Rachel Karten
Social media has long served as the land of opportunity for big and small brands alike, allowing businesses to gain traction amidst a competitive landscape of like-minded companies. But using it efficiently and strategically without losing yourself to algorithms and SEO requirements can be difficult. Rachel Karten saw the opportunity to bridge this gap. Applying her knowledge and experience from her work at Bon Appetit, Plated, and more, she launched "Link in Bio" in 2020 as a guide for businesses, brands, and creatives who are looking to use social media to differentiate themselves. We were lucky to speak to Rachel — now a bona fide social media consultant for multiple big name brands — about her journey to 30,000 newsletter subscribers and what she's learned along the way.
© Photo Credit via Scott Semler
DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WANTED TO WORK IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
In high school I was the friend who everyone would let login to their Facebook to write the captions for their albums. That might be my very first social media work!
“I’ve always loved telling stories online and finding unique, weird, and fun ways to reach audiences.”
I don’t think I realized I could make a career out of it until I saw how brands like Warby Parker back in 2012 and 2013 were using social media to really express themselves. My first job at a company called Plated was basically me doing social, while also doing customer service and HR. I had to make a case that social media was worth a full time position and luckily, a year or so in, I was able to do that.
HOW DID YOUR FIRST SOCIAL JOB HAPPEN?
In college I knew I wanted to work in food—I had a food blog and wrote my thesis about the organizational culture of restaurants.
“So when looking for jobs I was trying to figure out how to marry my love of social media with my love of food.”
A company like Plated, which was a meal kit delivery startup, kind of ticked all those boxes. I interviewed from my dorm room and got an internship in New York lined up for when I graduated.
© Photo Credit via Scott Semler
LET'S FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MOVE FROM WORKING IN HOUSE FOR BRANDS TO STARTING YOUR OWN CONSULTING BUSINESS?
It was a bit out of necessity! I left my job at Bon Appétit without having anything else lined up. I needed to make money so I reached out to some old colleagues and friends seeing if they needed any help with social media. I used those first few projects to really get my footing in the consulting space.
“It’s now been three years of consulting and I can’t really imagine ever going full time anywhere again.”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEWSLETTER, LINK IN BIO! WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND STARTING THIS?
I felt like so many social media resources were either out of date or written by some SEO robot.
“I couldn’t find a book, blog, or article that really felt like it was coming from the perspective of the people who press post.”
It was always the CMO talking about the social strategy they likely didn’t even work on or a “thought leader” who hadn’t actually ever worked in social. I saw this gap and really wanted to fill it. It’s been so fun to build! There are people who work in-house at some of the biggest brands who subscribe and then there are people who also DM me like “I don’t even do social for a living but I find these interviews and learnings so fascinating”.
NOW THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO AND ENGAGING WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETERS, HAS YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE INDUSTRY CHANGED?
I wouldn’t say it has changed but it’s been validated. I think social marketers are so smart and deserve way more credit. I think social marketers should be paid more.
“I think social marketers are the future of all marketing. I think more brands should invest more in their social team.”
I do hope I am changing the perceptions of this industry for all the CMOs and executives who read my newsletter.
SOCIAL MEDIA CAN OFTEN BE A HARSH LANDSCAPE BUT IT CAN ALWAYS BE AN AMAZING WAY TO CREATE A LARGE COMMUNITY. HOW HAS IT FELT AS YOU'VE DEVELOPED A LARGE DIGITAL COMMUNITY?
“A lot of my focus right now is on my newsletter and growing that community. It’s so nice to put out content that isn’t governed by algorithms!”
People sign up for my emails, people receive my emails.
I know there is more I could be doing on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, etc to keep growing my social community but right now I am really in newsletter mode.
NOW THAT YOUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN, DOES IT FEEL CHALLENGING TO SHARE MORE PERSONAL ELEMENTS OF YOURSELF ON YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT?
Not really! I know my social could perform better if I “niched down” and really focused on just talking about food or just talking about social media. But that’s not me! I post my dogs, my cooking, my newsletter sends, weird things I find at Erewhon, and more on there.
“I try and not overthink it or else it starts to feel like work.”
FROM LEMON8 TO MASTODON TO BLUESKY TO CLAPPER, MORE SOCIAL PLATFORMS ARE ENTERING THE MIX. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT TAKES FOR A NEW PLATFORM TO BECOME ESTABLISHED VS GOING THE WAY OF BEREAL, CLUBHOUSE OR VINE?
I think there are three things:
It has to stand the test of time (one year of growth and relevance)
It has to be big enough that your friends are on it
The algorithm needs to be addictive (this isn’t a good thing, but it’s true)
WITH NEW PLATFORMS, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU MOVE FROM READING OTHER PEOPLES' THOUGHTS TO JOINING AND ENGAGING FOR YOURSELF?
For work social, I engage with a new platform once I see a good amount of conversation around it in the news or on Twitter.
“For personal social, I think it’d be bad for my mental health to be on any more platforms tbh.”
IT'S EASIER TO CREATE A SPLASH WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE BUDGET. DO YOU THINK SMALL BUSINESSES AND BRANDS WITH SMALLER BUDGETS CAN STAY COMPETITIVE IN OTHER WAYS?
Yes! I always say how great it is for small brands that we are in the age of scrappy social right now.
“Brands like Omsom, Poppi, and others have done such a great job of building social content using iPhone video, personality–driven content, and shareable memes.”
HOW DO YOU SET BOUNDARIES WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL CONSUMPTION AND MENTAL HEALTH? DO YOU THINK THERE CAN BE A WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETERS?
I am bad at this! I try to do activities that basically force me to put my phone down—working out, cooking, and reading.
CAN YOU SHARE A SOCIAL ACCOUNT YOU'RE INSPIRED BY THESE DAYS?
“I love Bose’s TikTok. Good example that you don’t need to use trending sounds to make funny, smart, and relevant TikTok content.”
In fact, it can help you stand out even more!
© Photo Credit via Scott Semler
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
Just going to keep working on the newsletter and building that community! Be on the lookout for some IRL events in the near future as well.