Karim Wazzan, our Social Media Specialist, joined Talk360 a couple of months ago, but it feels like he has been here forever. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team, and with his creative approach and new ideas he is a great asset to Talk360. Are you curious to hear more about Karim's role as Social Media Specialist?
We asked Karim a lot of burning questions, and you can read the answers below.
What is your day-to-day like?
As a Social Media Specialist, I believe that your day-to-day cannot be identical if you regularly work on developing new projects from start to finish. That is why at Talk360, my day-to-day would be a combination of regular meetings with the team of performance marketeers, brand manager, data analyst, and manager, and deep focus time where I focus on content, strategy, copy, and design. Based on these meetings and the marketing calendar, my schedule would be a combination of meetings, research, planning, and measuring results.
I am currently working on our new social media strategy which focuses on video content creation. My aim is to focus on sharing the real stories of our loyal Talk360 customers who call their beloved ones across the globe. These stories are inspiring and touching and show the true meaning of connecting lives and bridging distance. That is what I have been mostly invested in recently!
What is your favourite thing about working at Talk360?
My favourite thing about working at Talk360 is the company culture. What I enjoy about Talk360’s culture is how social it is. It is really important to me and my colleagues, that we connect during and after work hours. We find it quite helpful to better understand each other, have shared experiences and foster our relationship as colleagues and team members.
Another favourite thing about my work at Talk360 is the flexibility in creating social media content, as in, the constant ability to try new things out. Trial and error are essential to understanding what content resonates the most with your target audience and to building a social media strategy.
What are the future challenges of social media managers?
I think the challenge we are approaching in social media is the constant need to adapt to new platforms and technologies. It has become increasingly obvious that all brands and companies have been racing to go viral on TikTok, creating their own spin on trends, and trying to stand out. In the next years, this scenario might reoccur in the metaverse for example. We have been hearing about the web3.0., virtual reality, and augmented reality technologies which are about to shape our future. What will these virtual spaces look like? And how will social media platforms adapt? Only time will tell!
What is the best way to keep up with the latest trends on social media?
Aside from trend watching websites, my way of keeping up with social media trends while working at Talk360 is to be an active user of the social platforms I am interested in. Not only will this help you stay up to date with the latest trends, but you will also receive advice on social media marketing, helpful tools, etc. This has been the case for me on TikTok, where I frequently come across new helpful tips and tools for social media work.
Another effective way to know the industry inside out, is to follow the newsletters of social media tools such as Hootsuite, Later.com, or HubSpot, the famous marketing platform. Such websites produce daily or weekly email newsletters that discuss the latest news in social media, the future of the industry, and sometimes invite you to attend webinars that could enrich my career at Talk360.
What did you learn the hard way when you just started your career?
A valuable lesson I learned in my career is that you should understand your target audience and put yourself in their shoes. Think from their perspective, in order to speak to them. When you work in social media, you sometimes get a gut feeling that you know your audience will like this piece of content you are sharing. However, just because you like it, it does not necessarily mean it will work for your audience.
Do you have any tips for future social media managers?
First and foremost: invest your time in fully understanding your product and your industry niche. Invest time on a regular basis to research trends, audiences, and content ideas. Do not stay in your comfort zone for too long. If something works for you on social media, it will not necessarily work if you keep repeating it. Always dare to try new ideas and record every learning from your experience.
