Social Pros Podcast

TikTok’s the place for dance trends, DIY hacks… and, apparently, for reviving iconic products from the ‘80s! When Lenox’s Spice Village collection started trending on the platform, it sparked a social media success story that no-one saw coming. Caitlin Gillard, Social Media Marketing Manager at Lenox, joins us to share how her small but mighty team turned TikTok virality and real-time feedback into a full-on product relaunch, proving that sometimes, the fans know best. Full Episode Details  Lenox’s iconic Spice Village collection may have started its journey back in 1989, but thanks to TikTok, it’s making a serious comeback! Who would’ve thought that decades later, a beloved kitchen staple would find a new generation of fans through social media? Caitlin tells us how the Spice Village collection went from nostalgia to viral sensation, sparking a relaunch. Though the Lenox social media team may be small, they certainly didn’t just sit back and watch the buzz unfold—they dove headfirst into the conversation. By listening to what TikTok fans were saying and engaging directly with their feedback, they brought Spice Village back at the original price from 1989! Caitlin explains how this customer-first approach didn’t just revive a beloved product, but also led to new ideas and innovations for the brand’s future. Caitlin also shares how her team manages the balancing act of keeping Lenox active across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. She emphasizes the importance of knowing “who you want to be following you” and how focusing on the right audience helps create genuine, lasting connections. Whether you’re trying to boost engagement or revive a legacy product, Caitlin’s insights offer valuable lessons for any social pro. In This Episode: 2:04 - Caitlin’s role at Lenox and how her small social media team is making a big impact 5:20 - The story behind the Spice Village revival and the importance of social listening 10:32 - How an unexpected TikTok virality took Lenox by surprise and influenced their strategy for engaging younger generations 12:47 - Caitlin reflects on the internal reactions to the TikTok buzz and the valuable lessons learned along the way 16:35 - The coolest moments of the Spice Village revival and a glimpse into future plans at Lenox 17:26 - The importance of real-time feedback and why comments are driving product innovation at Lenox 22:26 - Social media platforms Lenox uses and the strategies for each 24:38 - Caitlin on the importance of knowing "who do we want to be following us" on TikTok 26:56 - How Lenox uses metrics and feedback to tell the full story of their social efforts 35:55 - Caitlin’s top tip for an aspiring social pro Resources  Connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn Follow Lenox on Instagram Follow Lenox on TikTok Lenox Website TikTok Magic: How Four Brands Cashed In on Going Viral Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Join Annie Belgrade, Senior Manager of Integrated Content Marketing at Ferrara Candy Company, as she shares insights into the sweet world of candy social media. Discover how Ferrara engages audiences during Halloween, blending proactive strategies with real-time interaction. Annie highlights the uniqueness of brand voices across platforms and the value of authenticity in content creation. She even serves up a secret recipe to win over candy corn skeptics! Get ready for a delightful mix of trends, creativity, and community engagement.

How can brands build stronger partnerships with creators? We revisit this ever-important topic with Lucy Quick who joined us last year to talk about the secrets to successfully collaborating with influencers. This episode is a must-listen if you missed it the first time around and want some solid examples and tips on how to build brilliant partnerships with creators. Lucy is the Creator Partnerships Manager of Global E-Commerce Operations at TikTok, and she shares her unique perspective on how brands can tap into the goldmine of influencer marketing and build real partnerships with creators.  Full Episode Details  It’s one thing collaborating with influencers, but building meaningful, long-term partnerships is no easy feat. So what’s the secret to turning simple collaborations into strong partnerships? Lucy works with both brands and creators at TikTok so we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to pick her brains. She provides insights on the current state of influencer marketing, reveals what questions brands should be asking, and explains why storytelling with data is the best way to prove your ROI. Plus, Lucy shares why working with macro influencers could be a huge win for your next marketing push and the secrets behind the most successful campaigns she’s worked on.  In This Episode: 1:19 - The current state of influencer marketing   5:45 - Questions that brands aren’t asking enough when working with influencers   8:47 - The top trends Lucy is seeing in the industry right now  12:43 - When influencers pivot to becoming competitors with brands   15:46 - How brands can strike a good balance between micro and macro influencers   17:36 - How brands should approach influencers in the early days of their career   19:56 - The best ways to talk about ROI and metrics   22:24 - How to navigate regulations around influencer marketing   24:41 - Lucy tells us about a funny campaign experience   27:05 - The different skill sets required for livestreaming  34:02 - Lucy’s tip for becoming a social pro  Resources  Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn Follow Lucy on Instagram Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Leanna Pham, CEO of Pham & Fams and a Gen Z digital marketer, dives into how social media has transformed across generations, alongside millennial Hannah Tooker and Gen X Sunny Hunt. They discuss the shift from personal interaction to using social platforms for professional growth, highlighting Gen Z’s unique journey. Leanna points out common brand missteps in connecting with younger audiences and emphasizes the importance of cross-generational learning. The conversation is filled with insights into overcoming stereotypes and fostering collaboration.

