Maybe We’re Using the Internet Wrong

LinkedIn gave me new friends.
Raya gave me CMOs and Brand Directors.
Facebook helped me find lost relatives.
Instagram helped me lose myself.

And when I need serious financial intelligence, Vogue Business has sometimes been more useful to me than Forbes.

Apparently, every platform is doing the opposite of its job.
And somehow, doing it beautifully.

We still describe platforms by what they were built for:

But people don’t behave according to platform descriptions.
They use them for whatever they need.

That’s why I think brands often ask the wrong question.

Not: Where should we be?

But: Where is the conversation actually happening?

Because those are not always the same place.

A younger audience might not be waiting for you on Instagram.
They might be on Discord, Snapchat or inside a game.

And if your first reaction is:

“I don’t really understand those places.”

That may be exactly why they’re there.

Platforms change fast.
Human behavior, not that much.

Maybe the opportunity is not to understand what each platform was designed to do.
Maybe it’s to notice what people quietly turned it into.

— Daniel Leira

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About The Author

Daniel Leira writes for Gotham Insights. His column explores how brands interpret audience behavior across digital platforms.