Funny how everyone on LinkedIn uses the Summary portion as a buzzword garden - you've got the whole experience section for that.

But hey - I've got 15+ years working in agencies, with a heavy emphasis on social, content, influencers, and campaigns. As a Director of Creative Strategy, I've lead Social AORs and campaigns for Microsoft, Beats By Dre, Verizon, Spotify, Minecraft, Bethesda, Rock Band, and a slew more - a bunch of details on all of that below.

Besides that? Huge NBA fan who plays ball 4 days a week, vinyl record collector, colossal music fan, and guy who Postmates far too much. Let's make something cool.

Jack Appleby

Should your brand only hire Social Media Managers who have their own personal brand and social following?

OF COURSE NOT. It's okay if social's just a job to them. Not everyone needs to build a personal brand in their free time. Does it help? Sure! Can it help show how someone thinks? Yes! But should it be a determining factor? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Social Media / Creator Consultant | Work: Microsoft, Beats By Dre, Verizon, Twitch, Morning Brew, Rock Band, Community (six seasons and a movie!) & a slew of video games.

“Industry experience required.”

Easily the dumbest, most self-sabotaging phrase in hiring.

If I'm hiring a social media manager for a shoe brand, they don't need five years of footwear experience—they need to understand marketing. They need to get storytelling, and community, and human emotion, and how to make engaging content.

MARKETING IS A TRANSFERABLE SKILL, FOLKS. What, are we in a post apocalyptic society where whatever task you're assigned in the zombie wasteland is your new career for life? Come. On. 

None of your industries are special snowflakes, folks. Yeah, there will be some industry specific things; maybe it's legalities, or demographic preferences, or who knows what. Any half decent marketer can learn that stuff in 30 seconds. Stop pretending like your field is rocket science. 

What's funny is I benefited from this silly way of thinking! Check my LinkedIn—over half my jobs are in the video game industry because once I had gaming experience, those companies kept on calling me. Funny thing? I wasn't allowed to play video games as a kid. And honestly? I don't think my ~gaming experience~ is what made me good at those jobs—it was my social experience.

So uh, hiring managers and companies? Maybe we get a littleee more creative and a littleee less lazy with how we hire people, yeah?

Welp, I did it. I built a 2nd media business around my 🏀 passion, that’s now a 2nd major income stream.

This is the TikTok payout for How To Hoop Forever last month. That's not counting brand deals or in-kind trades.

I'm being paid to play basketball.
You can follow along: https://lnkd.in/eFHFcG_s

ChatGPT can now turn off em-dashes.

What will the LinkedIn AI Police who wanna scream about "I CANT BELIEVE PEOPLE USE AI" complain about now?

Every. Single. Brand. Should. Post. YouTube. Shorts.

Here's 3 very simple reasons why ↓

YOU CAN LITERALLY JUST REPURPOSE YOUR REELS + TIKTOKS
Short-form vertical video is short-form vertical video. These platforms are the sameeee. You've already made the content, so why not just post the content on another massive social network?

YOUTUBE IS THE 2ND LARGEST SEARCH ENGINE
We've heard a lot about the importance of social SEO—Gen Z loves to search YouTube and TikTok the way us millennials usually google things. Getting your social content on YouTube ensures you're in the mix for searches

YOUR BRAND'S YOUTUBE IS PROBABLY DUSTY
Let's be honest, you probably just dropped old TV spots onto your brand's YouTube. Shorts suddenly give that channel purpose, AND will give your next commercial better lift when you inevitably toss it on this channel!

Why isn't your brand on YouTube shorts? What's stopping you? Lemme know in the comments.

I’m super proud of this week’s newsletter.

I’m writing about moving SLOWER in social.

Why speed doesn’t get us anything, how we’ve held ourselves to a reactionary standard that’s honestly not worth much, and why slowing down and being more deliberate are what get you the best social media results. 

Sub here to get it tomorrow: Futuresocial.beehiiv.com

BIG NEWS: my newsletter Future Social just hit 80k subs, and we've kept a 39% open rate!

I'm so proud of this thing. I've never spent a dime on advertising—Future Social has solely grown from readers sharing my articles & encouraging other to subscribe. Hell, I don't even promote it very much, but I really pride myself on writing strategies & case studies that help our beloved social media industry to keep getting better.

If you're not subbed yet, would love to see ya:
https://lnkd.in/eCGxAWpJ

What are your Social Media Predictions for 2026?

