Plot Vol. 1

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA @ TEAM EPIPHANY

from our creative team, to yours

“Experiment withbothshort andlong-form contentto engagedifferent segmentsof youraudience.”

As the Director of Social Media at Team Epiphany, Byron Stewart knows what it takes to stay ahead of the curve in a fast-paced industry From paying acute attention to the rise of long-form content to executing creator partnerships at lightning speed, Byron’s approach to social media is all about pushing boundaries and creating content that resonates. In this spotlight, he shares his insights on what’s driving success today and how social media marketers can adapt to the latest trends

Meet

Byron Byron Stewart Stewart

Social media isn’t what it was just a few years ago Byron Stewart has seen a noticeable shift particularly in the rise of long-form content “Consumers, especially Gen Z, are moving away from traditional TV and are spending more time on social media looking for deeper, more meaningful content,” Byron explains.

“As a result, longer-form videos, some over a minute, are gaining popularity across various verticals.”

In fact, a 2023 survey reported that 53 1% of Gen Z users watch longform content on social media. While short form content is still more popular, many users report using social media to watch news, tutorials, and movies.

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Byron also notes the whirlwind speed at which culture moves “The brands that are winning creator marketing today are moving incredibly fast,” he says. “It’s not a simple task, though there’s a lot that goes into the execution of it all ”

“Make sure your branded content doesn’t feel overly produced or commercial. Think: ‘social-first.’”

TI P S

Don’t make ads, make content that fits the platform.

Take on an entertainment mindset Ask yourself if you would watch that content as a consumer.

Be confident that the idea feels tailored to the creator.

TikTok and Instagram specific: views (including watch time), shares, comments, and saves are key metrics

Three goals for your audience: share with others, save for personal reference, leave comments to extend the conversation

He recalls Team Epiphany’s successful launch of Bel Air Season 3 which used creator videos to drive energy and excitement around the premiere “That campaign highlighted the value of giving creators the freedom to be creative, but most importantly to remain authentic,” Byron says. “Authenticity is becoming a buzzword these days, but it’s an important ingredient in making content that sticks.” He credits the success of the creators’ videos to

how native they felt to their respective platforms. “It was relatable and didn’t feel like an ad ”

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But with every success, Byron is keenly aware of the challenges facing social media pros today.

“The one misunderstanding I wish I could clear up a million times is the assumption that interns are behind brand accounts,” he says

“Social media is one of the most important marketing disciplines for brands today and requires management by seasoned marketing professionals. This is a relatively new industry, but there are brilliant minds in this space! More VPs and CMOs will have social media backgrounds in the next decade. That’s not a hot take ”

Byron also points to an all-too-common pattern when working on campaigns.“If I had a dollar for how many times throughout my career my team was last to contribute during the planning stage, I’d be rich sipping a smoothie from Erewhon,” he jokes

Because of this, he makes sure to advocate for the social team in the brainstorming process “I’ve pitched to leadership the necessity of being ‘social-first’ when it comes to campaigns. The most successful videos of my campaigns were shot on a cellphone. Let your social team cook your audience will love it!”

Byron’s expertise stems from his own approach to social media.

He calls himself a “culture marketer,” someone who follows the trends on the platforms where they start. He believes the cultural conversations start on TikTok and X. “Staying close to these platforms is how I stay inspired and constantly generate new ideas,” he explains “Call me chronically online, but I’m a firm believer that you have to be in the internet trenches to understand the nuances of it all."

M e t r i c s t h a t M a t t e r

With a deep understanding into the “why” and “how” of things follows the measurement of how well the content performs. When it comes to metrics, Byron believes that engagement, rate, and impressions hold the most value For TikTok and Instagram, views, shares, comments, and saves are key. Byron emphasizes the need for content to have a call to action. “Your audience should enjoy your content so much that they want to share it with friends, save it for personal reference, and comment to join in on the conversation,” he explains 4

As Byron reflects on what has brought success in the past and present, he also thinks to the future

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One of the largest developments in how we use tech is undoubtedly the incorporation of AI, and Byron envisions the large impact it will have on social media marketing “AI has introduced new ways of working and enhanced productivity. Social pros can leverage generative

AI for writing copy, brainstorming, and organizing data quickly,” he says “But at the end of the day, creativity is the most valuable resource we have as humans. As AI continues to evolve, marketers need to stay informed, adapt to its advancements, and experiment consistently to see how it can optimize their workstreams ”

And for marketers who are just beginning their futures in social media, Byron offers valuable advice.

“Don’t play it safe,” he says “The marketing landscape is too competitive to be like everyone else You have to create social content that people want to engage with, period.”

A d v i c e f o r

S o c i a l M e d i a

M a n a g e r s

Many of Byron’s biggest social media victories resulted from taking risks He encourages social pros to “embrace the flop,” as he says “Who cares if your content doesn’t work? The average consumer

isn’t thinking about that one post that performed poorly.”

“Itallstartswithtakingactionandexperimenting don’t allow yourself to be stuck in a box. Success starts withcuriosity.”

Byron emphasizes the mindset of “You don’t know unless you try.” He reflects back to his journey of growing Foot Locker’s TikTok account to one million followers in a year and creating its first-ever employee ambassador program, where employees participate in social content “When I first started, no one gave me any instructions I just experimented on the app, which led me to compile research on how Foot Locker was organically showing up on TikTok and build the employee program strategy,” he says Byron's approach serves as a reminder that, in the fast-moving world of social media, the boldest strategies often lead to the biggest wins. Whether you ' re optimizing content for the latest trends or finding new ways to engage your audience, taking risks and staying adaptable are key. As Byron puts it, “You don’t know unless you try” and that's where the magic happens in social media marketing

Plot Platform Updates

Competitor Analytics

Get a clear view of how you rank against competitors See who their top creators are, their best-performing posts, and the audience sentiment toward their content everything you need to sharpen your strategy and stay competitive.

