SocialMinds - A Social Media Marketing Podcast

Creative professionals come with an ego attached. That's usually their downfall. In episode 067 of Social Minds, we're joined by Joe Glover, founder of The Marketing Meetup. In this episode, he explains why empathy is the trait to be proud of and a skill that everyone can develop. Joe says empathy doesn't just mean being nice. Empathy is the ability to become the person you're trying to reach. To take on their problems in order to provide their solutions. But it's not not being nice. In this episode, find out why humanity is the best strategy for long-term business success.

As the UK prepares for another General Election, we spoke to PhD researcher Tristan Hotham, who has spent the last four years collecting over a decade's worth of data on political parties' use of social advertising. His findings prove that irreversible damage has been done. Now, as Twitter bans all political advertising and Facebook is under immense pressure to do the same, a new problem presents itself: how can challenger parties and smaller political groups be seen and heard? 80% of Trump's tweets become news headlines. As we know, organic reach is reserved for the posts which create the most intense emotions. In politics, that's often the most divisive and controversial messages. In this episode of Social Minds, we learn how banning political ads—or allowing them to run amok—has and will continue to upset Western democracy.

Who here is guilty of overthinking a creative idea? A stroke of inspiration can easily be diluted by meeting after meeting, chef after chef. One man who has made a business out of avoiding that trap is Nick Entwistle, founder of One Minute Briefs - an online community with over 20K followers. Like its name, One Minute Briefs asks its fans to draft adverts in one minute, with prizes for the best each week. Some have even been realised as fully-fledged campaigns. In this episode, we find out from Nick why instinctive ideas are the best, how to develop these ideas without losing their genius, and when to balance speed and quality. We're also asking our listeners to try their hand at a One Minute Brief, selling the medium of podcasting. To take part, tweet your submissions to @OneMinuteBriefs and @TheSocialChain. Good luck!

Facebook's end goal has always been to eliminate its competition, whether that's through acquisition or a 'clone and destroy' strategy. Except it's not working. In fact, recently other tech firms have been showing Facebook how's it's done. In our first LIVE episode of Social Minds, Theo and Eve discuss social's latest headlines and get candid about the state of Facebook. While Facebook says it can't fact-check political ads — but absolutely can ban popular emojis used in a sexual context — Twitter has banned political ads altogether, Snapchat Discover is giving publishers the ad revenue that Facebook won't provide, and TikTok hasn't even flinched at Facebook's clone efforts. Instead, it's expanding further still by introducing its own advertising platform. In this, we reveal the new features coming to Twitter in 2020, the surprising year-on-year growth of Snapchat Discover, TikTok's agency pitch deck and Facebook's real motive for introducing the world to the new but not that improved FACEBOOK.

In June 2006 Yahoo tried to buy Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg ignored advice to reject the offer. That September, Facebook launched News Feed, once again against strong advice. Now, Zuckerberg has been conditioned to believe he knows best. In episode 063 of Social Minds, The Guardian's UK tech editor, Alex Hern, joins us to discuss Facebook's growing power and the repercussions of that. Alex says that, while Zuckerberg is skilled at making the right decision for Facebook's business model, those decisions are rarely best for everybody else. In this episode, we learn the heavy responsibility of a tech reporter today. Plus we get the insider account of Snapchat's dossier, the dark life of content moderators and the crucial role of the whistleblower.

America is a market so large that its 50 states may as well be 50 countries. So what can UK businesses do to ensure they make a transatlantic impact? In this episode of Social Minds we catch up with managing director of Social Chain USA, Oliver Yonchev, who is currently growing our office in New York. We discuss the hurdles that UK companies need to overcome when tackling the US, what to consider for differences in size, tone and culture, and the nuances in innovation, creativity and competition. Madison Avenue gave the American advertising landscape the gift of maturity, but Ollie insists that the UK remains adland's hub for experimentation. In this episode, he reveals the strategies that each market should borrow from one another and how brands crossing the pond can employ the best of both.

