
Social Pros Podcast
Presented by Convince & Convert, Social Pros is one of the longest-running marketing podcasts in existence! Focused on the nexus of social media and other marketing disciplines, we bring you interviews and commentary from companies including Google, Reddit, Uber, Oracle, and many more to understand how social media impacts brand marketing, content marketing, reputation management, public relations, paid media, and much more.
After more than a decade, Social Pros is still the one podcast that brings listeners inside the minds of marketing leaders making real impact. Join us as we dive behind-the-scenes and share actionable marketing strategies that you can immediately implement.
🎙 Listen to our episodes on our website—socialpros.com—or on your favorite audio platform.
Latest episodes

Feb 19, 2021 • 49min
Is Social Media Still a Force For Good In The World?
Caleb Gardner, Founder and Managing Partner of 18 Coffees, joins the Social Pros podcast to discuss social media's influence in the world. We discuss his social media experience in both corporate and government environments, what’s changed over the last ten years, and how social platforms have responded to social issues. 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 Tailwind aCe Full Episode Details Social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. It’s a source of entertainment, a way to catch up on the news, and a tool to connect with others. While there have been great things about it, social media's dark side is hard to ignore. Founder and Managing Partner of 18 Coffees, Caleb Gardner, has seen it all during his long career in social media. He’s seen social media help to create real change in the world but also witnessed the “darkest corners of the internet.” What does that mean for social media today? Can it still be a force for good? And how can we as social professionals ensure we’re bringing positivity to the discussion? Caleb explains his thoughts on social media's role in our lives and questions the responsibility social platforms have over their content. He talks about the importance of being curious, trying out new things, and treating people with respect. In This Episode: 6:12 – How social media is about more than just marketing 9:12 – How social media can be a force for good and bad 13:31 – Should social media platforms take responsibility for the wider influence of their content? 17:30 – Why social media platforms rely so much on engagement as a business model 19:01 – Why social platforms shouldn’t assume they’ll be the top choice forever 21:41 – Caleb discusses some of the new social media platforms bringing in competition 23:30 – Why many social media tips are the same as they were ten years ago 25:30 – How the 70/20/10 model works when trying out new content 26:40 – The two types of social media metrics to watch out for 30:14 - Caleb’s take on where social media fits into the government’s and business’ drive for engagement 33:59 – How noisy social media has become 36:15 – How businesses can avoid the yearly social media account cull 39:01 – The pros and cons of paid vs. organic social 42:33 – The story behind the name 18 Coffees Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Caleb Gardner’s website 18 Coffees’ website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Feb 12, 2021 • 39min
How Hollywood Story Lessons Can Improve Your Social and Your Life
Kristina Paider, Chief Creative Officer at The Hollywood Approach, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how we can apply movie inspiration to our lives. We also speak about Kristina’s book “The Hollywood Approach,” which shows you how to live your wildest dreams, movie-style! Full Episode Details Be the hero of your own story How can we become the heroes of our own stories? Whether we’re thinking about our businesses or ourselves, a little movie inspiration goes a long way. Kristina Paider, Chief Creative Officer and author of “The Hollywood Approach” shows us how we can use movie magic to make our wildest dreams a reality. Kristina uses her wisdom as a story strategist and screenwriter to apply the principles of Hollywood stories to real life. Kristina encourages everyone to “boss up and be the screenwriter of your show.” By channeling your resources, exploring your character DNA, finding your strengths, and learning from mentors, you can achieve great things. This applies to businesses looking to level-up their company as much as it does to individuals. As Kristina discusses in this podcast episode, you must move away from perfectionism – and instead embrace your strengths AND flaws to become the hero of your own story. In This Episode: 5:48 – What “The Hollywood Approach” is and how storytelling applies to businesses 8:01 – Why businesses are hesitant to embrace storytelling 9:32 – What hit TV show “Cobra Kai” can teach us about using flaws in storytelling 11:18 – How to apply the three elements of storytelling to business (character, goal, obstacles) 12:28 – How to make your 2021 content binge-worthy 13:15 – How using flaws can humanize your business 16:07 – The importance of being the hero of your own story by identifying your own strengths, flaws and superpowers 20:40 – What is a “log line,” and how can businesses use them? 22:35 – The use of movie-style log lines to define goals and purposes on social media 23:41 – How to use The Hollywood Approach to define customer profiles 25:11 – How Kristina feels about storytelling in 15 seconds 27:23 – Kristina’s take on refreshing existing business stories 28:25 – Why looking at the “cast and characters” in your business is more important than ever 30:48 – Kristina’s free bonus content, including movie-style exercises and resources 36:17 – Kristina’s top tips for social pros Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Kristina Paider’s website Read Kristina Paider’s book, “The Hollywood Approach” Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Feb 5, 2021 • 45min
