Creators also view X as a place to test for brands before posting on more video-centric platforms.

“[X is] a great starting point before you put a face and a name, a background and a whole video asset behind [the content],” Dix said.

Niche communities

Brands like Tory Burch, which is building a presence on Substack, seek audiences beyond mainstream platform comment sections, slowly segueing into community-driven avenues like Substack, Discord, WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

“Brands are wanting to find ways to take that really broad social audience and get them into a little bit niche of a community,” Karten said.

Brands actively participating in Slack communities find these channels valuable for engagement.

“It just gives another layer of connection for your communities,” said Powell.