Literary Insights

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Here is a summary of the key points from the introductions:

Carlos Gil is an award-winning digital storyteller and international keynote speaker with over a decade of experience leading social media strategy for major brands.
The first edition of “The End of Marketing” won several awards including the American Book Fest Best Book Award in the Marketing and Advertising category. It also won the NYC Big Book Award in the Business: Small Business and Entrepreneurship category.
Praise for the book comes from notable figures like Jeff “Ja Rule” Atkins, Michael Stelzner (Social Media Examiner), Bonin Bough (founder of Bonin Ventures), and Gerard Adams (co-founder of Elite Daily). They praise Gil’s insights and strategies for succeeding in today’s changing marketing landscape.
The second edition has been updated with new content to help marketers navigate the ever-evolving digital world and understand how to humanize their brands through social media.
Gil thanks God first as well as the many people who supported him in writing the book, conducting research, and spreading the message to help others succeed in digital marketing.
The author thanks his family, especially his wife and five children, for their support during his writing journey. He dedicates the book to his children.
Marketing as we know it is dead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people valued real communities over brands and sales. Brands now need to build relationships rather than always trying to go for the sale.
Influencers and peer recommendations have more sway over purchasing decisions than traditional ads. People want to feel part of something bigger through influencer-led trends and movements.
The failed Fyre Festival showcased how powerful influencer marketing can be for driving ticket sales, even when the event itself fails to deliver. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner were paid huge sums to promote it on social media.
FOMO and the allure of an “exclusive” experience sold many people on Fyre Festival. Social media allows people to curate flashy online personas and escape everyday realities.
Influencers and relatable digital figures now have more influence over consumers than massive marketing budgets alone. Psychology is a bigger tool for selling than traditional advertising.

Here are the key points from the passage:

Traditional marketing through mass media like TV/radio is one-way communication, but social media enables multi-way communication and conversations. Consumer care more about brands/campaigns that their friends are talking about.
Marketing needs to shift from mass communication to genuine communication on social platforms, where consumers expect brands to engage empathetically rather than heavily promote.
Iconic brands in the past didn’t need to do much to convince people to buy, but today awareness alone doesn’t equal success. Understanding target demographics and connecting with them directly on social platforms is important.
Consumers want to be part of a movement, not just a marketing campaign. Charities like “All in Challenge” leverage celebrities to build advocates and raise funds.
Brands should focus on engaging consumers to become advocates rather than how to market directly to them. Everyone is an influencer and competitor through social media.
The author discusses how social media transformed their career after being laid off, allowing them to rebuild connections and eventually write a bestselling book through their personal brand. Executives need to recognize social media’s value in finding and engaging real customers.
Brands need to personify themselves and step out from behind the digital curtain to connect with consumers as Millennials and Gen Z become the primary economic drivers.
Companies like Coca-Cola, Nike, Whole Foods, American Airlines need to be real people/faces that consumers can relate to rather than just corporate entities.
Marketing is dead because social media has empowered consumers to be their own influencers. Brands are competing for reach with actual influencers.
To succeed, brands need to engage consumers through listening and relationships rather than just selling. They need to be part of conversations rather than try to control them.
Building relationships is done one by one, so brands should identify consumers talking about them and their competitors and directly engage.
Brands should also foster relationships with actual influencers in their industry and leverages employees/customers as influencers through their own networks.
Companies need to create their own influencers and content to draw people in rather than just relying on paid influencers. Overall it’s about empowering people rather than trying to control conversations.
Donald Trump lost his 2020 re-election bid due to public criticism on social media around his handling of COVID-19 and his Twitter use, which led to his permanent Twitter ban. This showed social media users have influence over elections.
A brandless Instagram egg post gained over 50 million likes, showing that certain non-brand influencers can be more engaging than large consumer brands.
The most followed people on Instagram are celebrities like Ronaldo, Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner, not brands. National Geographic and Nike are outliers with over 100 million followers.
Successful social media marketing requires investing in building a community, being less like a brand and more human, and understanding how platforms work and evolve rather than chasing vanity metrics.
Only a tiny fraction of followers, like 0.1%, actively engage. Focusing on these engaged users and forming relationships with super fans is more effective than chasing large follower counts.
Social media is a new skill that requires understanding human behavior online rather than traditional marketing approaches. Success comes from adapting to changing platforms rather than blaming them.
The author likens brands trying to get attention on social media to being stranded on a deserted island like the main character in Cast Away. It’s difficult to get noticed in the “noisy digital ocean” of social media.
Attention is now the commodity, not just followers. With so much content being shared, it’s hard for brands to capture people’s limited attention as they quickly scroll through their feeds.
The pandemic has increased people’s reliance on digital platforms even more for work, school, socializing, etc., making the digital landscape even louder. Companies like Facebook and Google aim to gain more control over how we consume content.
The lines between real life and virtual reality are blurring, and one day brands may be marketing to people’s avatars in fully immersive virtual worlds. The author warns brands to think long-term about staying relevant in this changing landscape.
To stand out, brands need to harness what makes them unique and build meaningful connections, as it’s difficult to get noticed and keep content engaging for very long on social media.
Brands tend to post less frequently on social media than individuals, often going days or weeks between posts. Their engagement also tends to be low.
To improve shelf life and engagement, brands should post and engage more like real people rather than just promoting. They should be genuinely social and carry on conversations.
Brands should analyze how frequently their competitors post and how long ago their last engagement was to understand how they can improve.
Brands need consistent posting to remain visible in followers’ feeds. They should engage with comments to extend each post’s life.
Questions, factoids, tips (edutainment) can encourage user comments and engagement. Brands should converse in the comments.
Brands should find where their target audience spends time and focus their presence on those 1-2 top networks like LinkedIn for B2B, rather than being everywhere.