New parents are often warned against posting pictures of their children online, due to the dark web hosting a network of child abusers. But while that is a very real concern, it is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reasons why parents should think twice before hitting Post. In episode 61 of Social Minds, we welcome back Kat Callow who has recently returned from a consulting role in Silicon Valley. Children become self-aware at age 5. By that point, there are already about 5,400 images of them online - and that's just in the UK. In the last few years, millennial parents have popularised 'sharenting' while some children are influencers in their own right. But Kat emphasises the permanence of hosting images on Facebook or Google's servers, and how they're used to study behaviour for commercial gain. As we start to see the first legal cases of digital emancipation emerge, transgender rights, ownership of identity and mental health are all feature heavily in this growing debate between parents and platforms. Join the Social Minds Facebook group - https://sochn.co/2BxgqJA

eBay, Mastercard, VISA and Paypal are four of the world's most powerful companies. Along with Stripe, a Californian financial software company, they are also the first early backers to leave Facebook's Libra project. But is Facebook's plan to launch a cryptocurrency doomed or will it push through regulation to help create the world's biggest bank? In episode 060 of Social Minds, we're joined by Social Chain's instant messaging lead, Dilen Pattni, and Josh Riddett, the CEO of Easy Crypto Hunter. Both have a comprehensive knowledge of blockchain technology and a deeper interest than most in what Mark Zuckerberg is up to. They discuss blockchain, bitcoin and why not every international government is averse to Facebook's plans, even if the G7 are.

Vast changes have been made to the social landscape over the last month. In this week's episode of Social Minds: Breaking Social, Theo and Eve dissect the latest updates you need to know about, including Stories ads' new chatbot function, Instagram Shopping's new Product Launch tags, Snapchat's extended three-minute ad spots and LinkedIn's new targeting mechanism. We also take a first look at Facebook Dating as it launches in the US, and translate the leaked audio of Facebook's internal Q&A which revealed its takedown strategy for TikTok and contingency plan if Senator Elizabeth Warren succeeds in breaking up the Facebook ecosystem. Finally we walk you through Twitch's brand refresh, Reddit's new video formats and Libra's latest blow, as PayPal, VISA and MasterCard all reconsider their input.

When brands are free to control their own online narrative through social media, is the traditional press release still relevant or has it become an obsolete relic of the past? In episode 058 of Social Minds, we're joined by PR publicist, producer and co-founder of The Influential Women podcast, Nicki Bannerman, to debate the role that public relations plays in 2019. We discuss how PR has moved from print to online, whether or not being published by trade and national press still holds weight and how brands and marketers can sync their earned media with PR activations to get the most exposure. We also cover people's attitudes towards PR stunts among contrast between a demand for experiences yet a disdain for fabricated or forced publicity.

Getting people's attention is one thing. Actually converting them is another. In episode 057 of Social Minds, Teresa Heath-Wareing, TEDx speaker and one of the UK's leading experts on social media marketing, puts an end to the use of 'value exchange' as a buzzword. Instead, she reveals how marketers can put it into practice. We discuss UK marketers' confidence issues, the meaning of lead magnets and the importance of give and take. Teresa also explains the necessary boundaries between brands and businesses who expect too much, and those who aren't asking enough. This episode is packed full of actionable insight and demonstrates perfectly the reasons why we should stop trying to get everyone's attention and just focus on the people who we know will buy into a brand.

What do you think of when you hear the word data? Big data, little data, data scandal, personal data, market data, opinion data… Forget what you've read in the headlines; Social Chain's own head of data and insights, McVal Osborne, joins us on episode 056 of Social Minds to iron out the facts. In this episode we discuss when our concerns are justified - and when they aren't - what the different types of data mean and which are the most useful to brands and marketers. Finish this episode understanding how to manage your personal information and how to employ ethics when using data to target your audience.

1.3 billion people in the world live with disability. Just 0.6% of adverts represent them. In episode 055 of Social Minds, we're joined by Marianne Waite. Marianne is director at Omnicom's The Valuable 500 - the global movement putting disability on the business leadership agenda, whose Diversish campaign took home a Cannes Lions award earlier this year. Disability is seen as a charity or government issue, but Marianne stresses that it is brands and corporations that have the scale, power and money to make real change. In this episode, we expose the fear, bias and ignorance that is taking place across our industry and preventing the fair and accurate representation of a large group with equal spending power.