I'm gonna feature my favs in the newsletter!

Here's a list of areas to challenge your thoughts—just drop a comment here with your predictions!

- What’s one big social platform shift you think everyone’s underestimating?
- Which social network is due for a major glow-up… or a major collapse?
- What’s one content format you think is about to explode?
- What’s a trend we’re all obsessed with right now that won’t survive 2025?
- How will AI realistically change the day-to-day job of a social media manager?
- What’s one new feature Instagram/TikTok/YouTube WILL roll out next year?
- What’s the biggest skill social pros will need by 2026?
- What’s a type of content brands should immediately stop making?
- What’s the next “For You Page” evolution? (More personalization? More curation?)
- What’s one creator behavior you think brands should steal?
- What’s a metric that will matter way more than it does today?
- What’s a metric we’ll all stop caring about?
- Will Threads actually become a thing? (Or… lol no?)
- What do you think the TikTok algorithm will look like post–ownership change?
- What’s one consumer behavior shift we’re all sleeping on?
- What’s a category of brands that will win big on social in 2026?
- What’s a hot take about the future of paid social?
- What’s your prediction for UGC creators in 2026?
- What new job title will emerge for social teams next year?
- What’s one way social media marketing will look completely different 18 months from now?

Or pick your own!

Pink Instagram backgrounds now exist!

Buttt you can’t get them. The details ↓

So Instagram started a very exclusive awards program called Rings—basically the Oscars for Insta. Only 25 creators were selected worldwide for the honor.

Two of the benefits of winning Rings:
- creators get custom background colors
- your IG stories ring turns gold (example on left)

Personally, I don’t love the colors look (it’s hard to read & at a glance, it’s impossible to know why they have colored backgrounds when no one else does), but would you want the option to change your color?

No alternative text description for this image

Hot take: your brand’s social will fail if it’s all trend content.

You need to make real, original IP. Unique content!

Your social strategy can’t just be reacting to whatever’s new and hot on the For You Page. The celeb memes and popular songs you’re using? Yeah, those are copyrighted.

YOU DON’T NEED TRENDS. Your brand is interesting all on its own, I promise! And really, your content should constantly pay off the EMOTIONAL BENEFIT of your product, which really doesn’t need any ~culture~ (oh, I’m yelling again, sorry).

If you want relevance year-round, you need content that’s recognizable, repeatable, and uniquely yours. This is cliche, but the best brands in the world don’t join trends, they leverage social insights to start them.
So, I partnered with Hootsuite to create a simple checklist to help you build evergreen content that’ll do numbers without ever checking what’s trending. 
👉 Head to Hootsuite’s LinkedIn page for the full breakdown: https://lnkd.in/eSa3qpNS

#HootsuitePartner

Brand partnership • Social Media / Creator Consultant | Work: Microsoft, Beats By Dre, Verizon, Twitch, Morning Brew, Rock Band, Community (six seasons and a movie!) & a slew of video games.

Can we stop trying to reboot Vine?

TikTok and Instagram have already won. You don't even want Vine back—you just don't realize it.

The nostalgia for the app is cute, but here's what'd happen:
- you'd log in on day 1 out of curiosity
- you'd love the shortest videos ever again
- by week 2, you'd forget its on your phone as your habits go back to Instagram (where your friends and creators are) and TikTok (where the best algorithm in the world knows what content you want).

VINE 2 IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN STOP IT!!!

If you get upset when your brand's social media comments turn negative... you've probably put too much of your identity into your job. 

You're not the company your work for, or the product, or even the social media content you make for the company. It's all work. And sure, you should be proud of when the work does well! But when it doesn't? Or when the company's under fire for some reason that has literally nothing to do with you? That shouldn't bother you.

But I see farrrr too many social media professionals (especially young ones) tie their self-worth to their social media jobs. That's always a recipe for disaster. 

Maybe I'm lucky—my social career began on 3 hated products. I worked community management for some EA video games: Battlefield, Need For Speed: The Run, and Mass Effect 3... also known as a massive game that launched with major glitches, the most hated rendition of a beloved franchise, and the long-awaited trilogy ender with an ending blasted by fans. All 3 got tonssss of negative comments, and I knew up front that those comments weren't a reflection of me.

So please, make sure you're not tying too much of yourself to your brands. Touch grass, as they say.

graphical user interface, text, application

Yeah, you could post memes & lols on LinkedIn...

Anddd it'll do truly nothing to help your career.

