Alison Battisby is an international social media speaker and consultant with fifteen years of social media marketing experience. Alison has been involved in some ground-breaking social media projects for brands including Tesco, Heineken, Burger King, STAR Pubs, Hyatt Hotels and Soho House, as well as a range of UK startups and growing enterprises. Alison founded Avocado Social in 2014 and is accredited by Facebook and Instagram, working with them to teach marketing professionals the latest strategies.
Mark McCulloch is one of the leading food, drink and hospitality brand and marketing minds in Europe. Mark has more than 20 years’ brand, marketing, digital and social media experience holding senior positions at lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger. Mark co-founded brand and marketing agency WE ARE Spectacular in 2012 and now runs premium brand and marketing strategy consultancy Supersonic Inc, based in London and Brighton, helping C suite-level marketers and executives amplify their business across multiple sectors.
Schedule
12.30pm – 1.00pm: Registration
1.00pm – 1.15pm: Introduction: The workshop kicks off with an introduction by Mark, who will provide an overview of the workshop objectives and the day’s agenda. This session aims to set the stage for a day filled with learning and networking, ensuring all participants know what to expect.
1.15pm – 2.00pm: Trends and Insights: Following the introduction, Mark shifts focus to the latest trends in social media for 2024 and the social media state of play. This section covers a range of emerging topics, including the impact of AI in social media, the rise of creator content in advertisements, and the growing significance of TikTok Shopping. Participants will also explore enhancements to LinkedIn personal profiles. Additionally, the session will delve into recent algorithm changes across various platforms, with a special emphasis on LinkedIn. This comprehensive overview will provide valuable insights and data to help participants understand current user behavior and platform preferences.
2.00pm – 2.45pm: Social Media Strategy: Next, Alison and Mark dive into developing a robust social media strategy, led by both instructors. This segment will teach participants how to adapt their strategies for each platform, highlighting the differences between brand and marketing content and providing relevant examples. Key topics include determining the best times and frequencies for posting, understanding why cross-posting is no longer sufficient, and deciding what content should be posted where, when, and on which days. Special attention will be given to TikTok, emphasizing its role as an entertainment platform rather than traditional social media.
2.45pm – 3.00pm: Coffee Break
3.00pm – 3.45pm: Experiential Storytelling: Mark will lead a session on experiential storytelling, focusing on how to engage audiences through compelling narratives. Participants will learn the power of storytelling and see great examples from the food and drink industry, featuring brands we all should be looking to for inspiration. The session will also cover how to create engaging stories specifically for TikTok, leveraging the platform’s unique features to capture audience interest.
3.45pm – 4.15pm: Advertising Strategies that Justify Spend: Alison will then lead a session on effective advertising strategies that justify spending budget. This session will cover various retargeting techniques, including using Wi-Fi data and social custom audiences. Participants will also learn about the use of lead generation forms to gather email addresses, specific language targeting to attract summer tourists, and birthday targeting to promote special offers. This practical session aims to equip participants with actionable strategies to maximize their advertising budgets.
4.15pm – 4.45pm: Getting Your Stakeholders to Believe in Social Media: The final session, also led by Alison, focuses on convincing stakeholders of the value of social media. Participants will learn which metrics are important to track and how to present this data effectively to management. The session will address the challenge of proving ROI to non-marketing stakeholders and provide strategies for optimizing and improving content based on statistical analysis.
4.45pm – 5.00pm: Conclusion and Q&A: The workshop concludes with a summary of key takeaways, followed by an open Q&A session where participants can ask questions and discuss specific challenges.