The key is for brands to interact and socialize naturally like real users, not just promote. Frequent, conversational posting and engagement on the right networks can improve their shelf life and engagement over appearing sporadically.

Focus on one main corporate social media channel (e.g. LinkedIn) to spotlight customer stories and insights for your target audience.
Have employees actively engage and advocate for your brand across other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook to broaden your reach. This acts like an “army” amplifying your message.
Analyze your and competitors’ social media performance data to see what content and posting strategies are most effective. Look at metrics like engagements, views, interactions over time.
Use competitive insights as best practices to inform your own social media strategy. For example, if videos are working well for others, focus more on short videos. Continually adapt your approach.
The goal is to stand out with genuinely engaging content, not just acquire followers or drive clicks. You need to provide value for your audience over the long run through relationships, not just short term results.
The author discusses their childhood passion for pro wrestling and memories from watching shows in the early 1990s. Hulk Hogan was popular with kids as the good guy/“face” character.
In wrestling, “heels” refer to the bad guy characters who antagonize the faces. One memorable moment was The Undertaker pummeling Hulk Hogan.
The term “savage” is sometimes used in wrestling to describe aggressive, villainous characters who ruthlessly target their opponents both inside and outside the ring.
The passage implies brands should take a cue from wrestlers like Randy Savage, who played memorable heel characters, to promote themselves on social media in a bold, attention-grabbing way. However, it does not provide specifics on how brands should implement this approach.

The overall message seems to be that brands should adopt more assertive, even villainous online personas like antagonistic pro wrestling characters, in order to stand out and engage audiences. But the passage leaves unclear exactly what tactics it recommends for brands.

The passage discusses the author’s childhood obsession with pro wrestling and how he ran an online fantasy wrestling league as a teenager through AOL chat rooms.
Drawing parallels to pro wrestling, the author argues that good social media marketing needs character development, creative storytelling and staying engaged with the audience, similar to how wrestling keeps viewers interested.
Traditional brands are often boring on social media because they lack personality and read like advertisements rather than personalized messages to friends. Younger audiences prefer entertaining or educational content over direct selling.
The roles of “faces” and “heels” in wrestling are similar to popular and hated internet personalities today. Factions in wrestling are like influencer collaborations now.
Brands should focus less on traditional marketing and more on giving individual employees a voice to engage audiences on social media, replicating the personalized in-store experience online.
The passage advocates taking a savvy, aggressive approach to growing your brand and following on social media, taking ideas from wrestling legend Randy Savage’s bold persona.
It recommends directly engaging competitor’s customers by searching for and responding to mentions of your brand and industry competitors on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. The goal is to turn unhappy competitor customers into your own fans.
Specific tactics mentioned include searching hashtags like #YourIndustry to find industry conversations, as well as monitoring all mentions of your brand and competitors’ brands to engage customers first.
The approach is described as being a “digital savage” - not caring about hurting competitors’ feelings and aggressively going after their customers. It is likened to the no-holds-barred Wild West approach of social media.
The overall message is that brands need to take a bolder, more proactive stance in social media by directly targeting competitors and their customers, rather than just passively promoting their own brand. An eager, savage approach can help steal customers and gain a competitive edge.
Brands should monitor when competitors are mentioned together in social media posts, as this is an opportunity to engage with potential customers. Replying supportively can help sway the customer towards your brand.
Set up alerts for mentions of competitors along with negative keywords like “hates” or “never again” to find dissatisfied customers of rivals. Personally inviting these customers to learn about your alternative can help win them over.
Follow industry discussions where people ask for recommendations or say they want to buy a certain type of product/service. Engage supportively to grow influence and find potential clients.
Respond to all reviews, even negative ones, on your pages and competitors’ pages. Thanking and offering to follow up privately shows good customer service and can improve perceptions.
hijack engagement on competitors’ social media ads by conversing with people who are already commenting. Reach potential customers the rivals are already targeting through paid posts.
Have a distinct, fun personality like Wendy’s to appeal to younger audiences. Be willing to jokingly engage with competitors the way Wendy’s does with brands like McDonald’s and IHOP.

The passage encourages brands to engage with negative comments and “trolls” on social media in a humorous way, like the example given of Tesco Mobile responding wittingly to a critical comment. It suggests this can make the brand seem more personable and gain engagement.
It recommends thinking of content as “digital candy” that will attract people back, and gives examples of how Taco Bell and Wendy’s use humorous/engaging content.
It says it’s okay to poke fun at competitors and yourself through self-deprecating posts, giving examples of how brands like MoonPie, McDonald’s, and Pop Tarts have done this successfully.
It emphasizes actively listening to what people say about your brand online, even if they don’t @mention you, and engaging with positive and neutral discussions.
The passage promotes having a distinctive “personality” or “gimmick” for the brand online, like particular athletes or characters had in wrestling, to stand out.
In summary, it encourages brands to adopt a informal, amusing, and conversational tone on social media; engage with both positive and negative comments humorously; and establish a memorable brand “personality” to attract and maintain audience interest.

However, the passage also acknowledges not all brands can take the same lighthearted approach, so for regulated industries it stresses the importance of educational, informative content over salesy posts. It gives the example of how Ellevest discusses financial topics accessibly without being boring.

