Marketing Happy Hour - Creating Fresh and Innovative Social-First Content | Jacynth Serrano Rodriguez of Our Place

Starting point is 00:00:00 you're listening to the marketing happy hour podcast where we discuss career and industry insights with our peers in marketing we're here to talk about it all like the ups and downs of working in social media how to build authentic relationships in the influencer and pr space managing a nine-to-five and a side hustle at the same time, how to be productive in your life and career without losing your sanity, and more. Ultimately, we're here to build a community with you because we're all trying to navigate the world of marketing together. Are you ready? Grab your favorite drink and join your hosts, Cassie and Erica, for this week's episode.

Starting point is 00:00:56 This week, we're so excited to be joined by Jacinthe Rodriguez, content manager for Our Place. You may know this brand from their viral Always Pan or from their partnerships with celebrities and creators like Selena Gomez. In this episode, we get a look inside Jasson's day-to-day and her marketing role with the brand and how she and her team come up with fresh and innovative content ideas. Plus, her tips on developing content that converts and, of course, some career advice as well. Ultimately, hear how our place is using online stories of home cooking to bring people together. It's such a good conversation. Well, enough raving about this episode. I'll let you listen in for yourself. So grab a drink and let's dive in. Hi, Jess. How are you? Hi, I'm doing well. How are you guys?

Starting point is 00:01:40 Doing so great. Well, before we get started, I have an important question for you that we ask all of our guests and that is what is in your glass? It is marketing happy hour after all. Yeah. So transparently when I accepted this email, I thought that it was going to be in PST. And so it's actually like 6am here, which is why I'm a little bit backlit. Oh my gosh. So it's just water right now, I feel like you know on a typical after you know 5 p.m situation like I love a good Shirley Temple dirty or otherwise um yeah oh my gosh I'm so sorry we could have totally punished the recording oh my goodness you're

Starting point is 00:02:18 totally fine it's good sometimes it's good to be like up before sunrise. I know that I've got done by the time it rises. Wow. You're amazing for that. Thank you. Yeah. You totally did not have to do that. Wow. Erica, what do you have this morning?

Starting point is 00:02:35 Well, it's not quite as early here, but I have just my coffee. I have Tatcha or something. It's a pistachio milk and I put it in my coffee this morning. It's super good. I actually like won their Instagram giveaway. And so they sent me some samples of their goodies. So that's what I've got going on over here. But what about you, Cass?

Starting point is 00:02:55 Oh my gosh. I just have plain old water like you, Jasson. That's just super simple, but good to hydrate in the morning. So yeah, can't go wrong. We're super excited to learn from you and just hear about your experience and everything that you've been working on recently. But before we get into that, do you mind sharing us just a little bit about your background and how you got to your role that you're in today? Of course. Yeah. So I started out in social media, you know, pretty simply just like posting and creating

Starting point is 00:03:27 online for fun as a teenager on Tumblr and on Instagram, like the super, super old Instagram where it was like a camera as an app picture. And yeah, when I got to college, I worked for the marketing department at my university's gym. I like never stepped foot in the gym except for to go to the marketing department at my university's gym. I like never stepped foot in the gym except for to go to the marketing office. And, you know, I was also part of the fashion media organization where I handled a lot of our social initially. And then after college, I started doing like very, very, very, and I want to clarify, very micro influencer work on Instagram

Starting point is 00:04:01 and on YouTube. And in doing that, I really started to build relationships with brands and they, you know, took notice of my creativity. And then, you know, around the way, one of those networking relationships ended up turning into my full-time job. So that's kind of how I got there. Oh my gosh, that is so cool. And I'm very curious what your day-to-day kind of looks like as our place's content manager. That's one of like my favorite brands. I have the Always Pan. I have been eyeing the Wonder Oven. So I am all in on the content you guys produce. So I'm curious to hear what it looks like for you. Do you work alongside a team? What tasks are you kind of taking on daily or weekly to produce that content for the brand? Yeah, no, definitely love to hear that

Starting point is 00:04:46 you're a fan of the brand for sure. Yeah, I think for most social media managers, especially ones that work at startups, I think, you know, day to day is pretty mixed bag. There's a lot of discourse, I'm sure you guys have seen like on LinkedIn right now about what exactly it means to be a social media manager. And I find in most of the industry conversations that I have, you know, there's like a couple schools of thought, like some social media managers are more, you know, editorial and managerial. Some are, you know, managerial and having like an aspect of content creation, and some are more community based. And then some of the strongest warriors are like a scary mix of both. And I think, you know, I'm one of the social media managers that handles our content strategy from ideation to execution. So that can mean

Starting point is 00:05:31 coming up with content ideas and sometimes briefing influencers or creator partners externally, or producing that content on my own in house. And so a typical day, I feel like it could be like, you know, updating the content calendar, sourcing UGC be like, you know, updating the content calendar, sourcing UGC or other, you know, content that we're going to be posting in addition to our own content, writing social strategies for different launches or different like big brand moments, and then making a creator brief or writing a script. And then, you know, if I am writing a script, like producing and editing, you know, whether it's a recipe or other kind of social first concept with maybe team members,

Starting point is 00:06:06 and then sharing that asset once it's finished cross-functionally to ensure that it gets posted on the proper channels or if someone on email team wants to use it and just making sure that everyone gets a chance to have eyes on it if they'd like it. Oh my gosh, that is so great. And whatever you're doing, it is totally working. Because when I first moved into my first apartment on my own in Tampa, I was like, I have to get the our place plates and the bullets and stuff like that. And I only found out about it because of Instagram. So that's exactly your content at work. So yeah, I just wanted to share that little. Yeah, that's great to hear. No, I think that for a lot of people, like social is the first touchstone that a lot of people have to the brand.

Starting point is 00:06:51 So it's super, super vital as fun as it is. It's also super important. Yeah, absolutely. Well, as Erica said, you guys do such a great job. And with that, it's just so many fun, different ideas, fresh concepts all the time, I feel like. So on that, I'm kind of curious, how do you and your team come up with fresh content ideas? And, you know, we're always curious about how can we stay inspired as marketers and just bring new life into our content on a regular basis? Yeah. You know, I definitely think that inspiration can come from anywhere and I feel you know personally most inspired when I take a look at what other brands and other industries

Starting point is 00:07:30 are doing um on social and like ways that they're having fun we're taking big swings and like I feel like I'm particularly inspired by different fashion beauty brands and I also think um when we're on the subject a lot of like toy and doll brands like Bratz and American Girl are like really fun to watch. Um, so I really enjoy doing that kind of thing. And I think, um, when I was super early in like an advertising class in college, I had a professor like say this, and I don't know if he made this up or just stole it or whatever, but I remember him saying that, um, the enemy of Colgate isn't crests, it's bad breath. And that kind of really stuck with me as essentially just saying like stay in your lane creatively.

Starting point is 00:08:14 So I don't really bother watching or stalking like what other cookware brands are doing online. And instead, I try to look at various brands in different industries and see how you can apply or try the fun things that they're doing to like our specific vertical. Yeah. Oh, I love that. That's such an interesting analogy. And I feel like it almost kind of reminds me of the aspect of, you know, as a brand, you're there to serve a need, right? You're there to add value and help resolve a problem. And so it's kind of twofold. And so I love that. I'm going to definitely remember that. That's great. Yeah, it was definitely like mentally, I felt like my head exploded. I was like, whoa, like opened up to a whole other way of thinking. 100%. Yeah. You're like, I'm going to tattoo this on myself or something. It's staying with me

Starting point is 00:08:56 forever. I love that. Well, what about content calendars? How do you guys kind of plan in advance and just keep up with what you have coming up to kind of stay on track as a team? What does that planning look like for you guys? Yeah, I am very much a content calendar girl. Like me and Notion are like this, you know, and I feel like the key to having a good workday for me is just staying organized. I'm also one of those people that's like only organized at work. I feel like every other aspect, I'm very much like, oh, whatever. But I'm like very serious about work. Maybe it's just like the Capricorn in me. But yeah, like having a calendar just makes things so much easier because you're able to,

