Features & insight
Features and insight
Expert analysis, reporting and long reads on the platforms, people and strategies shaping social media.
The Unwritten Rules Of Social Media Career Progression
Social media careers get confusing around the three to five year mark. Your craft is strong, but progression feels vague and other people seem to know "how it works" in a way you do not. In this article, Lucy Hall shares the unwritten rules of social media career progression, from politics and visibility to sideways moves and getting closer to money and decision making, using the Social Media Career Ladder as a guide.
No, Social Media Managers Are Not Automatically The Next CMOs
Social media managers touch almost every part of the marketing funnel, but that does not mean they are automatically the next CMOs. In this article, Lucy Hall uses the Social Media Career Ladder to unpack the real gap between practitioner and leadership, the extra skills needed to move beyond "running social" and why organisations must change how they think about social careers if they want senior talent to stay.
Creating Excitement, Momentum and UGC: How We Design Experiences People Want To Share
Events do not start when people arrive or end when they leave. In this article, Lucy Hall pulls back the curtain on how SocialDay designs Social Media Fest as an experience, not just a conference, using a simple "before, during, after" framework to create excitement, momentum and UGC that turns everyday attendees into storytellers.
The Complete Legal Setup for Influencers: A Practical Guide
Influencing is a business, so you need a basic legal setup. This checklist covers the essentials: the right entity, core contracts, IP protection, disclosures, taxes, and the risks creators get sued for.
AI Will Not Steal Your Social Media Job. But These Skills Will Decide Who Thrives
An in depth guide for social media marketers worried about AI and their careers. It plugs into the Social Media Career Ladder framework and shows how AI changes the skills needed at each level, from entry to head of social. Skills are grouped into three buckets craft, commercial and meta and the article explains which tasks AI can support and which always need human judgment. Ideal for in house, agency and freelance social pros who want to stay relevant and move up without burning out.
From CV Graveyard to Creator Playground: LinkedIn's Identity Shift
LinkedIn didn't suddenly become "cool", work itself changed, and the platform evolved with it. As careers became less linear and more visible, professionals started sharing real experiences: pivots, growth, doubt, and lessons in motion. That human layer transformed LinkedIn from a digital CV into a space for professional identity, voice, and influence.
The Influencer Contract Checklist: Avoid Red Flags In Brand Agreements
A "standard" influencer contract can still hide terms that shift risk onto you. Here's a quick checklist of the clauses that matter most: scope, approvals, usage rights, payment, and more. So, you don't sign away time, money, or control.
Why LinkedIn Articles Just Got More Important
LinkedIn Articles are quietly becoming one of the most powerful ways to build credibility. They help your ideas travel further, grow a loyal subscriber base, and shape how AI systems understand who you are and what you stand for. In 2026, reputation is built through clear thinking, consistently shared.
The Social Media Career Ladder (Part 2): How You Actually Move Up
The first version of the Social Media Career Ladder laid out the rungs: entry level, exec/manager, senior, head of social and beyond. This follow‑up is about what really gets you from one rung to the next, the skills, behaviours and mindset shifts that don't fit neatly in a job description.
What can social media glean from the treatonomics phenomenon?
Kantar's new research into the rise of "treatonomics" captures something important: people are trading big, distant milestones for small, immediate pleasures. At the same time, social media has transformed from somewhere to connect, gather news and shop, into an entertainment ecosystem where people go to escape, laugh, and feel seen. This piece explores the symbiotic relationship between these two phenomenons and shares top tips for how brands can leverage this consumer mindset on social.
The Best Social Media Marketing Resources: The Best Tools and Platforms for Social Media Marketers
We've pulled together social media marketing resources that are actually useful when you already know the basics. It focuses on blogs, content and platforms that publish insight, analysis and thinking grounded in real social media roles, not recycled tips or platform fluff.
Social Media Manager 2016 vs 2026: How the Role Changed and Why It's Now an Industry
Social media managers in 2016 focused on publishing, scheduling and basic engagement across a small number of platforms, while in 2026 the role involves cultural judgement, risk management, platform expertise and public reputation handling, reflecting how social media has become embedded in business operations rather than treated as a marketing add on.
Selling ideas has become part of the job, whether social media marketers like it or not
This piece explores how social media roles have evolved into commercial ones, why buy-in is now a core skill, and how the ability to sell ideas internally has become directly linked to career progression, influence and pay.
Emily in Paris vs reality: What the show gets wrong about being a social media professional
Shows like Emily in Paris shape how people think work should feel. They influence expectations of what certain roles look like, how easy they appear, how fun they are assumed to be and how much value they are believed to create. Social media marketing has probably been one of the most misunderstood roles because of this, because what is shown on screen is the outcome, not the responsibility that sits behind it.
Burnout in Social Media Jobs: Why It's Rising and What Actually Helps
Social media burnout isn't a personal weakness, it's a predictable outcome of always-on work, public pressure and role overload. Here's what the research says, and what helps in real life.
The Convergence of Social Media Marketing and the Creator Economy and What It Means for Brands and Marketers in 2026
Social media marketing and the creator economy are now structurally linked, shaped by the same platforms, audiences and algorithms. For brands and marketers, this means moving beyond campaign-led thinking to long-term creator partnerships, more human brand content and measuring influence, not just reach. For creators, it requires professionalisation and marketing literacy. In tighter UK and US markets, mastering this intersection is essential for growth in 2026.