Would you pay £330 for Snap's latest Spectacles? We're debating Snapchat's parent company and its bold push into augmented reality and much more from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in our latest edition of Breaking Social, where Theo and Eve walk you through the last month of online activity. This month, that includes several key platform updates and brands' best and worst campaigns - a crash course in how to take care with controversy. Expect to hear why advertisers should care that there are now 1.5 million more over 60s than teens on Facebook, why influencers are using Instagram to promote their tweets, and why everyone is talking about NARS and Adidas. Plus we provide a first look at Instagram's new messaging app, Threads, and invite you to join our brand new Facebook Group for Social Minds. To speak to Social Minds guests, send your topic suggestions and keep up to date with all of our latest episodes, head to this link: https://sochn.co/2kML64E

You know times have changed when a high-end heritage brand like Gucci starts posting memes. Fashion and social media have always been a perfect match, but fashion brands' innovative uses of social media are setting a precedent for the rest. Our guest for episode 053 of Social Minds is Amy Miller, senior account manager in fashion at Social Chain. In this episode, we find out how ethical conversations are impacting the fashion industry, what drives teenagers to wear luxury labels and why Amy believes the high street is far from dead. Our conversation shows that social is in vogue, and no sector is proving that more than fashion; from luxury to fast fashion, clothing brands and retailers are busy weaving the fabric of online experience. But as others are left to watch and learn, we discuss the brass tactics being used by fashion brands that are available for every brand to try its hand at. Plus, we delve into the emerging opportunities in new media - including podcasting - while providing proof that digital and social media is an absolute must for every kind of fashion brand.

90% of people are watchers and 9% are engagers, which leaves 1% of content creators who can demonstrate influence over audiences, social media platforms and brands. So why does it feel like the bubble could burst at any moment? Neal Schaffer is a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer and business consultant with a tremendous amount of influence. And while he doesn't fit into the traditional lifestyle blogger blueprint, his advice to brands and defence of influencers who have fallen on the wrong side of the mistrust debate is relevant to everyone. In Episode 052 of Social Minds, we question why people still listen to influencers over brands and touch on the one organic social strategy that still rivals paid media.

Understanding the inner workings of social media is crucial to creating a successful strategy. Few are better placed to inform marketers about this than our guest for this episode of Social Minds. At the end of last year, Social Chain strategy director Mike Blake-Crawford came on the podcast to predict what 2019 would have in store for social. Now, half way through the year, we check back in with Mike to see which of his predictions have come to pass and what new trends have presented themselves. In this episode, we cover the 'demetrification' of social as Instagram moves to hide likes, noting what the impact will be for brands and influencers. We also discuss the rise in chatbots and 'chatvertising' amid a shift towards private messaging. Finally, Mike reveals Facebook's motive behind encouraging long-form video posts, how YouTube and Facebook have reversed their stance on video length, and what our data says about the ongoing long-form versus short-form debate.

Students are a key demographic for all B2C brands. But this generation of freshers is different from their predecessors; the internet was up and running before they learned how to speak. That means their formative years were spent on Facebook, and they've spent the last decade being targeted by Instagram ads. In episode 050 of Social Minds, we're joined by Social Chain social media director Roxanne Parker. Freshers Week is just around the corner but, formerly of UNiDAYS and the National Union of Students, Roxanne stresses the importance of student marketing all year round. In this episode, she reveals how social-first data can aid understanding current student behaviour, which events in the student calendar to note and how to think outside the Facebook bubble to reach more students. We also discuss the crucial difference between practical and aspirational student marketing and how to find where your brand fits into the mix.

In 2019 brands expect agencies to produce more content, faster for less money. It's an unavoidable side-effect of our fast-paced, tech-driven world that gives marketers just three seconds to be remembered. But it's one that our guest for episode 049 of Social Minds, Nicholas Young, thinks is stifling creativity in advertising. Nick doesn't blame social media, though. He puts it down to an epidemic of fear among creatives who would rather play it safe than anger Twitter trolls. He's working to remedy this by educating the next generation of advertisers as a senior lecturer in creative advertising at Leeds Arts University, after over 12 years serving as creative director for various advertising agencies including TCS Advertising and MC2. The first lesson he teaches his students? Take risks to execute fearless ideas. In this episode, Nick reveals the trends he's seeing in tomorrow's creatives, the truth behind brand loyalty, how to fix ageism in the industry and the many ways social media has changed everything.

In episode 048 of Social Minds we return for another Breaking Social segment, in which Theo and Eve translate the biggest social media stories to break over the last month—and July 2019 was not short of material. The last 31 days have seen Snapchat take its naysayers by surprise with impressive second-quarter results; the platform gained 13 million new users. Also new at Snap Inc. was Snapchat's first major ad campaign, Real Friends, which reveals its USP and strategy against long-time rival, Instagram. Twitter was the second social networking site which had a campaign to share; its Me On Twitter user-generated ads are the latest in a shift towards a new and humanised tone of voice. Both campaigns hold important lessons for brands and hint at the most noticeable and cost-effective marketing opportunity right now. As well as this, we talked all things Facebook, following the FTC's largest fine in its history, how Facebook widgets are falling foul of GDPR and the release of Netflix's Cambridge Analytica exposé, The Great Hack. These setbacks come at a crucial time for Facebook as the data implications of its new Neurolink-style tech and Project Libra are under scrutiny. Finally we are thrilled to share the details of Social Chain Data's official launch—a new dedicated service giving brands access to 80 million super fans, consumer trends and unprecedented marketing insights.

