Is social media dead? Emily Knox weighs in

Emily Knox, Head of Organic Social at Immediate Media, shares her take on the shifting landscape of social platforms, the myth of “dead” organic reach, and where brands should focus their energy next.

In this Expert Insights interview series, Principal Consultant for Marketing, Rebekah Brown, speaks to social media leaders shaping the digital landscape. Specialising in social media, influencer marketing, content creation, and community management, Rebekah connects marketing leaders with top freelance talent.

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Career and background

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career so far?

My name is Emily Knox. I’m the Head of Organic Social at Immediate Media, working across some really amazing brands like BBC Good Food, Radio Times, Olive magazine, History Extra, Gardeners’ World, and Made for Mums.

What’s one of the biggest challenges in your role?

I think the biggest challenge is staying up to date. There are new platforms and constant platform changes to keep up to date with. That means staying on top of evolving user behaviour, adjusting strategies and communicating those changes internally to bring everyone along with the constant changes.

Can you tell us a fun fact about your career in social?

About ten years ago, I was the voice of Monkey for PG Tips! I worked with Unilever on PG Tips, running their social media channels and social strategy. It was amazing, and I still love Monkey and PG Tips to this day.

Is social media really dead?

From your perspective, is social media dead?

I think social media is dead. And when I say social media is dead, I mean it’s become entertainment media now. You don’t really log into Instagram to see what your friends are doing anymore. You go there to laugh or learn something.

I think most people who work in social media or just exist in the world would agree that X (formerly known as Twitter) is not the platform it used to be. Its value for brands has really decreased. A lot of people would be tempted to say that Facebook isn’t relevant anymore either, but I’m a bit of a Facebook truther. I still think it’s really relevant. I do work on a lot of brands with a Gen X and Boomer fanbase, so that might skew my perspective. But I think: watch this space.

The truth about organic reach

How do you guide clients who still want ‘viral’ content when organic reach is supposedly dead?

I wouldn’t agree that organic reach is dead. TikTok changed the game a few years ago. So instead of only seeing content from friends, creators or brands you follow, now you’re served content via the For You feed. It started on TikTok, but also on Instagram Reels and Facebook; even LinkedIn has vertical video feeds.
We’re being served entertainment, so if your content is entertaining or useful, if it makes people laugh or learn, you can get organic reach. I don’t think organic reach is dead, but the nature of it has changed. You need to treat your brand like an entertainment brand if you want to win on social now.

Are private communities the new social?

Are brands shifting towards private communities like Discord or owned channels instead of public social channels?

A hundred percent. Like I said, I think social media, as we knew it, is dead. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are now entertainment platforms. But we are social animals. Social isn’t dead; those communities and conversations have just moved somewhere else.

Discord is a really interesting one. But the platform I’m most excited about is Reddit. It’s seen massive year-on-year growth. It’s not just a tech-savvy, male-dominated space anymore; it’s grown into a mass platform. I’m reliably told by Reddit UK, that it’s now 52% female. It’s become a really interesting place for brands to monitor conversations, build communities and play these days.

Final thoughts: Where does social go from here?

Any last thoughts or advice for brands navigating this shift?

I think social is dead – it’s entertainment now. If you want to win on social media, you need to be entertaining people. You must create entertaining content; whether it’s humorous or informative, you just need to show up in a way that makes sense for your brand. Also, remember the places where you have conversations, and the community might have changed; so Instagram might not be the right space anymore; Discord or a Subreddit may be.
I also think that social listening is quite often left out of these conversations, and how much it has changed. Twitter used to be the go-to place for listening to and tracking conversations, but the value of that has really declined. So now we have to rethink where we get our audience insights from.