Social Pros Podcast

Are you ready to build a brand and become a creator? Then this episode of Social Pros is for you. We revisited one of our favorite episodes from 2023 with DoctorJonPaul. They are the Executive Producer of the BFF: Black, Fat, Femme Podcast, a writer, media critic, speaker, educator… and the list goes on. Hear their secrets to balancing it all while staying grounded.  Full Episode Details  It’s hard to explain everything DoctorJonPaul, Executive Producer of the BFF: Black, Fat, Femme Podcast, achieves with their content, but it’s an inspirational feat. DoctorJonPaul somehow manages to balance writing, creating, podcasting, public speaking, educating, and everything in between and has built a brand that people stop and take notice of.  We hear how they got their start on X originally but expanded to create a web of content and a strong personal brand that goes beyond just one platform. DoctorJonPaul explains why they decided to experiment with different platforms, and we hear about the origin story behind the podcast.  Creating so much content requires focus, and DoctorJonPaul shares their method for balancing it all and staying focused on what matters most. They also impart some words of wisdom on the nature of social media and why it’s important to stay true to your own brand and priorities.   In This Episode:  1:58 - How DoctorJonPaul became a creator  6:31 - Finding balance as a business owner and creator  8:05 - How to decide what to create each day  12:00 - Being intentional with self-promotion  16:09 - DoctorJonPaul’s take on the changes to Twitter/X  19:08 - The importance of branching out into different platforms  23:07 - The origin story of the BFF: Black, Fat, Femme podcast  32:58 - DoctorJonPaul’s advice for creators   Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  DoctorJonPaul’s website   Follow DoctorJonPaul on Twitter   Follow DoctorJonPaul on LinkedIn   Follow DoctorJonPaul on Facebook   Follow DoctorJonPaul on Instagram   Tune in to BFF: Black, Fat, Femme   Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Higher education may have been slower to adopt modern marketing practices and technology like AI, but higher ed marketer Bart Caylor is on a mission to change that. As President and Founder of Caylor Solutions and The Higher Ed Marketer, Bart joins the Social Pros podcast to share his lessons on the best marketing practices for higher ed.   Full Episode Details  Bart Caylor, President and Founder of Caylor Solutions and The Higher Ed Marketer, predicts a declining demand for higher ed in the future, meaning schools will face greater competition for a smaller pool of potential students. So, it’s more important than ever that higher ed invests in great marketing practices.  In this episode, Bart shares his predictions for the future of higher ed marketing, what he tries to teach institutions that have been slower to adapt to modern marketing practices, and how schools can utilize AI effectively. Bart believes that AI is often underused, but the trick is learning how to train the AI to give you the results you need.    He shares his thoughts on the importance of content creation, managing marketing budgets, and how to become an authority in the higher ed space. We also hear about his journey to create The Higher Ed Marketer podcast and his book, Chasing Mission Fit: A Marketing Guide to Fill Your Institution with Students Who Will Succeed.  In This Episode:  1:42 - Bart explains how he first entered the higher ed marketing space  3:08 - How higher ed marketing has evolved  5:12 - Bart’s predictions on its future  7:38 - How higher ed marketers can adopt AI and get better at prompting  12:11 - Bart’s favorite use cases for AI  16:28 - Why the “early adopters” are only a few months ahead of everyone else  18:23 - Bart’s thoughts on younger people getting into higher ed marketing  22:16 - Using the necessary skills to succeed in modern marketing  24:10 - Why you don’t have to market to everyone  25:34 - Where Bart finds inspiration  28:57 - Emerging trends that marketers should pay attention to  31:40 - Insights and themes in Bart’s podcast  34:09 - How marketers are making mistakes  38:00 - Bart’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Bart on LinkedIn  Listen to The Higher Ed Marketer podcast  Follow Bart on Twitter  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Brands and agencies are increasingly using influencers and creators to collaborate on social media content, but it’s still a brand new world for many in the social media space. Nathan Jun Poekert, Fractional Head of Social & Consultant, Founder of JUN Social, joins us on the Social Pros podcast to share his take on the current landscape of influencer marketing and collaborating with creators.   Full Episode Details   For influencers/creators and agencies to work in harmony, both sides may need to evolve in one way or another. This is one of the top takeaways from Nathan Jun Poekert, Fractional Head of Social & Consultant, Founder of JUN Social, in this episode of Social Pros.   