Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / Why Brands Are Making Social Media Day in the Life Content
Transcript
- Lucas: There is a genre of social media post right now that is quietly rewriting how brands show up on our feeds. It's not an ad, it's not a tutorial, it's not a meme. It's the 'day in the life.' Luna: Oh, the DITL. I feel like I see these everywhere now, but mostly from creators. Brands are doing them too? Lucas: More and more. And the interesting thing is, the best ones are not about the product at all. They're about the people inside the company. Patagonia has been doing these incredible short clips — a buyer at their Reno distribution center walking through how they sort returned jackets. No voiceover, just captions and ambient sound. Luna: Okay, and that actually sounds watchable because it's real. It's not some polished corporate video. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the whole thesis. Social media users are so trained to detect polish that anything too produced feels like an ad. The DITL format trades production value for perceived honesty. And look, a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these shows ad-free. Luna: Yeah, seriously. It's a small group that keeps the lights on here. And we try to make every episode worth that cup of coffee. Lucas: So back to the DITL format — one reason it works is structural. The best ones follow a very specific rhythm. Three to five second shots, no talking head, ambient audio that feels like you're there. Duolingo does this brilliantly with their green owl mascot roaming the office. It's silly but it gets millions of views. Luna: And it humanizes a brand that could otherwise feel very app-y and impersonal. Lucas: Right. So here's the concrete data point I want to anchor this on. A social media analytics firm called Rival IQ looked at brand engagement rates across Instagram and TikTok in the first quarter of this year. They found that DITL posts had an average engagement rate of 4.7 percent, compared to 1.8 percent for standard product posts. Luna: That's more than double. But is that because the algorithm favors video, or because the format itself is more compelling? Lucas: Probably both. But the key is that DITL videos also have higher completion rates. TikTok data suggests users watch about 80 percent of a DITL video on average, versus maybe 40 percent for a standard ad or promo post. People stay because they're curious what happens next. Luna: It's almost like mini-documentary storytelling. You're not selling, you're showing. Lucas: Exactly. And I think that distinction is why we're seeing brands like Microsoft and Adobe jump on this. Microsoft's LinkedIn page recently posted a day in the life of a product manager working on the Teams app. It's just her desk, her sticky notes, a quick standup meeting. No mention of features. Luna: But the subtext is 'we're real people building this thing.' Which builds trust. Lucas: And trust is the currency right now. Edelman's 2026 Trust Barometer came out in January — it showed that 67 percent of consumers trust content from employees more than they trust the corporate brand itself. The DITL format lets employees be the voice. Luna: So the smart play for brands is to get out of their own way and let their team members film their actual days. But there has to be a risk, right? If it's too boring, nobody watches. Lucas: Biggest risk. I've seen DITL videos that are just someone typing at a computer for 30 seconds. That dies instantly. The best ones have variety — a meeting, a coffee run, a problem they're solving. There's a narrative arc, even if it's subtle. Luna: And the audio matters too. I've noticed the most popular DITL posts use asmr style sounds — keyboard clicks, footsteps, background chatter. It's very immersive. Lucas: Yes. That's a deliberate choice. Voiceover can feel scripted, but natural sound gives you the feeling of being there. Patagonia's videos are a masterclass in this. They'll have ten seconds of rain on a tent, or the sound of a zipper closing. Luna: So for a brand that wants to start doing DITL content, what's the first step? Do they need to hire a videographer? Lucas: Not at all. In fact, the best ones are shot on a phone. The key is to pick one person or one department and let them document a real day — not a 'perfect' day. The warts-and-all stuff resonates more. Luna: There was a great example from a small coffee roaster in Portland — they did a DITL of their head roaster, and he burned a batch. They kept it in the video. He was frustrated, but they showed the quality check process. Lucas: That's brilliant. It shows transparency and craft. And it probably sold way more coffee than a polished ad would have. Luna: I think there's also a timing element. A lot of brands post DITL content on Fridays, maybe because people are in a more relaxed, curious mood as the weekend approaches. Lucas: We've seen that too. Thursday and Friday afternoon seem to be sweet spots for longer-form video on Instagram and TikTok. But the real takeaway is consistency. One DITL post isn't going to change your brand. You need to make it a recurring series so people start to expect it. Luna: That's a good point. Duolingo posts a DITL almost every week featuring their mascot Duo in different scenarios — and they've built a whole community around it. Lucas: And they lean into the absurdity. Duo gets into office conflicts, has a rivalry with the cleaning staff. It's essentially a workplace sitcom in 15-second clips. That's the extreme end, but it works because they committed. Luna: So the spectrum is wide. You can be serious like Patagonia or funny like Duolingo. But the common thread is authenticity. Lucas: Exactly. And I think the next frontier is user-generated DITL — where brands invite customers to share their own day with the product. REI does this well with their #OptOutside campaign. They repost customer stories of hiking and camping. Luna: That takes the burden off the brand to create all the content and builds a library of authentic moments. Lucas: And it feeds the algorithm because it's fresh and varied. But there's a quality control risk — not every customer's video will be good. So brands need a curation strategy. Luna: What about metrics? How should a brand measure success for a DITL campaign? Is it views, comments, saves? Lucas: I'd look at saves and shares first. Saves indicate that someone found the content valuable enough to revisit. And shares are word of mouth in the digital age. High completion rates are also a strong signal that the storytelling works. Luna: And for brands worried about the time investment, I think the ROI can be significant. A single DITL video can be shot in an hour and edited in another two. Compare that to a traditional ad shoot that takes days. Lucas: Right. And the shelf life is longer too. A good DITL post can keep getting views for weeks, whereas a typical ad fades after a few days. The algorithm surfaces it in the 'suggested' feed based on watch time. Luna: So the case for DITL is pretty strong. It's low cost, high engagement, builds trust, and humanizes the brand. But I'm curious what you think — is there a risk of over-saturation? Lucas: Absolutely. If every brand jumps on DITL, the format could become noise. The ones that will stand out are those with a unique voice or a genuinely interesting work environment. A boring day in the life of a call center agent might not cut it unless there's a compelling angle. Luna: So the bar for creativity is rising. But for now, we're still in the early adopter phase for most industries. Lucas: Exactly. If I were a brand listening, I'd start small. Pick one person, give them a phone, and see what they capture. The first few might be rough, but you'll learn fast. Luna: And you might discover a whole new way of connecting with your audience. I'm kind of excited to see where this goes over the next year. Lucas: Me too. The brands that get this right will build relationships that feel less like transactions and more like a window into a world. And that's worth a lot.