Curating content for higher ed social channels can be a balancing act. How do you pair fun, engaging, and relatable content with important messages students need to pay attention to? Emily Stulz, the Director of Social Media at the University of Arizona, says it’s all about “hiding the veggies” in your content.  Full Episode Details  We uncover the secrets behind what makes the University of Arizona’s social content so impactful. Emily reveals her approach to assessing content effectiveness and why sometimes you need the courage to walk away when something isn’t working. She calls this “Marie Kondo-ing” your social accounts. If your strategy is falling short of “sparking joy,” it’s time to say goodbye. Emily’s advice for social pros is to be proactive in all things – whether it’s keeping yourself up to date on trends, using data to measure success, or deciding how and when to pivot your strategy.  She offers predictions on the future of social media in higher education, discussing the impact of TikTok and the staying power of Instagram, plus her thoughts on battling against the evolving algorithm and changing audience preferences.  In This Episode: 1:45 - Emily explains her role and approach to social media  2:44 - How her team keeps things consistent for flagship accounts  4:58 - Emily’s approach to platform-specific content   6:18 - How her team “hides the veggies” when covering important topics    8:49 - The trick to making sure your strategy doesn’t get overlooked   11:15 - How the university keeps up with social media and algorithm changes   14:46 - Emily’s predictions for TikTok and what people use it for   18:11 - Emily reveals her favorite campaign  21:35 - How her team encourages faculty and students to get involved with campaigns   23:51 - Why you need to 'Marie Kondo' your social accounts   28:11 - Emily’s tip for aspiring social pros  Resources  Connect with Emily on LinkedIn University of Arizona Follow the University of Arizona on Instagram Follow the University of Arizona on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

We see paid social ads every day, scrolling through our feeds, watching YouTube videos… And a lot of the time it can leave us frustrated and eager to swipe past. So how can social pros pause that never-ending scroll and get people interested? Sammy Lent, Creative Strategist and Growth & Acquisition Specialist, joins Social Pros to take us through her strategies for winning the battle against low attention spans and ad-resistant consumers. Full Episode Details  Sammy Lent has worked with several different brands on paid social strategies that involve creative solutions to grab attention even when many are tired of endless advertising. Her top takeaway from this episode is to lean into empathy. Understanding consumers is step number one in any marketing push, but as social pros, who are no strangers to scrolling through our feeds, we can tap into the minds of consumers because we are them!  In this episode, Sammy breaks down the top differences between paid and organic social, highlighting that they’re two sides of the same coin and can complement each other well. She takes us through some of the creative projects she’s worked on and how platform changes have shifted the way paid social works and compete for attention on your feed. We also hear her take on influencer marketing and why more consumers are resonating with smaller content creators and UGC.   In This Episode: 2:07 - Sammy takes us through her career story as a creative strategist for different brands 5:07 - The top differences between organic and paid social 7:10 - How paid and organic social can complement each other 8:35 - Why marketers need to lean into empathy, especially in paid social 14:52 - How social media platforms have changed and how paid advertisers react  19:25 - Why TikTok is the platform Sammy would use if she had to start her career from scratch  22:28 - Predictions for the future of TikTok for advertisers 25:35 - How UGC and influencers fit into paid social today 31:02 - How to connect with Sammy 31:41 - Sammy shares her top tips for aspiring social pros Resources  Connect with Sammy on LinkedIn Follow Sammy on Instagram Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Katie Robbert, CEO of Trust Insights, specializes in Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) that help fine-tune marketing strategies. She discusses how to gather valuable data to understand customer pain points and the crucial differences between ICPs and customer personas. Katie highlights the role of generative AI in evolving customer profiling for hyper-personalization in marketing. She also emphasizes the importance of online communities in maintaining customer connections and fostering business growth.