Starting point is 00:09:35 you know, plan things out weeks or months in advance. Even if you don't have like those assets exactly locked in and those things can come more into focus as the weeks come on, it's good to have placeholders. And yeah, I think it also really helps other teams have visibility into what social is doing specifically in case they're like assets that we can share or ways that we can just like keep our messaging cohesive. Absolutely. And I'm curious too, what does that content calendar kind of look like? What are you laying out on those days? Like, is it just a topic or post a meme this day? You know, whatever it may be post this product this day, because we have a lot of people that are listening who may never have used a content calendar before and might be asked for one and don't really know what

Starting point is 00:10:16 to produce. So I would love to hear your perspective on that. Yeah, absolutely. I think initially when I first started, I was doing it in like Google. I had made like a Google sheet and that was just like a lot of work. It's not super intuitive. Like it's not easy to like move things around as a whole. So that was a struggle, but you know, I was trying to stay organized very early and green in my career. And then I feel like when I figured out like Notion was a thing, I was like, oh my gosh oh my gosh and so yeah I use Notion and kind of like map out like the month because they have like the calendar feature which is super easy and you can like create a board so I think I have like a master like social page and then in there I have like links to our Dropbox or links to you know our

Starting point is 00:11:00 content strategy social stuff like that kind of thing and then the content calendar is under that and yeah, it'll like open up and then have, you know, all of the months. And I think like for me, when I'm starting a new month, it's typically like, I will map out like, you know, holidays are pretty set in stone. So I'll maybe like at the top of the year, go through like the list of holidays for 2024 or whatever, and plot those in. Cause holidays are really, you know, important for our brand specifically because a lot of them tend to be super food centric so you know mapping out that kind of thing then if there's specific brand moments or launches mapping out that if there's sales stuff that we want to talk about there's also like the very silly holidays like french fry day or pizza day so like those like sillier things whether that's going to be something that might be source content or something that we'll produce in-house that kind of thing um yeah and then

Starting point is 00:11:48 filling in we're like oh we know we want to have like maybe like two pieces of ugc this week or we want to like make sure that we're adding in some source content um that kind of thing is is a bit more flexible and i think like notion's so great because you can just toggle that everywhere um and like you know it's good to have an idea of what you want the month or the week to look like, but also understanding that, you know, social is so alive and so fast that you like need to be nimble. So it's easy that you can just like move things around if you need to, that kind of thing. I love that. I couldn't have said it better myself. And I still have to use Notion. It was my goal in 2023 to like figure it out and do all of my Notion planning and I downloaded it and then I

Starting point is 00:12:26 like never touched it again. So 2024 is my year for notion on your recommendation. Yeah. And like, there are like girls on TikTok that are like notion, like wizards. And like, I'm not like, I'm still like very much level one. Yeah, there's there's a lot of crazy stuff that you can do. So it's definitely a tool I'd recommend utilizing. Yeah, absolutely. Even beyond just a content calendar. I know it's Yeah, I do my groceries, like all that. Amazing. Yeah. Well, I want to chat quickly about like creating content. What is your best advice for brands looking to create content that converts, you know, cause that's one of the goals that you can have with creating content. And that's a goal

Starting point is 00:13:10 that we see come up regularly with our listeners wanting to know, like, how do I make the content that's actually going to produce results? Yeah. I definitely think like for me, so I'm on the organic side. So definitely like conversion is something that like we're really happy when that happens. But I feel like if you had to like tear out like main goals when we're creating content, it's not the number one. Definitely is important. But yeah, it's just like an order of priorities. But I think for me, the key is to always aim for the content that you're putting out to

