Glossier Social Media Strategy: Advice from Former Social Media Editor

Social teams get asked the same big questions over and over: How should we structure the team? What’s a real content strategy? How do we report results? How do we get leadership to buy in?

Eva Alt, former Social Media Editor at Glossier and now a NYC-based content consultant, breaks down the principles she used while building a standout organic social presence.

Hi there! I’m Eva Alt. A Content Consultant based in New York City, formerly the Social Media Editor of Glossier, where I led organic social media marketing for six years. I’m a longtime Dash Social customer and fan, which is why I was excited when they asked me to speak with the Dash Social community, and pen something on the blog!

Below are some of my guiding principles when it comes to leading social. These principles are fueled by my own personal experience. I know a lot of similar questions and concerns come up for social media managers and those working in the social sphere at a company. As someone who has been working in social media for the past seven years, I see you, hear you, and for the most part, I’ve been there!

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Q: How should a social media team be structured?

A: I find this to be unique at every organization, and it depends on existing structures, goals, business priorities, and resources. In my experience leading social, I’ve been a part of many different teams. I’ve been a part of a brand team, a communications team, a marketing team, a creative team, and even reporting directly to the CEO. The benefit of these experiences and having been very agile and ready to adapt, is that I’ve seen social through the lens of these various facets of the business. So, know that finding the right team structure might also mean switching it up when necessary.

Q: What team structure tends to work best?

A: I like lean, creative teams that are extremely resourceful, and I believe in letting people do what they are great at. For example, if you have a really creative social team, bring them closer to the creative org, and support them in other areas, i.e. on insights and strategy. This will force social media to be more integrated into the wider org, rather than siloed, which can be a commonly occurring issue.

Q: Is social media becoming more specialized?

A: Yes. Social will continue to become a more specialized field. We should be moving towards a realization that managing, creating content for, and measuring social can be different jobs.

Q: What’s the simplest way to build a content strategy?

A: I used to find the idea of building a content strategy intimidating, and a brilliant former colleague at Glossier, Emily Ferber, helped me gain a better understanding of what it is, and why it is so important. Simply put, it’s a plan. It’s saying:

• What are the goals of the business and the brand?
• Which of the goals can be achieved through content?
• What’s the content?
• And on what channels does it go?

Q: What makes a content strategy easier to execute internally?

A: Clarity. I think removing jargon and trying to communicate things simply and clearly, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your team. The point is for people to understand!

Q: How should social teams approach analytics and reporting?

A: I think it’s a good idea to get in the practice of talking about performance all the time. Try having a dedicated time as a team to look back and discuss, even pulling up Dash Social and/or the software’s auto-generated reports for 10 minutes at the end of a weekly touch base.

Q: What should you look for in performance reviews?

A: When discussing performance, encourage everyone to find the outlier. Meaning: don’t just talk about what happened, pull the insights and ask yourself:

• Did something perform unexpectedly well?
• Why do you think that is?
• What does that suggest you should test next?

You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from.

Q: How do you share results with the broader organization?

A: Share concise recaps on a monthly basis with the wider organization. Keep it short, clear, and focused on insights so people can actually absorb it.

Q: How do you get executive buy-in for organic social?

A: This is where a content strategy is helpful. If you lay everything out on the table alongside how you’re measuring it, then when X leader says “Why are you doing this? What’s this post?” You can point to your data and your goals to help them understand.

Q: How do you pitch a new social initiative?

A: For new initiatives, I find it helpful to ask myself: “What’s the comment?” Or rather, what would someone say about this concept, or piece of content, etc. What holes can you poke in it? Go through the exercise of answering all of these questions, so that you are totally prepared for any response. Support your idea with hard data whenever you can. A proof of concept and a lot of thoughtfulness can go a long way.