The chapter discusses how to effectively use Facebook for marketing, noting it is one of the most important chapters in the book.
It provides background on the creation of Facebook in 2004 and how it transformed human civilization by allowing people to publicly share details of their lives.
The author reflects on their personal experience using Facebook since 2009 and how it made them question their likeability and engagement. They also spent money on Facebook ads trying to “cure” issues created by the platform.
In 2012, they were hired as the first social media manager for Winn-Dixie grocery stores. They created the brand’s Facebook page with no strategy or budget. Their initial goal was just to have a presence since competitors did.
Growing Winn-Dixie’s Facebook likes seemed successful but engagement was actually low, as likes came from promotions not real fans. This is a common issue for brands.
The chapter argues most marketers blame Facebook for engagement issues when really they just don’t understand marketing. It states knowing how the platforms truly work is important.
Facebook is still very powerful when used properly, both organically and through paid ads. The key is understanding how to maximize reach from both free and paid options on the platform.
A quote is included that emphasizes brands now need strategic paid social campaigns rather than just creating lots of content for the sake of it. Targeting the right points in the customer journey is important.
Facebook is the largest social media platform and is very influential in how brands can reach customers, but it has become challenging for brands to grow organically due to changes to the algorithm.
Less than 1% of brand page fans now see unpaid content from those pages. Understanding how Facebook prioritizes content is important for social media strategies.
The algorithm favors content from friends/family, posts that spark engagement like questions, and posts with lots of early likes/comments/shares. It also favors content that keeps users on Facebook rather than driving them elsewhere.
Native video, especially live video like tutorials or conference coverage, performs well. Facebook is pushing into video with Facebook Watch.
Content to avoid includes promotional posts, “engagement bait” with calls to action, clickbait/fake news, and long-form text posts. Excessive tagging is also discouraged.
The key is engaging audiences authentically rather than overtly selling. Facebook wants users to spend more time on its platform.
Don’t tag more than 99 users in a post, as it could be reported as spam and removed. Growth hacking should not involve spamming.
Growth hack Facebook content by commenting on old popular posts to generate new engagement, boosting native video content with $10 ads for 48 hours, distributing ads to partners and Instagram, building custom audiences from CRM/email lists.
Create a group for super fans, add captions to videos for metadata, set up a Messenger auto-reply bot, and conduct an audit of your Facebook pages.
Create content that converts by commenting back to drive conversation and clicks to your website. Repurpose reviews, employees/customer content, and blog posts. Post vertical video to take up more newsfeed space on phones.
When conducting the audit, evaluate purpose, KPIs, target audience, content type/frequency, follower engagement, ad frequency, past top posts. Ensure strategy and know who you want to reach and why before using Facebook.
Consider creating an insider Facebook Live series or have advocates create content to build buzz around your organization. Schedule Lives up to 7 days in advance as events.

Here is a summary of key points about being mad at Facebook:

The passage discusses various issues people have with how Facebook operates and takes advantage of user data.
It notes that Facebook knows a lot about its users from the data it collects, and some argue it does not adequately protect privacy or get proper consent for all data collection and use.
Critics are unhappy with how Facebook targets advertising and can influence opinions/behavior based on vast user profiling. There is a lack of transparency around these practices.
People are also frustrated by scandals like data breaches and how Facebook handled misuse of data by third parties like Cambridge Analytica. This eroded trust in the company.
In general, the passage touches on common complaints that Facebook prioritizes profits over user privacy and accountability. It does not always act in users’ best interests regarding how their data and time on the platform are monetized.

So in summary, the passage discusses why some people are angry or distrustful of Facebook due to issues around data practices, privacy protections, lack of transparency, security failures, and concerns that the company does not have users’ well-being as the top priority.

Carlos Gil was building his personal brand while unemployed by posting career-related content on social media, conferences, and YouTube. He wanted to humanize the job search process and build genuine relationships.
A pivotal moment was meeting a LinkedIn recruiter in an Uber pool after interviews in the Bay Area. He followed up with her over email and got a job at LinkedIn.
He continued growing his brand while at LinkedIn by being an early adopter of Snapchat. He focused on emotional storytelling and teaching others about using Snapchat for business.
Gil emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation over numbers, serving others through sharing vulnerabilities and experiences, and having a presence across multiple platforms rather than relying on one. Building a human persona is more important than followers or fame.
Marketers now need to focus on “humanization” and “personification” of content as social networks change, in order to reach audiences across different channels and formats.
Social media engagement is driven by visual content like photos and videos. Brands need to create appealing visual content to attract people and get them to engage.
It’s important to plan social media posts by carefully storyboarding them with a clear beginning, middle, and end to keep people engaged.
Captions for social posts should be short, 1-2 sentences maximum. Long-form content is better suited for blogs or articles.
Asking open-ended questions in posts can maximize user engagement through comments and replies.
Stock photography should be avoided as it lacks authenticity. User-generated content from customers and employees is more engaging.
Treating marketing and social media engagement like dating - focus on creating an appealing profile, engaging with customers individually, being responsive when needed, and personifying the brand through people rather than just products. The goal is to build a connection and intimacy with potential customers.
Building relationships is important in business, just like in dating. You want customers to trust and prefer your company over others.
Marketing and sales should focus on optimizing your “marketability” or what makes your company attractive to potential customers.
Ask yourself if you would buy from your own company and what makes your offer unique. Make sure your content provides value up front rather than just pushing offers.
Followers are more likely to trust experts who give free knowledge rather than “gurus” who just try to sell expensive courses.
Use social media to share about your company’s personality and operations, build rapport with potential customers through conversations.
Building an engaged online following through platforms like Snapchat helped the author get career opportunities.
Follow the formula of getting attention through likeability and marketability as a strategy. Make your company genuinely likable to customers.
Evaluate your brand on whether content pushes people away or pulls them in, if you listen to and engage with audiences, respond to comments and messages, identify and appreciate top fans, and engage employees as advocates.
Treat marketing and growing your customer base like dating by focusing on building authentic relationships through engaging content and conversations.
Cheating in social media involves taking shortcuts like buying followers/likes to gain results without doing the hard work of organic growth. This builds inauthentic audiences and isn’t sustainable.
Growth hacking involves strategic experimentation and tactics to achieve marketing goals like more customers/leads/awareness. It requires understanding platforms and content optimization, not just ad spend.
Growth hacking can help bypass tedious tasks but still requires understanding the process through trial and error. Unlike cheating, it builds real engagement over time.
Vanity metrics like follower counts don’t necessarily translate to engagement or business results. Growth hacking focuses on what ultimately drives revenue/conversions.
Cheating tactics like bot followers are easily detected and don’t lead to real engagement. Growth hacking tests new ideas, fails fast, and continually optimizes for impact.
An example of early growth hacking involved the author building an early jobs site leveraging LinkedIn’s potential for professional outreach before fully understanding marketing or business building. It involved strategic experimentation over instant shortcuts.

