Social media is for everyone – Gareth Crew, EMEA social media manager

Gareth Crew recently sat down with Carlota Pico to talk about his role as EMEA social media manager at Garmin, an iconic multinational tech company. Gareth chatted about his segue from journalism into marketing, how social media keeps him on his toes, and some top tips for driving organic traffic. He also shared his opinion on TikTok, Reels, the future of social media and much more.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on YouTube, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

Gareth’s most memorable career moments include producing a creative Valentine’s Day campaign for an agency in the face of nearly disastrous circumstances; launching a BuzzFeed-style personality assessment quiz for Crystal Ski (by TUI) that matched customers with their most suitable ski resorts; and conquering a massive launch for Garmin’s luxury product line, MARQ, in Barcelona last year.

Social media isn’t easy, and not just anyone can do it. The challenges of working in social media include establishing and executing best practices and navigating the approval process (too much editing = not enough authenticity).

To get senior management to buy into your ideas, you need to be very passionate and enthusiastic about what you have in mind. You must be able to allay any fears that arise, and to support your ideas with objectives and KPIs.

Finding success on social media is a road filled with trial and error, rejection and refining. What makes it exciting is that it’s constantly changing, with new functions and platforms popping up all the time for your brand to learn and leverage.

Influencers and brand ambassadors are all the rage these days, and studies confirm their popularity. It’s essential to leverage them along with things like Reels, competitions and other fun, modern tools—especially to attract younger audiences.

Some companies say that social media just isn’t for them, but social media is for everyone. Ultimately, it’s a big part of marketing that can and will contribute to your bottom line.

Rapid-fire recs

What’s your favorite app or tool at the moment?

Definitely the Sprinklr social listening tool. I really love social listening; I think it’s so interesting and exciting, and it provides a lot of great insights and inspiration.

Personally, I love the Garmin Connect app for my runs and everything else.

I’m also very much into TikTok. I really like the idea that you can just scroll through and discover so much entertaining content. It’s still quite fresh and can be very inspiring.

Also check out: Top 10 apps for content and marketing professionals

A professional role model or influencer who you admire?

First and foremost, I admire my family. They’re always up to amazing things, and that keeps me moving forward.

From a professional perspective, someone I admire a lot is British cyclist and coach Dave Brailsford. I find him quite inspirational, and his thoughts and insights resonate with me a lot.

I really like the idea of never ever giving up—even on a Monday morning! I try to think that you can do anything you set your mind to, and that really inspires me.

A valuable resource, event or group?

I’d recommend a book called “The Chimp Paradox” by Steve Peters. It helps you understand yourself, teaches you to not take things personally and discusses how people react to different situations. I can’t recommend it enough.

Connect with Gareth and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge, a freelance content creator based in Madrid.