How to Learn from Trend-Signals & Social-First Content

How to Learn from Trend-Signals & Social-First Content

Author: Convince & Convert July 26, 2024 Duration: 35:47

Leaning into social-first content can help you connect to the trends that your audience is already engaged with. The key to great social-first content? Being a content consumer yourself, says our guest this week, Byron Stewart, Associate Director of Social Media at Team Epiphany.

Full Episode Details 

By tapping into the current online culture and trends, you're in the perfect position to jump onto new opportunities to expand your brand's reach. That's what Bryon found when he worked at Foot Locker. As he was scrolling on Twitter at the gym, he spotted an opportunity to jump on a meme about Machine Gun Kelly being a Foot Locker employee. Not long after he posted, the Tweet went viral. This is a perfect example of how you can build social-first content (sometimes with minimal work) with a consumer mindset – a key theme running through this episode with Byron.

Byron shares his advice for social pros who want to leverage trends the right way, take risks, get leadership buy-in for campaigns, and how to work effectively with creators.

We also hear his thoughts on tackling burnout in the era of being "chronically online" and why his top tip for social pros is to commit to continuous learning. The episode leaves us with Byron's thoughts on the creator economy and his approach to identifying and leveraging emerging trends for different brands.

In This Episode:

  • 2:48 - Byron explains his new role at Team Epiphany
  • 3:38 - How Foot Locker went viral with a Machine Gun Kelly post
  • 8:40 - Advice for social pros to do something similar while protecting their brand
  • 10:36 - How Byron stays informed about current culture with a consumer mindset
  • 12:46 - How Byron identifies important trends, tracks them, and applies them
  • 14:51 - Byron's take on brand relationships with creators
  • 17:35 - The biggest changes in the platforms affecting the creator economy
  • 20:02 - Ways he'd like to see Instagram and TikTok evolve
  • 22:30 - Byron's favorite types of content
  • 23:59 - How to avoid burnout as a social pro
  • 25:45 - How Byron kickstarted the employee advocacy program at Foot Locker
  • 29:45 - Advice on getting buy-in to start making employee-generated content
  • 31:20 - Why Byron loves being a social media advocate
  • 33:00 - Byron's top tip for social pros

Resources 

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 


For years, Social Pros Podcast has served as an essential meeting point for those who do the real work in digital marketing. Created by Convince & Convert, this isn't a theoretical discussion; it's a deep dive into the practical realities of managing social media within larger business ecosystems. The conversations here consistently explore how platforms intersect with brand strategy, content creation, public relations, and paid media, moving beyond hype to examine measurable impact. You'll hear directly from the people behind the profiles at major organizations like Google, Reddit, Uber, and Oracle, gaining insight into their successes and the challenges they navigate daily. The longevity of this podcast is a testament to its value, offering a accumulated wealth of knowledge from hundreds of candid interviews and expert commentaries. Each episode functions like a focused case study, breaking down the "how" and "why" behind decisions that drive genuine business results. If you're looking to understand the evolving role of social media beyond the latest trend, this series provides a grounded, insider perspective that has educated a generation of marketing professionals. Tune in to hear the actual pros discuss the work that rarely makes it into a polished tweet or case study.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Social Pros Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Why Social Goes to the Dogs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:21
Managing social media for 275 locations might sound like a daunting task, but for Dogtopia, it's a chance to connect with dog lovers everywhere. Toni Teplitsky, Senior Director of Marketing, reveals how her team keeps co…
Cut Through the Noise with the King of Clarity, Steve Woodruff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:11
Getting your message heard in today's crowded digital world isn't easy, but clarity in communication can make all the difference. Steve Woodruff, the King of Clarity, shares his 4-step formula to help social marketers cr…
Navigating Social with Your Friendly Neighborhood Gen-Z [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
For the past few years, we've seen all kinds of brands scrambling to learn more about their Gen-Z audiences. Cue a wave of brands rushing onto TikTok to learn their secrets… But what about the Gen-Z marketers on the othe…
Social Pros Podcast Live at Content Marketing World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:38
Coming to you live from Content Marketing World in sunny San Diego, Social Pros brings together content experts Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Officer at Content Marketing Institute, and Amber Naslund, LinkedIn's Enterprise…
How a Legacy Brand Ran with Their TikTok Boom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:52
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…
The Sweet Tooth of Social Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:40
Candy fans unite! This episode is for you. Grab your favorite flavor of Nerds or indulge in some controversial candy corn and tune in to hear Annie Belgrade, Senior Manager of Integrated Content Marketing at Ferrara Cand…
Bridging the Generational Divide on Social [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:44
Generational perspectives collide in this episode as three social pros from different age groups share their insights on the evolution of social media. Leanna Pham, CEO of Pham & Fams and a Gen Z digital marketer, joins…
"Hiding the Veggies" in Higher Ed Social [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:37
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 M…
Nailing Down Paid Social for Your Brand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:16
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…