The talent pipeline for “Saturday Night Live” has evolved over the decades. Most stars of the NBC sketch show once were discovered at comedy clubs or improv and sketch theaters, but it’s not uncommon these days for Lorne Michaels and the rest of the show’s brain trust to scout talent on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

This year’s new cast members, announced on Tuesday, made their names on a mix of traditional and new platforms. Ahead of Season 51, which premieres on Oct. 4, here’s some of what helped them stand out from the pack.

Ben Marshall

The most familiar face to “S.N.L.” fans will be Ben Marshall, a member of Please Don’t Destroy, a comedy trio that also includes John Higgins and Martin Herlihy. All three were hired as writers for “S.N.L.” in 2021, and they soon became known for their digital shorts, some of which went viral. A 2021 video in which the guys get dunked on by Pete Davidson and Taylor Swift has been viewed more than 20 million times.

On Wednesday, the day after “S.N.L.” announced Marshall’s addition to the cast, Higgins wrote on Instagram that the group would stop making shorts for the show but clarified that Please Don’t Destroy is not disbanding. (They have tour dates scheduled through mid-September.) Higgins will depart “S.N.L.” to “pursue acting opportunities that I’ll announce soon,” he wrote. Herlihy will stay on as a writer.

The trio began collaborating in 2017 as students at New York University, performing live before expanding to YouTube and eventually TikTok and other social media. Marshall, 30, was born and raised in Savannah, Ga.