Social Pros Podcast

We’re skipping our usual podcast this week but will be back on December 31 with a special episode to mark a huge milestone... To mark the Social Pros podcast reaching its 500th episode, we ran a live webinar to talk about what we’ve heard and learned over the past 500 episodes. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details In this webinar and the special podcast episode to follow, host Jay Baer and co-hosts Anna Hrach and Adam Brown join together to celebrate one of the longest-running marketing podcasts hitting its 500th episode. The Social Pros hosts discuss different episodes, favorite guests and looks at some of the very best advice our guests have given listeners over the years. To mark the celebration, we’ve also produced a companion guide eBook that we’re really proud of. It features different highlights from the show, exclusive insights from social media experts, and gives a full rundown of the history of this podcast. To download it for free, head to this link. For those who couldn’t make the live show on December 22, the podcast episode will be available on December 31. Until then, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from all of us at Convince and Convert! Resources Grab the Social Pros Turns 500 free commemorative eBook Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Kristen Maldonado, Senior Manager of Social Media at MTV, joined the Social Pros podcast for a chat about building a strong community of loyal fans. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Kristen Maldonado, Senior Manager of Social Media at MTV, is on the Social Pros podcast to share how the team over at MTV managed to build such a fantastic community and fan base. As a lover of pop culture herself, Kristen appears to have the perfect job. Kristen explains that rather than relying on boring, false Tweets and overly manufactured campaigns, the approach at MTV is more about posting from one fan to another. The social media team at MTV are all huge fans of the artists and movies they post about, which goes a long way in making the content feel more authentic and exciting. This, Kristen explains, is key to building a strong community and boosting engagement with fans. Kristen talks about why MTV prioritizes social listening, and she also shares a glimpse into how they put together Instagram campaigns and test out different content formats. She also explains how being a content creator on the side has helped her in her career and why it’s her top tip for other social pros. In This Episode: 3:44 – Kristen explains how the MTV social team are just as excited as the fans 5:30 – How the MTV social team manages to produce so much content with a small team 7:24 – How MTV’s social team members collaborate with different content calendars 9:50 – The balance between pre-planned content and posting lightning-fast reactions to news stories 10:42 – The role of social within the MTV brand as a whole 13:14 – Kristen explains how they coordinate with artists and how it plays out to the fans 16:55 – How the social team at MTV put together such a successful IGTV campaign with celebrities 20:11 – How MTV’s social team tests different content formats 23:18 – How the voice of MTV’s social channels came to be 26:34 – What MTV looks for when hiring new team members 28:33 – Why having a content creator background is so helpful for a social media career 32:33 – Kristen gives her top pick for an underrated show everyone should watch 35:26 – Kristen’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Kristen’s YouTube channel about pop culture  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Amy Woods, CEO and Founder of Content 10x, is back on the Social Pros podcast to share her content repurposing expertise, and the importance of consistency, copy, and having a platform-focused approach. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Amy Woods, CEO and Founder of Content 10x, joins the Social Pros podcast for a second time to chat about why writing is still king when it comes to content creation. Whether you’re creating podcasts, videos, audiograms, or graphics – it all starts with the writing. Amy shares some of her content repurposing expertise and a little look behind the curtain at how Content 10x creates awesome repurposed content for this very podcast as well as many others. On the social side, Amy explains why a platform-specific social strategy is always best and why it’s so important to know each platform inside out to get the very best out of it. Amy rounds off the episode with some tips for new podcasters and explains why it’s crucial to have a seat at the table when putting a content strategy together. In This Episode: 4:43 – The current state of the content repurposing industry 7:10 – How to create the right content for the right platform and audience 11:01 – Consistency with publishing schedule vs. consistency with topic 12:49 – How to successfully approach topical content 14:36 – Amy discusses whether you need a consistent ‘face’ for your brand 17:04 – How Amy prioritizes the Content 10x teams 19:50 – The implications of the rising number of podcasts 22:18 – Is it better to be niche? 26:44 – Where social media practitioners should invest their time 32:46 – The consequences of not having a content strategy 35:08 – How to become a social pro 37:27 – Amy’s choice for a video call with any living person Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce The Content 10x podcast  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

