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28
June 11, 2024
Episode 28: The Science Behind Viral Content: Cracking the Social Media Code

Episode 28: The Science Behind Viral Content: Cracking the Social Media Code

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About the Episode

About the Episode: In this episode, JC Bonilla from VaynerMedia discusses the key ideas from Gary Vaynerchuk's new book "Day Trade Attention". The host explore how social media has become the prime space for building brand relevance and driving sales. JC breaks down how social media algorithms work, favoring native content and meaningful engagement. He emphasizes the importance of organic reach, cohort-based marketing, and using social media insights to inform larger ad campaigns. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand and leverage the power of social media marketing in today's attention economy.

Key Takeaways

  • Day Trading Attention:
    • Social media attention is the most underpriced asset in marketing today.
    • Organic social media provides a cost-effective way to validate ideas before investing heavily in paid campaigns.
    • The most successful campaigns are fueled by cultural and creative relevance.
  • How Social Media Algorithms Work:
    • Platforms assign an "organic rank" to posts based on creative features, relevance, and past performance.
    • Meaningful engagement (shares, saves, comments) drives virality more than likes.
    • Algorithms prioritize interest graphs over follower counts, meaning the content’s relevance matters more than the creator's audience size.
  • Creative Variables Drive Success:
    • Native, platform-specific creative features (e.g., TikTok green screens or Instagram carousels) are rewarded by algorithms.
    • Testing multiple hypotheses through diverse content cohorts (e.g., adventurous students, academically inclined students) helps uncover what resonates most.
    • Insights gained from organic social can inform broader marketing strategies, including paid campaigns and large-scale initiatives.

Episode Summary

What is Day Trading Attention?

The episode unpacks the concept behind Gary Vaynerchuk's Day Trade Attention, a framework that likens marketing to stock trading, where attention is the currency. Social media provides a dynamic marketplace for capturing attention at a low cost, enabling brands to maximize ROI by leveraging organic content to test ideas before scaling.

How Do Social Media Algorithms Shape Campaigns?

The hosts explore how social media algorithms act as gatekeepers of attention. These algorithms analyze content based on creative features, audience relevance, and engagement metrics to assign impressions. The focus is on interest graphs rather than followers, making it possible for even smaller accounts to achieve outsized reach if their content resonates.

Building a Cohort-Based Marketing Strategy

JC outlines a step-by-step approach to using AI and social algorithms to create impactful campaigns:

  1. Develop distinct cohorts (e.g., adventurous students, academically curious students).
  2. Tailor creative briefs to align with each cohort's interests and behaviors.
  3. Deploy content on social media and measure its organic performance.
  4. Amplify successful content with paid campaigns and refine based on learnings.

Using Minerva University as an example, JC and Ardis illustrate how higher education institutions can use this method to engage diverse student personas while maximizing budget efficiency.

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Ardis Kadiu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardis/
https://twitter.com/ardis

Dr. JC Bonilla

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcbonilla/
https://twitter.com/jbonillx

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Generation AI is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast and Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook.

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

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People in this episode

Host

Ardis Kadiu is the Founder and CEO of Element451 and hosts GenerationAI.

Dr. JeanCarlo (J.C.) Bonilla is an executive leader in educational technology and artificial intelligence.

Interviewee

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