2023 has been a crazy year for social media. In April 2023, Twitter became X, Meta launched Threads and LinkedIn has announced it’s dumping carousel posts next week (RIP). And don’t forget the numerous algorithm updates. It’s enough to make any marketer’s head spin.
Given social media’s importance in consumers’ lives, it’s our job to keep up with the latest trends and updates to increase our online reach. And who’s better to do this than a Social Media Manager? Well, we know someone just for the job. Meet Natalie Metcalf, our newest Trio team member!
Hear from Natalie about her previous social media experience and how she’s helping our clients improve their social media game below.
What is your day-to-day role at Trio Media?
As the Social Media Manager, I oversee our clients’ accounts. This includes content creation, strategy work, scheduling and bigger creative projects, including video production and editing. I work closely with Sophie, our Marketing Account Executive, and provide an extra helping hand when supporting her social media clients.
I also create content for paid media campaigns and manage Trio’s social media channels.
What did you use to do before joining Trio?
I worked as a Marketing Manager at a Manchester recruitment company for three years. When you work in-house, you’re the go-to person for everything, so I’ve got a sound understanding of most areas of marketing.
My favourite area, though, was social media. I managed their social media, organised partnership events and wrote blogs, among many other things.
Before this, I was a professional make-up artist and had professional training in cosmetics. I worked freelance and in retail, and then I completed a bachelor’s and master’s in Marketing at the University of Manchester.
My time in cosmetics was the beginning of my interest in social media. When I worked in retail, we’d receive amazing PR packages, including strong brand messaging, training sessions and engaging video demos. These elements highlighted how powerful marketing can influence consumer behaviour.
What are some of your interests outside of work?
I enjoy baking and am particularly skilled in vegan baking, which I did on the side during my undergraduate days. I love going to any event, whether gigs, festivals or anytime I can be with my friends!
I’m a big animal lover and currently have my own little farm. I have two cats called Mac and Mew, my puppy Rocky and a hamster named Cash. It’s a hectic household right now! I still love make-up and enjoy doing it for my friends and family.
What made you want to get into social media?
When I started my old job, the company didn’t have a huge social media presence. They were doing well on LinkedIn but didn’t have a following on other platforms. From the start, I found new ways to refresh their accounts and create a memorable online brand.
My work helped them grow as I refined their strategy and got their deserved attention. Seeing this growth identified my love for social media; I have wanted to make it my niche since then!
What have you enjoyed about working at Trio so far?
As I’ve moved from in-house to an agency, I’ve enjoyed the change in pace and the variety of work I do. I collaborate with tech, print production, retail, cosmetics and recruitment clients, helping them create social media content that works well.
One second, I’m writing captions, and the next, I’m doing paid social graphics. Every day is different, and I’m never bored for a single second! A big plus is that the Trio team is great to work with, and I got to know them all on our recent Christmas trip away.
What advice would you give to someone working in social media marketing?
If you haven’t realised already, social media is constantly changing. It’s my job as a Social Media Manager to know when things happen online. Because of this, I’d recommend any aspiring social media marketer to keep up to date with trends to see what’s gauging interest across your target audience. TikTok is a great platform to start with.
Use Instagram to see how brands portray themselves on their feed and log in to LinkedIn and monitor how your audience interacts. These tools are all free, so use them to conduct market research!
If you ever lack inspiration, create a bank of accounts that’ll give you direction on what you can do on social media next. For LinkedIn, I love SURREAL – they use a fun, tongue-in-cheek approach to their socials, which gets excellent engagement! On TikTok, I follow a great account called @the_juicy_bear, who reimagines company TikTok strategies. She has some great ideas and it sparks your creativity!
Finally, on Instagram, everyone should follow us (@triomedia)! I might be a bit (a lot) biased, but we share plenty of industry updates, jump on fun trends, and give you a glimpse of what it’s like to work in the world of Digital Marketing!
That’s all from Natalie. If you’d like to hear how Trio can support your social media strategy, contact our team or call us at 0113 733 2020 to learn how we can help you.