Senior Social Media Manager Phoebe Dixon joined Leeds-based development and digital marketing agency twentysix in early 2019.
She focuses on new business opportunities in social and paid media for clients, and helps develop the overall understanding and prominence of the channel. Bringing experience from agencies which include Brilliant and Stickyeyes, Phoebe is also a lifestyle and food blogger.
On a busy week working with a range of clients, we found out what Phoebe got up to…
Monday
I’m still working from home most of the time, meaning my Monday starts the same as most workdays. I’m out of bed and take the few steps from my bedroom to my dining room table which has functioned as my office for the past 18 months. I set myself up with coffee and breakfast then get started on my week.
Mondays are usually filled with WIP meetings for the week ahead and some weekly reporting for our social clients. I check in with my team and ensure we have key deliverables planned in for the week, iron out any account flags and catch up on any important points from the week before.
The first working day of the month is also the time to get fresh paid activity set up for the month ahead, refresh any paid budgets and begin monthly reporting across each of our clients.
One of our longest-standing client relationships at twentysix is with a couple of the NHS services. We’re currently supporting them on their social approach which is a long-term project. This involves quite a few people in the agency so I get a catch-up call in to check in on progress and plan in next steps.
Mondays tend to be my busiest day, especially at the start of the month, so the day speeds by and I’m settling in for an evening of catching up with the Real Housewives before I know it.
Tuesday
I’m working on a campaign proposal for a new travel client today, so I get started on the paid media plan and researching best target audiences. I spend a lot of my working days clicking around Ads Manager and undoubtedly getting annoyed at changes from Facebook that I wasn’t already aware of – Zuckerberg has a knack for sprinkling some anxiety-inducing updates through his channels without warning.
Social currently sits within the wider Content & Communications team at twentysix. I catch up with the team on a wider team WIP on Tuesdays, which allows me to get a better understanding of and collaborate on some wider client activity, and check in on integrated campaigns we may be working on.
Monthly reporting also continues today, so I get lost in the results of the last month, identifying any key learnings or tweaks that need to be made to our always-on activity for a couple of clients. I love getting stuck into the insights of social media using past results to inform and inspire future activity.
Wednesday
I start Wednesday by scheduling my to-do list as I have a few client catch ups today that I need to plan my day around. Then, as with most mornings, I have a quick check over any live paid activity to track performance.
Occasionally, there are tweaks to audiences or individual ads that need making, and regular check-ins allow me to curb any high CPAs before they eat through our budgets without adding any value.
I chat through a recent social audit with a new client, talking them through where they’re at versus their competitors. There’s always an under-utilised platform or some quick wins that we can recommend to both new and existing clients, and a great way to kick off a strategy is to see what’s already out there. Audits are a regular feature on my to-do list and it’s always good to keep up with what other brands are doing and what can be learned from them.
Work in social media at twentysix has been ramping up over the past few months, so it’s great to have a mid-week treat to look forward to. Tonight I get to indulge in the Leeds food scene which is passion of mine, heading out to a golden oldie, Friends of Ham in the city centre. We order some great charcuterie and there’s always an ace craft beer lineup, the perfect mid-week boost.
Thursday
Alongside our clients, we support our marketing team on the twentysix social channels where they need it. Today we’re working on a plan of action for the future to help us shout about the great work we’re doing as an agency. There are plenty of ideas so now it’s time to put them into action.
I’m always up-to-date with the ever-changing world of social, and I like to share any key updates with clients and the wider agency. At the start of each month, I typically pull together a quick email update with any headline changes that may impact or inform our client work, including an excellent gif to sign off as well.
For any significant updates, I’m usually already in planning mode about how this might impact our work, or I’m thinking of any opportunities with existing clients that I should be sharing.
I tick off a few of my monthly reports in the afternoon and check in with the team on anything outstanding for the week, then move from the dining table to the sofa for the night!
Friday
I try and plan my week so I can get through some admin bits or new business support each Friday. Today’s no different and I devote my day to a couple of new clients. We’re in the process of onboarding a big-name brand for a brand new social media presence, so I’m finalising the creation of their Facebook page and getting everything lined up for launch.
Another opportunity needs some more scoping so I spend some time running through cost proposals and what the opportunity looks like before sharing with teams internally for review.
I have a final check over paid activity and get back to any outstanding emails before signing off for the week.
A staple of lockdown that’s still continuing is our weekly takeaway each Friday. Tonight we’re going for Slap and Pickle (another Leeds favourite), truly gluttonous burger stacks to cap off the working week.