In summary, growth hacking is about strategic experimentation within platforms to drive meaningful results, while cheating takes unsustainable shortcuts that don’t build a real business over time.

The author started a job board website called JobsDirectUSA in 2008 during the recession to help people find work. They used aggressive email marketing and A/B testing to grow awareness.
They created LinkedIn groups for cities and topics like “JobsDirectUSA” to mine data and generate leads. The group join requests were used to promote the website.
They imported email lists to trigger LinkedIn invitations and posted actively in groups to promote the website. This grew their LinkedIn connections and email lists.
The author hosted “Pink Slip Parties” for unemployed professionals and used media outreach on Twitter to promote these events and gain press coverage. They also created a Facebook group for this.
By 2009, they had over 100,000 website registrations and close to 1 million emails collected. The events became bigger and helped land corporate clients.
Their growth hacking strategies ultimately led them to get a job at LinkedIn in 2015, the same platform they had leveraged to build their startup years earlier.
Facebook Groups can still be used to grow a qualified audience, as groups provide organic reach in the newsfeed even if people aren’t friends. Creating a sense of community is important over being sales-focused.
LinkedIn Groups allow indirect connections to group members, providing an opportunity to message people. Joining relevant industry, local and professional groups can help networking.
Facebook Watch Parties allow sharing video content with groups, which can generate thousands of free views within an hour from notifications to group members.
Native blogging on LinkedIn, Facebook and Medium is beneficial for SEO without separately maintaining a blog. It engages networks and allows easy following of authors.
Framing social media posts in an open-ended, challenging or conversational way increases engagement. Asking questions or teasing value leads to more interactions than standalone links.
“Engagement pods” on Instagram and Twitter, where private group members like and comment on each other’s posts, can artificially boostreach for those initially sharing the content.

The key advice is to leverage built-in social media tools like groups, watch parties and native blogging to organically grow audiences, and craft engaging post formats with questions or value propositions to increase interactions. Private engagement groups may artificially inflate metrics but provide less meaningful engagement.

The passage criticizes influencer marketing as ineffective and focuses more on vanity metrics than genuine engagement. It argues that influencers have temporary rather than long-term impact on sales.
Many influencers buy fake followers and engagement through “pods” to appear more influential than they are. This can negatively impact their mental health.
Influencer marketing provides only a short-term boost, but what happens after the campaign? Influencers don’t truly influence followers to buy from brands long-term.
Brands can partner long-term with influencers or hire them as consultants for more genuine content, but there is nothing influencers can do that brands can’t do themselves through their own employees and customers.
Talent, not followers, is most important. Marketers can do influencer marketing better than paying influencers. The rise of reality TV and sharing normal lives on social media has led to a new “reality era of marketing” where advertising meets storytelling.
Twitter was founded in 2006 and created a new level of access and connectivity by making everything searchable and public. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian were early adopters, growing huge followings.
Kardashian is held up as an example of using social media effectively as a brand. She shows her real life and engages with fans authentically. She successfully promotes products through relatable demonstrations.
DJ Khaled gained massive popularity on Snapchat by sharing his daily life in an entertaining way. Brands started hiring him as a spokesperson due to his influence.
Influencers and celebrities can connect with audiences in a way that feels more genuine than traditional marketing. Seeing behind-the-scenes of their real lives makes them relatable.
To be more effective on social media, brands should focus on telling stories through their employees as ambassadors rather than just promoting the company logo. Having a human face can engage audiences better than traditional advertising.
An ambassador is someone who authentically represents a brand through social media content in a relatable way. They embody what the brand stands for.
Examples given of working with Hertz and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging content around events and provide education in a way that organically featured the brands.
The difference between an influencer and ambassador is that an influencer promotes a brand for a limited time, while an ambassador acts as a long-term spokesperson.
Hiring creators as ambassadors would feel more authentic to customers than short-term influencer campaigns.
Authenticity and storytelling are important for content that connects with audiences. Brands should focus on creating genuine content rather than trying to force virality.
Celebrities like Shiggy can help content go viral organically when they authentically engage with something because they feel passionate about it, rather than with a solely commercial intent.
Brands should focus on building long-term relationships with creators to develop trust and produce content aligned with both parties’ values.

The passage discusses how brands struggle on social media because they focus too much on direct sales rather than building awareness, engagement, and loyalty over time. It recommends taking a more organic approach like celebrities do, weaving your brand messages subtly into your overall storytelling.

