#252: Will we feel nostalgia for discovery in 2020s? [Voice Memo] - Creator Science with Jay Clouse

Summary5 min read

Creator Science Podcast Summary
Episode #252: Will We Feel Nostalgia for Discovery in the 2020s? [Voice Memo]
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Jay Clouse

Introduction

In Episode #252 of Creator Science, host Jay Clouse delves into the evolving landscape of content creation and audience discovery in the 2020s. Presented as a voice memo, Clouse shares his reflections on the challenges creators face amidst the surge of AI-generated content and shifting social media algorithms. This episode serves as a contemplative exploration of whether the current era will be viewed nostalgically in the future, much like the "golden bygone opportunities" of the mid-2010s.

The Role of Timing in Creator Success

Clouse begins by emphasizing the critical role that timing has played in the success of prominent creators such as Mark Manson and Tim Urban. He highlights how these creators benefited significantly from publishing during a period when platforms like Facebook rewarded external publishing, providing their blogs with "escape velocity" and access to a broader audience that would have been difficult to reach independently.

Clouse [00:45]: "We think of that as like this golden bygone opportunity. But what if we are living in one of those opportunities?"

The Rise of AI and Increased Content Volume

Transitioning to the present, Clouse discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on content creation. He notes the unprecedented ease with which content can now be produced and repurposed, leading to an explosion in the volume of short-form content. Additionally, he points out that platforms like Facebook are actively generating synthetic content using AI to boost user engagement, a trend that is set to escalate as technology advances.

Clouse [02:10]: "Facebook is literally creating content with AI for engagement of their users and they will only get better and better and better at that."

Challenges with Social Media as a Discovery Platform

Clouse articulates his concerns about the diminishing effectiveness of social media as a discovery mechanism. For years, there has been an imbalance between the supply of engaging content and the demand from consumers. However, he observes that this equilibrium is shifting towards an oversaturated market where the sheer volume of content outpaces the available time consumers have to engage with it. Social media platforms are now prioritizing broadly appealing, entertainment-focused content in their algorithms, making it increasingly difficult for niche creators to reach their target audiences.

Clouse [04:20]: "I think social media is moving in the opposite direction of becoming like less and less sustainable, less and less compelling as a platform to meet new audiences."

The Superiority of YouTube for Audience Building

In contrast to the challenges posed by traditional social media platforms, Clouse advocates for YouTube as a more viable avenue for creators seeking to build and maintain their audiences. He explains that YouTube's format allows for longer, more engaging content that fosters deeper relationships with viewers without requiring additional steps to consume more content. This leads to higher retention and more meaningful audience interactions compared to the fleeting engagement typical of platforms like Instagram or TikTok.

Clouse [06:15]: "I think YouTube continues to grow in terms of total attention put into the platform. I think it's still better at connecting specific interests to the consumers who want that information."

The Importance of Owned Systems and Deplatforming

Clouse underscores the necessity for creators to establish owned systems of distribution—such as email lists, podcasts, SMS, or private communities—to mitigate the risks associated with over-reliance on social media platforms. He warns that without these owned channels, creators may find it increasingly difficult to communicate directly with their audiences as social media algorithms become less favorable.

Clouse [08:30]: "If you're big on social media but you don't have your email list built, you don't have some sort of owned system of distribution, my biggest priority right now would be to create that and start deplatforming people who follow you on social into a place where you can more reliably communicate with them."

Opportunities and Evolutions: Embracing Platforms Like Substack

Addressing counterpoints, Clouse shares his evolving perspective on platforms like Substack. Initially critical, he now appreciates Substack's "Notes" feature and community tools, which enhance discoverability and help creators build stronger relationships with their audiences. While still classifying Substack largely as a social media tool, he acknowledges its potential as a stepping stone towards more secure and owned distribution channels.

Clouse [10:05]: "I've been playing a lot more with Substack, which I actually think I would still classify mostly as social media. I think they have some interesting discoverability potential right now with their Notes feature..."

Conclusions and Future Outlook

In wrapping up his voice memo, Clouse reflects on the impending shift in content discovery and audience building. He anticipates that the decade from 2015 to 2025 will be remembered as a unique period that offered creators unprecedented opportunities due to lower content saturation and higher consumer demand. Looking forward, he predicts that future creators will face a more challenging environment where maintaining a sustainable and engaged audience will require strategic use of owned distribution systems and platforms like YouTube.

Clouse [11:50]: "We're going to look up in a couple of years and social media is no longer going to be the mechanism that creators, educational creators like you and I really look to for building an audience."

He concludes by teasing an upcoming episode focused on AI and education businesses, signaling continued exploration of how technology shapes the creator economy.

Key Takeaways:

Timing is Crucial: Success in content creation can be heavily influenced by the timing of publishing and platform algorithms.
AI's Double-Edged Sword: While AI simplifies content creation, it also increases the volume of content, making discovery more competitive.
Shift from Social Media: Traditional social media platforms are becoming less effective for niche content discovery due to algorithmic changes favoring broad entertainment.
YouTube as a Preferred Platform: Offers better engagement and deeper audience relationships through longer-form content.
Owned Distribution Channels: Essential for sustainable audience building and reducing dependency on volatile social media platforms.
Evolving Tools: Platforms like Substack are adapting to offer better discoverability and community-building features, aiding creators in audience retention.

This episode of Creator Science offers valuable insights for content creators navigating the increasingly complex digital landscape. By highlighting the importance of strategic platform selection and the development of owned distribution systems, Jay Clouse provides actionable advice to help creators build resilient and engaged audiences in an age of overwhelming content.

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[00:01]
A
We have a new episode of the podcast coming this week, but we're a day or two behind. So in the meantime, I wanted to share a quick voice memo of something that's been on my mind. I think often about the success of some creators and how important timing was to it. Think Mark Manson, Tim Urban, incredible writers, but also really, really benefited from publishing in a period of time when Facebook was rewarding a ton of impressions to external publish. And that really helped give their blog at the time sort of escape velocity and an audience that they would have had a very hard time reaching on their own. That was in, you know, circa 2014, 2015. And we think of that as like this golden bygone opportunity. But what if we are living in one of those opportunities? Right now I'm looking at how easy it is to create content with AI and the volume of content that is and will continue to be published in short form because now it's so much easier to repurpose. And I'm also looking at things like Facebook themselves creating synthetic content just to put in feeds for engagement. Facebook is literally creating content with AI for engagement of their users and they will only get better and better and better at that. All of this, I think adds up to an increasingly difficult time to use social media as a discovery mechanism. You know, right now, for the last many years, I think we've had an imbalance between supply and demand, supply of good engaging content and demand of people willing to consume it. But I think we're starting to hit an equilibrium and maybe go the other direction where there is more supply than demand, there's more content and good content than there are minutes in the day for people to consume that content. Especially when these platforms are optimizing their for you feeds to really prioritize the most engaging on average content. I think it's getting harder and harder for somebody with like a niche specific vertical to reach their niche audience on social media because it's not as engaging on average to the consumer. And so platforms are prioritizing more broad based entertainment style content in these four U feeds. And I think we're going to look up in a couple of years and social media is no longer going to be the mechanism that creators, educational creators like you and I really look to for building an audience. And we're going to look at this past decade, you know, between 2015 and 2025 ish as the time when man, people who got started during that time really had a huge benefit because there was so much more demand and so much less supply of content and we're going to look back on it with some wonder and nostalgia. I'm thinking about this because recently somebody asked me, he said, why are you putting so much more effort and investment into YouTube than social media? And in reflecting on that, it's because of this feeling that social media is moving in the opposite direction of becoming like less and less sustainable, less and less compelling as a platform to meet new audiences. I think YouTube continues to grow in terms of total attention put into the platform. I think it's still better at connecting specific interests to the consumers who want that information. And I also think it's a lot easier to build a deeper relationship with somebody more quickly because if I create a 30 second reel that is really engaging, I need you to not only, you know, watch that reel, but realize, oh, I enjoyed this, go to my profile, watch more reels to get, you know, several minutes of time spent with me. Whereas on YouTube, if I make a good video and I get you with the packaging and you click it, you start watching. As long as you're having a good experience, you continue to watch my content because the video is much longer. You spend a lot more time with me just by staying engaged. You don't have to take further action once you click. Whereas again on social media, once you click, you consume that thing quickly. And to engage with me further, you actually need to take the conscious action to go seek out my profile, seek out more content from me. So I just think there's still a much higher ceiling on the YouTube opportunity than social media. And you know, that's not even including all of the other downsides that come with social media. So I am, I'm worried that those of us who have had a lot of success with social media as an audience building platform, if you have not built an owned system of distribution, if you don't have your relationship platforms in place being email or podcasting or SMS or private communities, if you haven't deplatformed your audience from social media, I think to some degree the clock is ticking for how easy that will be. I think if you're big on social media but you don't have your email list built, you don't have some sort of owned system of distribution, my biggest priority right now would be to create that and start deplatforming people who follow you on social into a place where you can more reliably communicate with them. And this may shock you, but I've been playing a lot more with Substack, which I actually think I would still classify mostly as social media. I think they have some interesting discoverability potential right now with their Notes feature, and they are, you know, helping you build an email list. You can export your email list and move it to something that I think is a little safer, like Kit. But from a starting standpoint from for email, I think I've been a little unnecessarily critical of Substack, especially now that they have this Notes feature and these community features that help you more deeply build relationships with your audience. That's it for today. Like I said, we have a new episode coming this week related to AI and education businesses. I'm really excited about it. Keep an eye on the feed and I'll talk to you soon.