Social Pros Podcast

Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer at The Experience Maker and keynote speaker, joins this episode of Social Pros to throw the spotlight on the customer experience. 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 Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer at The Experience Maker, is a keynote speaker and author of ‘Winning in Social Customer Care’. His latest book, ‘The Experience Maker’ offers fantastic insights into how to build remarkable experiences for your customers. He joins the Social Pros podcast to give us a sneak peek at the wisdom he’s packed into his latest book. Dan discusses the importance of customer experience and how the pandemic only highlighted this. While there’s a lot of competition in many industries, there’s not much competition when it comes to providing a fantastic customer experience. Dan talks about how we’re often disappointed by brands and that one clear way to stand out is to go beyond customer expectations. Dan takes Social Pros listeners through the WISE system of creating content and communicating with customers, and why good customer experience starts with good employee experience. In This Episode: 4:40 – Why there’s an ongoing need for books about customer experience 9:23 – How you can still overdeliver on social media to keep customers happy 12:22 – Why you can’t do good customer experience without good employee experience 15:11 – How a focus on customer acquisition rather than retention affects the customer experience 21:03 – How Dan feels about brand voices on social that don’t match the brand 24:05 – Dan explores some examples of brands that are getting it right 26:45 – Why marketing’s job has always been to promise the customer experience 28:24 – The most important metrics for social media 31:38 – Why CEOs are overlooking the ROI of satisfied customers 32:27 – Why Dan thinks using social to sell is the wrong approach 33:30 – Why customers and brands now prefer direct messages on social media 36:46 – Dan’s top tip for someone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce The Experience Maker by Dan Gingiss Winning in Social Customer Care by Dan Gingiss Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Izzy Greer, Marketing Manager of Portfolio Brands at Balsam Brands, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how to make seasonal content engaging all-year-round. 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 Izzy Greer, Marketing Manager of Portfolio Brands at Balsam Brands, oversees marketing strategies for brands including Balsam Hill, the Christmas and seasonal décor store. She joins the Social Pros Podcast to share how she and her team keep the holiday spirit going on social 365 days a year. As a seasonal brand, Balsam Hill has to get really inventive in keeping its content both relevant and engaging, even in the summer months. Izzy explains why Balsam Brands prioritizes authentic user-generated content, working with influencers, and promoting on Pinterest. Izzy also shares some of the strategies behind paid versus organic content and how her team likes to unite them to create authentic content that resonates with its customers.  In This Episode: 5:34 – How Izzy structures content all year round for seasonal products 7:00 – How internal systems and pacing works for marketing seasonal content 8:53 – The reasons why people engage differently with Balsam Brands throughout the year 10:10 – Izzy’s key insights from social listening 12:40 – How Izzy’s team manages effective customer conversations 14:44 – Why Balsam Brands looks for an authentic connection when working with celebrities and influencers 20:20 – The tools Balsam Brands uses to collect and analyze content performance data 21:56 – Why an effective Pinterest strategy considers the platform’s planning and search engine functions 25:05 – How to create the volume of visual marketing content needed for social media 28:27 – How Balsam Brands taps into user-generated content Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Adam Brown, Executive Strategist at Salesforce and Social Pros host, joins this episode as a special guest to talk all about Salesforce’s latest State of Marketing Report. 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 Adam Brown, Executive Strategist at Salesforce and our very own Social Pros podcast host, joins this episode from the other side of the table. He’s on the show to share all the wisdom and insights that Salesforce’s latest report has to offer, including the highlights and surprising trends. The State of Marketing Report is something Salesforce publishes every year, and each time it comes out, the marketing world learns so much from it. In this episode, Adam discusses how the role of CMOs has changed, why businesses are focusing more on user-generated content, and how marketing is now all about data science as well as creativity. In This Episode: 1:50 – Adam explains how Salesforce put together the State of Marketing report 3:34 – What the report tells us about customer experience 5:25 – How marketers’ top three priorities are also their top three challenges 6:58 – What the report reveals about the way CMOs track their progress 8:29 – Why 88% of marketers have changed their marketing strategy 11:34 – Why marketers are increasingly using social media and email to boost reach 14:56 – The ways marketing departments want to level up their strategy 16:49 – Why training in influencer marketing and user-generated content is so vital 19:25 – How improved marketing tech empowers social pros to do less of the tactical stuff and more of the strategy 20:45 – Why 77% of marketers believe that their work provides more value now than a year ago 24:36 – How Salesforce has expanded its report with sub-reports and a Tableau dashboard Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dave Fleet, Managing Director, Head of Global Digital Crisis at Edelman, is on the Social Pros Podcast to share his insights into modern digital crisis management. 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 times of crisis, it pays to plan ahead and act fast, says Dave Fleet, Managing Director, Head of Global Digital Crisis at Edelman. Dave joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how the ways businesses handle crises today have changed over the past few years. He talks about the impact of the digital world and how businesses have had to completely change the way they respond to crises. According to Dave, the old ways businesses managed crises are now obsolete. Today, organizations need to plan ahead and act fast in a way that’s rooted in trust. Misinformation spreads like wildfire. Dave discusses the use of multimedia content and different platforms to handle crises and why businesses need to be careful not to make things worse. In This Episode: 4:52 – Dave explains the scope and scale of the work that Edelman does 6:24 – How crises play out online in the modern world 10:38 – Which is more important, how you respond to a crisis vs. being prepared 13:31 – What a well-formed crisis response looks like 14:33 – Why you should communicate early in a crisis 17:07 – How Edelman uses data and social listening to keep on top of a crisis 20:04 – How Dave and Edelman counsel customers in a crisis 22:41 – Dave’s tip for better utilizing social listening 24:12 – Why video communication is preferred for some customers 29:05 – How Edelman uses paid advertising as part of its crisis response strategy 32:07 – What the PR crisis “war room” looks like in 2021 35:26 – Social media’s place at the table during an online crisis 37:28 – The best ways to prepare for digital crises in 2021 41:17 – Dave’s one 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.

