<description>&lt;p data-start="433" data-end="833"&gt;What does it take to turn social media into a serious business driver for B2B companies? Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater, joins the show to unpack how his team connects social engagement to pipeline and revenue. In this episode, we dive into Meltwater's approach to content strategy, channel differentiation, and analytics that prove impact across the funnel. Chris also shares how his team structures workflows, leverages influencer voices, and balances brand personality with professionalism in a global enterprise.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="433" data-end="833"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class= "TextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;Full Episode Details&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="EOP SCXW246093594 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559740":259}"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;article class="text-token-text-primary w-full" dir="auto" data-testid="conversation-turn-16" data-scroll-anchor="false"&gt; &lt;div class= "text-base my-auto mx-auto py-5 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @[37rem]:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @[72rem]:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"&gt; &lt;div class= "[--thread-content-max-width:32rem] @[34rem]:[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @[64rem]:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto flex max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 text-base gap-4 md:gap-5 lg:gap-6 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden" tabindex="-1"&gt; &lt;div class= "group/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"&gt; &lt;div class="relative flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3"&gt; &lt;div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"&gt; &lt;div class= "min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5" dir="auto" data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id= "099ddb4f-80cf-475d-aa02-a54bf189fe73" data-message-model-slug= "gpt-4o"&gt; &lt;div class= "flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]"&gt; &lt;div class= "markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words dark"&gt; &lt;p data-start="0" data-end="566"&gt;Chris joins hosts Zontee Hou and Jennifer Harmon on this episode of &lt;em data-start="55" data-end= "68"&gt;Social Pros&lt;/em&gt; to share how Meltwater's social media strategy drives real business outcomes, especially in the B2B space. He breaks down how the team maps social content to different stages of the funnel, tailors messaging by channel, and uses data to prove the impact of social on both awareness and pipeline. Chris discusses how Meltwater's global team balances centralized governance with regional execution, and how they tap into employee voices and influencer partnerships to expand reach and relevance.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="568" data-end="1215" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;Chris also shares lessons from recent initiatives like their Meltwater Champions program, and explains why social media teams should think more like editorial hubs than traditional marketing arms. Chris reflects on the rise of AI in social workflows—calling it "in its toddler phase"—and urges marketers to stay curious as the tools mature. He also shares his take on where social apps are headed next, predicting even deeper tribalism and fragmentation across platforms. All that and more on an all-new episode of &lt;em&gt;Social Pros&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/article&gt; &lt;p data-start="433" data-end="833"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class= "TextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;In This Episode:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;1:50 -  Protecting your brand and earn back trust in the face of disinformation&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;6:02 - Opportunities for AI in marketing and communications  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;10:56 -  Chris's advice for success in human team members meeting AI technology&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;14:41 -    How to connect one-to-one when platforms are constantly changing &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;17:51 -  How Chris manages which platforms to invest time, energy, and money into&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;20:12 - Using tools like media intelligence to stay on top of trends &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;22:34 - Producing a framework to keep on top of the things you need to know, and how to empower your team to react in real time&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;31:24 - Chris's advice for aspiring social pros&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p data-start="433" data-end="833"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a title="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishackney/" href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishackney/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"&gt;Connect with Chris on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.meltwater.com/en" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"&gt;Visit the Meltwater website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="TextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang= "EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;Visit &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a class= "Hyperlink SCXW246093594 BCX0" href= "http://www.convinceandconvert.com/podcasts/shows/social-pros-podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "TextRun Underlined SCXW246093594 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang= "EN-GB" data-contrast="none"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle= "Internet Link" data-ccp-charstyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"dd8b0ef6-4f85-4a62-96a4-31ed7d6078ca|34","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469775450,"Internet Link",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"InternetLink",335572020,"99",134234073,"true",134224902,"true",201334293,"0",335551500,"12673797",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}"&gt;SocialPros.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span class="TextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;for more insights from your&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;favorite&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="NormalTextRun SCXW246093594 BCX0"&gt;social media marketers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Social Pros Podcast

Convince & Convert

Tech Trends, Toddlers, & Tribalism with Chris Hackney

JUL 25, 202535 MIN
Social Pros Podcast

Tech Trends, Toddlers, & Tribalism with Chris Hackney

JUL 25, 202535 MIN

Description

What does it take to turn social media into a serious business driver for B2B companies? Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater, joins the show to unpack how his team connects social engagement to pipeline and revenue. In this episode, we dive into Meltwater's approach to content strategy, channel differentiation, and analytics that prove impact across the funnel. Chris also shares how his team structures workflows, leverages influencer voices, and balances brand personality with professionalism in a global enterprise. Full Episode Details Chris joins hosts Zontee Hou and Jennifer Harmon on this episode of Social Pros to share how Meltwater's social media strategy drives real business outcomes, especially in the B2B space. He breaks down how the team maps social content to different stages of the funnel, tailors messaging by channel, and uses data to prove the impact of social on both awareness and pipeline. Chris discusses how Meltwater's global team balances centralized governance with regional execution, and how they tap into employee voices and influencer partnerships to expand reach and relevance. Chris also shares lessons from recent initiatives like their Meltwater Champions program, and explains why social media teams should think more like editorial hubs than traditional marketing arms. Chris reflects on the rise of AI in social workflows—calling it "in its toddler phase"—and urges marketers to stay curious as the tools mature. He also shares his take on where social apps are headed next, predicting even deeper tribalism and fragmentation across platforms. All that and more on an all-new episode of Social Pros! In This Episode: 1:50 - Protecting your brand and earn back trust in the face of disinformation 6:02 - Opportunities for AI in marketing and communications 10:56 - Chris's advice for success in human team members meeting AI technology 14:41 - How to connect one-to-one when platforms are constantly changing 17:51 - How Chris manages which platforms to invest time, energy, and money into 20:12 - Using tools like media intelligence to stay on top of trends 22:34 - Producing a framework to keep on top of the things you need to know, and how to empower your team to react in real time 31:24 - Chris's advice for aspiring social pros Resources: Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Visit the Meltwater website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.