https://www.socialday.live/the-sauce Latest news and insights from SocialDay - Your hub for social media marketing, community insights, and industry trends. en-us Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:43:46 GMT https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-career-ladder-no-clear-path-what-gets-you-promoted https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-career-ladder-no-clear-path-what-gets-you-promoted Most social media professionals can't see the next rung. Here is what the people climbing the ladder told us about progression, pay, the skills that actually move you up, and AI. Early findings from The Sauce's Social Media Career Ladder survey. Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:38:35 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-social-media-role-is-evolving-inside-a-global-b2b-organisation https://www.socialday.live/features/the-social-media-role-is-evolving-inside-a-global-b2b-organisation How social media roles are evolving inside large B2B organisations, from the conductor model to social-first video, based on an interview with AXA XL's Head of External Communications. Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Social Media Careers Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-industry-news-roundup-15-June https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-industry-news-roundup-15-June This week in social media industry news: Instagram rolls out profile grid rearranging, LinkedIn expands post analytics, Instagram opens Reels post view ads to all advertisers, Meta moves towards deeper off-site personalisation, Snapchat shares new video ad insights, and TikTok announces Community Fest 2026. Here’s what social media marketers need to know. Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:29:02 GMT Mags D'Amato https://www.socialday.live/features/why-the-algorithm-is-making-your-brand-forgettable https://www.socialday.live/features/why-the-algorithm-is-making-your-brand-forgettable Tommy co-founder Marcus Foley took the Social Media Fest stage with a question that stings: how much of what you made last week does anyone actually remember? Here is his Anti-Algorithm Formula. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Event Recap Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-human-rebound-navigating-linkedins-new-crackdown-on-low-quality-ai-content https://www.socialday.live/features/the-human-rebound-navigating-linkedins-new-crackdown-on-low-quality-ai-content LinkedIn is pivoting its algorithm to prioritize human expertise over AI-generated noise. Here is what social media pros need to know to stay visible. Thu, 28 May 2026 06:48:52 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/socialday-social-media-fest-2026-the-industry-has-grown-up https://www.socialday.live/features/socialday-social-media-fest-2026-the-industry-has-grown-up What Just Happened? The social media marketing industry gathered in Shoreditch on 19–20 May, and the two days that followed produced something rare: a sustained, honest conversation about what this work actually is now Fri, 22 May 2026 09:39:56 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/closing-the-conversion-gap-mastering-linkedins-new-full-lifecycle-event-suite https://www.socialday.live/features/closing-the-conversion-gap-mastering-linkedins-new-full-lifecycle-event-suite LinkedIn introduces new tools to drive engagement before, during, and after professional events, transforming virtual gatherings into lead generation engines. Sun, 17 May 2026 07:59:52 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/instagram-unveils-instants-a-strategic-pivot-toward-raw-content-and-real-time-engagement https://www.socialday.live/features/instagram-unveils-instants-a-strategic-pivot-toward-raw-content-and-real-time-engagement Instagram's new 'Instants' feature signals a massive shift toward ephemeral, unedited content. Here is how social media pros can leverage it. Sat, 16 May 2026 07:17:39 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/ellie-mcguigan-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight https://www.socialday.live/features/ellie-mcguigan-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight Ellie McGuigan, Senior Paid Social Manager at Cancer Research UK, on the reality of brand-side paid social, the Andromeda update, and why human judgment still wins. Wed, 13 May 2026 06:21:58 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/patricia-fernandes-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight https://www.socialday.live/features/patricia-fernandes-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight Patricia Fernandes, Social Media Specialist at Mercedes-Benz.io, on building employee advocacy that creates genuine belonging, not just visibility. Fri, 08 May 2026 11:18:31 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/gabriella-ryan-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight https://www.socialday.live/features/gabriella-ryan-socialday-2026-speaker-spotlight Gabriella Ryan, Senior Influencer Manager at Leo Burnett, on treating creators as partners, ditching twenty brand messages per post, and what believable credibility really means. Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-get-your-team-to-start-creating-content-on-linkedin-without-forcing-them https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-get-your-team-to-start-creating-content-on-linkedin-without-forcing-them Employee-generated content helps you activate your team's voices and network to support your brand, but how does it practically work? Where do you even start? Here are some tips to consider. Sat, 02 May 2026 08:46:02 GMT Tereza Litsa https://www.socialday.live/features/pinterest-wants-you-to-close-the-app-the-campaign-thats-making-a-case-for-inspiration-that-actually-leads-somewhere https://www.socialday.live/features/pinterest-wants-you-to-close-the-app-the-campaign-thats-making-a-case-for-inspiration-that-actually-leads-somewhere Pinterest has launched a campaign built around an idea that most social platforms would never say out loud: the best thing an app can do is give you a reason to close it and go and live your life. The rollout began on 1 May across TV, cinema, out-of-home and digital, and Pinterest is positioning it as its most ambitious paid media campaign to date. Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-job-titles-why-every-door-has-a-different-name https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-job-titles-why-every-door-has-a-different-name Most social media professionals at SocialDay Social Media Fest 2026 carry a job title nobody else in the room shares. Here is what that means for hiring, salary benchmarking, and the case for a social media career ladder. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/i-just-figured-it-out-myself-what-social-media-professionals-are-really-telling-us https://www.socialday.live/features/i-just-figured-it-out-myself-what-social-media-professionals-are-really-telling-us We asked social media professionals across the UK and beyond to tell us the truth about their careers: the jumps, the blockers, the things nobody warned them about. What’s coming back isn’t a tidy picture. It’s honest, a little raw, and it’s pointing to some patterns the industry needs to take seriously. Here’s what we’re hearing so far. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-psychology-behind-the-scroll-theories-that-shape-social-media-success https://www.socialday.live/features/the-psychology-behind-the-scroll-theories-that-shape-social-media-success What drives people to stop scrolling and engage with your content? In this post, Luan Wise explores 11 psychology theories that can shape social media success. Drawing on her book with Dr Tom Bowden-Green, Marketing and Understanding Customer Behaviour with the ABC Approach, Luan explains how understanding human behaviour can transform your campaign planning, content creation, and community management. Watch the webinar replay and put the theory into practice. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:38:35 GMT Luan Wise https://www.socialday.live/features/the-social-media-career-ladder-what-weve-learned-so-far https://www.socialday.live/features/the-social-media-career-ladder-what-weve-learned-so-far I've wanted to do this research for a long time. Social media as a profession has grown from nothing to enormous in about fifteen years, and it's done that without any of the infrastructure that other professions take for granted. No agreed career progression. No standard job titles. No salary benchmarks. What I've heard from six brilliant people so far is too important to sit on. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:32:08 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/nobody-is-teaching-social-media-professionals-how-business-actually-works-heres-the-gap https://www.socialday.live/features/nobody-is-teaching-social-media-professionals-how-business-actually-works-heres-the-gap Ask a room full of social media managers what their biggest skills gap is, and you probably won't hear "content creation." You won't hear "platform knowledge" or "community management" either. Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:28:34 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/what-the-best-creators-and-best-leaders-have-in-common https://www.socialday.live/features/what-the-best-creators-and-best-leaders-have-in-common The best leaders I've worked with share something with the best creators I've seen build communities online. They put the spotlight on the people around them rather than keeping it on themselves, and they care far more about the growth of others than their own visibility. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:38:28 GMT Erica L Somer https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-is-still-being-called-womens-work-and-its-costing-the-whole-industry https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-is-still-being-called-womens-work-and-its-costing-the-whole-industry There's a word that keeps coming up when social media professionals talk about how their role is perceived. Not respected. Not valued. Not taken seriously. The word is: girls. Social media girls. Marketing girlies. The person who does the "pretty pink content." Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:01:11 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/ai-is-eating-the-entry-level-heres-why-that-should-worry-all-of-us https://www.socialday.live/features/ai-is-eating-the-entry-level-heres-why-that-should-worry-all-of-us AI is compressing entry-level social media roles fast. We spoke to industry experts about what this means for career progression and what junior talent needs to do now. