Social Pros Podcast Convince & Convert

Is your brand ready for the future? Being a future-ready brand is about more than just hopping onto the latest tech trends. In this episode, we hear about what marketers can do to keep their brands ahead of the game. We welcomed Mitch Duckler, Managing Partner at FullSurge & Bestselling Author of The Future-Ready Brand and The Indispensable Brand, to share insights he uncovered in his research.
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Mitch Duckler, as Managing Partner of consultancy firm FullSurge, is well-versed in what brands can do to drive and accelerate growth. And a big part of growth is looking forward to the future.
So how can you make your brand future-ready?
When writing his recent book, The Future-Ready Brand, Mitch interviewed CMOs from Fortune 500 companies to get their perspectives on new technology, audience expectations, and how they’re preparing for the future. We hear some brilliant insights into how CMOs at some of the top brands are experimenting with technology like AI and AR, and why they’re trending cautiously right now.
Mitch talks in detail about the differences in generations and how Gen Z, an important demographic for brands, prefers content that’s authentic, not polished, and brands with a clear purpose.
In This Episode:
2:03 - A background on Mitch, his role, and book 3:27 - The most surprising feedback Mitch received from CMOs 5:28 - How brands are balancing using AI with maintaining brand identity 8:13 - Why brands with a clear purpose are popular with Gen Z 10:48 - How brands are pivoting due to societal changes 12:57 - How brands are targeting different generations on different platforms  15:28 - Why control has shifted to the consumer on social media 18:24 - How emerging technologies are helping brands meet their audience where they are 23:12 - What smaller brands can do with limited resources 27:14 - Mitch’s tip for anyone looking to become a marketer or social pro Resources
ICUC’s 2024 State of Data-Driven Personalization report Connect with Mitch on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Why do people follow brands on social media? What prompts them to unfollow? How close are social media followers to becoming customers? These are important questions that just about every social pro has asked themselves. We can make guesses and predictions, but what does the data say? Hootsuite’s Social Media Consumer Report is full of incredibly useful data for marketers, and their Head of Content, Sarah Dawley, joins this episode to talk us through it.
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Social media is changing all the time, and with it, consumer expectations, preferences, and behavior. Hootsuite’s latest report provides solid data answering the key questions marketers have about social media. Sarah Dawley, the Head of Content at Hootsuite, joins us in this episode to highlight the most important findings for social pros to be aware of.
The data that Sarah takes us through answers key questions on why people follow and unfollow brands, the top things consumers are looking for, and how brands can tap into that. We talk about some of the more surprising findings around purchase intent, plus the not-so-surprising findings too.
Sarah gives her take on AI in social content generation and how it relates to (and potentially harms) the audience’s need for authentic content. We also hear some great tips on how brands can reuse and repurpose content, Hootsuite’s fantastic method for promoting the report, and why B2B social content should never be boring.
In This Episode:
2:30 - An introduction to the report 4:38 - How brands can connect with their audience 6:17 - The top thing that surprised Sarah about the data 8:05 - Why people unfollow or don’t follow brands in the first place 12:11 - How the use of AI affects authentic content 15:01 - How can teams use AI 17:33 - Why people follow brands on social media 21:17 - Advice on building an efficient content strategy 23:16 - The trick with repurposing content  24:32 - How Hootsuite promoted their latest report 27:40 - What holds B2B brands back? 30:13 - Where to find the report 31:42 - Sarah’s top tip for social pros Resources
Join the Social Pros community on LinkedIn Follow Sarah on X Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn Hootsuite's Social Trends Report Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Get ready to learn about the magic of marketing! Bennie F. Johnson, CEO of the American Marketing Association, joins the Social Pros podcast to shed light on why he believes marketing is equal parts art, science, and magic.
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The American Marketing Association is probably an organization you’re familiar with, and in this episode, we welcomed none other than the CEO himself, Bennie F. Johnson, for a fantastic conversation. Bennie shares some background of AMA and how it supports those on the academic and practitioner side of marketing.
We hear his thoughts on AI and the ethical and legal considerations that marketing pros need to know about – some of which differ by state and country. Bennie also explains why LinkedIn is the platform of choice for his personal brand and AMA.
Bennie shares his advice for the future marketing leaders out there, and we chat about why marketing today doesn’t just belong in the creative realm. There’s also a science to it (with a dash of magic too). He outlines how marketing pros can communicate the value of marketing to a wider organization, the importance of taking risks, and his advice for the Social Pros community.
In This Episode:
2:15 - How the American Marketing Association supports the marketing community 6:05 - Why marketers need communities more than ever 8:35 - How marketers can embrace AI 12:07 - What marketers need to know about different privacy regulations 14:20 - Balancing communication with community members 18:31 - How Bennie speaks to future marketers 21:45 - How marketers can communicate their value to a wider organization 25:53 - Why risk and curiosity are key to marketing 30:44 - Leading authentically in marketing 32:30 - Bennie’s one tip for those wanting to become a social pro Resources
Join the Social Pros community on LinkedIn American Marketing Association Connect with Bennie on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

