Ever wonder how some brands seem to always have something great to post? Or how social media managers make magic even when they’re starting from absolute scratch? Last month, we got to sit down (virtually) with three heavy-hitters in the social game who spilled the tea on how they make it all happen.

Structure Meets Spontaneity - Adena Jones

Adena Jones, Director of Digital Content & Social for the New York Knicks, gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how she keeps content rolling in an industry where things move at breakneck speed. Sports content is predictable and unpredictable at the same time — you know you’ve got games, championships, MVP announcements... but then there’s the wild stuff you can’t plan for, like buzzer-beaters or viral player moments.

Her secret? Structure. Making sure that everyone on the team knows their roles and responsibilities. Whether it's channel ownership, brand strategy, content guidelines, or voice guidelines, so that when the moment comes, your team knows how to act because the foundation is already in place.

Starting From Scratch - Christina Le

Christina, now the Head of Marketing at Plot, came from the opposite side of the spectrum — the startup world, where she was often the very first social hire and tasked with building the plane while flying it.

Her advice? Lose the ego and join the community.

She shared her experience in the early days of social,working for a diesel fuel company (yes, fuel… not exactly the sexiest product) and how she dove into niche Facebook groups to learn about the audience inside and out. Instead of immediately trying to “talk at” the audience, she spent time listening, commenting, asking questions, and learning what they cared about.

That research-first, audience-first approach helped her figure out what kind of content actually worked — because sometimes the best strategy is simply... not talking and instead, lurking in the comments like a friendly troll.

People Over Product — Mariya Spektor

Mariya, who’s done social for everything from cannabis to tech to fashion (and even helped bring campaigns to life at Cannes Lions with TikTok), and is now the Director of Social at Playbook broke it down perfectly:

It’s always about people.

Whether you’re working for a global tech brand or a small fitness startup, you need to understand your audience’s mindset:

• What do they care about?

• What are their pain points?

• How can your content make their day easier, better, or more fun?

“It really comes down to understanding your audience — who they are and what matters to them. It’s about focusing on the we not the me.” That’s where the strategy starts and once you’ve got that, building content pillars, playbooks, and killer posts becomes a whole lot easier.

And Finally… You Don’t Have to Be a “SuperFan”

Ultimately you don’t always need to love the product to make great content. Sometimes when you get hired to do social, you don’t have the luxury of deciding what brand you’re doing social media for in the early days. ”Being good at social isn't just being, a fan. Just because you're a fan of that thing doesn't make you good at social. And just because you aren't a fan of that thing doesn't mean you won't be a really good social media content creator.” - Erik Stark (Slate)

It’s about understanding the craft and the people that are loyal to the brand you’re working for. Social is a skill, not just a hobby, and it takes strategy, creativity, and real expertise beyond just "posting fun stuff.”

At the end of the day, if you understand how to connect with people, you can make any brand (even a diesel fuel company) interesting.

TL;DR:

✅ Know your audience

✅ Build a strong foundation

✅ Engage like a human

✅ You don’t need to be an expert — you just need to understand people

Social is called social for a reason. It's about community, conversation, and connection — no matter what you’re selling.