Perspectives
13.10.2026
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8 min
by
Dirt
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One of the most frequent questions founders ask us is: "What should we post?"
There is no universal answer, and chasing quick viral spikes isn't the point.
Content is the slow-building engine behind long-term brand equity: whether a post pops off early or not, lasting authority comes down to ongoing consistency and compound growth.
Building an enduring brand world online requires staying consistent without getting boring.
Here’s something that we will stand by forever: The 80/20 rule.
The 80%: Your strategic foundation
A strong social identity keeps your brand recognisable and reliable, it’s how you build trust and community over time.
That’s why 80% of what you post needs to be anchored in real brand strategy: the core values, repeatable pillars, and visual rules that define who you are, why you’re here, and how you talk.
Let’s take a hypothetical high-performance physiotherapy and movement practice as an example of how strategic groundwork transforms a brand's presence.
In their social strategy, that 80% is where we map out the core engines:
1. What is the core idea?
"Redefining Care" positions our hypothetical practice as more than just a clinical health provider: it’s a movement partner.
Quality care isn't reserved for elite athletes; it’s the standard every everyday person deserves to live a pain-free, active life. On social, this idea becomes a creative platform where clinical expertise merges with human stories, team culture, and relentless pursuit of what’s possible.
2. What are your social values?
For our hypothetical movement practice, these non-negotiable lenses shape the tone, visual feel, and overarching ethos of every single post that goes out:
Excellence:
Delivering high-calibre, evidence-based care and clinical insights without sounding overly technical or full of jargon.
What they want people to think: "These people are elite at what they do, but completely approachable."
Empowerment:
Content designed to give people agency over their own bodies, demystifying injury rehab and giving them practical tools for long-term health.
What they want people to think: "I actually feel in control of my recovery now."
Human-Centric:
Holding up a mirror to real life: balancing professional authority with genuine warmth, vulnerability, and real human connection.
What they want people to think: "They treat the human, not just the injury."
3. What are your social pillars?
Derived directly from our hypothetical practice's social values, these pillars define what will be posted to deliver authentic, valuable content:
Life-Changers:
Patient-centered stories highlighting real tangibility around who they have helped: the problem, the solution, the outcome, documented during or after recovery.
What they want people to think:
‘This is inspirational.’
‘They will understand my problems.’
‘They will help me recover.’
‘I like how they think.’
‘They know their sh*t.’
Trail Blazers:
Authentic stories centered around the team: their personal journeys, how they found the practice, and their life outside the clinic.
What they want people to think:
‘He seems similar to me, I’d like to work with him.’
‘That’s a cool story.’
‘I had no idea she did that!’
‘They have a cool lineup of people.’
‘It feels like family for them, rather than a job.’
White Belt:
Staff sharing ongoing learnings, insights, and perspectives with an open, humble mind: tapping into the minds of existing and future patients about what care can look like.
What they want people to think:
‘I like how they aren’t dissing that development.’
‘I wonder if that could help me?’
‘That’s pretty insightful.’
‘I didn’t know physio could be this interesting.’
‘I actually understand what they are talking about.’
Once your content pillars are defined, it will give you a sense of purpose (as well as inspiration, motivation, clarity & alignment). Everyone will see the dream and be positively impacted: your team, partners, sponsors, prospects, and of course your customers.
Here are two brands demonstrating how the 80% works in practice:
Patagonia — "Repeat the Belief, Never the Format"
Patagonia rotates across athlete documentaries, environmental activism, garment repair guides, and community organising. While the format shifts constantly, every piece of content maps directly back to one unshakeable conviction: protect the outdoors, buy less, and demand accountability. The 80% does heavy lifting here: the medium changes daily, but the worldview remains instantly recognisable.
Aesop — "Pillars Built for Longevity"
Rather than reacting to weekly platform trends, Aesop engineered core content pillars: like architectural spotlights, literary pairings, and tactile routine breakdowns, designed to stretch over five-year horizons. This foundation creates a compounding aesthetic identity; whether it's a lo-fi carousel or a high-production studio film, the content feels distinctly Aesop without ever becoming repetitive.
The 20%: Room for real life
Now for the fun part.
Social media moves fast, and people buy from real life experiences and human energy.
The remaining space in your content engine leaves room to be flexible, unscripted, and reactive. If 80% is your anchor, the rest is your pulse. For our hypothetical movement practice, this reactive pillar is called ‘Freedom’.
In our opinion, this is the best space to play in.
Using our hypothetical case study example, this can include (but is not limited to):
Service updates: Scope expansions, new offerings, or refined capabilities
Wins & milestones: Client awards, studio anniversaries, or major project launches
Culture & banter: Behind-the-scenes, studio humour, and day-to-day team dynamics
Cultural commentary: Hot takes on industry trends and relevant internet culture
Key calendar dates: Seasonal moments, industry events, and timely brand hook opportunities
Here are three large-scale brands who executed this 20% exception brilliantly:
Liquid Death x Garage Beer — "We Want Your Pee"
What started as a deadpan, rogue stunt claiming they were testing urine for hydration turned into an actual product collaboration. They took a completely absurd concept and executed it with high-status creative confidence. Watch it here.
Uber Eats x Tom Felton — "Get Almost Almost Anything"
Uber Eats leaned into pop culture nostalgia by casting Harry Potter’s Tom Felton ordering “magic" on the app, accidentally turning his neighbour into a shoe. They broke out of standard food delivery promos to play with pop culture tropes and comedic storytelling. Watch it here.
CeraVe x Michael Cera — “Michael CeraVe”
CeraVe spent weeks planting a fake conspiracy that Michael Cera founded the brand, before revealing the truth in a Super Bowl spot: it’s developed with dermatologists. They turned a dry product truth into a viral internet investigation. Watch it here.
Beyond publishing: Use the comments section as a stage
The 20% realm isn't just about what you post on your own grid, it’s also how your brand shows up in the wild. Some of the highest-yield reactive energy happens in the comments.
Leaving sharp, witty, or surprisingly human responses on relevant accounts, viral moments, or cultural events keeps your brand in the conversation without needing a full production budget. When done right, community engagement becomes its own distribution channel, pulling new eyes back to your page simply because your brand had something good to say.
Ultimately, that 20% is where your brand turns into a living, breathing entity. It gives you room to experiment and react in real time, without ever compromising the strategic weight of your core identity.
The idea is to get people talking, and keep them talking for all the right reasons.