Content creator, Kylie Abel, recently connected remotely with Alexia Patsalos, Techtio’s Content Strategist, to delve into the world of social media. In this interview, Alexia shares her journey from a young dancer to a social media strategist, highlighting the unexpected skills crucial for her role and how she stays updated with the ever-evolving trends in digital marketing. She also debunks common myths about social media strategy and gives us an inside look into her daily routine. Join us as Alexia offers valuable advice and insights for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of social media and stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Kylie: Thank you for joining me today, Alexia! Let’s start with your journey. How did you become a social media strategist?

Alexia: My journey in the arts industry began at the age of 3 with dance. This led me into drama, music, photography, and ultimately design. Being able to express myself through all these forms from such a young age really allowed me to freely explore my creativity. From the age of 12, when I got my first phone, I started taking a crazy amount of photos and videos and creating collages out of them, editing their colours, adding filters, etc. When I was 13, I downloaded Instagram, and this really kickstarted my journey to where I find myself today. I started posting creative images that colour-coordinated, planned out my grids before I posted, and became aware of the time of day I posted so that all my friends wouldn’t miss my posts. I studied Graphic Design, but my passion for social media continued to grow, and I figured I could really connect the two together. The more time I spent on social media, the more I knew I had a knack for it. I naturally started to understand what people wanted to see, trends, and the digital marketing side of it, and how powerful a tool it could be. This was my ‘ah-ha’ moment. The industry fascinated me because it is always growing and changing. It’s like a continuous challenge that needs to be figured out, and the thrill of that is exciting to me. This really got me wanting to learn
more about not only the aesthetics of social media but also the analytical side of it. It really grew into a passion and has led me to where I am today.

Kylie: What’s the most unexpected skill you found essential for your role?

Alexia: Adaptability. I think this sounds obvious as we know social media, marketing, and design change daily, even hourly, but being able to continuously keep up and stay relevant is a lot more challenging than people expect or realise. You also have to be flexible enough to know how to design, write content, create ideas, create strategies, and consistently post and be on social media. If you are working for clients, you also have to learn how to adapt within their companies. You have to learn how to create content, design, and create a strategy that is specific to that company, as they are all different. There are a lot of levels to it, and if you are unable to adapt, you will fall 10 steps behind. And I must add that, to me, this also goes hand in hand with multi-tasking and being able to successfully handle many tasks at once!

Kylie: How do you stay updated with the ever-evolving trends in social media? Do you have a secret sauce or a crystal ball?

Alexia: Hahaha, I definitely think it’s a mix of both, and that sauce would probably taste horrible because there would be hundreds of components that would make it up, that’s for sure! But yes, there is a lot that goes into trying to stay up to date with trends, especially when you work within an agency and deal with many different types of businesses and industries. The most obvious way to stay on trend is to actually spend time on social media. I’ll admit, I live on social media, but not just scrolling, but observing. You need to study other posts, content, new hashtags, reels, trending sounds, etc., and understand why they are being used, how people are reacting to them, and the strategy behind it. I like to follow blogs and news sites related to each industry. These sources are like having direct gossip for social media. Then attending conferences has been a new way that I have found is really great for keeping up to date with trends. It’s awesome to be amongst other types of companies and get some insight into what they are doing. It’s really refreshing to see and is a great way to keep in the loop with what is happening within other companies. This goes hand in hand with networking and connecting with other people and communities. It’s really a great way to keep up with the times as it allows you to share ideas and gain new perspectives. I am also a strong believer in continuous learning. The last way is what I can call my ‘crystal ball’; this is data and experimentation. Using analytic trackers to see what is working and what is not. I’m constantly experimenting with new strategies and content types to see what resonates best. It’s all about making data-driven decisions with a touch of magic.

Kylie: What’s the biggest misconception about social media strategy?

Alexia: I actually recently wrote a few posts on this for our Techtio social media pages! One of the biggest misconceptions about social media strategy is that it’s all about posting as much content as possible. In my opinion, and I know many would agree, quality always trumps quantity. The idea that you need to post constantly to stay relevant is outdated. Yes, of course, consistency is important, but flooding your followers’ feeds with average content can actually be counterproductive. People don’t want to see filler posts; they want valuable, engaging content that resonates with them.

