SocialDay Social Media Forum 2024 Roundup. What happened at SocialDay and what did we learn?
SocialDay 2024: A Day of Learning, Sharing, and Connecting
On the 8th May, SocialDay brought together some of the brightest minds in social media marketing for a one-of-a-kind event in London. Designed for social media marketers from both brands and agencies, the event provided a unique platform to learn, share, and connect. With an impressive overall post event delegate rating attendees left feeling inspired and equipped with actionable insights.
There's truly no event like SocialDay, where social media marketing professionals can look more deeply into the intricacies of their roles with peers who understand their challenges and triumphs.
One attendee said that it’s a marketing event where you don’t have to listen to talks that don’t interest you as literally everything is about social media marketing and relatable to your role!
So let’s have a look at what happened, what we learned, session highlights and what people thought of SocialDay 2024. Plus browse through the photo’s by Mooie Fee Photography.
(PS, if you wish to share these images, please tag us and Mooie Fee)
Session Highlights
Patrick Fagan: "BRAINWASH: What I Learned from Cults about Optimising Social Content (Ethically!)"
Patrick Fagan captivated the audience with his intriguing session on applying ethical cult techniques to optimise social content. He shared insights into the psychological strategies behind cults and how these can be adapted for social media marketing without compromising on ethics. Attendees found his perspective on maintaining audience engagement through subtle psychological cues particularly enlightening. Nicole Mezzasalma remarked, "Super interesting insights about how to use cult techniques ethically to optimise social content."
Jessica Massengo: "Leveraging Niche Content in Social Media"
Jessica Massengo's session highlighted the power of niche content in capturing and engaging audiences. She emphasised the importance of understanding and catering to specific audience segments, which can lead to more meaningful and sustained engagement. Her approach to creating content that resonates deeply with niche audiences was a key takeaway for many. Stephanie Harris shared, "Always give your audience the illusion of control while guiding them strategically."
Annie Mai Hodge: "Trends & Building Community"
Annie Mai Hodge's Q&A discussion on current trends and community-building strategies was both enlightening and practical. She explored how to harness emerging trends to foster a loyal community, offering actionable strategies to keep audiences engaged and invested. Her insights into the dynamics of community growth and the importance of authenticity resonated with attendees. One participant noted, "Inspiring insights on how to harness trends to build a loyal community."
John Thornton: "Selling Cereal on LinkedIn and Other Nonsense"
John Thornton’s session was a standout, blending humour with valuable marketing lessons. He shared unconventional strategies for leveraging LinkedIn creatively, demonstrating that even the most unlikely products can be marketed effectively with the right approach. His storytelling prowess and ability to turn a simple idea into a viral sensation left a lasting impression. Jasmine Gilbert highlighted, "Really inspiring story about turning one minute of creativity into a viral sensation."
Melissa Chapman: "Innovating at Scale: A Leadership Q&A"
Melissa Chapman’s Q&A session hosted by Jess Chadwick-Williams provided deep insights into leadership and innovation at scale. She discussed the challenges and opportunities of leading a large organisation and the importance of fostering a culture of innovation. Her emphasis on ethical leadership and sustainable growth strategies was particularly well-received. Emma Paterson reflected, "I learned so much, but it was good to see ethics highly prioritised in leadership."
Ruth Lee: "Building and Scaling a Social Media Offering from Scratch"
Ruth Lee’s practical approach to building and scaling a social media strategy from the ground up was highly appreciated. She detailed the step-by-step process of creating a robust social media presence, from initial concept to execution. Attendees valued her insights into the importance of strategic planning, continuous improvement, and adaptability. One attendee shared, "Really interesting to see the process of creating and scaling a social media strategy from scratch."
Alastair Green: "Entertainment: Where Did It Start, and Where Is It Now?"
Alastair Green took attendees on a fascinating journey through the evolution of entertainment. He provided historical context and explored how entertainment has adapted to changing media landscapes and audience preferences. His insights into the creation of engaging content and the importance of adaptability were particularly impactful. A participant remarked, "Really interesting to see the process of creating engaging content and the importance of adaptability."
James Erskine: "How TikTok is Changing and How You Can Change TikTok for Your Brand"
James Erskine’s session on TikTok provided valuable insights into the platform’s changing landscape and how brands can adapt. He discussed the latest trends, algorithm changes, and best practices for creating content that resonates on TikTok. Attendees left with a clear understanding of how to leverage TikTok’s unique features for brand success. Stephanie Harris noted, "We learned How TikTok is changing and how brands can leverage these changes for maximum impact."