Canva has opened the doors for just about anyone trying their hand at creating visual content, whether you’re a pro graphic designer or brand new to it all. So, it’s no surprise that it’s an incredibly popular tool for marketers, brands, and social pros alike. We decided to revisit this episode from last year with Jacky Barker, formerly the Social Lead at Canva, to remind ourselves of how Canva’s social strategy brings the brand to life. Full Episode Details  Canva is a marketer’s best friend! The smart visual communications platform helps social pros with marketing, building presentations, graphic design, branding, and has even expanded into video editing and website building. As Jacky likes to say in this episode, it offers “the full shebang”! But how has their social media strategy contributed to Canva’s success? Jacky explains in this episode how community and culture are cornerstones of Canva’s ability to stay in the spotlight.   We hear about the day-to-day responsibilities of a Social Lead, how Canva identifies target audiences, and how its social team leverages creators, UGC, plus Pinterest and TikTok to reach more people. In This Episode: 1:50 - An introduction to Canva 2:52 - Jacky’s day-to-day responsibilities as a Social Lead 5:12 - Where Canva takes its cultural cues 6:44 - How Canva stays on top of trends in the “creator world” 8:04 - How Canva engages with its super fans 10:57 - How Canva determines its target audience 13:13 - How Canva has changed its messaging around features 16:23 - Canva’s approach to expanding into a global brand 19:35 - Why Pinterest is a big focus for Canva 24:44 - How Canva determines its next steps for the product 29:11 - Jacky’s parting advice for social pros Resources  Canva Canva on Pinterest Follow Canva on X Connect with Jacky on LinkedIn Follow Jacky on X Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Sunny Hunt, a strategist at Convince & Convert, Jennifer Harmon, an expert strategist, and Jason Keath, also a strategist, dive into the evolving social media landscape. They discuss frustrations around misinformation and the need for better community guideline enforcement. The rise of internal creators within brands is highlighted as a key trend for authentic engagement. The trio shares insights on where social media leaders should focus their efforts, along with strategies to build trust and authenticity in an AI-driven world.

Can AI help us to become better storytellers? Your immediate thought might be no, of course not! But while an AI tool won’t craft a compelling narrative out of nowhere, it can help us to become better at our jobs by saving time and acting as an advisor and assistant. For this episode, Mike Allton, the Chief Storyteller at Agorapulse, drops a masterclass on using AI to craft intriguing stories that all marketers and social pros can learn from. Full Episode Details  As Chief Storyteller, Mike has fully embraced the new age of AI and shares his experience of learning how AI tools can play a role in storytelling. He shares examples of how AI can streamline research and content preparation and save time on the nitty-gritty work that bogs down creatives. For those new to social media with AI worries, Mike shares advice (and reassurance) and explains the common mistakes even seasoned marketers make when using AI. He makes it clear that it is no magic wand, but it’s powerful – if you use it right. Mike weighs up AI’s strengths and limitations, offering practical advice on when to utilize it in content creation. One example he recommends is using AI to identify gaps in your content strategy, freeing up time for humans while highlighting opportunities for great content in the future.  In This Episode: 1:45 - What does Mike’s role as Chief Storyteller involve?  2:31 - What makes a good story?  5:45 - How AI and marketers can work together to tell stories   8:31 - The top thing marketers get wrong with AI  10:57 - How AI can help you find gaps in your content    13:00 - Mike’s advice for overcoming AI wariness and using it to improve your work  19:02 - How humans can differentiate themselves from AI  22:11 - How Agorapulse is integrating AI into the platform    27:06 - The best places to connect with Mike, including his website and podcast   27:32 - Mike’s top tip for aspiring social pros  Resources  Connect with Mike on LinkedIn Follow Mike on X Follow Mike on Instagram Mike’s Blog - The Social Media Hat AI in Marketing: Unpacked Podcast Agorapulse Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.