I loved a LinkedIn post I saw from Shannon Kelly Ash this morning. She ran a little experiment on her personal account:

"I posted a bunch of unhinged nonsense daily and gained 1,500+ followers and 400,000+ impressions in just over a month. Sounds pretty neat on paper, right? 

Except … visibility ≠ opportunity.

When I used to post polite content tips [3 likes], my inbox was full of job offers and freelance opportunities. Now? With exponentially more reach? Nothing."

This is the number one mistake I see people make in content. We think all engagement is good engagement. We think being the funny guy means we'll get attention... but it's not the attention you want.

You want to be an authority! You want to appeal to bosses & budget holders, not be one of those LinkedIn people who complains about the industry or pokes fun at things. That doesn't get you noticed by the right people.

So please, use LinkedIn, but if you're here to better your career? Share content that shows off that big ol' brain of yours.

And hey, if you need an easy way to start? I've got a $5/month thing I built that gives you daily LinkedIn writing prompts meant to mine your brain for thinking & ideas that are specific to YOU. Give it a look over here if you like: https://lnkd.in/gTTZVf4e

What's the best piece of advice you'd give to someone who wants to work in social media?

Black F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶
Black F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶W̶e̶e̶k̶
Black F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶C̶y̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶M̶o̶n̶d̶a̶y̶
Black F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶E̶x̶t̶e̶n̶d̶e̶d̶
Black Existence

Reply with your take, I'm gonna feature a bunch in my newsletter!

Teal

VP of Marketing

Head of Brand & Content

The MarketHer

The MarketHer—first a newsletter and now an online community—was born out of a desire to help my peers find new jobs in the wake of mass layoffs at WeWork in fall of 2019. My goal: to provide a resource for those who identify as female to discover the next step in their careers. In a world where women still earn $0.82 for every dollar her male counterpart makes, it's up to us to ensure one another succeed. 

Networking is powerful, especially in the age of social media, where we can form internet friendships, slide into DMs, and blindly message second-degree connections on LinkedIn. But even though technology has amplified the opportunities for cold outreach and digital networking, the job application process can still feel impersonal. Through The MarketHer, I wanted to bring the human element back in through a more tailored, carefully curated approach. 

Learn more and subscribe at http://themarkether.co.

Founder

LZ LLC

Self Employed

WeWork

• Led a global (and, as of March 2020, remote) social media team of 15.
• Drove crisis communications, emergency management, and customer service strategies for COVID-19 response amidst a content pivot that laddered into broader marketing campaigns and goals.
• Developed executive social media strategy and content for the Executive Chairman of WeWork across Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Head of Social Media

• Served as deputy head of social media, overseeing strategy and content creation; influencer strategy and partnerships; data and analytics; social listening; monitoring and reporting; budget oversight ($1M+ annually);campaign management, etc.
• Drove customer service strategy, crisis communications, emergency management, and sensitive high-level strategy in a pre-IPO climate; pivoted content strategy accordingly.
• Led efforts resulting in exponential audience growth across platforms since 2015: Instagram by +5440%, Facebook by +600%, LinkedIn by+6618%, and Twitter by +313%, fostering one of the most engaged-with brands on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Earned high-impact media placements through spearheading a brand strategy on social media, which has since been used as a case study for how to position B2B brands in creative and innovative ways and has driven a highly engaged consumer brand audience.

Director, Social Media Strategy

• Hired and remotely managed a global team of 8 across Mexico, Brazil, U.K.,Israel, China, South Korea, and India.
• Implemented strategy for the growth and regionalization of our international social team; oversaw their respective strategies, content development, and customer service (including WeChat, Weibo, Naver).

Director, International Social Media

• Led the strategy and evolution of the WeWork social accounts during a hyper-growth period, working cross-functionally with senior-level stakeholders to make a B2B brand appealing to a consumer audience.
• Created and developed content for several We-brand accounts (We,WeGrow, WeLive, Rise by We, etc.), liaising with internal teams to produce content and developing guidelines for best practices.
Led a cross-functional, global team of 12–14 to implement regionalized and localized content across mixed-maturity markets.

Director, Social Media

• Content strategy and creation for all WeWork and WeLive social media properties.
• Oversaw two social media managers (one based remotely in Mexico); developed and oversaw execution of international social media strategy for markets in EMEA and LATAM.

Senior Social Media Manager

• As the only social media hire, oversaw content, strategy, community management, and customer service for WeWork’s brand accounts across all channels.
• Developed brand strategy, drafted internal and member communications, and managed relationship with PR agencies while working closely with senior/C-level stakeholders.

