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Hey — Ryan To here.

In today’s edition we’ll be covering:

It’s 2026, and guess what…..

Winning on social media doesn’t just mean being consistent anymore

It’s easier than ever to copy other creators, and content online is starting to look more and more similar…

So whether you’re building a personal brand, business, or both,

You need to build a content moat

It’s how you differentiate from your competitors and make content that’s uniquely yours

Here are the 3 ways to build one using the Brand Moat Framework:

Method 1: Style

Your moat starts with your content style

And this isn’t just about the fonts or colors…

It’s also about your taste

Your taste is what determines:

His style centers around running, baking, and life outside of a 9-5:

If you’re struggling to develop a unique style, here’s what I recommend:

Explore alternate media: Don’t just consume the same content a your competitors. Look at movies, TV shows, and documentaries to help you find new angles for your niche
Define your beliefs: Every great brand is built on clear beliefs. Write down your top 5-10 and make sure they consistently show up in your content

Method 2: Format

This is how you hack consistency and make it hard for your competitors to keep up

Great formats are:

Check out @brycent who makes sit-down videos breaking down interesting startups:

How to find your format:

Experiment: Try out different formats like talking-head, social show, POV storytelling, and voiceover, until you find one that works for your content
Identify a series: Ask yourself: What idea, question, or theme could you turn into a weekly or recurring series people come back for?

And finally…

You know what the hardest thing to copy is?

It’s community

Not just followers or views… but people who feel connected to you and each other

Check out @rawdawgclub that built a running community from scratch:

How to build this:

Engage with your viewers: Host IRL events, reply to DMs, and make your viewers feel like they are apart of the experience
Align with a mission: What broader mission does your content connect to? If your content is tied to a purpose, it can quickly turn a basic follower into a loyal advocate

Hope your 2026 is off to a great start ❤️

Ryan To

Creator (120K+)

@itsryanto