2026 Social Strategy Session Q&A
Rella hosted a conversation on how brands and social media managers should be thinking about the year ahead. The discussion was moderated by Natalie Barbu, Co-Founder and CEO of Rella.
The session wrapped with live Q&A. Below are a few answers from speakers Dakota Rae Lowe, VP of Social at Edelman, and Ellen Mackenzie, founder of Dishing Up Digital.
RSVP here for the webinar recording!
Q&A with Ellen, Dakota, and Natalie
How do you make accounts feel personal and human when you’re managing many clients, especially when the brand or founder isn’t naturally relatable?
Ellen: “Create windows for collaboration with the client. Whether that's repurposing their emails/blogs or jumping on a weekly Zoom call to ‘interview’ them and then pull quotes for their content. If you don't feel the founder is ‘relatable,’ sometimes it's just a case of getting underneath the hood and pulling out some of their personality! They could be holding back because they think their ideas aren't relevant or that people don't care. See yourself as a facilitator and curator of their Instagram and get to work digging out the content you need!”
Dakota: “Sometimes (or a lot of times) putting the founder front and center isn't right. And so many of the brands we love on social don't actually have a real face to them, but rather a clear personality. Whether that's the marketing team at McDonalds, the admin who wrote all the copy for the Spidey Donut, or the first-person copy from Duolingo, we like connecting with the people behind the account. Be real, have a clear point of view, use first-person language, and show up like a human. This allows people to still connect with you.”
When content performance plateaus, what’s the first thing you look at before changing the strategy?
Ellen: “Usually hooks! Is it that the idea wasn't interesting OR did we just not present in the right way? I won't write off an angle or content idea after just one attempt. Try a different format or approach. Only stop if it's failed 2-3 times haha!”
Dakota: “Similar to Ellen, pulling apart the different elements of a post is where I start. The hook, the pacing, the audio and visuals, people vs. no people, static vs. video, etc can all be dissected to give you more insight. If a subject matter worked well before, but in a different format, try a riff on that original post. And try to zoom out to look more generally about what's working and what's not, as opposed to just a post or two.”
How should creators and brands think about their content ecosystem in 2026, where social supports email, community, SEO, and long-form content rather than operating as standalone channels?
Natalie: “We see social as a place to regularly check in with our community and introduce new people to Rella. Every piece of content we post needs to do one of three things: provide value, inform people about Rella, or entertain them. That’s why people follow us and why they trust us as a brand. Social is where that trust is built first, and from there people choose to take the next step — whether that’s visiting our website, booking a demo, or signing up for emails — because the relationship already exists.”
Looking back, what’s one decision you made in your career that most contributed to long-term sustainability or growth, even if it didn’t pay off immediately?
Ellen: “Hiring! Even if you're a freelancer, you don't have to do it all alone. Whether it's a VA or a video editor just doing a few hours a month, this will make a huge impact on your business. Sometimes it takes time to find the right person or to get them trained up. But it's so worth it! For me, it's how I cracked my first $10k month. I'd been trying so hard to get to that goal and nothing worked. I hired my first contractor and a month later I got there!”
Dakota: “Having a scrappy, generalist mentality from the jump has paid dividends in my career. I'm never above getting in the weeds — whether that's editing a piece of content, writing copy, pulling the data myself, doing community management. You need to be able to know how to do everything to then lead everything. Be curious about all the parts you don't know yet! And know that even if doing reporting makes you want to pull your hair out, it'll pay off to understand eventually.”
Should you post every day of the week?
Natalie: “9 out of 10 times, the answer is… no. Posting everyday for the sake of posting everyday is not going to gain the trust of your community. It’s most likely going to hurt your engagement and have less and less people see future posts. Having a consistent posting schedule is better than having a daily schedule. Create your strategy and your content pillars first before posting for the sake of posting.”