John Jantsch, Founder and author of Duct Tape Marketing, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share his methods for revisiting your marketing 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 John Jantsch, Founder and author of Duct Tape Marketing, discusses what has changed (and hasn’t changed) in the marketing landscape and how you can stay relevant. He talks about how marketing fundamentals may remain the same, but the way we need to reach customers has changed. Customers are making buying decisions in different ways in the modern world, and so to keep ahead, you need to constantly tweak your strategy. John shares some great insights into how you can leverage customer reviews and use them in your strategy. He also gives his take on brand storytelling and how it has almost become a cliché (unless you do it right). In This Episode: 1:15 – Why John decided to write The Ultimate Marketing Engine 2:16 – How John pulled all his knowledge together to write such a comprehensive book 3:35 – John explains what he means by the “marketing hourglass” 6:05 – Why John refers to customers as members 9:30 – Why customer service is an overlooked part of marketing 13:11 – How The Ultimate Marketing Engine builds on the wisdom of his previous books 15:21 – How you can uncover the “real problem” in business (and solve it) 17:17 – Why customer reviews are a “hidden goldmine” of customer research 19:15 – Why businesses often miss the boat when selling a solution 21:59 – The importance of narrowing your focus in marketing 25:59 – The difference between storytelling and narrative 31:55 – What John has learned about social media from being one of ten children 34:05 – John’s approach to generating referrals and whether you should compensate them 40:05 – John’s top tip for anyone wanting to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Brad Baker, VP of Brand Strategy and Creative at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share how he keeps up with the ever-changing “organic beast” of social media. 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 Brad Baker, VP of Brand Strategy and Creative at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, has been in the social media business for a long time. In that time, he’s seen just how much everything can change, whether its strategies, best practices, algorithms, platforms – you name it. He joins the Social Pros Podcast to share his thoughts on revisiting social media strategies, how the team at Holiday Inn Club Vacations pulls it off successfully. He explains how they keep their finger on the pulse and adapt their strategy when needed – while also maintaining Holiday Inn’s strong brand legacy. Never has a travel or vacation business had to adapt more than during the pandemic. Brad takes us behind-the-scenes of how Holiday Inn Club Vacations adapted its social strategy during that difficult time. Brad also discusses how Holiday Inn works with influencers to tell an authentic story of the brand.   In This Episode: 4:45 – Brad gives a little background on the Holiday Inn Club Vacation Program 6:13 – How Holiday Inn Club Vacations navigated an unpredictable year of travel 8:07 – How the use of social media changed over the pandemic 9:56 – Brad explains the “virtual vacation” tab Holiday Inn Club Vacations introduced on their website 11:40 – How Holiday Inn Club Vacations are tapping into local knowledge to promote properties 12:53 – The KPIs that timeshare companies should measure 15:59 – How Brad’s team has moved more towards paid social 16:34 – The challenge of finding authentic influencers 19:48 – Why Holiday Inn Club Vacations is so transparent about its timeshare model 23:25 – How Brad directs and collaborates with the marketing and social teams 26:29 – How Brad makes the business case to leadership to invest more in social 29:28 – Brad shares the surprising challenges in his earlier marketing and social career 31:30 – Why social teams are so risk-averse right now 33:09 – Brad explains why social teams need to re-evaluate their strategy at least once a year 37:14 – Brad’s top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer   Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Adeta Gayah, Director of Social Media and Content at Visit Orlando, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how her team managed to keep people engaged and rebuild traveler trust during a pandemic. 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 Supermetrics Full Episode Details Adeta Gayah, Director of Social Media and Content at Visit Orlando, is on the Social Pros Podcast to give a window into how a travel organization promotes itself on social media when no one can travel. The pandemic has been a tough time for many businesses and individuals, but the travel industry has been one of the hardest hit. That didn’t deter the team at Visit Orlando, though. Instead, they got creative and set to work building traveler trust and excitement, ready for people to start traveling again. Adeta takes us behind the scenes at Visit Orlando to explain the strategies around user-generated content, social listening, and TikTok. She explains how Visit Orlando works with more than 1,100 businesses within the Orlando area and how her team helps create engaging content for a variety of business types. In This Episode: 5:36 – Adeta takes us through the mechanics of marketing for a destination organization 7:44 – How Visit Orlando helps different businesses tell their unique stories 8:14 – Adeta explains how the Visit Orlando team balances content for each business 9:46 – How Visit Orlando collaborates with members 11:30 – Adeta shares her thoughts on paid social 13:52 – How Visit Orlando likes to focus on local residents as well as tourists 15:37 – Why Adeta doesn’t take Orlando’s fame as a tourist hotspot for granted 18:40 – Adeta gives us a glimpse into the customer care team 20:29 – How Visit Orlando utilizes user-generated content 25:57 – The one social network that Adeta would never delete 27:25 – How TikTok became a major part of Visit Orlando’s strategy 30:08 – Visit Orlando’s strategy for weekday vs. weekend content 32:35 – Adeta explains what metrics matter most to Visit Orlando 35:18 – Why being a local resident is key to promoting Orlando 38:28 – Adeta’s top tip for those who want to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers

Tatiana Holifield, Head of Brand Social at Hulu, is on the Social Pros Podcast to talk about generating buzz and chatter on social media. 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 Tatiana Holifield, Head of Brand Social at Hulu, discusses how the Hulu team creates content that gets people talking on social media. With a lot of competition, standing out can be a challenge, even for big names like Hulu. Tatiana takes us behind the scenes to look at the strategies that make Hulu’s social content so effective. Tatiana talks about generating conversation, interacting with influencers, collaborating with different stakeholders, and also looking at what analytics can tell us. She explains the strategy behind promoting new shows and why Reddit is one of the most valuable platforms to use to tap into conversations about TV shows. In This Episode: 7:55 – How Tatiana describes Hulu’s “value proposition” 10:09 – How Hulu’s social team collaborates with third-party producers 14:49 – The struggles of coordinating and planning campaigns in social media 17:46 – Why trust is so important when collaborating with stakeholders 19:42 – How Tatiana plans content for different partners with very different needs 22:15 – Why TV partners prioritize mentions on social media as their primary metric 26:10 – How the Hulu team uses social listening to stay on top of the trends 30:50 – The strategies for dealing with passionate and loyal fanbases 34:31 – Why Reddit is a key platform in the TV world 45:05 – Tatiana’s one top tip for those thinking of becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Andy Jasenak, Director of Digital Media at Amtrak, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share how the iconic railroad service Amtrak managed social during the pandemic. 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 Supermetrics Full Episode Details Director of Digital Media at Amtrak, Andy Jasenak, discusses how Amtrak got creative during a trying year of COVID-19. While many industries were affected by lockdowns, the travel industry was hit particularly hard. How do you promote a travel service when everyone’s locked down? Rather than slowing things down, Amtrak charged ahead and decided to get creative. Andy shares how Amtrak managed unique and fun social campaigns over Instagram Stories to keep people interested in travel throughout the pandemic. He shares how Amtrak values user-generated content from its many passionate brand advocates who help propel the brand across the U.S. Andy also talks more about his background and shares some food for thought for anyone looking to become a social pro. In This Episode: 4:30 – How Amtrak kept people engaged and inspired during the pandemic 6:09 – Amtrak’s strategy to stand out on social media 8:04 – The primary objective for Amtrak on social media 10:13 – Andy takes us behind-the-scenes of Amtrak’s social team setup 15:34 – How Amtrak coordinates responses across different channels 18:22 – How Andy makes a case for new social strategies to the rest of the team 19:35 – Why Amtrak hosted a Jimmy Kimmel mean tweet-style leadership meeting 22:10 – The role of brand advocates and why Amtrak loves user-generated content 25:33 – Amtrak’s creative Instagram Stories campaign 27:49 – How the Amtrak social team works humor and fun into its content so organically 31:18 – How social media differs across all the industries Andy’s worked in 34:44 – Andy shares why music is such an important part of his life 36:55 – Andy gives his top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Amanda Russell, Professor at the University of Texas & Northwestern University, and author of "The Influencer Code: How to Unlock the Power of Influencer Marketing" joins Social Pros to discuss the power of influencer marketing. 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 Supermetrics Full Episode Details Amanda Russell is a university professor, speaker, marketing strategist, and author. She joins the Social Pros Podcast to share her wide-ranging experience and expertise in influencer marketing. Her fantastic insights include what influencer marketing is vs. what it isn’t, the common mistakes businesses make, and how to get influencer marketing right. Amanda shares the three top misconceptions people have about influencer marketing including what it is and the best way to use it to boost your brand. She also challenges the idea that social media = influencer marketing. She says that just because someone is a content creator does not mean they are just an influencer. In This Episode: 4:43 – What people get wrong about the word “influencer” 6:48 – The three major misconceptions of influencer marketing 10:24 – The importance of trust and why it needs to be prioritized 13:59 – Why influencer marketing is the future of marketing 15:40 – The problem of viewing influencer marketing as a transactional thing 20:57 – The three steps of the “Influencer Code” 24:52 – Why influence is not universal 28:50 – Why businesses need to prioritize building relationships with influencers 34:29 – The important relationship between the marketer and the influencer 41:40 – What businesses can do to shift the way they view influencer marketing 43:35 – Amanda’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Amanda Russell’s website and book Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.