Not every founder or brand wants to churn out content 24/7, but in 2025 it feels like you have no choice.

Today let’s break down why that is, and what the alternatives actually are.

Here’s a video I saw this week from the owner of a beauty brand voicing this frustration: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKSzH4LyL4J/ ​

1. Why do we even have to create?

As someone who often talks about the benefit of creating content, it comes down to this: when done well, it creates outsized awareness, attention, and conversion at a relatively low cost.

For example, I know these viral videos from candy brand Behave drove serious TikTok Shop sales and sparked interest from retail buyers. I could list hundreds of examples, but this post isn’t about convincing you that you have to make content.

For newer brands, content is often the cheapest way to build awareness. But that doesn’t mean you need to do founder-led, behind-the-scenes content. There are plenty of formats that work depending on the product, offer, and category. Man-on-the-street, product-led, educational, conversational Q&A, or even meme-style can all work.

If you’re open to making content but feel lost on how to do it well, take CUT30. It’s a one-month training program and probably the best value I’ve seen on how to make good content.

2. Ignore social.

Last month I spoke with a newer CPG brand that was on track to do nearly $1M in May with effectively zero social presence. They have a strong product, high keyword demand, and are getting relatively low CAC on Amazon.

Grüns is another example. It’s a 2-year-old supplement brand that will do $100M+ in revenue this year, yet most of their posts don’t crack 100 likes. From what I’ve seen and heard, they leaned heavily into Meta ads early and used UGC / seeding for creative.

Some products have the margin, repeat purchase rate, and category tailwinds that make paid a more effective and higher leverage strategy.

A lot of companies win in one channel first, whether it’s paid or retail or something else. Just because it looks like everyone is making content all day doesn’t mean you need to.

3. Hire someone.

I haven’t found many agencies that are great at making content for brands, but hiring a skilled consultant or dedicated creator for your brand can be a high-leverage move.

​SET Active did this. They hired Brandon, who already makes content on his own, to create for the brand. A few other brands that have done this well include Stan, Cann, Dupe.Com.

There are a few ways to go about it:

• If you already have an audience, put out an open call on your social channels that you’re hiring a creator to make content for your page, not UGC. Someone who already understands your brand and product, and consistently makes strong content, is usually a great fit.
• Hire a consultant. Kendall is a creator and consultant who’s done great work with brands like Graza and DS&Durga. I’ve done this as well, including for Frida.
• Use a headhunter. My friend JT runs a service that finds dedicated creators for brands. He was early on this and has placed a bunch of great people.

In all of these cases, expect to spend at least $7-10K a month if you want real results.

4. Employee-generated content.

Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z consider themselves video-first content creators, and brands like Waterboy and Remy by Riley tap into this by turning employees into part-time content creators.

This takes pressure off hiring one full-time person and spreads the work across the team.

I think we’ll see more and more brands list “content creation” as part of the job, even outside of marketing roles. I might do a full post on that alone.

So, If you’re running a brand and feel like content is this overwhelming thing you have to do constantly, just know there are other ways to win. If you want help figuring out what might work best for your brand, send me a message.

Ashwinn

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