As someone who’s collaborated with creators many times, Nathan shares his experiences and why he always prefers to work with creators who treat their work like a business, not just a creative venture. He gives his thoughts on influencer pay, how to attribute success the right way, and why timeliness is the golden ticket to great social content.  Nathan’s mic drop moment in this episode is around the approval process when it comes to bringing new ideas to clients and getting them out there. He says that social pros need to work fast to jump on trends, but sometimes agencies make this tough with long-winded approval processes.   In This Episode:  1:24 - Nathan’s perspective on working with influencers   4:28 - Why attributing success is so important when working with influencers   7:55 - Why creators who treat their work like a business are the most successful  10:40 - The growing pains of the creator industry   16:39 - Why Nathan believes social agencies need to evolve  22:09 - Why social agencies need to move fast and what’s stopping them  28:22 - The importance of giving social pros the freedom to enact ideas  30:51 - What a Chief Social Officer role could look like   34:10 - Why consistency both on social and the buying experience is key  35:58 - Who will be the first big company to make a CSO role?  39:48 - Nathan’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Content creators each have their own journeys and secrets to success, but for Justin Tse, content creator and CEO of Feature Media, it’s all about staying focused and consistently creating content that you love.  Full Episode Details   Two years since he was last on the show, Justin Tse, content creator and CEO of Feature Media, joins us on this episode of Social Pros to share some insights into how to succeed in content creation.  Justin explains how he’s able to stay focused and invested in his own work while maintaining a healthy audience in multiple niches. Starting out as a tech channel, Justin has branched out into lifestyle, travel, and car content, and this has proven to be beneficial in many ways, especially when it comes to brand partnerships.   We hear Justin’s advice on finding inspiration versus copying what others are creating and why it’s so important to build your own formula for success. Justin also shares his advice for new content creators and explains what he would focus on if he started from scratch today.   In This Episode:  2:58 - How Justin stays interested in content creation   5:51 - Justin tells us about winning Youth Entrepreneur of the Year in Canada  7:04 - Justin’s advice for younger listeners to stay relevant   9:47 - How Justin balances being true to himself and listening to audience feedback  11:51 - Justin shares details about his pivot toward travel content   13:36 - The benefits of working in multiple niches   15:38 - The value of collaborations with creators   16:56 - What’s changed in content creation since Justin first launched his Creator Cashflow course   19:14 - Pivoting between short and long-form content  19:51 - Becoming an influencer without a plan   21:36 - Content that inspires Justin   22:42 - Where Justin would start if he were to begin his creator journey from scratch  24:50 - Why content creation is sometimes about going with the flow  26:46 - Best practices for those working with brand partnerships  29:22 - Can brands compete with influencers?  32:48 - Why Justin moved away from podcasting  33:58 - Justin’s platforms of choice  36:59 - Balancing evergreen content with timely content  37:58 - Recent content projects Justin has worked on  39:59 - Justin’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro  Resources Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Follow Justin on Instagram  Follow Justin on YouTube   Connect with Justin on LinkedIn  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

If you're in the market for career advice, this is the episode of Social Pros you need. We speak to Eric Stark, Co-Founder and President at Slate who provides some excellent reminders on how to be a decent human being, a great colleague and ultimately progress in your career.   Full Episode Details  This week’s guest is Eric Stark, Co-Founder and President at Slate, and previously with the NFL in several different capacities. He joins this episode to tell us about his transition from working in social for a massive organization like the NFL to launching and running his own successful start-up.   He opens up about his own career progression and how he believes social pros, wherever they are in their career, can set themselves up for success. Eric has a deep understanding of what it’s like to manage the expectations of multiple teams when it comes to social and provides his thoughts on how to get your wins acknowledged and appreciated by your organization. Plus, why it’s important not to be too precious about what goes out on the channels you manage.    