At our digital marketing agency, social media is a part of who we are. Whether it be for professional or personal use, our social media team is on numerous networks at any given time of the day. It’s like Christmas morning when we receive an update notification to our phones about the latest filter, layout or analytics news.
Even though we all work with social media daily there are different reasons why each of us loves what we do. I decided to interview each of my social media maven teammates to find out what networks they loved most and some of the challenges of the industry.
Meet the lotus823 Social Media Team
Christine Rochelle, Director of Digital Marketing & Operations
What has been your favorite social media campaign? This year? Ever?
My favorite social campaign recently was the ALS ice bucket challenge because what other campaign did you see participation from in every demographic?! And it didn’t just stir a lot of buzz it also completed its end goal of donations.
My favorite campaign of all time would be Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. It was great for their brand and started a great discussion in terms of how women are represented in the media.
Chrissy Teigen. She’s built her brand through social media and is hilariously uncensored.
What have you found to be the biggest challenge working with social media?
The biggest challenge has been customer service. As a community manager, you want to be able to assist a social fan in less than 24 hours, which is the fan’s expectation nowadays, but large brand customer service teams aren’t set up for that kind of turnaround.
What advice would have for someone new to the social media marketing industry?
Focus on reporting. If you can’t successfully analyze what’s working and what’s not, then you’re not a social marketer; you’re just a power user. There’s a big difference.
Craig Capron, Associate Digital Marketing Strategist
What is your favorite social media channel? Why?
Instagram is my favorite social media channel right now because it is straightforward and can be spontaneous. Instagram also ranks as #1 for me because it has changed very little since it came out. It seems that Facebook and Twitter are changing on a nearly constant basis, but Instagram, despite being owned by Facebook, has remained simple to use and universally adopted.
Which social media channel do you use most?
Snapchat. Almost every time I check my phone, I check Snapchat. Although it’s not really a great marketing tool unless you’re a major player (like Taco Bell) it’s one of my favorites to use on a personal basis. Snapchat is actually a great resource to experience new cultures and places you’ve never been with the Snapchat Live stories.
Which social media campaign do you think didn’t work out the way the brand had intended it to?
In terms of social media campaigns and unintended consequences, in my opinion, nothing will beat #MyNYPD.
Do you think Facebook will remain the most popular channel in five years? Ten years?
I think even further down the line. As the generation of users (myself included) who grew up with Facebook start to age, we will stick with the platform, as it’s the one we know best. Other networks will come and go along the line, but I believe that Facebook will be #1 through the foreseeable future.
What advice would have for someone new to the social media marketing industry?
Learn to roll with the punches. This industry changes by the day, so you have to be ready to adapt.
Caitlin Fischer, Assistant Account Executive
Which social media channel do you use most?
Instagram. My favorite social channel and most used channel go hand and hand. I love taking pictures, especially of food and drinks! I think you can easily notice that at first glance of my account.
What is your favorite thing about working with social media?
I love how it’s always rapidly updating. When you go on in the morning, one thing is trending; hours later it’s a new topic. I love the fast-paced approach that allows you to connect with everyone and anyone from friends, to brands, to news reporters. Social media has become a huge part of my life on a professional and social level. I can’t wait to see where social media will be 5 years from now!
What have you found to be the biggest challenge working with social media?
Fans are now starting to use social media as a place to seek out customer service type advice, which can be a huge challenge at times. There really is no monitoring on what someone will say. So as social media professionals we need to be proactive and try our best to turn a negative situation into a positive one, which isn’t always the easiest task.
Cristina Trecate, Account Coordinator
What is your favorite social media campaign? Why?
My favorite social media campaign is probably Taco Bell’s social media blackout to promote the mobile app. It was weirdly effective. I think it’s so funny how eliminating social media was a part of their campaign to promote the #OnlyInTheApp hashtag.
Who is your favorite social media celeb? Why?
I’m OBSESSED with Lady Gaga. Her photos are so dramatic and glamorous and her puppies are so cute. I also like the occasional #nomakeupselfie from her because she’s so beautiful.
Do you think Facebook will remain the most popular channel in five years? Ten years?
I think Facebook might still be relevant, but not the most popular – millennials have shorter and shorter attention spans and a picture with a short caption is the best way to get a message across. I’ve been seeing a lot of in-depth posts on Facebook. So, in a few years it might not be the best for brands but if anything a news channel of sorts.
Erin Cunningham, Assistant Account Executive
Wondering what my favorite network is? I’d be lying to you if I told you just one. There’s a reason that I love them all.
Instagram is fun, visual and I love sharing my adventures with my followers. It also allows me to keep all my memories in one place. When I hit 1K followers, it felt like a pretty big deal.
Facebook is a place I can stay in touch with my family and friends who aren’t as close to me as I wish – plus you can always create an easy invitation to a BBQ.
Pinterest lets me dream of my future home, clothes I’ll never be able to afford and food recipes that I swear I’m going to pin and come back to execute in the kitchen.
Snapchat is a place I like to be silly. I post funny videos, take pictures of food and get to draw hearts around my dog when she’s staring and giving me those sweet puppy dog eyes. Also, it feels nice to get to the see the world and major events with the Snapchat Live series.
Twitter is my perfect news source. I can sort through what I’m interested in and easily click through and search for something I wanted to know more about.
LinkedIn is my online resume. I think this is something everyone at our digital marketing agency can agree on having. I can easily market myself with LinkedIn by displaying my accomplishments, skills and even have people leave testimonials of my work.
So, there you have it! That is the lotus823 social media team. Now we want to know, what’s your favorite social channel and why? Drop a note below and then be sure to connect with us on your favorite network!