AJ Vaden, CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group is on the Social Pros podcast to discuss the increasingly important concept of personal branding. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details AJ Vaden is a personal branding expert and CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group. She joins the Social Pros podcast to share the tips and tricks (and common mistakes) all businesses need to know about when it comes to personal branding. According to AJ, we are in the “era of the individual,” and personal branding is more important now than ever. She explains that personal branding is not the new concept we think it is. It’s just more visible now in the digital world. It’s not just some fad or trend we can skip. Personal branding is key to building your reputation and customer trust. AJ shares the common mistakes she sees clients make and how entrepreneurs can really reach their audience through content, not just sales pitches. In This Episode: 2:54 – AJ takes us through Brand Builders Group 5:40 – Why Brand Builders Group is not just about personal brand strategy but business strategy as well 6:30 – Why personal branding is not a new idea or trend 9:36 – AJ discusses the latest research from Brand Builders Group 14:19 – The importance of company executives having their own personal brand 19:08 – Why AJ advises companies to create their own internal influencers 25:29 – The most common personal branding mistakes on social media 31:20 – AJ’s advice for using different social platforms 34:48 – Why building a personal brand isn’t about getting social media-famous 36:00 – AJ’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Trends in Personal Branding Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert, Speaker, and Author at Jenn's Trends, joins the Social Pros podcast for a new and updated chat about Instagram’s best practices. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details If Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert, Speaker, and Author at Jenn's Trends, sounds familiar, it’s because she’s a returning guest twice over. She joins the Social Pros podcast for a third time to deliver more fantastic Instagram tips and insights. Given that Instagram is perhaps the most frequently changing social media platform, Jenn always has something new to share. In this episode, we look at what’s changed on Instagram and which best practices you should focus on in the future. The last time Jenn was on the show, Reels was a promising new feature. Given what it is today, Jenn explains why you should definitely prioritize Reels in your Instagram strategy. We also hear some quickfire tips from Jenn for any social pro trying to gain traction on Instagram, including why you should only ever post your best content. Tune in to the episode to learn what makes a winning Instagram strategy, what she’d love to see on the platform in the future, and why the color blue is surprisingly good for engagement. In This Episode: 4:08 – Jenn’s take on Meta and why she thinks it’s unlikely to affect Instagram 6:05 – How to deal with ever-changing Instagram updates and why Reels is the one to focus on (for now) 7:43 – How to repurpose content for Reels 11:37 – Jenn explains why “more hashtags is more,” as long as they’re relevant 15:03 – Why Instagram recently rolled out the ‘Rage Shake’ feature 16:23 – The benefits of being able to delete and edit Carousels 19:12 – Jenn discusses the new ability to post from the desktop 21:33 – What photos work best on Instagram – Jenn’s top tips for boosting engagement 24:23 – What features or updates Jenn would love to see in the future 26:53 – The place Instagram has in customer service 29:18 – Why Jenn believes you should have a customer service background to work in social 31:10 – The top thing that Instagram users overlook 34:24 – Jenn shares her top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Leah Schultz, Senior Director of Brand & Social at TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino, joined the Social Pros podcast to discuss a winning real-time social media strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Leah Schultz, Senior Director of Brand & Social at TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino, is on the Social Pros podcast to share the secrets of TwinSpires’ success. Social media never sleeps. And in the world of online gambling, sports, and racing, social pros need to have their finger on the pulse. Part of what makes TwinSpires’ social content so engaging is that it pops up exactly when the fans need it – in real-time. Leah and her team don’t delay when it comes to pushing out content. Someone just won their 7000th race? Her team will push out recaps, graphics, and copy, right there and then. Leah explains why this is