How Google Uses Social Media to Enchant Developers Globally
Anna Gonzalez, Social Media Strategy Lead at Google Developer Studio, joins the Social Pros podcast to discuss how Google uses new technology and social media can connect audiences. 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: Google may be a massive company with lots of resources and a seemingly infinite budget, but they still have many of the same questions and struggles as the rest of us. Social media is a continuously evolving medium, and as social practitioners, we need to keep up if we want to continue to thrive in this space. This is something that all brands have in common, and Google is no exception. As Anna Gonzalez, Social Media Strategy Lead at Google Developer Studio, states, “we're constantly growing and thinking about how to do things more efficiently.” Anna also emphasizes the importance of being open to experimentation on social media and why being authentic is vital when communicating with developers. Tune in to hear more about how the Google Developer Studios team uses different social measurement methodologies to stay relevant, enchant developers, and navigate social media without a king-sized budget. In This Episode: 05:11 - What Google Developer Studios is and how it works 07:37 - What the social team looks like at Google Developer Studios 10:46 - How different developers use social media 14:08 - Finding new and creative ways to connect with developers 18:50 - The mix between sharing Google Developer Studio content vs. content about developers 20:59 - How Anna works with advocates, influencers, and micro-influencers 23:37 - How to strike a balance between planning and spontaneity when posting on social media 27:09 - How Google Developer Studios adapts social measurement methodologies 30:13 - Why senior leadership are putting greater focus on social during the pandemic 33:40 - How to navigate social media without the big budget 37:53 - Working on side projects at Google Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jan 29, 2021 • 46min
Why You Might Be Thinking About Influencer Marketing All Wrong
Jason Falls, Director of Digital Strategy at Cornett, joins the Social Pros Podcast to debunk common myths and misconceptions around influencer marketing. We also talk about his new book, “Winfluence.” 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 SocialMedia.org Full Episode Details Is the letter “r” the only difference between "influence" and "influencer," or is there more to it than that? Jason Falls, Director of Digital Strategy at Cornett, states that when you talk about influence, it’s not about the channel, the influencer, or even the person. It’s not a noun, it’s a verb. So, when you’re talking about influence, you’re talking about your strategic purpose. As Jason said in this episode of the podcast, “you want to influence an audience to take action.” Understanding the difference between influence and influencer is so important. In this episode, Jason reveals whether it’s more beneficial to have a popular influencer promote your brand vs. someone who talks passionately about your brand to a smaller audience. We also dig into why he prefers the term "influence marketing" over "influencer marketing" and some common misconceptions around influencer marketing. In This Episode: 08:59 – How influence shifts the perspective to the action rather than the channel 12:02 – Why we often make the mistake of relying on influencers rather than influence 15:18 – Why people tend to be skeptical of influencers and their authenticity 18:52 – What makes influencer marketing work 21:01 – How to find the sweet spot when searching for the right influencer for your brand 23:05 – Why it’s better to have fewer influencers who you have a relationship with vs. many influencers 29:53 – Who should be responsible for influencer marketing within an organization 31:38 – The pros and cons of asking an influencer to be category exclusive 38:01 – How social pros can use the three most important words in influence marketing to their benefit Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Read ‘Winfluence’ by Jason Falls Visit Jason’s website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jan 22, 2021 • 47min
The Human Traits of Social Media Leaders