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/hackademy-awards https://www.socialday.live/features/hackademy-awards Spikerz’s Hackademy Awards report reveals how social media has become a major attack surface for Hollywood, driving $600M in annual losses through account takeovers, deepfakes, scams, and online abuse. High-profile cases show how easily trust is exploited, turning fan engagement into fraud and reputational damage. Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Elior Doani https://www.socialday.live/features/will-ai-wipe-out-first-rung-social-media-career-ladder https://www.socialday.live/features/will-ai-wipe-out-first-rung-social-media-career-ladder A data-led look at how AI and automation are squeezing entry-level social media roles, what it means for the talent pipeline, and how the industry can redesign the first rung instead of letting it break. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:25:26 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/8-must-have-resources-social-media-marketers-2026 https://www.socialday.live/features/8-must-have-resources-social-media-marketers-2026 The eight free resources every social media professional needs in 2026, from ROI frameworks and KPI guides to audit templates and content calendars. All built by the SocialDay community. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:13:26 GMT Guides Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-updates-march-14-2026 https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-updates-march-14-2026 Instagram's non-follower push is intensifying, Meta is tweaking Advantage+ ads, LinkedIn has shifted its feed weighting, and TikTok is leaning harder into search-led content. Here's what social media managers need to know this week. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Platform Updates Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/understanding-the-sauce-framework-social-media-career https://www.socialday.live/features/understanding-the-sauce-framework-social-media-career Early-career social media marketers often struggle to understand how roles evolve in the industry. SocialDay’s Framework provides a clear roadmap from entry-level roles to strategic leadership ladder, while highlighting the skills needed to grow in a global and culturally diverse digital landscape. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:53:01 GMT Saumya Singh https://www.socialday.live/features/is-posting-less-the-new-more-why-sharing-less-is-the-new-trend https://www.socialday.live/features/is-posting-less-the-new-more-why-sharing-less-is-the-new-trend I started posting on LinkedIn every day because everyone says consistency is the key. The engagement was okay, but the content? Honestly, pretty meh. I burned out fast and realized I was posting just to post. So I switched things up: fewer posts, clearer content pillars, and only sharing when I actually had something useful to say. Ironically, that’s when things started working better. Turns out, consistency matters, but being remembered for quality matters a lot more. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:21:58 GMT Jelena Burcer https://www.socialday.live/features/the-ultimate-survival-kit-for-a-marketing-warrior https://www.socialday.live/features/the-ultimate-survival-kit-for-a-marketing-warrior Why read this blog? Because you are a marketing warrior! Oh no jokes apart, marketing can sometimes feel like trying to keep up with a conversation that keeps changing every five minutes. This blog is a quick, honest (and awfully written) look at what’s actually changing in marketing and what surprisingly isn’t. You just need 3 things to rule the world of MARKETING! 👑 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:21:36 GMT Raina Das https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-build-a-content-strategy-aligned-with-your-brand-values https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-build-a-content-strategy-aligned-with-your-brand-values A strong content strategy shouldn’t just support your brand, it should embody it. When your posts reflect your values, voice, and vision, your content stops feeling like noise and starts building real connection. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:11:55 GMT Kamya Marwah https://www.socialday.live/features/cozy-aesthetic-rebellion-against-attention-economy https://www.socialday.live/features/cozy-aesthetic-rebellion-against-attention-economy The internet spent years chasing louder, faster, and more stimulating content. But a quieter trend is emerging. From journaling videos to cozy morning routines, audiences are gravitating toward slower, more human content. This shift toward “cozy aesthetics” reflects a deeper cultural response to digital fatigue and offers a powerful lesson for brands competing for attention. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saumya Singh https://www.socialday.live/features/b2b-marketing-isnt-boring https://www.socialday.live/features/b2b-marketing-isnt-boring B2B marketing isn’t boring. Most brands just haven’t learned how to make it interesting. Behind every screen is still a human: scrolling, laughing at memes, and ignoring anything that sounds like software documentation. In this piece, I break down how I turn “boring” product updates into content people actually want to engage with. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Victoria I. https://www.socialday.live/features/from-social-media-manager-to-cmo-the-career-moves-nobody-talks-about https://www.socialday.live/features/from-social-media-manager-to-cmo-the-career-moves-nobody-talks-about At SocialDay, we are building the definitive Social Media Career Ladder, a research-backed framework that maps what progression actually looks like at every level. We have already started talking to some of the most experienced people in the industry, and some things are coming through clearly, even this early. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-salary-report-2026 https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-salary-report-2026 SocialDay's Social Media Salary & Trend Report 2026 reveals what UK social media professionals are really earning, managing and experiencing. Data from 100 industry professionals across in-house, agency and freelance roles. Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Trends & Insights Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-hidden-cost-of-social-what-metricools-2026-wellbeing-report-means-for-your-career https://www.socialday.live/features/the-hidden-cost-of-social-what-metricools-2026-wellbeing-report-means-for-your-career Metricool asked more than 900 social media professionals how they are really doing in 2026. The answers are a snapshot of burnout, blurred roles and stalled progression, and a starting point for fixing how social careers work. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/how-social-media-became-womens-work https://www.socialday.live/features/how-social-media-became-womens-work Social media is one of the few parts of marketing where women are everywhere, from the person posting daily to the CMO signing off the budget. At the same time, social and community roles are still underpaid, emotionally heavy and often treated as support work rather than strategic leadership. For International Women’s Day, this piece looks at how social media became women’s work. Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/for-the-social-media-people-who-cant-look-away-this-week https://www.socialday.live/features/for-the-social-media-people-who-cant-look-away-this-week When people say “log off, stop watching the news, take a break from social,” it never seems to include the social media people, does it. Everyone else is told to close the apps for their own sanity, and you are still expected to be in the comments, in the inbox, watching the feed so your brand does not miss anything or post something tone‑deaf. Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-industry-news-roundup-the-biggest-platform-updates-this-week https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-industry-news-roundup-the-biggest-platform-updates-this-week This week in social media industry news: YouTube outlines its 2026 strategy, Meta strengthens its AI infrastructure with NVIDIA and AMD, TikTok reveals its Discover List creators, LinkedIn highlights the fastest-growing marketing skills, and new data shows TikTok brand growth rising as Instagram organic reach slows. Here’s what social media marketers need to know. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Mags D'Amato https://www.socialday.live/features/should-social-media-marketers-be-building-personal-brands https://www.socialday.live/features/should-social-media-marketers-be-building-personal-brands Some people just want to do their job properly, look after the brands they are paid to look after, close the laptop and not have to think about filming a “day in the life” to prove they are real and committed to marketing. Both camps exist, and both are valid, but the way the industry talks about “personal branding” makes it sound like homework, and if you are not doing it you are somehow less serious about your career. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:42:49 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-content-youre-not-posting-is-the-content-thats-costing-you https://www.socialday.live/features/the-content-youre-not-posting-is-the-content-thats-costing-you Most of us in this industry could write a whole strategy deck on the importance of showing up consistently online, and yet somehow our own content is the thing that keeps getting pushed to tomorrow. It's begs the question as to why content paralysis isn't really about ideas or time, it's about the mindset we bring to creating, and what shifts when you finally stop waiting for the perfect moment to post. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Erica L Somer https://www.socialday.live/features/how-social-media-optimisation-really-works-in-2026 https://www.socialday.live/features/how-social-media-optimisation-really-works-in-2026 Learn how social media optimisation works across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube in 2026, and how to apply search‑led best practice as a social media professional. Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:46:36 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-prove-social-media-roi-without-turning-into-a-fulltime-analyst https://www.socialday.live/features/how-to-prove-social-media-roi-without-turning-into-a-fulltime-analyst Proving social media ROI does not mean you need to become a data scientist or spend your life buried in spreadsheets. It means you need a clear, repeatable way to connect what you do on social to the decisions your stakeholders are trying to make, using numbers they recognise and language they already use elsewhere in the business. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/boundaries-for-social-media-roles-what-good-looks-like-at-each-level https://www.socialday.live/features/boundaries-for-social-media-roles-what-good-looks-like-at-each-level Most social media roles are sold as “own the socials”, which sounds tidy on a job description but, in reality, often translates into being on call, being in every inbox, being in every meeting and feeling like you have to say yes to anything that might, even loosely, touch a platform. The gap between the neat line in the JD and the mess of the day to day is where a lot of people in social start to feel tired, stressed and worried about how long they can actually keep doing this work. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:54:35 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-career-opportunities-how-to-use-the-career-ladder-to-plan-your-next-move https://www.socialday.live/features/social-media-career-opportunities-how-to-use-the-career-ladder-to-plan-your-next-move When people talk about “social media career opportunities”, they often picture a very small set of roles. Coordinator. Manager. Maybe head of social if the company is feeling bold. The reality in 2026 is much broader than that, but from the inside it can still feel like you are on one long, chaotic rung called “doing everything for socials”. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/talk-about-your-social-media-role-so-people-take-it-seriously https://www.socialday.live/features/talk-about-your-social-media-role-so-people-take-it-seriously Most people still think social media means posting and replying. You know it is planning, insight, brand, customers, crisis, and reporting. The problem is that the language people most often use to describe social work hides that reality. This piece is about giving you language that reflects the actual weight of your role so colleagues, hiring managers and leaders can see the real scope of what you do. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:14:11 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/what-is-a-content-refresh-and-why-it-matters https://www.socialday.live/features/what-is-a-content-refresh-and-why-it-matters Your content doesn’t need a full rewrite to perform better. Sometimes it just needs a glow-up. A content refresh helps you update what already exists so it actually reflects today’s reality (and today’s SEO). Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Kamya Marwah https://www.socialday.live/features/the-unwritten-rules-of-social-media-career-progression https://www.socialday.live/features/the-unwritten-rules-of-social-media-career-progression Social media careers get confusing around the three to five year mark. Your craft is strong, but progression feels vague and other people seem to know “how it works” in a way you do not. In this article, Lucy Hall shares the unwritten rules of social media career progression, from politics and visibility to sideways moves and getting closer to money and decision making, using the Social Media Career Ladder as a guide. Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:25:50 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/no-social-media-managers-are-not-automatically-the-next-cmos https://www.socialday.live/features/no-social-media-managers-are-not-automatically-the-next-cmos Social media managers touch almost every part of the marketing funnel, but that does not mean they are automatically the next CMOs. In this article, Lucy Hall uses the Social Media Career Ladder to unpack the real gap between practitioner and leadership, the extra skills needed to move beyond “running social” and why organisations must change how they think about social careers if they want senior talent to stay. Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:42:46 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/creating-excitement-momentum-and-ugc-how-we-design-experiences-people-want-to-share https://www.socialday.live/features/creating-excitement-momentum-and-ugc-how-we-design-experiences-people-want-to-share Events do not start when people arrive or end when they leave. In this article, Lucy Hall pulls back the curtain on how SocialDay designs Social Media Fest as an experience, not just a conference, using a simple “before, during, after” framework to create excitement, momentum and UGC that turns everyday attendees into storytellers. Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:40:00 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-rise-of-moltbook-why-an-ai-only-social-network-is-the-ultimate-industry-rorschach-test https://www.socialday.live/features/the-rise-of-moltbook-why-an-ai-only-social-network-is-the-ultimate-industry-rorschach-test Moltbook has reached 1.6 million AI agents, but what does a human-free social network mean for the $200 billion digital marketing industry? Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:54:57 GMT Lucy Hall https://www.socialday.live/features/the-complete-legal-setup-for-influencers-a-practical-guide https://www.socialday.live/features/the-complete-legal-setup-for-influencers-a-practical-guide Influencing is a business, so you need a basic legal setup. This checklist covers the essentials: the right entity, core contracts, IP protection, disclosures, taxes, and the risks creators get sued for. Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:35:54 GMT Alexandra Tokareva