Social Butterflies: Taylor Thompson on Relaxed, Relatable Marketing
Taylor Thompson is a lead strategist at Joybyte. She oversees all organic social to ensure they are meeting and beating KPIs and implements all the new trendy social media features while keeping her team motivated and supported.
LBB> What’s the most significant development or trend shaping the social space right now?
Taylor> I believe the most significant development in social space right now is the use of unhinged, or what I like to call “relaxed” marketing. This is when we keep traditional marketing to traditional channels, and allow your social media to be a place of fun, humour, and entertainment to your audience.
LBB> Every platform functions so differently - and the way they function evolves over time and there’s a lot of fun to be had on social, from shoppable livestreams to AI filters - so where are you finding the most satisfying or exciting creative opportunities right now?
Taylor> Our current audience on the social landscape is always ready to buy but are not ready to be sold to. We all come to social to experience some form of decompression. This can be in the form of mindless scrolling for entertainment, keeping up to date with your favourite influencer, or retail therapy.
For organic social, we are seeing the most success in showcasing a more relaxed side of each brand. This mainly comes in the form of more original video content. Whether that’s taking your own spin on a trend or making your own, this seems to amplify our brands to the next level.
LBB> Social media is a space for brands to be a bit more human - but how do you walk the line between personable and tweet?
Taylor> We need to meet our audience where they are. Understanding your audience, or reading the room, really makes this an easier line to stay on. Creating a cohesive blend of both personality/relatability and problem-solving for your audience is how to stay on top of your game without falling flat or going off the rails.
LBB> What does ‘craft’ mean to you in a social context?
Taylor> Specifically for organic social, “craft” means your passion showing through. An awesome brand social presence comes from exuding creativity and passion into that brand.
LBB> Organic, paid, influencers, social search - how do you approach figuring out the best way to reach audiences?
Taylor> I view organic, paid, influencers, and social search as one big family that has different personalities and goals. Breaking those up to put the right siblings in the right seats allows all brand KPIs to be achieved. For me personally, here’s how I’d frame this:
Organic is an essential top-of-funnel marketing. It’s here for ultimate brand awareness, both in your desired target audience and new audiences that may take over the role as target audience. (Stanley Brand is a good example of this.)
Paid is an essential support to organic. Paid is helpful in reaching those desired target audiences faster than organic.
Influencers are your salesmen. They are there to showcase your product/service to their audience but are also there to be the true traffic managers, giving eyes to your website.
LBB> Social media can be brutal - on a personal level how do you deal with that aspect of the role and helping your teams on the front line?
Taylor> Personally, you just need thick skin. Now matter how important social media is in our world today, there is still a stigma in working in social media. Acknowledging that the stigma is there allows you to get ahead of it and gain trust faster. You have to be willing to spend the time needed to articulate to clients the value of social media without letting frustration get in the way—especially for creatives like us.
Social media has been accused of driving polarisation and spreading misinformation, while others call it the marketplace of ideas. Whether or not that’s the whole truth, it is certainly shaping discourse and is one of the key venues for culture war-ish behaviour.
LBB> What’s your take on the role of social media in society and what responsibilities do brands and individuals working in social have?
Taylor> This is going to be controversial coming from someone whose entire career is social media, but social media is toxic to your mental health. With that being said, it is our responsibility to ensure we are not adding fuel to the fire, nor trying to put one out that’s not our fire to poke.
Social users today just want relief from misinformation or relief from the overwhelming amount of information. While education is a key fundamental in a social strategy, you have to know where that education ends, where it adds value, when to use it.
LBB> What are the biggest missteps you see brands making most regularly on social media?
Taylor> Not applying any social listening to their strategy.
LBB> Inevitable AI question! How are you applying AI in your day-to-day role and what have been your key insights/observations about the best way to approach it in the campaigns you’ve worked on?
Taylor> The best way we use AI is to help generate the best captions for the best audiences. That way, we can stay within our brand tone but talk with the audience, not at them.
LBB> Thinking longer term, where do you see the biggest risks and opportunities when it comes to AI in social?
Taylor> I think the biggest risk is not thoroughly understanding or proofreading AI. This could really water down a strategy, brand tone, or messaging.
LBB> When you’re not working, what social platforms and content do you personally enjoy engaging with and why? What creators, influencers and social communities do you really love?
Taylor> Instagram is my main muse! I seek out my community. Love seeing what my friends and family are up to, but I also love seeking out influencers within my passions.
My biggest passion is clean ingredients/holistic health, so that’s where I usually find myself.
LBB> What advice would you give to people who are looking to get into social, whether as creatives, strategists or producers?
Taylor> Fake it til you make it rings true here. Not to be underqualified, but if you’re nervous going into this, try your best to let your confidence radiate through that. Confidence is key to achieving what you think is best for social.