In the world of podcasting, the most important element is the story you’re trying to tell. You can have all the best equipment at hand, but it’s the story that makes it. We’re getting a little meta this week with a podcast episode about podcast episodes and storytelling with Elaine Appleton Grant, CEO of Podcast Allies and Host of the Sound Judgment podcast.
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Now, we’re no strangers to sharing great stories on this podcast. But this episode is a little different. We peek behind the curtain and look at what it takes to unravel these stories in a podcast. And it all begins with the host.
The host of Sound Judgment and CEO of Podcast Allies, Elaine Appleton Grant, gives us a masterclass on how to tell a great story by asking great questions and being curious above all. 
Elaine shares plenty of anecdotes from her career and the brilliant public speakers and podcasters she’s met along the way, including the former host of this very podcast, Jay Baer. In each of these stories, Elaine breaks down the key lessons she’s learned and teaches to others, including the importance of preparation, asking questions that really dig into the details, and how to be a good listener. 
There’s so much to take away from this episode if you’re interested in starting a podcast or want to improve your hosting skills. But equally, there’s plenty of value if you’re in the business of telling stories on social media. 
In This Episode:
2:25 - Why it’s so important to share and tell stories 4:00 - What Elaine learned from Jay Baer’s Standing Ovation podcast 5:50 - Elaine gives a breakdown of what her podcast is about 7:51 - Elaine’s background in storytelling 9:51 - How Elaine approaches getting into deeper stories on her podcast 16:34 - How framing questions the right way helps you mine for stories 22:54 - How to become a great listener 25:25 - Why curiosity is the key skill 26:29 - How looking for different perspectives can uncover multitudes of stories 33:08 - How do you start becoming an expert storyteller 37:11 - The final two questions  Resources
Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle The Sound Judgment podcast Podcast Allies Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn Follow Elaine on Instagram Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Joseph Galbo, Social Media Specialist at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is a certified friend of the Social Pros podcast! We’re thrilled to have him back as a third-time guest on the show to talk about his work at CPSC and his tips for making safety content fun and engaging.
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How do you take something like product safety information and turn it into a library of fun, interesting, and entertaining content? Well, Joseph Galbo, Social Media Specialist at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, shares his secrets in this episode.
We hear a rundown of what social is like at CSPC, how it’s changed since we last spoke, and Joseph’s creative approach to getting important information out there.
Joseph shares stories of unique social campaigns he’s worked on, from the CPSC album drop to its Marvel-like universe of characters, including Potato the Dog, Copernicus Jackson the Cat, and Quinn the Quarantine Fox, who all share important messages with the public.
Aside from talking about safety memes, Joseph chats about the importance of engagement data, evergreen content, and communicating different safety issues around the U.S.
In This Episode:
3:35 - What social media is like at CPSC and what’s changed 6:25 - How CPSC strikes a balance between serious information and fun content 8:40 - Joseph explains the album drop campaign 13:50 - Taking a more creative approach to communicating with the public 15:52 - How Joseph gets creative ideas approved 19:28 - How government agencies are evolving on social 26:47 - How CPSC uses engagement data and social listening 29:34 - Joseph explains his favorite projects and why CPSC has a Marvel-like universe of characters 32:47 - Joseph asks our Social Pros hosts about following government accounts 37:08 - Why people are looking for more hopeful content on social 38:13 - Joseph’s top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources
Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle  Follow the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on X  Connect with Joseph on LinkedIn Join the Social Pros community on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

This episode with Fractional VP of Social Media at Social Proof Agency, Robyn Nissim, is a masterclass in social media. Hear about her journey from in-house roles to fractional work, the importance of investing in social media, and much more. 
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This episode welcomes Robyn Nissim, who shares her journey from Head of Social at big brands such as Alo Yoga and Anastasia Beverly Hills to her current role as Fractional VP of Social Media for a variety of brands. Robyn reflects on the pivotal shift towards a digital-first approach and emphasizes the importance of adapting in the dynamic social landscape.
Host Leanna Pham and guest co-host Sunny Hunt talk to Robyn about how vital it is to invest properly in social, and she highlights the percentage of online users that are influenced by brand social media—a compelling stat that shows just how important it is for brands to be engaging effectively. They talk about the value of tracking impressions, click-through rates, and cultural impact, emphasizing the need for brands to align their strategies with the digital behaviors of their target audience.
The conversation also explores Robyn’s thoughts and advice on innovative influencer marketing strategies and the role of social media teams within organizations. Robyn shares her favorite structure for her social teams, advocating for cross-functional collaborations and strategic content planning. They also discuss finding the balance between leveraging trends for brand visibility and maintaining a robust content strategy grounded in brand authenticity. 
In This Episode:
0:40 - Robyn expands on her current role 2:14 - What she loves about building teams 3:54 - How she approaches brands that aren’t investing in social 6:13 - Why brands need to invest in roles and responsibilities within the social team 8:42 - Robyn’s ideal social team breakdown 11:32 - How social teams can share their insights with the whole organization 13:06 - Ways small teams can get a seat at the table 15:03 - Trends Robyn is seeing in social currently 21:17 - Advice for starting an influencer program 23:35 - Robyn’s favorite activation and why 26:04 - In-house roles vs fractional roles Resources
Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle Connect with Robyn on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.