People respond to people. That's not a new lesson, far from it, but it has forced brands to change how they talk to their consumers on social. Andréa Jones, a strategist and founder of her own social media consultancy firm, Onlinedrea, regularly tells businesses to show off their personality or risk going unnoticed. She joins us via Skype for episode 047 of Social Minds, which discusses the opportunities for valuable dialogue between brands and people, and the role copywriters, AI and chatbots play. Finally, we forecast the future of email marketing and increasingly integrated marketing strategies across social and non-social platforms.

Food and drink should be an easy sell; it's a necessity for every age and demographic. So why is the industry still falling behind in its comms and marketing? In episode 046 of Social Minds, we're joined by Mark McCulloch, brand and marketing executive at Supersonic Inc and host of the Supersonic Food Marketing Podcast. In this, Mark reveals why food and drink marketing needs to move beyond knee-jerk promotion and how brands can do that while using social to make their budgets stretch. We also discuss the brands who are succeeding at innovation and relevance, and break down their recipe for success.

2019 is the year of the podcast; high value and low competition means the opportunity for first-mover advantage is hot right now. But how does one avoid being just another voice with nothing to say? In episode 045 of Social Minds, we're joined by Social Chain audio executive Charlie Perry. Charlie played a crucial role in getting PrettyLittleThing's podcast, PLT: Behind Closed Doors, to number one in the top podcast charts in just 24 hours. In this episode, she reveals how to rank in the top charts, why downloads are a weak metric and why discoverability is key. We also discuss the importance of audio quality, effective promotion and the lucrative qualities unique to podcast listeners. Finally we explain where brands fit into the mix—and why branded podcasts are proving to be a life line for those seeking diversification, intimate consumer relationships and a home for long-form, value-rich content.

What do LinkedIn, Libra and Instagram Stories all have in common? Each one has made recent changes which take us a step further towards a social media landscape that is primarily designed for peer-to-peer interactions—whether that's through messaging, payments or regular posts. In episode 044 of Social Minds, Theo and Eve discuss the meaning behind June's biggest social media stories, including LinkedIn's algorithm change, Facebook's cryptocurrency Libra and Instagram Stories' new Chat Sticker. This episode also sees the return of our monthly Q&A segment as we answer your submitted questions.

People respond to people, not logos. That's not news, but LinkedIn's focus on personal video posts has provoked a personal branding revolution. In episode 043 of Social Minds, personal brand consultant Ashley Jones discusses the impact of personal branding for businesses. Ashley, who was instrumental in raising Steven Bartlett's profile at the beginning of Social Chain, also shares the crucial difference between personal branding and influencer marketing. Finally, we discuss how raising the profile of leaders and employees—at every level—can win pitches before you even enter the room.

Social has irreversibly changed the way news is broken; publishers now rely on user-generated content for on-the-ground video and photo reporting. But what does that mean for the health of information and the content we consume? In episode 042 of Social Minds, we're joined by Jon Cornwell, co-founder and CEO of Newsflare—a company which licenses viral and breaking news videos to media and news organisations globally. In this, we discuss Facebook's treatment of publishers, the democratisation of editorial video as well as what the future has in store for different video formats such as LIVE and long-form episodic content. We also cover the EU's new directive, Articles 13 and 11, also known as the meme ban and link tax respectively, and what these new laws will mean for aggregators of social-first video content.

In all forms of marketing, misunderstanding your target audience means missing the mark. But why are so many brands failing to resonate with their audience on social media when the tools available to them are so sophisticated? In episode 041 of Social Minds, we're joined by Social Chain UK managing director Katy Leeson, to discuss how social-first data capabilities are revolutionising our understanding of modern consumers and what lessons can be transferred from traditional media targeting. Intuitive targeting means knowing that customers' offline actions don't always marry with their online thoughts, or that effective youth marketing means not falling for the stereotypes associated with millennials and Gen Z. In this, Katy reveals how brands can succeed by understanding who is talking about your brand, where they're talking and what those conversations really say about you.

