Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Use Recurring Social Content Series Like TV Shows
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to start with something Glossier did back in early 2023 that I think is even more relevant today. Luna: Okay, I'm curious — they're usually pretty ahead of the curve. Lucas: They launched a weekly Instagram Live series called 'Into The Gloss Live' — basically a Q&A with their community, hosted by their own product developers. No script, just real-time questions about ingredients, formulations, that kind of thing. Luna: So it's like a recurring appointment for the superfans. Lucas: Exactly. And what's interesting is that approach — treating a social media post series like a TV show with a fixed time slot — has become a real playbook for a bunch of brands this year. I've been tracking it, and the brands that stick to a weekly or biweekly series format see about 2.3 times higher comment rates compared to their regular posts. Luna: That's a pretty big jump. But I imagine it's not just about consistency — there has to be some kind of character or personality driving it. Lucas: You're spot on. The series that work have a clear host or recurring personality. Glossier used their own staff, Sephora uses their #SephoraSquad creators, and Duolingo… well, Duolingo turned their TikTok into a mini-series where the mascot, Duo, goes on these absurd adventures every Wednesday. Luna: Right, the owl that keeps showing up in different scenarios. It's almost like a sitcom. Lucas: It really is. And the format builds a habit. If a viewer knows that every Thursday at 2 p.m. there's a new episode of your series, they start scheduling their scroll around it. That's gold for the algorithm, because it signals high retention to the platform. Luna: But does this work for B2B? I feel like most of the examples are consumer brands. Lucas: It works, but you have to adapt the format. Drift, the conversational marketing company, had a LinkedIn Live series called 'The Pitch' where they'd bring on sales leaders to do mock pitches in real time. It was weekly, it was interactive, and it became a destination for their audience of sales professionals. Luna: So the key is that the format matches the platform's native behavior. On Instagram, it's live and visual. On LinkedIn, it's more of a panel or interview. Lucas: Exactly. And on TikTok, it's short, punchy, and often serialized — like a cliffhanger at the end of each video. I've seen brands like Ryanair do this, where they post a weekly 'Ryanair Roast' segment responding to customer complaints with humor. It's practically a show. Luna: It's almost like brands are becoming media companies again, but this time the distribution is built into the platform. Lucas: That's the big shift. You don't need to produce a full podcast or a YouTube series from scratch. You can use a weekly Instagram Live or a recurring TikTok segment as your 'show' and build an audience right inside the feed. Luna: I wonder about the production cost though. If you're doing a weekly live, you need a host, some prep, maybe a producer. That's not zero. Lucas: It's not zero, but it's way cheaper than a traditional video series. A lot of these brands repurpose the content — they clip the live for Reels, they transcribe it for a blog post. They get multiple assets from one session. Luna: It's a content multiplier. Lucas: Exactly. And the ROI can be really strong if you're building a loyal audience that engages regularly. That said, there's a risk of series fatigue if you don't keep the format fresh. Luna: Right, you can't just do the same thing for 52 weeks and expect people to stay excited. Lucas: Exactly. The best series have a built-in evolution. For example, 'Into The Gloss Live' started as a Q&A, but then they added product demos, guest experts, and eventually audience-submitted questions they'd vote on. The format stayed the same, but the content kept shifting. Luna: You also need a way to measure success beyond just views. Comments, shares, watch time — but also maybe sentiment or repeat viewership. Lucas: Absolutely. I think a key metric for a series is the repeat view rate — how many people come back week after week. If you can track that, you know you're building a habit. And if you're not seeing repeat viewers, it's a sign you need to shake things up. Luna: And speaking of building habits — I know a handful of listeners have actually made listening to Fexingo part of their weekly routine, which is pretty cool. Lucas: Yeah, it's something we don't talk about enough. A few of you chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that literally helps us keep making these episodes ad-free. It's a small group, but it makes a real difference. Luna: Honestly, it's what lets us dive into topics like this without worrying about ad breaks. So thanks if you're one of those supporters. Lucas: Anyway — back to series. I want to talk about how you actually launch one without a huge following. Luna: Yeah, because I think a lot of small brands hear 'weekly series' and think they need a million followers to make it work. Lucas: Actually, the opposite is true. A series can be a great way to build a following from scratch, because it gives people a reason to come back. You just need to be clear about what the series is about and when it drops. Luna: So it's about setting expectations. Lucas: Exactly. Brand the series with a name, a consistent visual, and a time slot. Promote it in your bio, in your stories, even in your email newsletter. And then deliver it without fail for at least eight weeks. That's the minimum to start seeing a habit form. Luna: What about using series as a way to test new product ideas? Like, could you do a weekly taste-test or prototype review? Lucas: Absolutely. In fact, that's a great use case. You can get real-time feedback from your audience and build anticipation for a launch. Peloton did this with their 'New Ride Previews' on Instagram Live — they'd give a sneak peek of a new class format every Friday, and the community would react live. Luna: That's smart because you're also creating FOMO — if you miss the live, you miss the chance to influence the product. Lucas: Exactly. And then you can always repost the recording, but the live element creates urgency. I think that's a big reason why live series work better than pre-recorded ones for engagement. Luna: So what's the biggest mistake brands make when starting a series? Lucas: Inconsistency. They do four episodes, then take a month off, then come back and wonder why nobody watches. You have to treat it like a TV show — you wouldn't skip a week of your favorite show without warning your audience. Luna: That's a good rule of thumb. If you can't commit to at least 12 weeks, don't start. Lucas: I'd say 12 is the minimum. And if you need to take a break, announce it and come back with a clear return date. That's how you maintain trust. Luna: I also think the host matters a ton. If the host is boring or scripted, the series falls flat. Lucas: Totally. That's why many brands use their most charismatic employees or even hire freelance creators who already have a following. It's a small investment that pays off in watch time. Luna: Before we wrap, I want to circle back to the B2B angle. What's a good example of a B2B series that's not LinkedIn Live? Lucas: HubSpot has a great one on TikTok called 'Marketing Mythbusters' where they debunk common marketing misconceptions in 60 seconds. It's weekly, it's educational, and it's hosted by one of their social media managers who's actually pretty funny. Luna: And that works because it's not trying to sell — it's providing value. Lucas: Exactly. The best series are the ones where the brand is playing a role — educator, entertainer, community builder — rather than just pushing product. Luna: I think that's the takeaway for today: pick a format, name it, schedule it, and stick with it long enough to build a habit. Lucas: And if you can bring a real personality to the screen, you're already ahead of most brands. I'll be curious to see which series we're all bingeing on social by the end of this year. Luna: Maybe we'll start one of our own, Lucas. Lucas: I think we just did.