In his improbable journey to the apex of American power, President-elect Donald J. Trump has always adapted to the media tool of the moment.

As a young mogul on the make, he made himself a fixture of the Manhattan tabloids, then pivoted to the newfangled realm of reality TV as master of NBC’s “The Apprentice.” He recognized the power of Twitter long before other politicians and, in 2016, used countless cable news interviews to propel his candidacy to victory.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris partly by, once again, adjusting to the new realities of mass communication. He bypassed traditional gatekeepers like “60 Minutes” on CBS in favor of the online celebrities and podcasts that have exploded in popularity, particularly among young men.

The personalities courted by Mr. Trump — Adin Ross, Theo Von, the Nelk Boys — may still be something of a mystery to the millions of Americans who rely on mainstream newscasts and celebrity anchors like Anderson Cooper.

Yet each of them was cited by name during the televised Trump victory celebrations early Wednesday. And the president-elect took a moment to single out a friend onstage: Bryson DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open golfing champion and YouTube star whose 56-minute video with Mr. Trump — in which the men called each other “partner” and traded tips on putting — amassed nearly 13 million views.