To trend, or not to trend?

My two-year old daughter is old enough to hold my phone. She's old enough to swipe, and somehow she knows how to unlock it. She also knows where Netflix is and how to get onto it to watch Peppa Pig.

My nieces and nephews, a few years older, are starting to understand what social media is. They're not on it yet, but that's just a matter of time before they consume most of their content through these channels.

This isn't a monologue about my family. This is purely an example that not only is my daughter considerably cleverer than I was at her age, but that she, and every child in the UK (and beyond), is growing up in a world dominated by mobile devices.

The decision makers of tomorrow; the mothers, the fathers, the CEOs, the start-up founders. They are all part of the digital world. Social media is now as much a part of growing up as playing football in the park or sneaking a beer at a house party was when I was growing up.

This tells us something - and I'm going to state the obvious here - to be seen is not about being on one medium. It's about being on everything. Being a central part of everything people are consuming. Authenticity and originality are key, but if you're not there at all then you're missing out on that next generation of buyers.

This could be relevant to anyone, but in this instance I'm talking about Brands. Some do it brilliantly. Other's, well, don't. Gone are the days of pushing the same content across TV, Facebook and Twitter. I'm not disparaging that, there's of course still a place for all this, and Sam Drake says it perfectly in this article for Campaign UK . But it can't be the only focus.

People want creativity. They want authenticity. They don't always want to see content that is so clearly an ad (Christmas aside). So Brands need to be clever. They need to use the algorithms to their advantage. And they need to hit trends early to be seen as part of the conversation, rather than jumping on the bandwagon.

At FABRIC SOCIAL , it's all about trend based vertical video. Developing content that meets the objectives of our client whilst ensuring it is on trend. That it 'bangs'. That it's shared across multiple WhatsApp groups. Content that is creative, filmed in the right format and hits the right trends across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Making sure you see the Brand on your For You Page, Explore Page and on your Reels alongside Grid posts and more traditional formats. I'll say it again - getting the Brand in front of all audiences in a real and genuine way.

It doesn't have to cost the earth. Creative and targeted strategy across the right platforms will yield results. Just look at the example of young entrepreneurs who use the correct strategy on TikTok, as described this week in the Financial Times (paywall). They're developing huge audiences, and subsequent sales, off the back of small marketing budgets.

It won't be long (and I say this with a heavy heart) before my daughter is old enough to have an account on whatever the latest social channel is at that time. But by that point I hope that more Brands are getting it right, and being an authentic part of the conversation. You never know, it might persuade her to buy from you.