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I’ve got a question for you, friends. What brands are inspiring you right now? Who’s making great social content that deserves some recognition? Do me a favor and reply right to this email with any companies making great content—I wanna see what you like!

Until then, let’s chat about:

• Why it’s time to stop being “chronically online”

• Why community management doesn’t need to be immediate

• A newsletter to help you start using AI for your work

—Jack Appleby

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Let’s stop being “chronically online.”

You know the phrase. Sometimes it’s just HR reps pulling a copy pasta for social job descriptions, but I also see plenty of social media managers wear the tag like a badge of honor.

“Chronically online.”

What once was an innocent descriptor’s seeped into the water supply, creating weird expectations in all directions. Now social media never sleeps (it does), and social media is a 24/7 job (it isn’t), and social has to move at the speed of culture (totally unnecessary), and every social manager has to know every trend (they don’t).

Let’s talk about why none of us actually need to be chronically online.

You already know what social looks like.

If you’ve worked in social media for more than six months, you don’t need to scroll 4 hours a day to “stay sharp.” You already know what social content looks like.

You’ve seen a thousand hooks that start with “No one’s talking about this.” You’ve watched every version of the “3 reasons your content sucks” guy. You’ve internalized the language, pacing, and formats of the platforms you’re on. That knowledge doesn’t vanish just because you log off for an afternoon. Stop pretending you need to refresh your FYP every 15 minutes. You’re not learning, you’re looping.

Trending ≠ Strategy

So many brands think strategy means “let’s hop on what’s viral.” They confuse trendjacking with actual marketing. Brands are out here making meaningless trend content and completely failing to ever show the emotional benefit a consumer might have from trying their product, instead doing what everyone else is doing.

Strategy means knowing your voice, your goals, your audience — and using trends if they fit. Not chasing them like a dog after a squirrel.

Just because something’s popular doesn’t mean it’s smart for your brand.

Instant Replies Aren’t Required

A lot of social pros feel like they have to be always on to be good at their jobs. Every comment needs a reply in 30 seconds. Every DM has to be addressed before the next one arrives.

Nope.

The truth is, most audiences don’t expect instantaneous engagement — they expect intentional engagement. Thoughtful replies. Real conversations. You can’t deliver that if your brain is constantly fried from checking notifications at red lights. Hell, I could make an argument that algorithmically, you’re better off replying later to increase engagement for a potential second feed push.

Immediacy Isn’t a Strategy

This ties into everything above. We’ve all been tricked into believing that the faster we respond, post, or react, the better we’ll perform, as if social media’s a race?

But meaningful content will always outperform fast content.

Timeliness only matters for trends. And hey, when a trend makes sense, by all means! By timeliness should never be a priority over clarity, creativity, and value provided. Don’t sacrifice quality just to pump out another piece of content.

Original Inputs = Original Outputs

If your brain is filled with the same viral content everyone else is seeing… you’re just gonna end up making the same content as everyone else.

This is why I’m constantly yelling at social folks (lovingly) to diversify their inputs. Read weird books. Go see live theater. Eavesdrop at coffee shops. Watch indie documentaries. Go somewhere that doesn’t have an algorithm.

And if you do wanna scroll your way to success? Get wayyy outside your for your page and your competitor’s content for inspiration. Dig deep into niches and subcultures to see what content they’re making and how they communicate ideas.

Scroll Less. Study More.

Here’s the part that gets missed in all the “just log off” talk.

I’m not saying stop watching content. I’m saying stop mindlessly watching content.

Scrolling is passive. Studying is active. If you’re watching something that went mega-viral, ask why. Why did it stop the scroll? Why did people share it? What was the insight or tension or emotion it tapped into? You’re much better off spending an hour analyzing one piece of high performing content than spending an hour scrolling.

The TLDR of it all.

Being chronically online might make you feel plugged in. But in reality, it’s disconnecting you from your most valuable tools: clear thinking, deep creativity, and real-world perspective.

Social media is a reflection of culture, not the source of it. So if you want to make content that matters, step away from the feed long enough to have something worth saying.

Then come back and post the hell out of it.