Another myth is that social media strategy is all about going viral. While viral moments boost visibility, they’re not the be-all and end-all. Having a social media strategy focuses on building long-term relationships with your audience and not just chasing fame. I strongly believe that consistent engagement, meaningful interactions, and building a loyal community are far more sustainable and beneficial in the long run.

There’s also this misconception that social media strategy is a one-size-fits-all solution. In reality, what works for one brand might not work for another. This became more evident when I started working for Techtio and had different clients from different industries. And I can confidently say that successful strategies are tailored to fit the unique goals, audience, and voice of each brand. It’s about understanding your audience’s preferences, behaviours, and pain points, then crafting a strategy that speaks directly to them.

The biggest myth to me is that a lot of people believe that social media success can be achieved overnight. In my opinion, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. Building a strong online presence takes time, patience, and consistent effort. It involves continuous learning, adapting to trends, and being responsive to your audience’s needs.

Kylie: Walk us through a typical day in your life. Does it involve a lot of coffee or cat memes?

Alexia: Morning Routine:

• I usually wake up around 5:30 am. This usually involves me getting ready while checking in on some social media news and notifications before leaving the house at 6:45.

• 7:45 is the most essential part of my day. Matcha, haha. I usually start the day with matcha instead of coffee because the caffeine is released slowly, giving a longer, smoother hit of energy compared to coffee. But don’t worry, the coffee is coming later, haha.
Work Begins:

• My days always differ; however, the first hour of my day is usually always the same.

• 8 am: I always start my day by checking in on all of our clients’ social media pages. This involves checking insights, posts, and also replying to all the messages and comments. During this time, I also browse through all the pages we follow to see the latest trends and always make sure to interact with these pages. Remember, you cannot post and ghost! You need to interact and use the app too!

• 9 am: I usually get a quick breakfast while I work, and usually during this time until 1 pm, I am multitasking at its finest! I do believe that it is important to focus on one task at a time, but being in the marketing and design industry, you have to be flexible and adaptable as there are many tasks you need to complete, especially when following a strategy. You cannot fall behind! This involves checking and updating strategies, creating social media designs, posting stories daily, editing images, posting and scheduling posts, answering emails and messages, coming up with new ideas, checking all analytics, etc.

• 1:00 pm: is my lunch break – I am a firm believer in taking breaks and moving into a different environment for that time. I always try to get out of the office and go for a walk. We are lucky enough to be located right next to the beach, so I am always walking along there, clearing my mind, getting fresh air and some sun while also making sure to move my body after a long time of sitting inside the office. This usually involves me getting a sneaky frappe, especially in this Cyprus summer!

• 2:00 pm: I eat my lunch and sit and do research for the following week’s content. During this time, I go through each company and read relevant articles, follow news, watch videos, and browse through competitors’ social media to see what they are posting. This is extremely important. This allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your market, identify different and successful strategies, and use this information to help better your own pages. It’s actually a win-win because the more time you spend on Instagram and interact with other accounts, it helps your engagement!

• 3-5 pm: Writing the content: This usually takes me some time because making sure the content is good and relevant for each company is vital. I write out the topics and try to visualise how the designs would look to see if they would work creatively together because content and design work hand in hand in creating a solid social media.

I would be totally lying to you if I said that I am able to focus on just that task for the rest of the day! Usually, in between that, I am making reels, updating stories, checking on posts, joining meetings, researching different strategies, updating my marketing knowledge, and keeping up with other tasks that are assigned to me.

And just like that, it’s already 5 pm, and I’m ready to do it all again tomorrow!

Stay Tuned for Part 2

Alexia has given us a fascinating glimpse into the world of social media strategy, but this is just the beginning! In the next part of our interview, Alexia will share her proudest moments and most successful campaigns, reveal the secret elements that can make a post go viral, and discuss how she balances creativity with data-driven decisions. She’ll also provide valuable advice for beginners, highlight common mistakes businesses make on social media, and offer insights into the future of social media strategy.

Stay tuned for more of Alexia’s expert insights and practical tips in Part 2 of our interview!