Some key points include:

Engage interactively with fans rather than just blasting out scheduled posts. Respond to comments to build stronger relationships.
Leverage existing engaged fans by finding advocates/influencers already posting about your brand and make them brand ambassadors.
Tell genuine stories that entertain and inform people rather than just sales pitches. Take time to plan storylines and keep content concise.
Ask engaged fans to help spread the word organically. Wait until the end of posts for calls to action or sales nudges so people stay engaged with the content.
Be consistently active on social media like celebrities are, with 24/7 branded content and storytelling, not just 9-5. Outsource community management if needed.

The passage advocates taking a more organic, community-focused approach to social media like celebrities do in order to build stronger brand awareness, loyalty, and ultimately more success over the long run.

Celebrities like DJ Khaled and Kim Kardashian have built large social media followings by sharing personal, relatable stories and content that gives users a glimpse into their lives.
Brands can take a similar approach by humanizing their content and putting a human face/voice to their social media presence rather than just posting promotional or “salesy” content.
Examples like Nike and Kaepernick or Budweiser/Wade show how powerful storytelling with real people at the center can be for building awareness and engagement.
Even smaller brands can do this by having employees represent the brand socially and share workplace stories, experiences with clients, etc. to form connections.
In the future, major brands may need to assign dedicated social media “faces” like CMOs to be active online representatives.
Social networks may also get more involved by developing in-house brand content with cast “creators” to generate traffic and earn revenue from branded posts.
Overall, humanizing content with real people at the center will become more important for brands to remain relevant and push past consumers ignoring traditional advertising.
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are making it difficult for companies like Lush Cosmetics to reach their followers organically without paying. Lush announced they would be closing some of their UK brand social accounts in protest.
Companies are at the mercy of social media algorithms that determine what content users see. Social networks control the user experience and companies must play by their rules.
Employee advocacy on social media is important for companies. Employees are already talking about their companies without guidance. Giving employees tools and guidelines to represent the brand can expand its reach and positively impact sales, trust, recruitment, and retention.
Employee posts provide a human face and voice for the brand. Walmart and Starbucks were used as examples where employees actively post about their work.
While most employee posts are positive, some may go “rogue” like the viral video from a disgruntled Starbucks employee ranting about a new drink. Companies need strategies to guide but not overly control employee speech.
Selling employee advocacy internally requires clearly explaining the benefits for the organization, departments, and key stakeholders. Companies should identify how employees already represent the brand online before instituting formal programs.

In summary, the passage discusses the challenges of social media platforms for companies, the importance of employee advocacy, examples of employee speech online, and strategies for implementing advocacy programs internally. It advocates giving employees tools rather than rigid rules for representing brands positively on social media.

Employee advocacy programs allow companies to leverage their employees to promote the company’s brand, message, products, jobs, events, etc. on social media.
Setting up an advocacy portal/platform gives employees easy access to pre-written social media content they can share with their networks. This leads to much further reach than just the company’s own social accounts.
It’s important to assign leaders in each department to provide a steady stream of new content for the platform. Otherwise the marketing team will be overloaded generating all the content.
When launching a program, test it out with a small group first. Get executive buy-in and promote it widely within the company. Provide training and support to get employees engaged.
Maintain momentum over time by regularly reporting metrics back to leadership and stakeholders. Metrics could include impressions, clicks, leads, sales from employee sharing.
Effective programs treat employees not just as sharers of approved content, but as creative storytellers themselves who can showcase their companies and jobs in authentic ways on various social platforms.
Shaun Ayala discusses how companies need to hire employees who are good at social media storytelling, not just marketers. Marketing is becoming more about telling product stories on social media.
Ayala talks about how his previous company BMC Software used Snapchat to tell their brand story by having different employees take over the account and share a “day in the life” perspective.
He argues companies should identify storytelling opportunities like new employee profiles, conferences, or product demonstrations to humanize their brand through social media.
Ayala also suggests companies ask engaged customers to create and share content about using the company’s products.
Finally, he discusses how HR can help turn employees into advocates by identifying passionate social media users, understanding how employees like to share content, encouraging participation, and creating non-sales content for employees to share. The goal is to amplify brand engagement through employee networks.
Companies can tap into employee advocacy on social media to amplify their brand messaging and story. Employees sharing authentic content about their experiences working for the company can help connect with audiences on a more human level than traditional advertising.
It’s important for companies to provide guidance and resources to employees on appropriate social sharing to represent the brand positively. Employee advocacy should feel natural and genuine rather than overt marketing.
When done right, employee advocacy can exponentially increase a company’s organic reach on social media as employees’ own networks also spread and engage with the shared content. It helps humanize the brand and form deeper connections with potential customers.
Large companies like Starbucks have benefited from employee advocacy despite not having a formal program. Employees sharing daily experiences and behind-the-scenes content gives audiences a view into the company that traditional advertising can’t provide.

So in summary, companies can leverage the social networks and authentic voices of their employees to showcase their brand in a more relatable, human way that traditional advertising struggles to achieve. It allows them to tap into the powerful marketing potential of grassroots sharing by trusted sources.

The passage discusses the importance of engaging in two-way conversations on social media rather than just using it as an opportunity to sell. Brands need to create shareable content.
It suggests turning customers and employees into advocates by reposting their positive reviews and content about the brand. Brands can ask advocates to create more original content about their experiences.
The passage discusses how to activate employees to spread the word about the brand on their own networks, which can be particularly effective for B2B companies.
It stresses having a strategy tailored for each social media platform since they differ in how users engage. Content needs to be adjusted based on the platform.
Popular social media management and design tools are mentioned, including Canva, Adobe Spark, Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Mailchimp.
Common questions around social media strategy are addressed, like whether a brand needs to be on every platform or how often to post. Engagement is more important than just having profiles or posting frequently.

Here are the key points from the passage:

Be purposeful with the social networks you choose by tapping into existing communities like Instagram and YouTube where your customers are already spending time, rather than joining newer networks just for the sake of being early.
Ask where your audience’s attention is currently and focus your efforts there. There’s no need to spend significant time on networks like Pinterest if your audience isn’t using it.
Consider what value you can uniquely bring to each network with your content. Only spend time on networks where you can create content people will want to engage with.
Have a presence on YouTube if you have the ability to create high-quality videos, as this allows you to share your videos across other networks as well. But it’s okay to skip YouTube if video creation is not feasible for you.
The main idea is to thoughtfully choose the networks that best align with where your target audience spends time and where your content expertise can add value, rather than trying to be everywhere at once. Focus on quality over quantity of networks.

Here are the key points about personal branding and the power of personality and persuasion from the summary:

Personal branding is about humanizing your brand and making people, including employees, the new faces of the company. It’s about tapping into your unique personality to build connections.
Carlos Gil believes in the power of personal branding because building relationships through social media led to his successful career path, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Having a strong personal brand goes beyond just online content and persona - it’s what makes you unique yet relatable to others.
Building an influential personal brand takes time and patience. Gil had to teach himself new skills like coding websites and learn about social media early on when it wasn’t widely used by businesses.
Social media can act as a “gold mine” for personal branding and rebranding one’s career if used strategically to connect with others in an authentic, personality-driven way over time.
The key is leveraging online platforms as an individual, not just a company, to establish thought leadership and develop fruitful business connections by tapping into one’s own uniqueness and persuasive abilities.

So in summary, the chapter advocates developing a strong personal brand focused on personality to build valuable online and real-world relationships that can positively impact one’s career or business opportunities over the long run.

The passage discusses using social media for social selling and personal branding. The author recounts how from 2009-2011 they spent a lot of time on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to connect with HR executives and recruiters in their industry. Through consistent posting and engagement, they were able to build awareness of their brand and services within the HR industry.

They then explain that everyone now has the opportunity to rebuild and rebrand themselves through social media by being human, relatable and selling themselves rather than just a product or service. The rise of live video and stories on social platforms will make the internet noisier, forcing companies to evaluate social media for both sales and customer support.

The author introduces the “5Ps of Success” model comprising Passion, Persistence, Perseverance, Personality and Persuasion. They explain each element and how it can help stand out when social media is crowded. Personal branding is emphasized as important for growing influence through sharing both personal and professional content to create resonance with audiences. LinkedIn and using advanced search filters to find potential clients within a target industry or job role is also discussed.

Wait to connect with prospects on LinkedIn until engaging with them elsewhere first, like Twitter. Most networking doesn’t happen on LinkedIn directly.
Check if prospects are active on Twitter and send a personalized tweet mentioning their company and showing interest in their work.
If they don’t respond on Twitter after a few days, then engage on LinkedIn. Continue dialogue organically across platforms until opportunity for offline discussion.
LinkedIn messages should be short, direct, and avoid selling initially. Reference a recent event you both attended or offer immediate value upfront.
Build your LinkedIn profile with relevant keywords, complete all fields, include rich media content, and optimize for searchability.
Regularly update your profile and monitor stats to ensure coming up in searches. Join relevant LinkedIn groups to expand your network.

The passage discusses strategies for actively engaging in LinkedIn groups in order to grow one’s influence and network. It emphasizes the importance of introducing oneself when joining groups and regularly contributing to discussions without self-promotion.

It also touches on how to establish oneself as a thought leader within one’s industry by blogging on LinkedIn, creating video content, having a strategic content calendar, and consistently engaging in groups. Frequency of posting and participation is key.

The passage notes that different social media channels require tailored strategies due to varying algorithms. It suggests using tools like stories to stay active between posts and treating each post as a mini campaign to drive engagement.

Overall, the key takeaway is that developing an ongoing presence in industry groups and communities through high-quality, regular contributions is an effective way to build one’s professional network and expertise on LinkedIn. Consistency, personality and participating in discussions are important.

The passage discusses how AI, machine learning and predictive analytics are increasingly being used by large corporations to automate tasks like customer service, sales and marketing.
It argues that as technology advances, many marketing jobs could be replaced by bots programmed through machine learning to perform tasks like community management, copywriting and targeted outreach.
While automating menial tasks may seem attractive for reducing costs, the passage warns that relationships are still essential for business and cannot be replaced by bots.
It envisions a possible future where marketing teams are reduced to small data analyst units programming AI systems to run campaigns and generate content autonomously with the goal of highest ROI.
However, the passage also notes that while some bot uses make business sense, there are bad uses of bots as well, and relationships remain the core of business. It’s not clear if/when full job replacement by AI will occur.

In summary, the passage discusses the growing role of AI and data in marketing and entertain doubts about how much human marketing labor will still be needed in the future.

