We Interviewed One of the Best Social Media Pros in the Business
Newsletter #135
This Week
Meet One of the Biggest Thought Leaders in the Social Media Space
Cracker Barrel’s Disastrous Rebrand is Back in the Headlines
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. Meet the Messenger: Jon-Stephen Stansel, Founder of Saturn 9 Media
In the communications field, few people understand social media as well as Jon-Stephen Stansel. A former English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor at the University of Central Arkansas who fell into a social media career by embracing the very technology he once tried to keep out of his classroom, Stansel is an award-winning communicator with over 15 years of experience managing, building, and creating content for brand social media accounts.
As founder of Saturn 9 Media, he has worked on social media accounts for Amazon Prime's “Invincible” and “Hazbin Hotel” animated series, Hyper RPG, Better Place Forests, the University of Central Arkansas, Texas State University, the Texas Department of Transportation, as well as consulting for many television series, films, and small businesses.
As Director of Social Media for Chaotic Good Studios, Jon-Stephen worked on social media strategy and content for “Avatar: The Way of the Water” and Amazon Prime Video’s “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” among several other major entertainment franchises.
He’s also the author of “The 10 Principles of Effective Social Media Marketing,” a clear guide to mastering the fundamentals that work on any platform, in any trend cycle. (Keep reading to win a copy!)
In short, there's no one better to share their insights on social media, where the profession is headed, and the opportunities it can create. We're delighted to share our conversation with Jon-Stephen in this installment of Meet the Messenger.
At the bottom of the article, you’ll have the opportunity to enter to win one of several copies of Jon-Stephen’s book: “The 10 Principles of Effective Social Media Marketing.”
2. ICYMI: Look At Your Leader’s LinkedIn
Since we’re talking about social media this week, we’re resharing this EO Report article centered on your organizational leader’s LinkedIn account.
Whether they realize it or not, your organization's leader, and ultimately the entire leadership team, acts as an extension of the organization itself. For some companies and nonprofits, the CEO (or executive director, president, or whatever title they hold) is inextricably linked to the brand. Whether they have a big personality or operate behind the scenes, they're highly visible, influential in shaping perceptions, and serve as a public face for the organization.
3. Spotted
Sometimes at The EO Report, we have to share “Hey, don’t do that” moments. This is one of them.
Your managing editor, Kelly, received a piece of mail this week with a picture of her house on it.
She immediately had an “I hate this” response, but wanted to check that assumption and did an informal focus group. Here were some of the responses:
“Why would someone put a picture of my house in the mail?!”
“This is unnerving.”
“I feel threatened.”
“I wouldn’t be bothered — I’d just throw it away.”
“Your garage door is open, eeeeewwwww.”
“I do not like it at all.”
“Horrified, but I’ve received several already.”
What would your response be? Let us know.
4. Before We Go…
From Entrepreneur: Myspace’s owners say they’re bringing it back from the dead. They’ve already lost $150 million trying.
"Get your playlists ready. Myspace’s current owners, brothers Chris and Tim Vanderhook, say they’re bringing the platform back from the dead. They haven’t announced a launch date or what it will look like, but they confirmed the plan in a new documentary simply titled ‘Myspace.’”
From The Wall Street Journal: How one man’s cure for loneliness started a movement.
“One out of five American adults report serious, frequent loneliness, with adults 30 to 44 reporting the highest rates, according to a 2024 Harvard Making Caring Common survey. Eighty-one percent of lonely adults also reported anxiety or depression. Colleton, 42, says he was just looking for an unintrusive way to make real-life connections.”
From NBC News: Disney and TikTok strike short-form video sharing deal
“Walt Disney and TikTok on Wednesday announced a deal to let TikTok creators use characters and scenes from Disney movies and TV shows in short-form videos, the first pact of its kind between the popular social media app and a traditional media company.”