Interview with Liam Fennessy, Social Media Editor at Morning Brew. He manages the company’s X account (537K followers) through strategic meme usage.
1. Content Strategy
- 8–10 tweets daily, with flexibility based on news cycles
- ~3 Instagram posts per day
- Busy news days: 20–25 tweets; slow days: 3–5
“Don’t get so bogged down in thinking if a post is perfect. Because for X, it doesn’t have to be.” X serves as an experimental space where successful formats can transfer to Instagram.
2. Platform Differences
“X is where brands come to act like people, whereas Instagram is where people go to act like brands.”
Wall Street news resonates on X but often flops on Instagram. Food and beverage industry stories work well on both. Audiences are demographically different, requiring adjusted approaches for each platform.
3. Meme Creation Philosophy
Fennessy emphasizes remixing pop culture references with business news. Example: when Internet Explorer shut down, he created a Toy Story “so long, partner” meme.
“Can I find something that has relevance to a larger audience and attach this business news?”
4. Morning Brew’s Meme Evolution
When Fennessy joined, the X account was primarily text-based. He introduced memes from his personal camera roll. After six months of learning the voice, the team recognized they weren’t a minute-by-minute news vehicle. Instead, they package stories “in a way—whether it’s in a meme or whether it’s in like a text roundup—that both entertains and informs.”
5. Key Takeaway
“A lot of it is just about having the courage to put stuff out there, even if it’s not perfect.” Success requires volume; comedy is a numbers game where most attempts will miss, but some will resonate powerfully.