The author argues that Facebook Messenger is a major social network that is often overlooked, with over 1 billion users.
Messenger offers opportunities for brands to drive revenue through bots, similar to WeChat in China.
The author describes testing hotel and pizza ordering bots on Messenger and finding they had limitations and failed to provide a seamless experience.
Building basic bots on Messenger through platforms like ManyChat and Chatfuel is relatively easy but requires careful programming for more complex interactions.
Bots have promise but still feel clunky, as the author discovered when interactions failed with the Marriott and Domino’s bots.
The author provides some examples of bad bot practices to avoid like fake followers/engagement.
A basic auto-reply Messenger bot can be set up through Facebook to automate some customer responses.
The author argues bots will disrupt marketing and customer service jobs but can also help reallocate resources to outbound engagement.
AI and social media chatbots will free up time for brands to focus on direct storytelling and one-to-one engagement with customers.
In the current digital landscape of information overload, brands need to humanize their presence to stand out and avoid coming across as merely advertorial content.
As the line between human and AI interactions becomes blurred, having real human faces and voices representing the brand will become a competitive advantage.
The chapter highlights Lil Miquela, an AI-generated Instagram influencer, as an example of what brands are competing against.
Some recommendations for brands are to make interactions more personal by understanding individual customers, use video/voice messages from real people, and feature real customers/employees as faces of marketing campaigns rather than stock photos.
As social media evolves, brands must evolve their approach to marketing as well in order to stay relevant and engage customers in a human-centric way.
The creator economy and social media platforms themselves have become big businesses and sources of competition for traditional corporations. Brands must interact with and engage influencers/creators on platforms to remain relevant.
Technological changes like the rise of smartphones have disrupted many industries and companies. Kodak failed to adapt to digital photography on phones. Brands must continuously monitor emerging technologies like voice assistants, VR, and AR to engage new audiences.
By 2030, Millennials will make up the largest generation and will hold most leadership roles. Gen Z will be the largest spending generation. Brands must focus on building purposeful relationships with these demos on their preferred platforms and at events they attend.
Marketing will shift from one-way brand messaging to facilitating user-generated branded content. Customers who feel compelled to share brand experiences will drive campaigns.
Facebook and YouTube may replace cable by offering original programming and streaming services. Brands should create weekly video series on these platforms to engage future audiences.
Facebook currently allows businesses to run direct-to-consumer operations through their Facebook page by integrating with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. It is developing into more of a digital storefront and social commerce platform.
Other platforms like Amazon may also develop more social features to compete with Facebook in social commerce.
Facebook will likely eventually introduce a premium subscription service to make up for potential lost ad revenue as its user growth slows. This would be similar to how Spotify has free and premium versions.
Emerging social networks worth watching include TikTok for very young audiences, Twitch for its live streaming video around gaming, and Reddit which already has a large user base and popularity but requires non-marketing oriented engagement.
Marketing departments will need to track more advanced metrics like return on engagement and customer relevance scores to measure social media success. Roles may evolve with a focus on data analysis, AI, and in-house content creation.
Large brands may start recruiting top influencers as full-time creative directors to help brand their organization similarly to how influencers brand themselves on social media.
As social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube begin grooming their own influencers and offering them directly to brands, this will cut out independent creators and agencies from the influencer marketing process.
Over the next decade, conversational marketing using AI/bots to have real-time conversations with customers throughout their buying journey is expected to grow significantly.
TikTok has proven very effective for growing organic reach for the Outlaw Masks business by sharing their brand’s story and journey in an engaging way through short videos.
To gain initial followers on TikTok, the key is to create entertaining/inspiring videos rather than trying to directly sell something. Video storytelling that shows the brand’s “hero’s journey” helps connect with audiences.
Effective TikTok videos use text overlays, trending background music, align with trending hashtags/themes, and have a 4-second “hook” at the beginning to catch attention in the short format. Videos that loop and keep people engaged will be pushed out further by the algorithm.
Marketers must evolve with changing social media platforms and opportunities like TikTok in order to continue reaching audiences effectively into the future. Static websites and one-way marketing approaches will become less effective.
Nathan Apodaca, also known as Doggface, went viral for a TikTok video of him drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice and lip syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” while skateboarding.
He tapped into people’s nostalgia by using this classic song. Younger viewers were introduced to it through his video.
By showcasing his fun, relatable “hero’s journey” and making people feel good, he gained many followers and engagement on his video.
His simple but effective use of visuals, audio, and storytelling aligned with his goal of spreading positive content.
Marketers can learn from him by bringing people along on their own journeys and making people relate to them through authentic, feel-good content. Telling stories that evoke emotions is good for engagement.
While technology and social platforms change, the most important things are meeting customer needs through personalized experiences and building genuine relationships with them.

So in summary, Apodaca’s viral success demonstrates the power of authentic storytelling, nostalgia, emotion, and prioritizing the customer experience over any single platform. Marketers should focus on these human elements rather than constantly chasing the latest technologies.

Marketers need to make diversity and inclusion a core part of their brand identity as social movements like Black Lives Matter have made racism a prominent issue.
Following George Floyd’s death in 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement exploded on social media, with over 80 million mentions on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Brands like Nike, Starbucks, and others showed solidarity on social media using hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter.
Brands like Ben & Jerry’s and gaming company Ubisoft went beyond just posting to also donate money and take concrete actions. Consumers now expect brands to be actively engaged on social issues, not just capitalize on trends.
To build trust, marketers need to make diversity an ongoing part of their values and messaging, not just one-off posts. They also need to include more diverse voices internally in their marketing.
In the current climate, marketers must be careful not to appear tone deaf in their attempts to engage with conversations, as shown by a controversial tweet from Burger King. Brands need to showcase their human side authentically.
To build strong social media communities, marketers should sell less and engage more with customers, provide value beyond sales, and set up specialized channels for different audience groups. Genuine engagement and connection is key.
Brands should consider diversifying their social media presence and looking at emerging platforms like TikTok or Twitch to reach new audiences.
It’s important to be empathetic to community needs during difficult times. Different brands may need different tones, and overcommunication is advised to provide information and transparency.
Activating employees and executives to be the faces of the brand through videos and livestreams can help create a more personal connection with audiences.
Social media can be leveraged now to build potential customer base and loyalty for when the crisis passes and the economy rebounds. It allows connecting with customers when in-person interactions are limited.
Leading with empathy, being open/honest, human/conversational, and finding creative ways to help others are advised approaches for social media marketing during a crisis. Emphasizing charitable efforts and sharing real stories can engage audiences in a sensitive way.
Brands should communicate openly and honestly with customers about how their operations have changed during the pandemic, such as new safety protocols or service limitations.
Get conversational on social media, responding to customer issues and joining discussions about challenges during this time.
Humanize your brand by adopting a more personal, empathetic tone rather than stiff corporate language. Relate to customers’ experiences working from home.
Personalize your social media presence by featuring employees and their work-from-home setups or thanking customers sharing how they’re using products. Consider employee takeovers of social channels.
While maintaining a human tone, still find sales opportunities by crowdsourcing ideas, pitching solutions to pandemic-related needs mentioned online, and researching what other brands are offering virtually.