Minter Dial, Professional Speaker & Author, Mydial LLP, joins the Social Pros Podcast to talk about the importance of blending your personal and professional life. We also discuss his book, “You Lead,” which claims that your biggest asset in leadership is you. 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 SocialMedia.org Full Episode Details How can you become the type of leader that your team respects and trusts? Minter Dial (Professional Speaker & Author, Mydial LLP) believes that becoming a better leader is as simple as being yourself. Minter’s book, “You Lead,” teaches leaders from every industry how to lead with authenticity. He argues that the most successful leaders are those who embrace their true selves. If you don’t know yourself, you will struggle to be an effective leader. It’s clear that leadership is changing and whether you aspire to be a better leader (or you create social media content on behalf of a leader), understanding this change is critical to your success and self-worth. As Minter discusses in this episode of the podcast, you must work on yourself to become a better leader before creating better teams. He also talked about the importance of building trust and building it over time “by doing what you say, saying what you do, and being consistent.” In This Episode: 06:18 – Why the nature of leadership is more important now than ever 07:48 – Why Minter Dial’s book, “You Lead,” focuses on the power of intuition 11:50 – How concepts of what makes a leader are changing 15:29 – The recipe for success for modern-day leaders 19:09 – How social media leaders can use “but” vs. “and” when giving their team instructions or feedback 22:05 – The importance of understanding the liberties and constraints you operate under 26:10 – How to bridge the recognition gap amongst social media professionals 29:08 – How expectations for CMO’s has changed and how to avoid burnout 31:58 – Why you need to align your personal and professional life 34:29 – Minter reveals whether he agrees with the idea that the “most human brand wins” Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Read Minter Dial’s book, “You Lead” Check out Minter Dial’s website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jan 15, 2021 • 46min
How Diversify Social Media Creates More Opportunities for BIPOC
Linda Dianne, Video/Social Media Strategist from Diversify Social Media and Milly Tamarez, a Freelance Social Media Manager and Comedian, join the Social Pros Podcast to talk about the importance of diversity 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 Full Episode Details Inclusivity on social media is so important. Brands continue to make promises to be more inclusive, which is great. However, we need to make a real effort to change and grow to ensure we’re inclusive in not just what we say, but in what we do. Two special guests join us in this powerful Social Pros episode featuring Linda Dianne, Video/Social Media Strategist from Diversify Social Media, and Milly Tamarez, a Freelance Social Media Manager and Comedian. The fight for true diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance for all is still ongoing. The jury is still out on lasting change from brands, and as Milly states in this episode, “something has shifted, and things have changed. But it is a process that we have to continue working on and optimizing.” Many deeply important topics around diversity in the social media industry are discussed in this episode. Tune in with an open mind and get ready to motivate real change in your everyday life. In This Episode: 03:08 – How Diversify Social Media got started 05:20 – How personal experiences and world events inspired Linda and Milly to launch Diversify Social Media 11:15 – What the Diversify Social Media curriculum consists of 15:46 – What pieces of the curriculum tends to stand out to students and participants 19:21 – Who would benefit from the Diversify Social Media program 23:51 – Whether brands have developed a better understanding of diversity following the Black Lives Matter movement 27:51 – How brands can become more inclusive 32:26 – How to get involved with the Diversify Social Media program Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Learn more about Diversify Social Media Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jan 8, 2021 • 43min
How Walmart Empowers Local Store Associates to Win in Social Media
Zachary Lones, Director of Social Media Marketing at Walmart, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how the organization empowers local store associates to use their unique voice on social media to reach their unique communities. 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 Tailwind aCe Full Episode Details When employees feel empowered at work, you can expect to see a significant improvement in job performance, job satisfaction, and loyalty to the company. So, how can organizations use social media to empower their associates? Zachary Lones, Director of Social Media Marketing at Walmart, believes that it is “more important than ever to give your associates the voice and empowerment to speak up.” Empowering local store associates at nearly 5,000 different locations to share their voices without much control from central marketing is almost unheard of in today’s society. Yet, that is exactly what Walmart is doing on a daily basis in what could potentially be one of the best employee-generated content case studies the world has ever seen. In This Episode: 07:24 – How Walmart associates are empowered to use social media to reach their unique community 09:22 – How Walmart helps associates get up and running with different social media channels 10:33 – How many associates speak on behalf of the company 12:38 – The percentage of content shared by associates that is aspirational vs sales-focused 16:55 – How Walmart empowers associates to understand marketing and communications 21:30 – The critical indicators that determine whether or not a program is successful 28:18 – Why more organizations need to be open to the idea of allowing associates to connect with audiences via social media 33:52 – Who is responsible for engaging with audiences’ queries on social media Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from aCe Get $30 off of your Tailwind Subscription! Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dec 18, 2020 • 52min
