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Faced with challenging economic times and global inflation, businesses across all industries are working hard to get the best return on investment.  As marketing is often the first channel to suffer when it comes to budget cuts, in today's episode we investigate how to maximize marketing with a small social media team.   Capturing the cultural zeitgeist is generally a difficult task for most marketing companies, and even more so on social media. Trends, cycles, consumer tastes, and that elusive cool factor are something that most of us spend a lot of time chasing. But today's guest are world renowned for not only knowing what's cool, but for actually defining what's cool. We are delighted to catch up with Carina Torres, Social Media Manager of the Austin based art and tech festival, South by South West (SXSW). 

Discover how Oxfam blend fashion, celebrity and social media for Second Hand September to show how sustainable clothing can be chic and good for the environment. More of us are becoming conscious of the impact the modern fashion industry has on the world around us. One of the easiest ways to reduce the impact our fashion choices are having on the environment is by following the 5 R’s of sustainable fashion; reduce, rewear, recycle, repair and resell. In this episode, we speak with Emma Fabian from Oxfam. Oxfam have been at the heart of eco-friendly clothing for many years, although we may not have realised it. In today’s podcast we discover how they leverage social media to market sustainable fashion and homewares all over the UK and Ireland. 

Social media is a place where any user can be connected to celebrities, influencers, and any public figure in an instant, but sometimes that connection can come at a cost. One of the most pressing ongoing topics on social media is how to address toxic behaviour and internet trolling, with one particularly prominent group at the forefront of that conversation – professional athletes. This is where FIFPRO comes in. FIFPRO is a representative body that works with FIFA to advocate on behalf of professional sportspeople. They’ve been working hard on researching and developing ways to make social media a more kind and friendly place for everyone.  In this episode, we’re joined by Alejandro Varsky, FIFPRO’s Head of Communication. We discuss the types of online trolling and toxic behaviour he sees online, its effect on professional athletes and regular users alike, and how in a world where having a public presence online is so important for businesses we can navigate the negativity.  Thanks also to Scott Sloan from the Safe Sport Unit at the International Olympics Committee for his contribution to this episode.

Sitting somewhere between an employee and an influencer, workfluencers are on the rise. Rather than just curating articles on professional milestones and triumphs, workfluencers are known for being more open and honest about day-to-day work life, and consequently are favoured because they provide an authentic look at professional life. As their popularity with audiences grows, brands are increasingly understanding that these workfluencers can generate more engagement and express the brand better and more authentically than corporate accounts.  The home of the workfluencer is undoubtedly LinkedIn, and so we’re delighted to be joined by LinkedIn’s Head of Community, North America, Katie Carroll. We get her insight on where this new role has come from, why workfluencer marketing is so successful, and crucially, why this type of content is important for the professional world. To find out more about this episode, or any of our previous episodes, head to sproutsocial.com/socialcreatures

Social media marketing is a constantly evolving space, and with new trends, topics, and tactics seemingly emerging overnight, it’s sometimes hard to know what to do. That’s why we’re here to help with our social media marketing podcast for professionals like you!  After all the exciting conversations we had on season 1 of Social Creatures, we’re back with a new crop of the best and brightest social media marketers from around the world. This season we’re speaking to the minds behind some of the most intriguing social media campaigns, dynamic power users, and innovative brands on social media strategies to get audiences talking, engaging, and sharing. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can look forward to social media marketing tips from brands like LinkedIn, Oxfam, Riley, and so much more.

Mob is a salivatingly delicious food platform which makes cooking cool. But beyond the tasty meals and branding - Mob is a collective with a conscience, dedicated to educating young cooks how to make exciting and nourishing meals on a budget. Tune in to find out how they've utilised social media to blend coolness with conscience, as well as land impressive partnerships with industry giants. And of course, you can connect with @Mob to see them cooking up a storm for yourselves. This is our last episode of Series 1 of Social Creatures, but Sprout's social media agony Stacey will be dishing out some final Sound Advice to a cocktail bar taking business on the road. Keep sharing your social media dilemmas via soundadvice@sproutsocial.com for Series 2 of the podcast.

Fanbytes are making digital waves with their award winning social media campaigns for some huge global brands. Their secret weapon? Gen Z influencers and unique data insights to what makes consumers stop scrolling. Ocean Clarke, account director at Fanbytes, shares how their data tools are matching brands with both creators and their social media audiences, whilst Stacey, Sprout's dedicated social media agony aunt, helps a clinic balance content creation against privacy-conscious customers. Get in touch with Stacey with your own social media dilemma by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com, and continue the conversation with Fanbytes by connecting via @Fanbytes across all social media channels.

ATG is the driving force behind 32 regional theatres across the UK, and many more around the world. Chris Welton, Head of Social and Content, shares how social media is a key tool in selling some of country's most beloved shows to millions of audience members, and in supporting the producers and theatres behind them. Hear what advice Sprout's social media agony aunt Stacey has for community groups looking to make best use of social channels, and if you have your own social media predicament, you can ask for Stacey's help by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com. See how ATG part in creating showstopping content via @ATGTickets on Twitter and Facebook, or @ATG_Tickets on Instagram.

