How to build a brand people actually want to follow, from a 4x Shorty Award winner
We’re back with another #ForYou, By Them, our monthly Q&A series…
Over the past decade, brand social has evolved dramatically. While the c-suite now takes it more seriously, there’s still a long way to go—whether it’s about growing teams, giving them space to be creative, or aligning on the right KPIs. Sound familiar?
Today’s Q&A is for anyone who’s been in the trenches. Social teams will feel seen—and walk away with fresh inspiration. And for everyone else, it’s a must-read to better understand the juggling act these teams pull off daily—and how to actually support them.
Meet Shakivla Todd, a social media strategist who’s worked with brands like Bobbie and iFundWomen, and who has spent much of this year freelancing and navigating the job hunt.
We left this conversation feeling fired up with ideas to bring back to the social teams we partner with—and we think you will too. Shakivla shares her POV on:
How brands can own their space on social by talking about more than just product
Why employee participation—from the CEO on down—matters so much
What new platforms are (and aren’t) worth exploring right now (every social manager will feel so validated by her take)
Plus, she opens up about what it’s really been like job searching in this market—and the very hopeful story behind the new role she just landed.
MTD: What’s been your experience working in brand social so far?
Shakivla Todd: I’ve been lucky to work at small, women-owned startups where I’ve had a lot of freedom. When it comes to breaking the mold of promotional content, I’ve often had to explain that our audience isn’t interested in product-heavy posts—they want trends, cultural relevance, and relatable moments.
Because I've worked at small startups, there’s usually only one or two people managing social. Most of the time, the CEO is heavily invested in social and even brings ideas like, "Can we jump on this trend?" That kind of buy-in helps.
CEOs at small businesses are often very hands-on. That’s great for flexibility, but also leads to burnout. If your CEO is obsessed with social, they might message you daily with new ideas, but they also trust you to run it your way.
The harder ones to convince are the more removed leaders. They’ll say “go do your thing,” but then question what you’re doing because they don’t see enough product posts. That’s where it gets tricky.
MTD: How do you manage the actual planning—balancing product posts with creative trends?
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Below the paywall…
The rest of this interview is exclusive for members. We talk to Shakivla about how to create a stand-out brand social media strategy, specifically:
The mindset behind Bobbie’s standout social - Why they treat social like a cultural newsroom—not a product feed—and how that built trust and long-term brand relevance.
Getting employees engaged without burnout - From Slack prompts to exec buy-in, the systems that made internal participation feel natural, not forced.
A job search story with lessons for everyone - Laid off, freelanced, got ghosted, and still landed a role built for long-term impact. Here’s how she navigated it all.
Shakivla’s go-to newsletters, favorite brand accounts, and the content that actually moved the needle.
Check out the full piece on Substack here