Has Instagram left itself vulnerable to vertical-first competitors? In episode 040 of Social Minds: Breaking Social, Theo and Eve are back to translate the biggest social media stories to break in May. We discuss Facebook's latest algorithm update and its effect on publishers, and share the first-look reaction from our own Pages; Twitter's update which places emphasis on direct messages, as a wider shift towards private sharing continues; Snapchat's recent licensing deals, which put music front and centre of the platform; and what brands should make of IGTV now after Instagram wobbles, surrendering to creators and sacrificing the USP of its long-form experiment.

Huel has rejected the status quo for a new brand. It has abandoned target audiences, rejected niche appeal and advertises its products purely on social over traditional means—to enormous success. So how does a brand go from start-up to household name without all of the above? In episode 039 of Social Minds, we're joined by founder and chief marketing officer of Huel, Julian Hearn. In this, Julian reveals how one-to-one communication with customers, an intuitive paid social strategy and the knowledge that no success is permanent has the likes of Forbes, The Telegraph and The Guardian calling Huel "the food of the future".

Every new business wants to create the ideal working environment. Challenger bank, Monzo, is no different. In episode 038 of Social Minds, Social Chain COO Dom McGregor is joined by Monzo COO, Tom Foster-Carter. In this, we discuss how core values, an intuition for what young people want and determination to do things differently is the only way to create a successful business in a time where the average lifespan of a company is just 15 years.

Earlier this year we collaborated with Buffer on its annual State of Social report, which enables marketers to form an informed strategy through social-first data. In episode 037 of Social Minds, we're joined by Buffer's editorial director, Ash Read, to unearth the learnings which have come to light since then, discuss how to strike the balance between research and creative instinct, and reveal when to use data to outsmart the platforms' ever-changing landscape.

Being present in culture is a dream for any brand, but earning real capital takes more than sponsorship—brands must be sincere to succeed. In episode 036 of Social Minds we're joined by Theo and Robin, directors at Warm Street, to discuss how brands can participate in subculture movements through music. In this, we reveal the steps brands need to take to make an impact from grassroots level to mass marketing campaigns.

As we enter a new era of social media, Facebook's annual F8 conference laid out the blueprints for a privacy-first approach. Across messaging, commerce and meaningful interactions, Facebook made clear exactly how user behaviour is changing and where its focus—and ours—should be. In episode 035 of Social Minds, we break down each major update announced at F8, what they mean for Facebook and the opportunities they present for brands and marketers.

Young people are watching less TV—that cannot be argued. So where does this leave traditional broadcasters? In episode 034 of Social Minds, we're joined by James Cross and Tim Jones, creative directors at BBC Creative, for a candid discussion about the future of linear television. In the face of Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, organisations like the BBC have been forced to play catch up. Now, we get an insight into their survival strategy. For James and Tim, the answer is a reimagined approach to creativity.

Facebook and publishers are locked in a power struggle; neither want to concede ownership of their communities, but both need the other to survive. In episode 033 of Social Minds, we speak to On The Tools co-founder and CEO Lee Wilcox, to discover the value exchange that can happen when the two work together. In this, Lee explains how niche communities are combatting the symptoms of content overload. These groups also play a crucial role in deciding and influencing trends, and On The Tools are using that to make real change in the construction industry. Finally, we reveal the fate of UGC as social video moves further towards long-form.

Last week we saw the second plank of Facebook's strategy: self-regulation from its product teams. The government has also decided it's time to regulate social media platforms. But are either the right ones for the job and if not, then who? For episode 032 of Social Minds, we spoke with Useful Social founder Dan Price about the price of data, the ramifications of regulatory legislation and what happens when both are placed in the wrong hands.

We're undergoing a substantial shift in the way agencies operate; large network agencies have learned to share the market with specialist and challenger agencies. But how do we differentiate from one another when there's an agency for everything? In episode 031 of Social Minds, Oliver Global COO Leo Harrison joins us to discuss differentiation, sustainability benefits for consumers and brands and the future of the agency model in our new adland.

For episode 030 of Social Minds, Theo and Eve cover the biggest social media stories to break in March. On our list is Instagram's new Checkout button, including what it means for social commerce and e-tail websites; Article 13, the EU's controversial copyright law amendment and so-called meme ban; and the future of linear TV following Apple TV+ and the news that online subscriptions have overtaken cable for the first time. Finally, we answer your questions about the world of social media marketing.

40% of millennials choose their next holiday spot based on its Instagrammability, but how much does social media influence global travel trends? In episode 029 of Social Minds, we're joined by Maria McKenzie, social communications manager at Lonely Planet, to discuss influencers, overtourism and how Instagram became a booming tourism industry in its own right. In this, Maria reveals the travel trends shaping 2019 and where marketers should look to find them.

