The Social Media Strategist Your Brand Actually Needs (But Probably Doesn't Deserve)

You don’t need another intern who “gets TikTok.” You don’t need a Canva-wielding vibe curator. What you need is a real-deal, battle-tested social media strategist - someone who understands that content is war, engagement is leverage, and algorithms are not your friend. They’re predators. And most of you are serving up your brand like bait.

Let’s fix that.

THE PROBLEM WITH MOST "SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGISTS"

They aren’t strategists. They’re schedulers with better titles. They throw up some posts, follow the trends, toss in a hashtag or two, and call it a day. Strategy? That’s a PowerPoint buzzword to them. But in the real world - where brand loyalty is earned one scroll-stopping second at a time - you either have a plan or you’re roadkill.

Here’s the truth: Social media isn’t a playground. It’s a battlefield. And most brands? They’re sending water pistols to a gunfight.

WHAT A STRATEGIST ACTUALLY DOES

A strategist looks at your entire ecosystem. Not just "what to post" but why, when, who it's for, and what the hell you want them to do next. They reverse-engineer engagement based on behavior, not hope. And they don’t chase trends - they study them, hijack them, or burn them down to build something better.

You know that viral giveaway you ran last year that got 1,200 new followers but zero new sales? A real strategist could’ve told you it was gonna tank. Because engagement without alignment is vanity. Period.

HOW IT APPLIES TO OUTDOOR BRANDS

If you're selling fishing gear, hiking boots, or bacon jerky, your audience isn’t wasting their day scrolling through brand moodboards. They’re outside. Living it. So if your content doesn’t grab them fast - and get them to save, share, or act - you’re done.

A true social media strategist understands this. They build campaigns around the moments before the moment. When a dad’s packing for a hunting trip. When a climber’s re-upping gear. When the craving hits for real food - not lab trash.

They bake storytelling into the product. They make the brand the hero. Not the influencer. Not the platform.

THERE’S A RIGHT WAY TO PLAY THE PLATFORM GAME

Here’s the play:

- LinkedIn: Thought-leadership posts that punch through the noise. No fluff. Think: "Most outdoor brands are posting like it’s 2014. Here’s why that’s killing their reach."

- X (Twitter): Hot takes, hooks, and threads that get people riled up. Your job here isn’t to be nice. It’s to be seen.

- Instagram: Visual storytelling. Reels that feel like trail documentaries. Carousels that tell a story in 10 slides or less. Captions with grit.

- TikTok: POVs from the trail, first-person gear tests, raw cuts from brand trips. Think "content marketing meets campfire story."

- YouTube: Deep dives, mini-docs, and behind-the-scenes. Not another influencer vlog.

And they all connect. One post becomes five. One story sparks a thread. One blog post like this one? Becomes 10 pieces of content across the board. If your strategist isn’t building that system, they’re freelancing your brand’s future.

SIGNS YOU’VE GOT A BAD STRATEGIST (OR NONE AT ALL)

- You’re constantly “trying new things” with no baseline to measure against

- Your follower count’s growing but your sales aren’t

- Your content sounds like it was written by AI hopped up on Red Bull

- You’re posting because you feel like you have to, not because there’s a strategy

If any of that sounds familiar - fire your strategist. Or yourself.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE RIGHT ONE

- Track record: Not followers. Wins.

- Cross-platform thinking: They know how to stretch one piece into ten.

- Platform-native instincts: Knows when to use a Reel, when to write a thread, and when to shut up.

- Strategic ruthlessness: They tell you what won’t work, not just what might.

The best ones? They make the content disappear behind the story. You’re not just “doing social” - you’re building culture, community, and conversion.

And if they don’t know how to turn that into ROI without sounding like a Silicon Valley bro, they’re not a strategist. They’re a liability.

SO WHAT NOW?

Here’s your next step: Audit your content. Ruthlessly. Kill anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. Then bring in someone who knows how to build a real plan - one built on data, instincts, and a little bit of old-school grit.

Or keep chasing likes. See how that plays out.

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Giovanni Gallucci is a no-BS social media strategist with 20+ years in the game. He’s helped launch Topo Chico’s digital presence, crafted content for Red Bull and Coca-Cola, and built storytelling engines for Emmy-winning TV shows and U.S.-made food brands. His sweet spot? Outdoor lifestyle, clean-label CPG, and America First businesses who’d rather win than virtue signal. When he’s not building digital battle plans, he’s probably off-grid - filming elk, roasting coffee over a campfire, or yelling at brands on LinkedIn.