Social Pros Podcast Tech Trends, Toddlers, & Tribalism with Chris Hackney
What does it take to turn social media into a serious business driver for B2B companies? Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater, joins the show to unpack how his team connects social engagement to pipeline and revenue. In this episode, we dive into Meltwater’s approach to content strategy, channel differentiation, and analytics that prove impact across the funnel. Chris also shares how his team structures workflows, leverages influencer voices, and balances brand personality with professionalism in a global enterprise.
Full Episode Details
Chris joins hosts Zontee Hou and Jennifer Harmon on this episode of Social Pros to share how Meltwater’s social media strategy drives real business outcomes, especially in the B2B space. He breaks down how the team maps social content to different stages of the funnel, tailors messaging by channel, and uses data to prove the impact of social on both awareness and pipeline. Chris discusses how Meltwater’s global team balances centralized governance with regional execution, and how they tap into employee voices and influencer partnerships to expand reach and relevance.
Chris also shares lessons from recent initiatives like their Meltwater Champions program, and explains why social media teams should think more like editorial hubs than traditional marketing arms. Chris reflects on the rise of AI in social workflows—calling it “in its toddler phase”—and urges marketers to stay curious as the tools mature. He also shares his take on where social apps are headed next, predicting even deeper tribalism and fragmentation across platforms. All that and more on an all-new episode of Social Pros!
In This Episode:
- 1:50 - Protecting your brand and earn back trust in the face of disinformation
- 6:02 - Opportunities for AI in marketing and communications
- 10:56 - Chris's advice for success in human team members meeting AI technology
- 14:41 - How to connect one-to-one when platforms are constantly changing
- 17:51 - How Chris manages which platforms to invest time, energy, and money into
- 20:12 - Using tools like media intelligence to stay on top of trends
- 22:34 - Producing a framework to keep on top of the things you need to know, and how to empower your team to react in real time
- 31:24 - Chris's advice for aspiring social pros
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