Mistrust in advertising is the result of a lie. That lie tells consumers they are the audience of advertising when, in reality, they are the product. Now, a solution has emerged which aims to solve the attention crisis by literally giving value back to the user. In episode 028 of Social Minds, Sam Jones, founder of Gener8 Ads, reveals his industry-shaking plan to educate consumers, reclaim ad space and pay users in cash for their attention.

The brain requires idle time to develop, but our constantly connected world seldom allows for boredom. Attention is now currency; aggressive marketing tactics and intensive social media use has earned the industry a reputation for its contribution to mental health issues. But our guest for episode 027 of Social Minds, Dr Fjola Helgadottir, has research which proves otherwise. What's more, her online CBT programme demonstrates how digital media can actually be used to cure the very illnesses it can contribute to.

$500 billion was spent on digital advertising in 2018 alone. Now imagine if that money could be funnelled into life-changing causes. That's the vision of our guest for episode 026 of Social Minds, Amy Williams—founder of ad tech platform, Good-Loop, which aims to make digital advertising ethical again by donating half of its revenue to charity. In this, we speak to her about the future of cause marketing, the epidemic of young ad-blockers and social media's crucial role in fixing both.

For episode 025 of Social Minds, Theo and Eve sat down for another edition of Breaking Social, this time covering the hottest social media stories to break in February. We dissect YouTube's latest brand safety debate along with its new community legislation; the launch of LinkedIn LIVE and what this means for the up-and-coming social network; and Facebook's ongoing struggle between offering transparency and security and what this means in the face of government regulation following a scathing report.

Social media is not just a young person's game. It is increasingly important that C-level executives have a full understanding of the value which social media can provide. But how does a social media manager sell a big idea to a big cheese? In episode 024 of Social Minds, we're joined by senior strategist at WeStrategise, Rob Alderman, to find out what makes the perfect pitch—and how those skills can create actionable solutions to an industry-wide dilemma.

Disruption is on the way, and Silicon Valley's tech giants have an appetite for it. In episode 023 of Social Minds, we're joined by Anya Du Sauzay, head of digital marketing at Sony Music Entertainment / Syco Music, to find out how social media has altered the way new artists are discovered and marketed. In this, we explore how important social media, brand partnerships and algorithmic Spotify playlists are to today's rising stars—and vice versa. It's clear that social has changed music forever, but is it a threat to the industry or a new opportunity?

Content marketing is still relatively new, so why are our processes stuck in the past? Externally, we strive for speed and innovation but, internally, the industry's way of working remains slow and bloated. In episode 022 of Social Minds, CEO of Planable, Xenia Muntean, shares her three core principles to effectively scale content marketing, create a shared language with your clients and, ultimately, save valuable time so that creatives can do what they do best—create. Ready to bring your organisation into the 21st century?

In our first episode of 2019, Theo and Eve sit down for a special edition of Social Minds: Breaking Social. In this, we debrief from the biggest social media stories to break so far this year—including Mark Zuckerberg's challenge to host public debates, the hypocrisy of Instagram's spam ad scandal, Twitter's promising public beta and, of course, THAT Gillette advert. To make sure you're prepared for every change 2019 has in store for social media, download FWD: Cut The Bullsh*t Volume 2 here: insights.socialchain.com/fwd-2019

From the death of the News Feed to social-first CRM and a departure from social networking, December has seen an influx of marketers making their predictions for 2019. In our final episode of 2018, Social Chain strategy director, Mike Blake-Crawford, makes his return to Social Minds in order to pave the way for brands in 2019. In this, we cover his top 5 predictions, including WhatsApp's advent as a business tool and what Instagram's leadership under Adam Mosseri will bring in the new year.

Experiential marketing is broken. That is the opinion of Lee Benecke, head of digital engagement and our guest for episode 019 of Social Minds. In this episode, Lee gives a sobering account of the state of online/offline activations and blames brand naivety for the thoughtless addition of social media to OOH campaigns. With screen time increasing and marketers constantly competing, we ask: have social media marketers stopped living in the real world?

Is storytelling a realistic goal on social media, or just another of marketers' favourite buzzwords? In episode 018 of Social Minds, we sit down with Alex Ayin, commercial director at Media Chain, to find out exactly how brands can overcome platform limitations to drive a powerful narrative home - in 15 seconds or less.