There are some events that feel made for social media. The Paralympics are undoubtedly one of them. But beyond the thrill of event, the victories and the losses, ParalympicsGB is a social account making huge inroads to change the perception and visibility of disabled athletes, and disability in general, right across society. With the largest social media following amongst international Paralympic social media accounts, we are delighted to hear from Kevin Crowe who is at the helm of the ParalympicsGB social accounts. We also hear from our social media agony aunt Stacey, who helps a growing business weigh up multiple social media accounts. You can write to Stacey with your own dilemma on soundadvice@sproutsocial.com, and see what our British Paralympians are up to using @ParalympicsGB and @ParalympicsGB_Official for Instagram

Let's face it, there's fewer of us hanging around the water cooler these days. So much of our chit chat now happens on social media, something that TV bosses and their socials team understood a long time ago. But how are they capitalising on social users' desire to react, share, connect over TV shows?  Enter Owen Williams, MD of the social media agency Siml, and former Head of Editorial Strategy at the BBC. Discover how publishers are curating creative content that stimulates and resonates with social media users, and learn how to tackle social media advertising with our social media agony aunt Stacey.  To see Owen working his magic online, connect with him on Twitter @OwsWills. You can also email soundadvice@sproutsocial.com with your own social media dilemma. Sprout's own social media agony aunt Stacey is on hand to help you out!

Wine drinking, shenanigans and hams - they're all in a day's work at the Royal Academy. We speak to Fionnuala Deasy, social media lead at the renowned institution and longest established art school in Britain, to hear how its collections have inspired conversation and creativity for over 250 years. Discover how the RA has balanced its ardour for the arts with a dexterity for the digital to blend entertainment with education perfectly on their social channels, and find out how to be top of the class at Twitter by listening into some Sound Advice from Sprout's own social media agony aunt Stacey. Share your own social media dilemma by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com, and see what the the RA is up to by connecting using @RoyalAcademy on Twitter and via @RoyalAcademyArts on Instagram.

One of the UK's most respected PR companies, FRANK's award-winning 2021 Weetabix x Heinz campaign went to new levels – sparking global controversy on social media and even heated debate amongst MPs in the House of Commons. Discover FRANK's unique recipe for creating brand pile-ons, and learn how to become a TikTok master via some Sound Advice from our social media agony aunt Stacey. You can continue the conversation with FRANK PR on Twitter on @WelcomeToFrank, and you can send us your own social media dilemma by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com

Where does Anderson Paak converge with the West Midlands of yesteryear? At the Black Country Living Museum, an open-air museum that uses TikTok to entertain and educate followers about life in the region throughout history. Emily Smith, Audiences and Communications Manager - and the actress who plays the 1940s lady at the BCLM - shares how the museum found fame during the pandemic and why their videos have helped bring beef dripping sandwiches back into the modern age. Brush up on your social media dos and don'ts by joining Sprout's social media agony aunt Stacey, as she resolves another of your pressing social media concerns, and get in touch with one of your own social media dilemmas by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com. Connect with the BCLM on TikTok via @BlackCountryLivingMuseum or on Twitter and Instagram on @BCLivingMuseum.

The Eurovision Song Contest is world's biggest live music event, with over 180 million viewers tuning in to see who will win the yearly competition. But how does this iconic event keep the magic alive all year round? With social media, of course!  Communications Lead Dave Goodman shares what it takes to promote this gigantic event online, and delves into how social media might just be able to help you predict the winner!  We'll also be joined by Sprout's social media agony aunt Stacey, as she resolves another of your pressing social media concerns. Connect with Eurovision on all social media channels via @Eurovision and get in touch with one of your own social media dilemmas by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com.

Orkney Library is a small library off the northeastern coast of Scotland. It's also the darling of British literary Twitter with a following of almost 80,000 users. How, you wonder? The answer lies in a unique (and just a little bit silly) passion for books, balls and wordplay. Tune in to discover the rest of their magical formula, and to hear some Sound Advice from our social media agony aunt Stacey.  You can also get in touch with your own social media dilemmas by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com.   Connect with Orkney Library on Twitter and Instagram using @OrkneyLibrary.

Anu Hautalampi is the Head of Social for UN Women. A global entity with millions of followers, UN Women's mission is to work towards gender equality and women's empowerment. It's a big mission – so where on earth do you start? How can social effect actual change? And is it possible to have some smiles along the way?! Find out first hand how the UN Women team manages its social media strategy and listen in to some Sound Advice from our social media agony aunt Stacey. You can also get in touch with your own social media dilemmas by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com. Connect with UN Women on Twitter and Instagram using @UNWomen.

#Sprinklegate was the biggest, loudest and most furious hashtag to make international headlines in 2021. When Trading Standards investigated the Leeds-based bakery 'Get Baked' over its use of illegal sprinkles, owner Rich Myers took to social media to rail against the controversy, and the business shot to stardom.  Find out how Rich made the best of a bad situation, and to hear some Sound Advice from our social media agony aunt Stacey. You can also get in touch with your own social media dilemmas by emailing soundadvice@sproutsocial.com.   Connect with Get Baked on Instagram @GetBakedUK or on facebook.com/getbaked/

Join us as we chat with some of our favourite social media accounts, to explore their success and share the secrets behind their social media strategy. Got a social media dilemma? Email our in-house agony aunt at soundadvice@sproutsocial.com