Starting point is 00:13:43 be valuable in some way. You know, especially for organic, I think it's like rare to have every post have like a crazy conversion rate. I feel like that tends to happen more for like new and exciting launches. But on the day to day, just like understanding that it's not a sprint and that you want to, you know, invite people into the world of your brand. And, you know, if you can get them to stop scrolling for a minute because of a post that they find engaging, and then maybe they decide to follow you. And then maybe there's a chance that, you know, they'll like future posts and maybe after spending enough time in like that little corner of the internet that you've carved out, they'll, you know, see your products in action or be inspired by something, you know, and want to try it themselves

Starting point is 00:14:19 and eventually like hit that shop now or link in bio button. But I think ultimately just understanding that it's a long game and that it's really about like building a relationship and trust and community that's going to be most helpful. Awesome. Well, I have to ask you about relationships internally because you guys do a lot of awesome stuff and I'm sure there's a number of players internally involved, you know, especially with some of these celebrity partnerships that you guys have done, just making sure that you're communicating and getting that content out on time and things like that. So do you have any tips for just increasing and improving communication internally, just across teams to make sure these campaigns come to life to the best of your guys' ability?

Starting point is 00:15:00 Yeah, I think really the key for that is just organization. Because it's like you want there to be a structure that's like easy for someone that's not like maybe in the weeds with you specifically to be able to follow. You know, for example, before the holidays and like I mentioned, like holidays are really big for us. And it's like not typically just Christmas. It's like we talk about Yalda and Noche Buena and, you know, Kwanzaa and stuff like that. So there's a bunch of different holidays that we're speaking to. So it's a lot of moving parts and different external partners. And then there's like internal team members that might also need those assets as well. So when I was managing that, and that's also like a crazy time for everyone, because, you know,

Starting point is 00:15:38 there's a lot of holiday shopping going on. And then there's also people that are going to be out of the office, that kind of thing. So, you know, in Notion, I built like a separate content tracker for like holiday content. And I just kind of like updated that as I got the assets in, you know, updated it routinely to be like, this is where we're at, we're in negotiations, the contract's been signed, content has been received, we're in edit, that kind of thing. And then I would just like continually ping, you know, people on the necessary updates that they needed, or just be like, Hey, in case you haven't checked the holiday tracker, the stuff is in yet, or, you know, everyone's like terrible news that they never want to hear is that like, it's going to be late. You know, that kind of

Starting point is 00:16:18 thing. And just keeping people abreast of what's going on and just making it like super easy for them to follow or to, to handle on their own, I think is super helpful. Oh, so good. Thank you for that. Yeah. And I'll have to second you. Notion is so good. I use it every single day as well. And I know there may be some people listening and they're like, I want to get started, but I don't know how there's actually some really great templates online too. So the TikTok creators and the templates between those two, you'll be able to get started in no time. I feel like. I love that we're just having a whole ad for Notion, but it's truly such a good, such a good tool. It is. Absolutely. Well, as we're rounding out

Starting point is 00:16:58 this conversation, this has been so good and we could talk all day about social, but we have to jump into career here for a minute. So we love to ask this question on the show, but what do you know now that you wish you knew early on in your career? That is a really good question. You know, I think specifically for me, maybe just that like math, isn't that scary? I was never like a math girl in school, like at all. There were several classes that I failed and had to retake. And, you know, I know you guys have probably seen that meme that was like going around last year that was like, I'm like a marketing girl with like a manicure and sparkles and like art versus like a marketing girl with like graphs or

Starting point is 00:17:41 whatever. And so I definitely considered myself to be more of the like right-brained and metrics and reporting were actually something that really scared me early on in my career. But then when I first just like started getting into it and getting into the spreadsheet and seeing the numbers change and fluctuate over time, it's like you have this like weird, like a beautiful mind moment where things really start to like fall into place and you start to see the patterns and the insights. And I think what's really been interesting for me is that that data can really inform the creative process and it can also help like bolster your arguments of being like I actually want to try this and here's the proof in the pudding that it actually kind of worked um so yeah I think just maybe like if you're not thinking that that's your strongest suit like not