Eric also chats about how some of the best people he knows in social don’t maintain a personal brand and why that is often a good thing…     In This Episode:  1:35 - Eric explains what Slate is and what it does 4:46 - Why they expanded beyond sports and some new power users 9:23 - How social media is the centrepiece of the marketing team 10:31 - The best ways to grow and be promoted when you’re in social 12:20 - What Eric would tell his younger self 14:20 - Eric’s advice for social media managers who feel undervalued by their organization 16:23 - Why you shouldn’t wait to share your exciting wins with the organization as a whole 21:36 - Thoughts on whether having a personal brand is vital for those in social 23:56 - The benefits of having a strong personal brand 28:14 - What it’s like running a company like Slate now  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Eric on LinkedIn  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

If you want to showcase the experience of being a student, who better to ask than the students themselves? We shine the spotlight on Boston University’s student creator program with Director of Social Media, Dave McDonald. Much like with user-generated content, student creators bring authenticity, creativity, and expert knowledge to their audience.  Full Episode Details   Dave McDonald, Boston University’s Director of Social Media, joins Social Pros to talk about his Terrier Creator Program - a program for student social media creators to produce content about student life.   The program has been a huge success since its launch. BU’s social media content is fresh, engaging, and highly targeted to its audience because student creators have in-depth knowledge of what the target audience wants to see and engage with.   Dave explains how the program operates, his approach to coaching students, and why he prefers to let the students flex their creativity rather than restrict them with formal creative briefs. Dave also speaks about the importance of following trends, optimizing content for platforms, reporting on metrics, and ensuring creators always have the chance to bring new ideas to the table.  In This Episode:  1:22 - Dave explains his day-to-day responsibilities and the programs he runs 2:31 - How Boston University builds its international social presence 4:25 - Why reporting is so critical for Boston University’s social push 5:30 - What the Terrier Creator Program involves 8:42 - How the program optimizes content creation for each platform 10:07 - Why the program is open to new ideas from student creators 13:04 - How student creators highlight the student experience on social 14:09 - How Dave coaches student creators and other university departments 16:26 - The art of the pivot – how Dave coaches people through campaign pivots 17:45 - The importance of testing new ideas and jumping on trends 19:01 - How Dave balances the creator program with scheduled social content 20:30 - Why student creators don’t get strict creative briefs 23:03 - Dave’s advice on working with student content 24:27 - Dave shares some standout content stories 25:57 - What’s next for Dave’s team 28:59 - Dave’s top tip for becoming a social pro Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Learn more about the Terrier Creator Program at Boston University  Connect with Dave on LinkedIn  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Animal pics brighten our day here at Convince & Convert. We’re sure you can relate! But we’ve found out that there’s so much more to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s social than animal pics. We’re thrilled to welcome their Senior Social Media Manager, Taylor Moore, onto Social Pros to tell us more.   Full Episode Details   Everyone loves animal content on social feeds, right? But what goes into the marketing behind animal content for San Diego Zoo, and how do they tap into humanity’s love for animals and garner meaningful results in the process?  On this episode of Social Pros, Taylor explores why wildlife conservation sits at the very heart of their content strategy and tells us the importance of storytelling on social.  Plus, she shares the story of how she posted a certain viral ‘dik-dik pic’ and why great content can be cheeky as long as it’s relevant to your cause.  In This Episode:  2:14 - Taylor explains what the San Diego Zoo is and stands for 2:40 - The difference between San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park   5:46 - How they drive awareness through social   8:31 - How Taylor and her team stay inspired  11:18 - The story behind that dik-dik post 14:14 - Social pros love-hate relationship with content creation  15:49 - Their reptiles vs mammals performance metrics 20:16 - How they use Twitch and why it works 26:46 - How Taylor’s career has evolved and what’s next for her 33:19 - How you can connect with Taylor Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Taylor on LinkedIn  Follow Taylor on Instagram  That viral dik-dik pic…  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

