a Lot this week, I chatted with Jackie Ortiz (she/they), a social media professional by day and food/travel content creator by night. Their whole career has focused on building community and cultivating curiosity, which I really admire! We explore figuring out how to identify which stories will resonate with your target audience, learning to create video content, encouraging people to see familiar places differently, and lots more. We even talk about the time a small mistake in one of her travel videos infuriated the birding community!

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The State of Social Media in 2025

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The State of Social Media in 2025

For years, I’ve loved working in social media because it’s constantly changing and you never get bored. But sitting here in 2025, I’m starting to feel like we’ve had enough changes! Social media is getting harder and harder to keep up with, and its influence on the real world continues to grow. These aren’t just silly little apps we all waste time on; they have a massive impact on society and culture. Today on the blog, I’m sharing the latest updates on how social media is changing in 2025, my recommendations as a marketer, and my personal opinions as a human.

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11 Tips for Effective Social Media Management During a Crisis

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11 Tips for Effective Social Media Management During a Crisis

Crisis communication skills are becoming increasingly essential in many roles, whether you’re a business leader or a marketing and communications professional. In 2024, it’s critical that social media managers know how to navigate a crisis on social media when one inevitably begins to unfold. So what exactly constitutes a crisis and how do you do a good job handling one on social media? Today I’m sharing 11 of my best tips for social media managers to handle a crisis online. 

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You Have My Permission to Leave Twitter (or rather, X)

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You Have My Permission to Leave Twitter (or rather, X)

I quit Twitter in the summer of 2021. My mom had just died, I was starting a demanding new job on an interim basis, and had experienced some hostile interactions on the platform. I thought a break would be liberating, so I resolved to step away from Twitter for three months. No announcing my departure as some folks are apt to do, I just walked away.

And I never came back.

I’ve been somewhat of an evangelist for quitting Twitter for a few years now. Once Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022, I became even more convinced that the platform would no longer be a viable place for meaningful conversations to thrive. Musk has implemented numerous changes in his reign so far, many of which are generally agreed to be poor choices that negatively affect user experience.

So what does this mean for you or your business? If you’ve been hanging on to Twitter (or rather, X, as Musk rebranded it in July 2023), in the hopes that it still has some kind of value, this is your sign that it’s okay to walk away. 

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What I've Learned from Posting Twice a Day on TikTok for 2 Years

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What I've Learned from Posting Twice a Day on TikTok for 2 Years

For the past 2 years, I’ve posted twice a day on TikTok, once in the morning and once in the evening. It was a long and fascinating journey that helped me learn a lot about this unique, ever-evolving platform. Looking to enhance your own TikTok strategy? Here are 5 things I learned from posting on TikTok twice a day for 2 years. 

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The Easiest Way to Add Multiple Links to Your Instagram Bio

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The Easiest Way to Add Multiple Links to Your Instagram Bio

Since its inception, Instagram has not allowed users to include clickable links in captions. The result is the infamous ‘link in bio’ culture, where individuals and businesses alike encourage their audience to visit their bio and click the one link there to follow through on the desired call to action. Because Instagram only permitted one link in a user’s bio, a few different workarounds arose so users could drive their followers to multiple different calls to action. Some people optimized their Instagram bio by using third-party tools like Linktree; others (myself included) advocated for creating a hidden landing page on your own website. Now, neither of those options is necessary, because in spring 2023, Instagram added the ability for users to include up to 5 links in their bio. It’s quick, easy, and effective! Here’s how to set it up:

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 6: Posting Only CapCut Templates for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 6: Posting Only CapCut Templates for a Week

This year, I’ve been running a series of TikTok experiments in an effort to learn more about the enigmatic TikTok algorithm. My goal is to assess which tactics help you reach and engage more viewers. I’ve learned a lot from my past experiments! In May, I decided to experiment with sharing only CapCut templates for a week to see how that would impact my content’s performance. If you’re not familiar with CapCut templates, here’s my handy explainer. The results of this experiment surprised me: CapCut templates were even more effective than I anticipated! Here’s what I learned from this experiment.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

For a few months now, I’ve been conducting experiments to learn about TikTok’s algorithm. I plan to continue these experiments for as long as I can, despite the looming threat of (another) potential TikTok ban. My goal is to learn how to create content that will be served to just the people you’re hoping will see it. I’m testing several different tactics and sharing my findings.

Lately I’ve seen competing theories about video length. Some folks claim that the algorithm is boosting longer form content and we should all pivot to that; others assert that video completion is the most important metric, so shorter videos work best. I tried posting only 60 second videos for a week to see what would happen.

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How Often Should I Post on Social Media?

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How Often Should I Post on Social Media?

As a social media strategist, one of the most common questions I get is, “How often should I be posting on social media?” Like many things in social media, the answer starts with “it depends.” It’s also evolved over the past few years as the social media landscape continues to change rapidly. Last year, I wrote about where to invest your time and effort on social media. But once you’ve decided which platforms to focus on, how do you figure out how much to post? As is often the case, quality is more important than quantity–but there are other factors at play too. Without further ado, let’s dive into social media posting frequency!

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