Not every post needs to go viral. Sometimes it just needs to be worth sharing.

While Lyft's editorial team focused on long-form storytelling, we also translated those stories into social-first content designed specifically for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

We produced a wide range of content: from city guides and local recommendations to driver stories and cultural moments tied to Lyft's communities.

Local culture

One of the clearest patterns we observed was the performance of localized content. Whether it was SF’s “mission-style” burritos, Atlanta brunch spots, CitiBike culture, or the resurgence of lesbian bars, audiences responded to content that felt rooted in real communities rather than brand messaging.

Behind the wheel

The same philosophy extended to driver stories. While audiences don't typically seek out content about Lyft drivers, they consistently responded to stories that revealed the people behind the wheel. These videos helped build brand affinity by demonstrating Lyft's connection to the drivers and communities that make the platform possible.

Outcome

Produced a portfolio of social-first content spanning local culture, city guides, and driver stories across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
Localized recommendation content consistently generated some of the highest save and share rates across Lyft's social channels.
Driver stories regularly outperformed YouTube Shorts engagement benchmarks, averaging 4%+ likes-to-view engagement rates.
The strongest-performing posts combined community relevance with human-centered storytelling, helping identify repeatable content pillars for future social programming.
Insights from this work informed future investments in localized storytelling and driver-focused content.

Team

Director of Social
Jen Winston

Senior Content Strategist
Julia Fawal

Creative Lead, Production
Alexis Hazelwood