Interest Media: A Strategic Shift — A Practical Guide

(Fig: Social media icons photo by Kelly Sikkema)

1. Understand the pivot from “social media” to “interest media”

• Traditional social media was built around who you know — friends, followers, networks.
• In the “Interest Media” era, it’s all about what you love — algorithms surface content based on behavior and interests, not social graphs (brandkit.com).
• Brands must now focus on creating content that matches user passions, not merely accumulates followers (brandkit.com).

Practical tip: Start by identifying the key interests, anxieties, and motivations of your target audience—not just their age, but what drives them, what problems they solve, what content they linger on.

2. Brand content strategy: align with interests, not just trends

• Avoid over-produced, self-promotional content—authenticity wins. Show your brand’s personality, values, vulnerability, and the people behind it (brandkit.com).
• Use storytelling formats: short-form video, behind-the-scenes, real employees or customers, unfiltered Q&As, and real-life demos (brandkit.com).

Pro practical tip: Set up content ideas around niche interests: e.g., “How-to” hacks, day-in-the-life stories, themed micro-series. Let each video serve a specific interest or solve a pain that aligns with your audience.

3. Choose the right platforms — interest networks > just social

• Move beyond follower-led platforms. Place your brand where attention exists—YouTube, email newsletters, LinkedIn, and forum-style or hobbyist ecosystems like Tripadvisor or Morningstar (brandkit.com).
• Specifically, older demographics (Gen X, Boomers) hold the bulk of wealth and purchasing power—focus on platforms they frequent to convert interest into action (brandkit.com).

Actionable advice: Audit your current content distribution. Are you laser-focused on TikTok or Instagram Reels? Maybe you shouldn’t be. Build complementary content for mediums like email (e.g., educational newsletters), YouTube explainers, or community forums that resonate with wealthier and older audiences (brandkit.com).

4. Make content fit each audience and their stage in life

• Younger audiences gravitate toward trends, aesthetics, and quick entertainment.
• Older audiences prioritize trust, value, life relevance — a retirement plan explainer or wellness series over a meme (brandkit.com).
• Mix for future growth but lean into content that builds loyalty and trust with older, higher-value audiences (brandkit.com).

Simple tactic: Categorize content by audience segment:

• “Essential value” pieces: longer explainer videos, thought leadership, how-to guides for more mature audiences.
• “Trend engagement” pieces: dynamic, quick-hitting content for Gen Z — but don’t rely on these alone.

5. Use Brandkit’s DAM to elevate and organize efforts

Brandkit’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) system solves a lot of practical headaches by being your “single source of truth” for content—making everything from planning to publishing smoother:

• Centralized content library: Store videos, images, storyboards, influencer-generated content, etc.
• Search & tagging: Quickly find assets by topic, audience segment, campaign, theme.
• Version control & collaboration: Keep track of revisions, approvals, asset usage across departments.
• Batch editing, auto-tagging & analytics: Speed up workflows, surface asset insights, and optimize what’s working.

Benefits: Speeds up creation, reduces duplication, helps tailor content for each platform and persona. It also supports authentic storytelling by preserving behind-the-scenes raw content and contextual info.

6. Super-simple tools & tips for authentic, audience-first content

7. Where to publish — match media to interest stage

1. Owned channels

   • Email newsletters (for deeper storytelling, trusted info)
   • Website/blog (long-form, evergreen guides)

2. Platform channels aligned with interests

   • YouTube / LinkedIn: For educational, value-first content aimed at older or professional audiences.
   • Interest-centric forums & communities: Tripadvisor (travel), Morningstar (finance), etc. (brandkit.com).

3. Social shorts as amplifiers

   • Repurpose for TikTok, Instagram Reels—but use these as entry points leading to richer content on your owned or interest-aligned platforms.

8. Don’t ignore the smaller networks

Pinterest, Threads, and Reddit all sit squarely inside the Interest Media shift, but each plays a different role depending on audience intent and discovery style. Let’s break it down:

Pinterest — Visual search and intent-driven inspiration

Why it’s “Interest Media”: Pinterest is less about social connection and more about project-based discovery (home renovation, recipes, travel planning, fashion). Users arrive with clear intent and are often in research or pre-purchase mode.

How brands can use it:

• Publish evergreen, inspirational content that links to owned channels (blogs, product pages).
• Create visual guides, infographics, or step-by-step tutorials tailored to search-driven queries.
• Treat it like a visual SEO channel, not a social feed.

Threads — Hybrid of social & interest signals

Why it’s “Interest Media”: Threads (Meta’s answer to X/Twitter) is building momentum around conversational communities, topical threads, and algorithmic discovery. It blends social and interest but leans toward interest-based feeds as networks grow.

How brands can use it:

• Join and initiate topic-led conversations (e.g., sustainability, design, culture).
• Use Threads for real-time reactions but keep posts authentic, not over-produced.
• Think of it as a way to build brand personality and voice more than direct conversion.

Reddit — Deep communities and niche authority

Why it’s “Interest Media”: Reddit is the blueprint for interest-driven content. It’s all about communities (subreddits) built around passions, questions, and niche interests. The social graph doesn’t matter; the interest graph rules.

How brands can use it:

• Engage authentically in relevant subreddits (not ads first, but real contribution).
• Use it as a listening tool — identify audience pain points, language, and trends.
• Sponsored posts work best when indistinguishable from community value (guides, case studies, product comparisons).

Big picture fit

• Pinterest = visual intent + planning → mid-to-upper funnel content.
• Threads = conversation + culture → brand voice, trend participation, real-time dialogue.
• Reddit = community + credibility → research, validation, and long-form engagement.

Together, they extend Interest Media beyond TikTok/YouTube by capturing niche intent, authentic conversation, and long-tail discovery.

Final thoughts

The Interest Media era demands that brands become more meaningful and relevant—customer passions are the new currency. Move beyond chasing trends and followers. Instead, equip yourself with:

• Brandkit DAM for organizing, scaling, and optimizing content workflows.
• Mindful platform selection based on genuine audience attention—not vanity metrics.
• Content tailored to real behavior and life stages, not stereotypes.

Your content should not just be seen—it should be felt, trusted, and acted upon.

For deeper context and inspiration

• We are now in the “Interest Media” era (no longer the Social Media era)
• Are you focusing on the right media networks for your audience?