Happy Friday everyone, we’re almost to the weekend! My week was packed with campaign planning, NBA playoffs (go Thunder), and enjoying the great weather here in Charlotte.

Have you ever had struggles or challenges in bringing your social media ideas to life? It’s one thing to have a great idea. It’s another to get buy-in, communicate effectively, and be able to execute against. This is what we’re chatting about today, how you can make your ideas actually happen.

In this issue, we will go over the following:

Let’s get to it.

-Sam

One of the most underrated skills a social media professional can have is knowing how to effectively (and quickly) go from idea to execution.

I’ve had countless ideas that could’ve done very well in the past, but I didn't know how to push them through and get approval.

It’s one thing to have a great idea, social post, brand campaign. It’s a whole ‘nother to get it approved, bought it, and brought to life. At the end of the day, the execution is all that matters. And I don’t want to you to have a graveyard of social posts and ideas that never see the light of the day.

Do you need a 40-slide deck for your social strategy? Do you need a one-slider to get buy-in on a post to jump on a trend? Does your idea for a stunt need a full presentation?

You don’t want to over-engineer your ideas.

You don’t want to undersell it either.

So this is what we are hitting on today. Here's how to approach leadership and effectively communicate your ideas. 👇

Some ideas need the full treatment. And when they do, don't cut any corners. Build that deck and make it look really good.

You're building a full deck when the idea or social moment involves significant budget, requires cross-functional buy-in from channel leads and leadership, or speaking to anything social media strategy related. Think big campaign concepts, new channel strategies, your social media strategy, influencer or creator partnerships, or anything that's going to require full buy-in.

Big ideas require big decks…

This is where you tell the full story. Set up the opportunity, show the creative vision, showcase the strategic levers, showcase inspiration from leading brands, and insights to back up your strategy and idea.

A good deck doesn't just pitch the idea — it tells a story that gets stakeholders to say “take all my money” by the time you’re finished. If you need help on how to craft a beautiful social media deck, check out this issue that I have written in the past.

I have made strategy decks that are 120+ slides (yes, I’m being serious).

My current social strategy deck is 10 slides.

Eliminate fluff. Tell a story with your deck. Use visuals. Present with passion and confidence. You got this.

Not everything needs a full deck. And knowing that will save you hours (and maybe even days) every single week. Trust me, it has for me.

The one-slider is the GOAT for mid-size concepts such as a new content series, a smaller brand or social campaign, a single post concept, or a creator collaboration that doesn't require massive budget. This provides enough context to give someone the full picture in a way that’s very digestible.

One slide. The idea, the why, the ask, and the strategy. Make it so easy to understand which enables a quick sign-off of approval.

If you're not building one-sliders yet, you should start now. They are one of the most efficient tools for social media professionals.

Sometimes…the best thing you can do is write it out.

Word docs or Google Docs, (or whatever your company uses) are highly underrated for social media professionals. They're perfect for creative briefs (that are simple and straight forward), messaging ideas, quick social media stat and performance asks, post copy, brainstorm ideas/asks, or campaign recaps. Basically anything that needs to be read, referenced, and returned quickly rather than presented in a meeting.

That last sentence is key. If you are going into a presentation, you must always have a deck or a one-slider. If you simply need to relay information rather quickly - then a word document is the move.

A well-written doc also shows a different kind of thinking than a deck. It shows you can articulate your ideas with clarity and depth, which is a skill that gets noticed.

If you move at the speed of culture, this is the place to be.

Reactive moments. Trend-hijacking. Quick wins that have a 24-hour window. These don't need a deck. They don't need a doc. They need a confident, well-framed two or three sentence Slack (or teams) message that gives your manager everything they need to say yes asap.

Short. Clear. The idea. The why it matters right now. A reference from another brand. And the ask.

Hit send. get approval fast. Run that post.

In the past, I would have a slack chat dedicated for quick turn approvals and highly recommend this. This would include key stakeholders, and every single time I would tag my manager so they would see the message immediately.

Before you go…here are a few quick hitters for you! We’ve got a new Instagram update and a few reminders.

⛽️ Follow Cadence I lead social & brand over at Cadence, a fast-growing sports hydration brand. Be sure to give us a follow here and follow along.

📱 Are you a one-person social team? Check out last weeks issue to catch up here.

‼ Forward to a friend! If you do find Stronger Social helpful, be sure to forward to a friend.

🤔 Got a topic that you want to see addressed in a future issue?If so, respond to this email and let me know!

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great week!

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