A Year in Review
Jay, Adam, and Anna join forces in this special episode of the Social Pros Podcast to talk about some of the best highlights from episodes released in the rollercoaster year of 2020. 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 2020 has been a year like no other. Not just for the Social Pros Podcast, but the entire world. We have seen and experienced so much this year, so how can you recap a year like 2020? Well, Jaye, Adam, and Anna searched through the back catalog of episodes released in 2020 and noticed many similar themes running through them. They also saw many commonalities between various guests who shared their perspectives on the world and how the social media industry has changed in 2020. In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from clips pulled from previous episodes released in 2020. So, if you’re ready to take a trip down memory lane and explore some of the best bits from the Social Pros archive, listen in! In This Episode: 05:04 – Why you should always listen to your audience 07:19 – How JetBlue has adjusted its content during the pandemic 11:01 – Why it’s important to take advantage of opportunities in real-time 14:08 – What it’s really like to work in this profession 16:39 – Why social pros need to take care of their mental health 20:29 – How to combat burnout as a social media practitioner 23:29 – Why you need to be a great marketer to succeed on social media 26:49 – The benefits of releasing episodic content 31:51 – How to hook your audience from the start 36:14 – Why you should have a separate paid and organic approach 40:46 – The true power of authenticity Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dec 11, 2020 • 39min
Marcus Sheridan Debunks the Myths About Video Content
Marcus Sheridan, Author, Speaker & Co-Owner of IMPACT, is our guest on this episode of Social Pros, where he debunks common myths surrounding social media video content. 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 The internet is swamped with myths surrounding video content, but which ones are true? And, which ones should we ignore? Marcus Sheridan, author, speaker & Co-Owner of IMPACT, helps us separate the truth from the lies and reveals whether the length of the videos we share on social media actually matters. Most people believe that the shorter a video is, the better. However, Marcus quickly debunked that theory when he pointed out that “the average #1 ranked video in YouTube search results is about 10 minutes long.” Marcus Sheridan puts many of the world’s most popular video myths to rest and shares a treasure trove of tips on using video and how to get your sales and marketing teams working closely together in social media and beyond. In This Episode: 03:47 – Learn about Marcus’ agency, IMPACT 06:23 – How to use video to bridge the gap between sales and marketing 11:27 – Why the premise that your videos should be 90 seconds or less is not true 15:07 – When it makes sense for a brand to use live video 17:53 – Why videographers need to be strong socially to be successful 21:59 – How video content can improve your social selling efforts 27:58 – Why Marcus left Facebook Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Read ‘The Visual Sale,’ by Marcus Sheridan Learn more about IMPACT Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dec 4, 2020 • 38min
How Kellogg's Crafts their Corporate Social Strategy
Rick Wion, Senior Director of Consumer Engagement of The Kellogg Company, joins the Social Pros Podcast to talk about social media from the corporate level and why brands need to be more selective with what they share on social. 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 As social media has evolved, those who work with social media marketing have gained more freedom to make crucial decisions around what goes out and what doesn’t. Not every company update or press release has to be broadcasted on social media. As Rick Wion, Senior Director of Consumer Engagement of The Kellogg Company said, “for social, we really just need to focus in on this one component of things versus supporting every part of every program with a plethora of social content.” The hard truth is that not every update is “social media worthy.” Brands need to be more selective about the content they share on social media. Making sure your brand communicates authentically is vital and being attuned to what your audience wants to see from you is perhaps even more important. In This Episode: 03:12 – How social media marketing and communications have evolved 07:11 – How the evolution of social media has impacted how Kellogg’s constructs their social media and consumer engagement teams 10:30 – How Kellogg’s uses social media to have important conversations with their audience around food security 12:48 - How the brand’s messaging and timing of messages have changed since the pandemic 16:19 – How being classified as an essential business impacted the company, the social media marketing team, and business operations during the pandemic 18:43 – How Kellogg’s uses data and research to shape conversations on social media 23:25 – How Tony the Tiger helps to share the brand’s voice on social media 25:45 – How to empower an organization to leverage social media listening and insights Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Learn more about Kellogg’s Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.