Starting point is 00:18:23 letting that deter you um or scare you in any Cause you can, you can really learn how to do anything. Um, and you can, you can figure it out if you just give yourself the time. So, so good. And I'm curious to hear, did you just kind of learn by doing, or did you actually like kind of, you know, have a, uh, outside source that taught you or anything like that? Because I know a big question is, okay, well, I love that, but how do I learn, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So when I started, there was like a template, like a Excel sheet or whatever, or I guess it was a Google sheet that kind of had like the format of like, you know, this is the link to the post. This was

Starting point is 00:19:05 like when it was posted and then all of those like things that you need for tracking engagement and stuff like that. And so, you know, it was definitely like learning by doing. It was like when I first kind of took it over, there were times where they'd be like, is that number correct? And I'd be like, let me go check that math kind of thing. But after like one or two months of doing that, you know, I do reporting on a monthly basis, like those questions or like checks, like it stopped happening. And so that made me feel more confident. So it's like, okay, I'm like figuring this out. But yeah, it's like doing that using like the percent calculator change, like the percent

Starting point is 00:19:41 change calculator has been really helpful in kind of bringing that out. And it's like, it's weird because I think when I was in school, none of that stuff like made any sense to me because it wasn't, it didn't feel applicable and it wasn't like tied to anything real. And like, now I'm like, oh, I understand this now. Like if only when I was in, you know, eighth grade, I would have known what this meant. And unfortunately, sad to report that when I was in middle school, I definitely was like, I'm never known what this meant. And unfortunately, sad to report that when I was in middle school, I definitely was like, I'm never going to use this. But sad to report that you do use math in real life, unfortunately. It's inevitable. It's okay. But that is super

Starting point is 00:20:16 encouraging and helpful to hear that you did. You were able to just learn by doing because that's a big hurdle that I think people run into is like, am I even qualified for this role? Because I don't know this side, but you can learn. And if all else fails, Google is going to be your best friend and just Google whatever it is that you don't know. And you'll probably learn it within an hour. That's literally everything that I don't know. I just Google. It's fine. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I think there's nothing better than being like a student of the internet, going to YouTube university.

Starting point is 00:20:48 Like that's how I learned how to, you know, use Premiere and edit. Like when I was a teacher, I thought I was like meant to be a vlogger. And so I like put everything into my little YouTube channel and I figured out how to edit in Premiere and I did not blow up like I thought I would, but I use those, you know, those skills and things that I learned, you know, those skills and things that I learned, you know, all the time now in my job. So never know how those things will benefit you, but definitely, you know, recommend being resourceful. Absolutely. Well, this has been such a good interview. I'm like, we should just continue the conversation forever, but we have

Starting point is 00:21:19 to end it somewhere. So we want to let everyone know where they can find you, follow along with what you're up to, what our place is up to. Where are you guys online? Yeah. So you can follow me on TikTok or on Instagram at as told by Jasson. And you can keep up with me on LinkedIn at, I guess, my full government name, which is like maybe a yikes, but Jasson Serena Rodriguez on LinkedIn. And yeah, you can follow our place on Instagram and on TikTok. Amazing. We'll have everything in the show notes for people to click on so they know where to go and where to find you. But thank you again for joining us. This has been so good. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. Thanks for listening to this week's episode. We hoped you loved it as much as we did.

Starting point is 00:22:06 If you enjoyed the conversation, we'd love to get your feedback on the episode. Head to the review section of your favorite podcast app and let us know what you thought. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week. We are so excited to share that our first ever free marketing happy hour digital resource is now available. Download the dream career game plan today at marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie. That's marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie. This five-step workbook will guide you through defining your goals, building your network, diversifying your skills, influencing where you're at, and investing in your growth. Cassie and I created this resource with marketing careers in mind, but the framework can be applied to any industry.

Starting point is 00:23:00 Our hope is that this workbook will help you truly elevate your career, whether you're in the market for a new position or just looking to make your mark in your current organization. No matter where this resource finds you, we are cheering you on every step of the way. So go check it out at marketinghappyhr.com forward slash freebie to download and make your career dreams come true.

Marketing Happy Hour - Creating Fresh and Innovative Social-First Content | Jacynth Serrano Rodriguez of Our Place

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