Richard Cook: "Using Social to Build a Brand That People Love"
Richard Cook's session focused on building a brand that resonates with audiences through social media. He shared strategies for creating authentic connections, fostering brand loyalty, and using social media as a tool for storytelling. His emphasis on the importance of consistency and authenticity in brand messaging resonated with attendees. One participant commented, "Using social to build a brand that people love is crucial, and this session provided excellent strategies."
Fab Giovanetti, Alvin Gunpath & Xandrina Allday: "Social Media Content Panel: What’s Working Now"
This panel discussion offered a variety of perspectives on current social media trends. Panellists shared their experiences and insights into what strategies are currently effective, covering a range of topics from content creation to community engagement. Attendees appreciated the diversity of insights shared by the panellists and found the session to be a comprehensive overview of the current social media landscape. An attendee highlighted, "A super mix of amazing talks on everything from behavioural psychology to the power of humour on social, really impressed with all the speakers!"
Nick Entwistle: "Got a Minute?"
Nick Entwistle’s session underscored the power of brevity in content creation, showing how even a minute of well-crafted content can make a significant impact. He shared techniques for creating compelling short-form content that captures attention quickly. His session was particularly useful for attendees looking to optimise their content for platforms where brevity is key. Sartaj A. Singh shared, "Even a minute can create brilliant ideas."
Overall Feedback from attendees
The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees:
"A great day of learning and networking!" - Nicole Mezzasalma, Battenhall
"Loved the speakers!" - Sartaj A. Singh
"Inspiring, informative, and lots of fun!" - Stephanie Harris, Digibee
"A super mix of amazing talks on everything from behavioural psychology to the power of humour on social, really impressed with all the speakers!" - Jasmine Gilbert, Strategiq
"What a day - so much to take away!" - Emma Paterson, EJP Consulting
"Learned a lot, really liked the event." - Tara Jabbari
"There were so many incredible speakers that shared their insight and knowledge. So many key take aways!" - Sophie Kemp, Vets Digital
"I loved the event! It was great to hear from all the speakers and I especially enjoyed hearing from John at Surreal and Richard from Monzo - really love their approach to socials. The hi-tech bingo was an added bonus as well!" - Tilly Inwood, Fisher German
"The speakers were entertaining and well-informed. The event was exceptionally organised - the attendees were all friendly and interesting." - Dan Scarrett, Arwen.ai
"I really loved the range of speakers." - Danielle Woods, Fisher German
"The event was great, all the speakers had wonderful insights into social media marketing and this was a great opportunity to meet other people in the same field." - Katie Pezzack, The Spa PR Company
"A wide range of speakers from different industries and was so insightful hearing their opinion." - Erníne Darragh, Arla Foods
"Some really great speakers and top tips from industry professionals!" - Rachael Luckham, Naturally Social
"Loved the venue and sessions!" - Georgia Saxby"
Learnt so much from industry speakers - lots of great takeaways to share with the rest of my team." - Ruby Hutchins-Perkins
"It was an amazing informative event. So much to enjoy and so much to learn and put into practice! Can’t wait to start small, communicate and be authentic!" - Michelle Ratcliff
"Great guest speakers." - Serena Brahmbhatt
"Well organised event, friendly atmosphere and some wonderful speakers." - Lindsay, SocialSoda
"I found the venue incredible, the vibe was relaxed which made networking fun. The sessions were insightful, engaging and well delivered." - Holly Hammond, Independent
"Such a wide variety of amazing speakers! The event had a friendly and fun vibe, with lots to learn and plenty of people to meet." - Clodagh Halliday, SocialSoda
"I absolutely loved the event! I really enjoyed the range of speakers including those at Surreal and Monzo, their content is iconic!" - Lauren Grubb, Strategiq
"It was great to hear from experienced social media experts about how they’ve got to where they are and it was really inspiring to see how people have taken risks and pushed boundaries with positive results." - Elior Doani, WaterAid
"Very good networking and some really good sessions on TikTok." - Jake Benjamin Morgan, Brew
"Really thought Richard Cook and John Thornton were fantastic!" - Kieran Marshall, Independent
With an average rating of 4.56, it's clear that attendees found immense value in the event, leaving with actionable insights and renewed inspiration.
If you would like to connect with the SocialDay community, watch the videos online, join workshops and events plus gain CPD too you can apply to join the new SocialDay Circle Membership for Social Media Professionals. (Please note we are currently onboarding event community attendees first)