The social media world is splintering, paving the way for a new breed of influencer. Social media professionals say influencers will thrive by leveraging new platforms and leaning into their expertise. Audiences are tired of ads and seek authentic, expertise-driven content.
Platforms like VSCO and Reddit have gained traction, with users craving genuine communities. Eric Wittman, CEO of photo-editing app VSCO, said, “People are just trying to find something real.” He pointed to Reddit’s growing user base as an example. Bluesky’s user base has also risen in recent weeks to 21 million, and Mastodon is seeing more modest growth with about 90,000 new sign-ups this month.
Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci, who researches digital public infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said there’s a reboot taking place. He believes that a rise of small online platforms will include intimate conversations that are lacking on today’s major platforms. Wittman said, “It will create a lot more fragmentation in the market.
It’s going to be more interest-driven and more community-driven, which I think is healthy.”
Audiences appear to be more discerning and are becoming cynical about sponsored posts, especially when products or brands don’t align with their values. Kate Smoothy, an SEO specialist and the founder and director of Webhive Digital, is also a content creator. She only partners with brands that she believes in because she values her audience’s trust.
“As soon as you lose that trust, you may as well kiss the whole content creator thing goodbye,” she said. Smoothy noted changes in the industry, with different “tiers” of content creators emerging. The top ones will have prioritized their community and built trust with their audience.
Ultimately, the ‘lower down’ creators will struggle to establish themselves or pivot as the industry adapts to new platforms and changes in trends,” Smoothy said. Lucy Edgerley, the head of influence at the global social media agency Born Social, mentioned that Gen Zers, in particular, are craving creativity, entertainment, and inspiration. Some may choose alternative platforms like VSCO, Bluesky, and Mastodon over major players like Instagram, TikTok, and X.
New platforms, authentic influencer content
Others are following their favorite creators to subscription services. Platforms like Pinterest, which foster ideas-driven content, are thriving because they align with this demand,” she said.
Wittman said that 57% of VSCO’s user base is between the ages of 18 and 24, and the app is seeing a million new sign-ups a month. He pointed to the lack of ads on the platform, especially when users opt for the paid service. We are very restrictive on who can advertise on our platform,” Wittman said.
“When we do these brand partnerships, we want to make sure that it’s a brand that suits our principles and philosophies as well.”
Young people growing up with social media are learning the lessons about the dark side of it — the mental health toll, the bullying, and the over-consumerism. “They’re looking for healthier places to go where they’re not feeling manipulated,” Wittman said. Not everyone sees it this way.
While newer platforms are reporting impressive growth, Kim Murray, the founder of the influencer marketing agency Virality Boost, said that many influencers are likely to stay put with what they know. “Most creators find it challenging to build and maintain audiences across an ever-expanding array of platforms,” she said. Influencers will have to evolve wherever they are, regardless of their follower count.
“This shift signals a transformation rather than an endpoint,” Murray said. The real opportunity lies in how influencers adapt to meet this heightened selectivity by focusing on distribution strategies that deliver genuine value to both audiences and brands.”
Wittman said the bar has been raised, and he sees a move toward “intellectual influencers,” where people gravitate to creators who offer something unique. They actually want experts,” he said.
“They want it to be fun, and they want it to be creative. They don’t want just some crazy infomercial.”
Edgerley agreed, noting that despite the success of YouTube shorts and TikTok, long-form storytelling is on the rise. Users want deeper engagement rather than endless scrolling.
“Ultimately, it’s about meeting audiences with humor, inspiration, and substance,” she said. “Not just ads.”