Social Media Manager

Brand Marketing Manager

Scholastic

• Work closely with the Senior Director of Social Media & Internal Communications to support the strategy, implementation, and maintenance of Scholastic's 50+ social media accounts
• Write for Scholastic's award-winning blog, On Our Minds (www.oomscholasticblog.com)
• Copyedit corporate reports and websites (e.g. Primary Sources--a project of Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Kids & Family Reading Report)
• Serve as general copyeditor for the Corporate Communications team (familiar with both AP Style and The Chicago Manual of Style)
• Write weekly content for the Scholastic Intranet (3-10 stories per week using Drupal); draft internal notes to staff and other internal communications materials as needed
• Use basic HTML to create Online Press Kits and help maintain the Scholastic media room
• Manage the Reading Ambassadors program for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, coordinating Governors' Spouses and Governors of U.S. states and territories to each make a 500-book donation to the school of his or her choice (www.mediaroom.scholastic.com/readingambassadors)

Writer/Producer, Social Media & Internal Communications

• Worked with the Directors and Managers in the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department to strategize and coordinate media outreach for corporate projects, campaigns, events, and special initiatives
• Assisted with publicity for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards by drafting pitches, press releases, and media alerts, building and maintaining media lists, monitoring social media to supplement traditional media monitoring and outreach, and working with reporters to provide assets as needed
• Managed the Reading Ambassadors program for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, coordinating 51 of the Governors' Spouses and Governors of U.S. states and territories to each make a 500-book donation to the school of his or her choice
• Wrote for Scholastic's official blog, On Our Minds 
• Created Scholastic's Pinterest account; brought the idea to the Director of Social Media and Internal Communications and worked closely with her to curate the account and develop a content strategy
• Copyedited the biannual Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report (www.scholastic.com/kfrr)
• Served as a juror for the writing portion of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
• Drafted and copyedited internal- and external-facing material from senior management
• Compiled daily press clips for the Corporate Communications department and weekly media impressions for the heads of each of Scholastic's business divisions

Junior Publicist, Corporate Communications

• Worked directly with the Vice President of Corporate Productions and Creative Services to coordinate and execute internal and external events; provided support in the execution of productions, special initiatives and webcasts 
• Copyedited the Scholastic Event Services website and brochure (www.scholastic.com/eventservices)
• Worked closely with external vendors to ensure that events were properly catered and staffed
• Maintained the company's online registration system for conference room and event space usage and coordinated maintenance of all of Scholastic's event spaces
• Wrote guest posts for Scholastic's corporate blog, On Our Minds (www.oomscholasticblog.com)

Communications & Production Assistant

Dragonchase, Inc.

• Drafted written content and correspondence (marketing and advertising material, programs, online content, e-newsletter, etc.)
• Copyedited all communications materials and website copy
• Assisted with the creation of all marketing material by writing copy, creating and distributing press kits, and developing a cross-promotional package for potential partnerships and sponsorships
• Handled day-to-day business operations 
• Coordinated weekly production-related tasks and delegated to three production assistants

Associate Producer

Urban Stages

• Assisted the Managing Director with grant writing
• Proofread and edited written and electronic correspondence; handled correspondence with potential benefactors and donors
• Read, reviewed, and responded to new play submissions 
• Managed the box office and ticket sale software

Assistant to the Managing Director

Cedar City Falls (Off-Broadway)

• Served as the liaison between the Producer and Actors’ Equity Association (handled legal correspondence, organized documents paperwork for weekly submission, distributed reimbursement to actors, made sure we were following union regulations, etc.)
• Supervised the other production assistants and the distribution of their duties; managed the rehearsal schedules and conflicts of more than 30 actors
• Designed, wrote, and edited the playbill for each week’s performance

Production Assistant

VP, Marketing at Teal | Using brand strategy, social media, and content marketing to empower others in their careers

I'm a content strategy and social media professional with experience leading global teams in early-stage and hyper-growth startup environments. With a strong background in social media, editorial, internal communications, community-building, and brand marketing strategy, I'm passionate about storytelling while driving brand affinity, engagement, and growth across education, entertainment, and future of work verticals.

taplio

The Battle

Jack Appleby

Lia Zneimer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJack Appleby's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Jack Appleby

Lia Zneimer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jack Appleby's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJack Appleby's LinkedIn Performance