Social Pros Podcast Convince & Convert

Are you focused on the right things on social media? Or are vanity metrics keeping you up at night? In this episode, we take a deep dive into what’s really important on social media for brands with Kate DiLeo, CEO and Brand Architect of The Brand Trifecta.
Full Episode Details
Join us for an insightful chat with Kate DiLeo, CEO and Brand Architect of The Brand Trifecta, as she shares practical tips for building an authentic brand presence on social media. With a unique background in sales, Kate brings a fresh perspective to brand building on social media. We hear her approach to creating meaningful and real content that reflects her brand voice on LinkedIn and why she chooses to focus on only two platforms for her content.
Kate explains that while it’s easy to get caught up on vanity metrics, social pros need to focus on what really matters – being real and connecting with people. She also recommends finding a niche and keeping your content laser-focused rather than trying to talk to everyone. Hear her thoughts on AI, running events, and how she came to write her book, ‘Muting the Megaphone.’
In This Episode:
2:50 - How Kate moved from sales to social 6:05 - How Kate built her brand methodology 8:30 - The importance of developing a clear brand voice 10:41 - Kate’s advice for focusing on LinkedIn as your go-to platform 12:45 - How she finds balance between her real and professional lives on social media 14:37 - AI’s impact on brand building 18:23 - Why finding your niche is key 20:21 - The importance of knowing what to say no to 21:45 - How to start building your brand on social 24:27 - Kate’s experience of running events 26:10 - Kate’s approach to cultivating her network 27:31 - Kate shares details about her current and upcoming book 31:20 - How leaders who can reflect on what’s holding them back 34:01 - Kate’s top tip for aspiring social pros Resources
Download ICUC’s Data-Driven Personalization Report Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Follow Kate on Instagram
Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

New podcast series alert from Convince & Convert! 
Full Episode Details
A brand new series hosted by Zontee Hou, our Managing Director, looks at the lessons we can take from data to inform the best marketing practices and internal culture. In this trailer episode, we catch a bit of her interview with Daniel Lemin on the Social Pros podcast, where she talks about her new book Data-Driven Personalization. She discusses some of the key insights from the book, why marketers need to have a more important presence at the ‘data table’, and how the concepts in the book apply to every marketer.
Data is more important than ever and gives marketers a seat at the table, not just when it comes to marketing decisions but also discussions that affect company culture, team structure, and sales.
The book and podcast explore lessons and insights for marketers to get more out of the data they have and translate that into impactful and personalized customer experiences that increase customer lifetime value and allow us to develop more engaging marketing strategies.
In This Episode:
An introduction to the book, ‘Data-Driven Personalization’ What we can learn from companies who use data to drive decision-making Why we’re launching the Data-Driven Decisions podcast Topics the podcast will cover Quotes:
“Whenever I can capture stories and share them and also explore why people made the decisions that they did behind the data, it makes it more tangible for us as marketers, and it makes it more usable to the folks who are looking at this content.”
“We're not just going to be talking about marketing specifically, we're also going to be talking about the nexus of marketing and sales, the nexus of data and internal culture. So there's going to be a lot of really fascinating conversations.”
“My goal is to make sure that you are really seeing how these ideas are applicable within your own organizations so that you have ideas of how you can make a more impactful marketing presence through data.”
Resources:
Connect with Zontee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zonteehou/ Purchase the book at convinceandconvert.com/data-driven (use code CCData20 for 20% off and free shipping in the UK and US) and sign up for more content at convinceandconvert.com.

As a creative, where do you stand on AI? Do you see it as a friend or foe? In this episode of Social Pros, we speak to Simon Berg, Founder of Ceros, who talks about the use of AI in the creative space and how we can find that happy place in the middle… 
Full Episode Details
New AI tools are coming at us thick and fast. That genie has well and truly left the bottle and as creatives, it’s time to decide whether we will embrace it as a part of our work processes or get left behind.
While this might sound harsh to some, it’s the conversation that everyone is having and it was great to dive into it with British entrepreneur and thought leader in AI and creativity, Simon Berg.
Simon opens up about his journey from struggling with academic and family constraints, to finding solace in creative expression. He emphasizes the significance of embracing AI as a collaborator, providing many of his own experiences navigating its potential and challenges.
He also talks about the importance of authenticity, how to effectively brief AI tools, and the role of constructive feedback in personal and professional growth. Simon also expresses his vision for a future where productivity is driven by creativity, underscoring the necessity for organizations to adapt to the insanely quick advancements in AI technology.
In This Episode:
1:08 - The early days of Ceros and what it is today  2:33 - What it was about the creative space that Simon felt needed a solution like Ceros 4:56 - How Simon came to start interacting with AI and how he feels about it as a creative 
8:23 - Simon’s advice for creatives worried about gen AI uprooting everything they’ve known 13:06 - Why we should play with AI and the benefits 15:08 - How organizations should support and onboard their people when introducing new AI tools 18:54 - Unpacking the concerns around the opportunity for AI tools to inherit bias  19:37 - How to brief your AI companion better so the results are authentic and accurate  25:36 - Simon’s advice to someone looking to express themselves more creatively  25:46 - Why you need to surround yourself with people who tell you what you need to hear not what you want to hear 29:51 - What Simon is most looking forward to over the next five years 32:30 - Where to connect with Simon 33:43 - Simon’s advice to Social Pros
Resources
Grab your free Social Media Audit Bundle Meet Gemma Connect with Simon on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

If you want to connect with your audience in the here and now, you’ve got to lean into the moment. That’s one of the key takeaways from this episode with Renee D. Edwards, Global Social & Brand Marketing Executive. Renee brings bags of experience and wisdom to this episode, having worked with huge brands like IBM, Intel, and Samsung. 
Full Episode Details
All brands want to build that all-important connection with the audience on social media. But it is definitely easier said than done. Luckily, we have Renee D. Edwards on the show to give us some pointers on embracing and building your community on social media.
For Renee, sometimes social pros need to “color outside the lines” and try something a little different – whether that be spending extra time engaging in the comments or collaborating with brands and content creators. We hear in this episode how social comments are “the new Twitter,” and why social pros should spend time connecting with people and other brands via comments.
Renee shares her take on why she values collaboration over competition. While social media is a highly competitive place, sometimes it pays dividends to collaborate with other brands to create fun, refreshing content that stands out on your audience’s social feed. We also hear her thoughts on AI, authentic content, working with content creators, and more.
In This Episode:
2:22 - Renee shares what she’s working on and is most passionate about 4:05 - The themes Renee is seeing in the B2B space 6:57 - Leaning into the moment on social 8:35 - How B2B and B2C social strategies differ 10:35 - Being social savvy on LinkedIn as a B2B leader 13:27 - How AI is shaping how social platforms are used 14:18 - Why comments are the new Twitter 18:55 - Best practices for handling comments on social media 20:43 - How to balance collaboration with competition 22:40 - Renee’s favorite campaigns as a Webby Awards judge 25:21 - Highlights from Renee’s career 27:08 - Renee’s experience being an advisory board member of Storythings 29:09 - What brands can learn from content creators 32:54 - Renee’s favorite brands to follow on social media 35:44 - How to connect with Renee  36:53 - Renee’s advice for those looking to become a social pro Resources
Join the Social Pros LinkedIn community Connect with Renee on LinkedIn Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

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.
Full Episode Details
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.
Full Episode Details
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.