How I Made it in Social, featuring Casey Smith, Social Media Manager at Slack

Welcome to Make It Go Viral’s weekly interview series, How I Made It In Social. Every Wednesday, Pennant Digital Social Media Director Anna Fogel talks to the best and brightest people working in social media about their career journey.

Next up: Casey Smith , who went from dipping her toes in the social world at a digital women's magazine in 2012 to leading a social series with Funny Or Die and Jeff Goldblum while at Kroger , and now she's currently the Social Media Manager at Slack . Casey shares what has changed since her career started, valuable lessons she’s learned, and how she landed her current job.

If this edition resonated with you, please share it with someone you love.

What was your first job in social? And what year did you start?

Back in 2012, I worked for a startup at a digital women’s magazine (that unfortunately went under) and in addition to writing for the site, I’d create content for social. We didn’t even have an Instagram account when I first started! 

What has changed about the industry since then?

Everything! Our primary platform was Facebook and OG Twitter. There’s been so much change and new platforms popping up (and some dying out) since then and the push for video content has just been growing every year. 

First piece of content you ever hit publish on?

Publishing an article I wrote for GirlsGuideTo. I remember being so nervous about where to put the link vs. the caption. Oh, how times have changed. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned early on in your career?

Track your wins. Make the time to evaluate content performance and track audience growth, impressions, engagements, etc. It’s so easy to think you haven’t accomplished anything, but when you take a moment to look back you’ll realize how much you’ve done. And as a bonus, you’ll learn how to improve upon it. 

Can I also add: Ask for more money!

How did you showcase your body of social media work?

I used to keep a Powerpoint deck with screenshots at previous jobs. Now I’ll use a Google Doc to save items, but have a more official portfolio on Canva. If you have a pro account you can host a website with a custom URL and use their templates that make it SO easy to create one. 

What is your current role? 

Social Media Manager at Slack , which is part of Salesforce . 

Where did you initially find this opportunity?

A recruiter reached out for a contract role opportunity on the social media team that was mainly focused on social first video content. 

What do you think was the key factor in getting a foot in the door to your new role?

It was interesting that I heard from the recruiter in the first place, since Slack is my first job in the tech industry. However, I believe it helped that I have worked for other large brands over the years and I try my best to keep my LinkedIn updated with skills listed for each role/organization. 

Did your own social media habits or ‘personal brand’ help (or hurt) your job search? Do you think brand building is something social pros should set aside time for?

I do believe my personal brand has helped my job search and provided me with other industry opportunities. However, it’s a secondary priority in my life and if I’m feeling at all burnt out from creating social content, I won’t force myself to post something.

I personally wouldn’t make hiring decisions on whether someone has a personal brand or not. However, if they were showcasing unique skills (such as video creation) on their personal account then I’d take that into consideration. So, social pros should consider if it’s a way to showcase their skills or expertise that they aren’t able to do in their day job. 

Now that you’re in the seat, what’s the number 1 attribute you’d look for in a replacement? 

Enthusiasm!

Favorite piece of content you’ve ever created?

The first meme I ever published for Kroger . This was before most brands were doing any meme content on social, let alone any grocery or retail brands. Over time, we got away from creating as much playful content for the brand which was a miss, but the current social team in place at Kroger is doing an amazing job. 

Favorite follows? 

Jake Jonez (@jjakejonezz) cracks me up like no other and A Twink and a Redhead are unhinged in the best kind of way. Plus, cat meme videos have taken over my explore page.  

On a professional level, I’m digging the work of CAVA , Taco Bell , and Canva . I love looking outside my own industry for inspiration. 

What’s the best part of your job?

It’s the best and worst part of social - it’s always changing! I’m personally not happy if I don’t feel like I’m growing in some way and working in social media allows me to regularly feel challenged to learn new things and question the status quo.

Coolest experience you’ve had while working in social media?

At Kroger, I was able to lead some work we did with Funny or Die for a series called Cooking with Jeff (Goldblum). Getting to go to Los Angeles for filming, seeing the behind-the-scenes and being on set with such a welcoming and professional group is an experience I’ll never forget. 

If you'd like to nominate someone (or yourself!) for a future edition of Make It Go Viral’s interview series, How I Made It In Social, please send Anna Fogel a message on LinkedIn or reach out to me at anna@pennantdigital.com!