If you feel like your social strategy has plateaued, Michael Corcoran, Ex-Head of Social at Ryanair and Managing Partner of Frankly, has some bold suggestions for how you can refresh your approach on this episode of Social Pros.  Full Episode Details   Do you ever feel like you’re posting the same type of content over and over, but not getting the reach or ROI you once were? It can be easy to get stuck in a rut when you’re making risk-free decisions. This is why Michael Corcoran believes it’s time to be bold and question your choices.  In this episode of Social Pros, Michael tells us how brands can pull themselves out of the “sea of sameness” by re-evaluating their priorities on social. He shares how he helped transform Ryanair’s content marketing strategy as their Head of Social and gives us three foundations for a successful strategy.  Michael believes social media is “the biggest pyramid scheme since Tupperware” and in this episode, he tells us why!   In This Episode:  2:07 - Michael’s time at Ryanair  6:10 - What impacted Michael’s marketing at Ryanair  12:18 - Why social platforms should provide entertainment  15:24 - The benefits of lo-fi and creator content   16:45 - Why social media has become a pyramid scheme  26:51 - Michael’s advice for how to break onto social  35:54 - Why social pros need to challenge themselves and their peers  36:14 - Why social shouldn’t be about quick wins  37:04 - Social will continue to evolve  49:03 - Michael’s last two questions  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Michael on LinkedIn  Follow Michael on X  Follow Michael on Instagram  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Cut through the noise on LinkedIn with expert advice from Social Media Strategist and Brand Marketer, Jacqueline Joyner, as she joins this episode of Social Pros.  Full Episode Details   When it comes to creating and consuming B2B content, LinkedIn is the place to be. But with content saturation placing obstacles in your way, how can you create the content that gets your message heard?  Joining Social Pros to share her expert insights, predictions, and expertise is Social Media Strategist and Brand Marketer, Jacqueline Joyner. She explains why there’s no secret sauce for social and why she champions experimentation, gut feeling, and demonstrating value.  Don’t get her wrong though - there are some best practices she swears by! Jacqueline explains why leveraging data is essential to running a successful social media strategy.  In This Episode:  1:44 - Discussing Jacqueline’s career  5:33 - Why evolution is vital for sustained success on social  6:20 - What to bear in mind when approaching social  8:30 - Can gut feeling and snap decisions create great content?  10:39 - Why you should let content live and breathe  11:00 - Balancing data with creativity  13:52 - Persistence or consistency?  15:29 - Where to start with LinkedIn content  18:13 - How Jacqueline built toward success  22:09 - Where should paid social fit into your strategy?  27:44 - The power of copy  33:13 - The final two  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn  Follow Jacqueline on Twitter/X  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 

Some brands are built for social media, and FIBA 3x3 is certainly one of them. Their Digital Content Manager, Esteban Gonzalez, shares how their community-led strategy transcends borders on the Social Pros podcast.  Full Episode Details   FIBA 3x3 is a sporting discipline that is just perfect for social. But how do they keep their community spirit alive with a global audience?  Esteban Gonzalez favors a rare tactic – opening the organization’s DMs to the public. This allows him to take suggestions, leverage UGC, and foster a “family atmosphere,” as he explains on this episode of Social Pros.  Esteban tells us how his team keeps community front of mind, whether it’s creating regular content or being on-site at events. He shares how FIBA 3x3 adds spontaneity to their content and how they welcome new fans into their community.  Plus, he shares why, if you’re passionate about content, you just need to create it and the opportunities will come.  In This Episode:  1:33 - Esteban introduces FIBA 3x3  4:20 - How Esteban handles FIBA 3x3’s global audience  6:09 - Creating content on the ground  7:54 - Keeping track of a content strategy  11:51 - Honoring different cultures and languages  13:45 - Why 3x3 keep their DMs open  16:40 - Appealing to crossover fans  21:09 - How Esteban grew from intern to manager  25:11 - Encouraging athletes to grow their social presence  30:17 - The power of livestreams  34:21 - Esteban’s final two  Resources  Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Connect with Esteban on LinkedIn  Follow Esteban on Twitter/X  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.