On a new episode of the 'All the Social Ladies' podcast, you're going to hear from Caitlin Heikkila, who was previously the Social Media Manager for Allure. For over 6 years, Caitlin has been building communities for brands like Food.com, The Cooking Channel, Bed Bath & Beyond and Everyday Health. She really understands the importance of community and community management - it takes a smart, focused person to stay in the trenches for that period of time!
You'll hear all about Allure's strategy of using social media marketing to drive traffic to their site, and you'll also hear a little bit about the digital transformation of print.
Key Topics
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The Story of Caitlin's Career
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What Makes A Successful Campaign For Allure
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How Allure Uses Paid Media
Key Answers
How have you seen the building of social communities change over time?
"There are so many different platforms in the social space now. It's a must for all brands to connect with people online and be successful on these networks. It's really become an everyday part of our lives - there are so many people with smartphones and social profiles meaning that it's much easier to build communities. Conversely, there's also much more noise now, many more people to connect with, and there's only so much you can connect on in any given day."
When you're working with a brand, how do you make your online interactions natural?
"It's all about being authentic, speaking in the brand's voice without trying too hard. When I start with a new brand, what I like to do is talk to everybody on my immediate team to find out what they think the brand sounds like, who the audience is and what kind of voice we should have. At Allure, I try and mimic the voice and style of our articles."
Why is Allure on Social?
"One of our biggest goals is to drive traffic to our website, and social media's a great way to do that. Our magazine still exists but it doesn't have the same presence as it's had in the past. Many people are getting their news online now so it's vital that we also find different avenues to share our content. For Allure, there's a huge online community that's passionate about hair and beauty. It makes sense for us to be there with them and connect with those people. The social space is not only a great place to get our content out there but it's also a great place to create it. This allows our communities to add value to our content."
Key Soundbites
- "Social communities don't end just because you take a day off, but it's important to focus on having that balance and learning to switch off sometimes"
- "Have your own brand, your own presence and meet as many people as you can. Networking is so important for your personal and professional life."
- "It's important to stay in the know in the social space. Learn as much as you can about the platforms and what's coming up next so you stay valuable to a company"
Resources
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Company Website: http://www.allure.com/
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Company Twitter: @Allure_magazine
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Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinheikkila
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Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allure-magazine
Enjoy, and check back here for more episodes of the All the Social Ladies podcast on Social Media Today.
This article was originally published on Apple News: