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The new rules of social media growth in the attention economy

Lili
The new rules of social media growth in the attention economy

The new rules of social media growth in the attention economy

Social media hasn’t “slowed down”. It has fragmented, accelerated, and turned ruthless. You’re not competing seulement avec d’autres créateurs. You’re competing with Netflix, WhatsApp notifications, Spotify, email, and that Slack ping your audience is pretending to ignore.

Welcome to the attention economy.

In this environment, the old playbook — “post consistently, engage in comments, follow trends” — is no longer enough. Growth is still possible (and massive), but the rules have changed. Let’s unpack what actually works in 2025 if you want to grow without burning out… or dancing on TikTok against your will.

The attention economy: what changed, exactly?

Every platform used to reward one thing above all: time spent. Keep people scrolling, and the algorithm would love you.

Today, platforms optimise for a more complex combo:

In other words: platforms promote content that captures attention fast, holds it, and encourages repeat usage without scaring advertisers.

This leads to a few new dynamics:

So the new game is simple to state, hard to play: grab attention early, deliver value fast, earn trust over time.

From algorithm gaming to user-first engineering

For years, growth advice was: “Know the algorithm and play it.” Post at specific times, use the right number of hashtags, comment in the first 30 minutes, etc.

Most of that is noise now. Why?

The shift is clear: platforms want you to stop gaming the system and start serving the user. The creators who grow are those who treat content like a product, not like a diary.

That means asking three blunt questions before you hit “publish”:

If you can’t answer these clearly, the algorithm — and your audience — will answer for you.

The first three seconds: your new battlefield

On Reels, TikTok, Shorts, or even LinkedIn videos, the first three seconds decide everything. On average, users spend 1.7 seconds with a piece of content before deciding to scroll. That’s your window.

Old rule: “Hook your audience early.”

New rule: Make the hook the content. Your opening isn’t a warm-up; it’s the reason to stay.

Some examples of hooks that work in the attention economy:

Notice what these have in common: they are specific, slightly provocative, and immediately about the viewer, not about you.

Native-first content: one idea, multiple formats

The era of “copy-paste the same post on every platform” is over. Users expect content to feel native, and platforms reward exactly that.

Same idea, different executions:

New rule: “Repurposing” is not “copying”. It’s reframing the same value to fit the platform’s behaviour patterns.

To keep this scalable, many creators work from a simple matrix:

This approach supports growth without forcing you to be “everywhere” with completely different ideas.

The rise of “depth metrics”: saves, shares, replays

Likes are now the least interesting metric in the room. Algorithms look far more closely at signals of depth:

These behaviours tell the platform: “This is not just attention-grabbing, it’s useful.” In the attention economy, this is gold.

To optimise for depth, design content that acts like a tool:

Ask yourself: “Would someone interrupt their scroll to save this?” If yes, the algorithm is listening.

Personal brand still matters – but not how you think

In theory, algorithms are “content-first”. In practice, personality still drives loyalty and growth — just less via aesthetics, more via distinct point of view.

You don’t need perfect branding, but you do need recognisable answers to:

Think of your presence more like a newsletter in feed form: people follow you because they know why they’re here.

A practical way to sharpen this: create a “content manifesto” in one paragraph and keep it visible when you plan:

“I help [specific audience] achieve [specific outcome] by sharing [types of content] that are [adjective 1], [adjective 2], and [adjective 3]. I refuse to [thing you won’t do].”

This simple exercise keeps your content aligned and memorable in an increasingly noisy feed.

Consistency has changed meaning

We’ve all heard it: “Just be consistent.” But consistency in 2025 is less about posting daily, more about reliable presence + evolving quality.

Platforms are surprisingly tolerant if you:

The old pattern “post every day at all costs” often leads to burnout and generic content the algorithm quickly ignores. A better model:

In the attention economy, consistency of usefulness beats consistency of noise.

Data as a feedback loop, not a verdict

The dashboards many creators obsess over are finally becoming useful — if you read them like a scientist, not like a judge.

Useful questions to ask your analytics:

One creator anecdote I keep seeing: a “throwaway” post that quietly generates more profile visits than a viral hit. That’s a sign of qualified attention. Study those anomalies. They often reveal what your best future audience actually wants.

New rule: stop asking, “Did this go viral?” Start asking, “What did I learn from this?”

Communities over audiences

Follower counts still look good in a screenshot, but platforms are increasing the weight of relational signals:

Why? Because these behaviours indicate not just attention, but attachment. And attached users are harder to lose to the next shiny app.

Practically, this means:

Growth is no longer just “more eyeballs”; it’s “more people who’d notice if you disappeared for a week”.

The multi-platform trap (and how to avoid it)

With TikTok clones popping up everywhere, the temptation is strong: “I’ll post on 6 platforms and see what sticks.” Most of the time, what sticks is… creator fatigue.

A more sustainable model in the attention economy:

Growth accelerates when you know your stack. For example:

Instead of chasing algorithms everywhere, you design a journey for your best viewers.

AI is your co-pilot, not your personality

We can’t talk about attention without addressing AI. Yes, AI tools can now generate scripts, captions, thumbnails, even your face and voice. No, that doesn’t mean you should outsource your identity.

In the current landscape, AI is best used to:

But here’s the catch: AI can’t own a point of view. It can assist, not replace, the thing that makes you followable — your lived experience, your bias, your taste.

In an ecosystem where AI-generated filler will only increase, the creators who win are those who combine:

Action plan: new rules, simple steps

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Let’s end with a pragmatic checklist you can adapt this week.

The attention economy is harsh, but not hopeless. The creators who adapt aren’t the loudest — they’re the clearest. They respect the user’s limited time, deliver sharp value fast, and build relationships that last longer than a viral spike.

The rules have changed. The opportunity hasn’t.

— Lili Moreau

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