The key points are being transparent, conversational, empathetic and personal in communications during difficult times in order to maintain connections with customers. Social media offers a way to humanize brands and potentially find new opportunities.

Social media marketing will likely become more personal and focused on genuine connections rather than mass broadcasts, as people’s social media use shifts during the pandemic.
Brands need to put in more effort to build deep relationships with customers on social media through more personalized engagement. This may take more time but can result in more loyal customers.
Building a strong social media presence and loyal fan base now can help brands bounce back more quickly after the crisis ends and generate at least some revenue during the downturn.
Marketing strategies that focus on genuinely knowing customers and being human are proving effective even during unprecedented times like a pandemic.
The pandemic has changed what we consider “normal” and revealed that old ways of mass marketing are outdated. Brands need to hit reset and focus on nurturing real fans and advocates over vanity metrics.
Overall the summary emphasizes how the pandemic has accelerated changes in marketing by necessitating a more personal, authentic, and relationships-focused approach on social media versus mass broadcasting. Building genuine connections now can position brands well for long-term success.
The passage discusses how social media platforms and artificial intelligence technologies offer opportunities if used with the right perspective and focus on empathy and human relationships.
It argues that AI could paradoxically make media more human if developed with care and an understanding of unintended biases.
Emerging technologies are not limited by past practices as long as users apply imagination, purpose and conviction.
Individuals have the power to put the social back into social media and create new value through innovative but empathetic use of technologies.
The future remains unwritten, and the reader is encouraged to blaze their own trail in a human-centered way and change how marketing is synonymous with relationships rather than just technology.
Storytelling opportunities on social media can help build audiences and engagement. Tools like Facebook Live, videos, groups, and influencers can boost native content.
Employee advocacy is important for building brands from the inside out. Programs allow employees to represent brands and be competitive advantages. Properly training and giving resources to employees is important.
LinkedIn is useful for thought leadership, connecting with potential customers, and growing professional networks through relevant groups and content. Optimizing profiles, writing articles, and using advanced search are tips.
Growth hacking involves strategically using tools and tactics like Facebook groups, watch parties, Instagram pods, bots, native blogging to maximize engagement. Examples include JobsDirectUSA and tracking key metrics.
Humanizing brands through real employees/customers and user-generated content helps build relationships and transparency. Creating faces of the brand is important for the increasing role of AI in marketing.
Future-proofing involves keeping up with new technologies and personalizing channels to continue engaging new audiences. Generating new forms of engaging content will be important as platforms evolve.

Here is a summary of the key points from the document:

Marketing is changing as everyone has a voice and can influence others through social media. Attention is now the commodity rather than followers.
On social media, brands need to focus on getting users to engage with their content rather than just promoting themselves. They should be active on the platforms where their customers spend time. Analyzing what type of content performs best is important.
To be a “savage” on social media like Randy Savage, brands should monitor mentions of their competitors and find prospects in niche conversations. Engaging with competitors’ ads can help change perceived weaknesses.
Rather than blaming Facebook’s algorithm, brands need to get better at marketing on the platform. They should understand how the algorithm works and avoid low-quality content. Growth hacking, creating converting content, and auditing pages can help overcome algorithm changes.
Social media provides opportunities for sales and relationship building much like dating apps. Brands should focus on engagement over selling to build connections and trust like on Tinder.

The document provides advice on effective social media marketing strategies for brands, focusing on engagement, understanding platforms and algorithms, monitoring competitors, and adapting to changing environments. The key is interacting with customers rather than just self-promotion.

Here is a summary of the key points around the comparison between d marketing and finding a match on Tinder:

D marketing is no different from finding your match on Tinder. Just like on dating apps, businesses need to craft engaging profiles, write short captions, ask open-ended questions to generate discussions, and replace stock photos with real user-generated content to connect authentically with target audiences.
The goal is to start conversations and form connections through quality interactions, not just get likes and follows. Marketing requires understanding your audience and tailoring your messaging accordingly, just as finding a match on Tinder involves showing your genuine self to attract meaningful relationships.
Attention spans are short online, so content needs to be snack-sized, visual, and conversation-sparking. Businesses should live in the world of their audiences by understanding behavior on different platforms rather than overly relying on any one channel.

In summary, the key point is that digital marketing requires a similar personal, authentic approach focused on meaningful engagement as dating apps - crafting the right profile, sparking discussions organically rather than just seeking validation, and optimizing for quality connections rather than superficial likes/follows.

#book-summary

The End of Marketing - Gil, Carlos;