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We brought the power of video social listening to your pocket Now, you can respond on the go! Data is pulled every hour so you can stay on top of content and stay ahead of conversations, anytime, anywhere Other features: AI video highlights, real-time sentiment analysis, instant video summaries

Social Listening for Instagram Stories

You can now track content about your brand on Instagram Stories. Our tool captures insights directly from Stories, letting you stay on top of real-time conversations and sentiment.

trend r trend r

I L o v e

Y o u , I ’ m S o r r y

Taken from a live recording of “I love you, I'm sorry” by pop singer Gracie Abrams, this audio is going absolutely viral Creators are using this audio behind everythingrandom captions, fan videos surrounding Gracie, girlhood content As of recent, she has a second song going viral titled, “That’s So True”

P e r f o r m a n

I n t e r p r e t i v e

D a n c e

This hilarious audio is trending and being used to make people do an interpretive dance in order to get or do something like making your friend’s boyfriend dance to stay over, or your boyfriend having to do a dance before playing video games.

f t . B r u n o M a r s

Another day, another BLACKPINK member going solo this time it’s Rosé with her latest single APT featuring Bruno Mars. Dance along, sing your heart out, or even try the drinking game the song is based on

W a i t , T h e y

D o n ’ t L o v e Y o u L i k e I L o v e Y o u

"Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs has turned into a viral dance trend that originally showcased love between friends or partners Now, it’s hilariously being used by companies like Duolingo, purely for the dance itself or to show off something they love. Perfect for a fun product feature with some personality!

I n D a C W e A l l

You know when you yourself because so you? Use this hilario Broad City to show y have to rephrase wh understand

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Amidst the Diddy conspiracies, TikToks of celebrities thanking Beyoncé went viral, and many speculated that this was done out of fear for their lives (ie, Kanye taking the mic from Taylor Swift). If Beyoncé was behind that, maybe she is behind you not getting your way as well Farfetched? Maybe But maybe Beyoncé know(le)s more than we think.

C l e r b , F a m

have to keep repeating meone doesn't understand us audio from the sitcom your frustration when you hat you say so they'll finally

S u b t l e

F o r e s h a d o w i n g

The “subtle foreshadowing” trend is blowing up on TikTok, where creators give away the punchline or outcome right upfront It’s the perfect format for sharing shocking or hilarious moments, the perfect trend if you’ve got any blooper footage lying around

A r i a n a G r a n d e

E s p r e s s o

SNL's parody of Espresso, featuring Ariana Grande, is trending all over TikTok right now! Maybe it has to do with the way she pronounces Domingo, Marcello Hernandez's cameo, or perhaps it's just entertaining to watch and listen to Whatever catches your

B r a t

R e m i x

A l b u m

Charli XCX just released her much-anticipated Brat remix album "Brat and it's completely different but also still “brat" People are making trends around specific songs (ex Sympathy is a knife ft Ariana Grande) but some are also taking the album cover format (inverse of the original Brat album) and using it for their own thing

D i v a

( B e y o n c é )

CALLING ALL DIVAASSSS! Whether you love a little dance or just love yourself some Beyoncé, this trend is for you a diva dance break, if you will And, if you aren't comfortable dancing, use this audio for a fire fit check!

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C E B O O K

ttempts to attract more Z users to the platform, book is introducing new ures such as the “Local” which pulls content from ketplace, Groups, and nts into one place book is also introducing Explore” tab with onalized mmendations, resembling ething of a Pinterest rithm

X

X Premium users can enjoy a new update to the analytics tools with Radar, which allows users to set up keyword analytics, track conversation volume, and measure trends related to your interests or account niche.

Y O U T U B E

YouTube increased the time limit for YouTube Shorts, with videos now allowed to go up to 3 minutes in length. This will give creators more time to display their creativity and discover engaging ways to captivate their audiences

@me @me

“ M a k e B o p s n o t F l o p

How would you define good social content ?

JAYDE: From a marketing metric side, I always feel that strong indicators of high performing content are shares and saves. It tells me it's high quality and it resonates with them. From a community standpoint, seeing a comment that says "I feel seen by this," to me, that's a sign of a job well done.

Tameka: I take things very much from a cultural standpoint-- there's digital culture and there's IRL culture. When we ' re putting out content, whether it's as an individual content creators or as strategists, you want to ensure that you are putting out something that is relevant to the community and to the culture you are trying to be a part of and sustain.

How do you stay inspired?

JAYDE: I am on social all the time, which leads to moments where my brain is so clustered, I can't even think and therefore don't have any inspiration. In those moments, I love to revisit my old content-- your work is a reflection of where you were in different places in your life, so why not revisit those former versions of yourself and see it in the creative that you ' ve created. I also put myself in positions where I have to be away from my phone. You have to make a commitment to establishing boundaries so you ' re not overwhelming yourself

Tameka: Prioritizing IRL events, really being around other creators and hearing about their stories, pasts and journeys has been really inspiring for me; there is a lot of benefits to having a creator community. I also say stay in a space of creation versus a space of intake

The best brands are the one that understand users and digital natives-- that SEO has changed Now everything from a restaurant review to a product review, people are going on TikTok or Instagram first to try and figure out, is this something I want?

- Tameka

(stay tuned... something BIG is launching this November)

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