Back in 2013, ASI asked Danny to share his thoughts on the future of social media marketing. Thirteen years later, we're dusting off those original answers and comparing them to today's reality. Some predictions aged remarkably well, some got a few upgrades, and a few deserve a victory lap. Consider it part time capsule, part prediction review, and all in good fun.
1. How involved is your company in social media marketing?
2013 Danny: With a 356% increase in social media traffic since 2009, we feel like doing business in social is non-negotiable - investing resources in social helps create proof that our brand is dynamic - on a daily basis. Our social media strategy supports the belief that our clients purchase from us based on four basic principles: friendship, trust, reputation, and fun. And we can shine a light on each of those on social. Daily activities on LinkedIn, Facebook,Twitter, and Pinterest.
2026 Danny: Social media is still non-negotiable, but now the challenge isn't getting attention; it's earning trust in a world where everyone has a publishing platform, and AI can generate content faster than humans can consume it.
2. What place do you think social networking will have in the future marketing mix?
2013 Danny: There are now 1 billion on The Book of Faces. It feels as if our marketing messages are getting diluted. We think the future of social will include more focus in groups of like-minded people or “tribes.” Consider a group you want to do business with, CTOs, for example. There are a lot of social media groups for those. We think these segmented groups will create more connection and focus - and ultimately, business will be done in these groups. Because right now, if we are all honest, commerce does not do a great job of intersecting with social? At least not like we want it to. Also, have you noticed advertisements popping up in your newsfeed? There is a huge opportunity to segment, with demographic precision, who we market to on social.
2026 Danny: We nailed this one. The future wasn't bigger audiences; it was smaller, more passionate communities, except now those tribes live on LinkedIn, Discord, Reddit, private groups, creator communities, and group chats.
3. Can you share a story of success that your company has generated from social media marketing?
2013 Danny: This is an outlier, but it is a true story. Remember Silly Bands? When they were gaining steam in retail, we featured this product on Facebook. I remember my daughters having these things up to each elbow. Only one supplier even had them in the industry, so this was early on. One of our clients saw the post and inquired about custom shapes. The value of this one post was 1.5 million units, and the sale was close to $150K. This type of large order is a rarity, but we continue to get sample requests for new items we feature that translate to orders every month.
We also picked up a great hire who was following us on social. We are an aging industry. Social is where the younger population is. Do you think the younger gen will want to work for you if you have no presence on social?
2026 Danny: Social media can still create six-figure opportunities overnight, but today the bigger win is often recruiting talent, building reputation, and staying top-of-mind before someone is ready to buy.
4. What tips can you share for distributors who are just getting started with social media marketing?
2013 Danny: I read somewhere that social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it, but no one knows how. And when it happens, most are surprised it was not better. You have to be committed to it to make it work. Abandoning your plan is a liability.
Humanize your brand – the word is “social,” not “introverted and awkwardly reclusive.”
So, tell stories, share case studies/photos/videos, educate, have fun, offer free samples occasionally, push the limits, but keep it on brand. We have a lot of luck with photos. Reminder: the optic nerve is 40x faster than the auditory one.
Be sure to make it easy for folks to follow you. One simple example is to have your entire company embed social links into their email signatures.
2026 Danny: The advice hasn't changed, but now "humanize your brand" may be the single greatest competitive advantage against an internet flooded with AI-generated sameness.
5. Do you suggest companies have a dedicated social media person?
2013 Danny: No, not for small businesses. You do need someone or a couple of people who have these skills: writing, marketing, design, sales, and someone who manages their personal social well. Focus on the soul and voice of your brand.
2026 Danny: Most companies still don't need a social media person as much as they need a social media culture where employees, leaders, and customers all help tell the story.
6. What kind of content works best on social networks?
2013 Danny: At Brand Fuel, we say that we need to be “Original, timely, relevant, and authentic.” We use social as a micro-micro blog of sorts, sharing technology trends and hot products, design and packaging ideas, marketing and sales tips, and ideas for HR professionals. Ultimately, we are targeting a lot of different prospects.
Another way to think about content is from big to small. (i.e., take white papers and books and then snip them up into smaller publishable nuggets for blogs, LI and FB posts, tweets, and Pinterest boards.
2026 Danny: Add one more word: useful. Algorithms change constantly, but content that genuinely helps people somehow refuses to go out of style.
7. How much time should a small business spend on social media marketing?
2013 Danny: Monitor it daily. We post 3-6 times a week in all mediums, and at that cadence, few people have not stopped following. There are great tools out there. We use publishing tools like Hootsuite to make scheduling easy. And we use Nutshellmail, an aggregator of sorts, for “industrial espionage,” industry-related happenings, and education.
2026 Danny: The tools got smarter, the platforms got noisier, and consistency still beats intensity every single time.
8. What’s the single most important piece of advice you have for how to succeed with social media marketing?
2013 Danny: Planning. Force yourself to create a Social Media Calendar, a month in advance, and schedule via Hootsuite, but keep content flexible enough to be able to make a change on the fly. What I mean by that is, imagine having scheduled a promotional water gun as a featured product on the day those children were killed in Newtown? Not good. I also recommend doing monthly maintenance by following your new clients’ companies and individuals where it makes sense. Get your salespeople to do this as well. Hopefully, your clients will then follow you. Feature your clients in posts. You are hoping for reciprocation. And practice what you preach by giving away branded products to winners when you have contests. We have seen our followership increase on contest days more than on any other day. There is a current study that shows that 65% of people on Facebook connect with brands for contests, games, and promotions. So, invest in that insight. Get involved in Facebook and LinkedIn networking groups. Build a sphere of influence.
2026 Danny: Planning still matters, but the real superpower is adaptability because today's social media landscape changes faster than a teenager's favorite app.
Closing Thoughts
2013 Danny: Social media was the future.
2026 Danny: Social media became the present, but the lesson stayed the same: people don't follow platforms; they follow people, stories, ideas, and communities that make them feel something.
Danny Rosin is co-owner of Brand Fuel, a certified B Corp, co-founder of social impact orgs like Band Together, a nonprofit that has donated $16 million to the community through live music experiences, PromoKitchen, PromoCares, Reciprocity Road, and Operation Smile International’s Student Programs. He serves as chair of the PPAI Board. Danny is a tireless connector of people, ideas, and causes, a believer that business can grow with soul, and a proud husband and father of two daughters who have fully convinced him that well-behaved women rarely make history.