especially important in this industry and what other social pros can do to stay ahead. She shares the strategies behind social listening, community management, and why a trusting, close-knit team is key to making fast decisions for social content. Leah also shares a little about the challenges of promoting racing and gambling content, including the regulations and how they differ by state. In This Episode: 4:34 – Leah shares a bit of background on TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino 5:50 – How Leah navigates the different regulations for social content 7:30 – How the TwinSpires team manages national vs. state-specific social content 11:20 - What Leah learned from her time with Papa John’s legal team 13:30 – Why online casino and racing are a 24/7 business for the social team 16:55 – Why having a social team with passionate sports fans is so important for TwinSpires 20:19 – Where community management fits into the social team 22:05 – How TwinSpires manages age gating with its content 26:14 - Leah shares how she talks to leadership about social media and how that’s changed over the years 29:41 – Leah gives her take on how VR and AR will play into the future of online casinos and sports 32:40 – Why Leah prefers Twitter over audio-only platforms like Clubhouse 35:52 – Leah’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your advertising spending on Snapchat Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Brittany Cabriales, Head of Social Media at GoFundMe, joins this Social Pros podcast episode to discuss how social media can be a force for good. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Brittany Cabriales, Head of Social Media at GoFundMe, is on this episode of Social Pros to share the strategies and successes behind GoFundMe’s social media push. GoFundMe is an instantly recognizable name in the online fundraising world. Part of this is down to users sharing their fundraisers on social media, which almost every user does. Brittany explains how the social team helps to get the word out about important causes and the effect this has on fundraising. Brittany shares why timing is crucial and how timely fundraisers can raise thousands of dollars more. This is why promoting on social media is key, so you have to move fast. Brittany also shares how GoFundMe’s social media success is largely down to organic content rather than paid advertising. We also hear how different social platforms do better with certain types of fundraisers and how to tell an effective story with your fundraiser for maximum success. In This Episode: 3:18 – Why GoFundMe is hoping to broaden its audience reach 4:41 – The impact of the pandemic on GoFundMe 6:28 – How the pandemic spurred people into action through fundraising 7:21 – How GoFundMe uses social media to spread the word about good causes 9:36 – Brittany explains how GoFundMe targets both fundraisers and participants 10:17 – How different social platforms are better for different audiences 11:25 – How GoFundMe decides what fundraisers to promote 13:52 – Why Brittany is always trying to stay on top of social media trends 14:21 – How GoFundMe’s choice to highlight fundraisers affects the donations 16:34 – Brittany explains GoFundMe’s new social strategy 17:38 – Why GoFundMe sees more success with organic search over paid 18:29 – The top metrics that GoFundMe watches 20:19 – How Brittany approaches campaigns on different social media platforms 22:33 – GoFundMe’s new ventures on TikTok 24:34 – Brittany’s tips for gaining traction with your GoFundMe campaign 27:41 – Why Gen Z is one of the most engaged donor demographics on GoFundMe 28:43 – GoFundMe’s approach to social care and social listening 29:15 – How Brittany’s experience in customer support helps her in her role now 31:06 – Why “every cause is important” in Brittany’s eyes 32:33 – Brittany’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce GoFundMe’s Instagram Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jon Loomer, Owner of Jon Loomer Digital, is on the Social Pros podcast to talk all about the future of advanced Facebook advertising.  Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Jon Loomer, Owner of Jon Loomer Digital, joins the Social Pros podcast to share some of his words of wisdom and advice for those looking to take Facebook ads to the next level. With the recent Facebook to Meta rebrand, things are a little up in the air in the social media world. But Jon weighs in on the future of Facebook and how marketers will have to adapt to succeed. He gives some solid advice on getting started with Facebook ads, why you should focus on targeting the right people, and how to be mindful about sticking to a budget. Jon goes on to talk about how competition has affected advertising on Facebook over the years and why it’s more important than ever to be creative and experiment to find what works. In This Episode: 2:50 – Jon’s thoughts on Facebook’s rebrand to Meta 4:38 – What is “the metaverse”? 6:23 – How Jon Loomer Digital evolved into the resource for Facebook advertisers 10:08 – Why tie your Facebook ads to different stages of your funnel 12:07 – Creative, targeting, or budgeting: which is the most important? 14:31 – Why microtargeting is so powerful 18:00 – The factors holding people back from experimenting with Facebook ads 19:48 – How advertisers can set realistic result expectations 21:52 – How to get started with Facebook ads 25:56 – The challenges with dayparting 29:12 – Understanding how iOS14 can impact Facebook advertising 34:35 – What makes a good Facebook ad call to action 35:51 – How much should you trust Facebook’s auto-optimization? 41:48 – What experience and skills help you run successful ad campaigns 43:33 – Jon’s one tip to becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Jon Loomer Digital A Facebook Ads Experimentation Guide Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Thea Neal, Global Talent Marketing Manager for Royal Caribbean Group, joined this episode of Social Pros to share how she’s utilizing the power of social for recruitment. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Thea Neal, Global Talent Marketing Manager at Royal Caribbean Group, is on the Social Pros Podcast to share the inventive ways Royal Caribbean Group recruits staff. With a constant need to fill roles on the many ships within the Royal Caribbean Group family, recruitment is a huge priority. But rather than simply throwing up a few job adverts, Royal Caribbean has turned to social media to really drive that hiring push. Thea explains how they use user-generated content from existing staff members to paint a picture of life at sea for potential candidates. She believes this goes way further than what marketing campaigns can produce because it’s authentic content that people really want to see. Thea also shares how recruitment is a long game for Royal Caribbean Group and how social is currently driving around 20% of referrals to job applications. We also hear a bit about the struggles during COVID, including visa changes, recruitment competition from other brands, and how the travel industry is recovering. In This Episode: 4:39 – How Thea is managing a huge hiring push after a COVID pause 7:27 – How being a talent marketer differs from being a regular marketer 9:39 – The ways talent marketing has changed over social media 11:27 – Why Royal Caribbean’s social recruitment push is a long game 12:40 – How Thea works with her counterparts to ensure the messaging is consistent 14:21 – What the pandemic taught Thea about the challenges of global hiring 16:20 – How Royal Caribbean manages a constant recruitment push worldwide 18:01 – How Royal Caribbean uses specific and targeted hiring campaigns 20:06 – Why Glassdoor ratings were such a big priority for Thea 24:10 – How user generated content gives insights into job roles that marketing campaigns can’t 26:08 – Why most UGC is created organically at Royal Caribbean 27:04 – Thea explains the ‘Journey with Us’ campaign 29:04 – How Thea measures success with recruitment campaigns 35:20 – Royal Caribbean’s hiring campaign plan post-COVID 36:50 – How Royal Caribbean competes with other companies for the best talent 38:54 – Thea’s one tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Careers at Royal Caribbean Group Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Lauren Thomas, Senior Manager of Communications & Social at Intuit Consumer Group, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how Intuit makes tax content fun and engaging. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Tax and budgeting are, by most people’s books, not the most interesting topics to hear about on social media. And yet, Intuit has managed to create content on social that’s fun, engaging, and educational. This is thanks to the work of Lauren Thomas, Senior Manager of Communications & Social at Intuit Consumer Group, and her team. Lauren joined Social Pros to talk all about her work and how she’s brought innovations and big ideas to the team to drive its success. We hear about Intuit’s ventures on TikTok and how it works with both personal finance and general lifestyle influencers to create engaging and relatable content. Lauren explains how Intuit has developed its light-hearted and fun brand voice to appeal to those who would usually shy away from hearing about tax. In This Episode: 4:16 – How Lauren manages to wear so many hats in her role 6:10 – How Lauren uses social listening and the insights she’s picked up 8:47 – Why the area of social you work in affects how you use social listening 10:45 – How Intuit’s social media content changes throughout the year 13:40 – Lauren explains how social engagement shifts depending on the time of year 16:09 – How Intuit blends tax and finance content with lifestyle content 18:46 – Lauren explains how Intuit used Cameo as a unique marketing push 22:49 – How influencers help Intuit make serious tax topics engaging 26:55 – Intuit’s social care team’s approach to protecting personal information 34:02 – Lauren shares the story behind ending up in the Guinness Book of World Records  37:54 – The challenges of getting leadership to understand your vision  45:34 – Lauren’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your advertising spend with Snapchat Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.