If you’ve ever felt that traditional marketing personas just don’t capture the real human behind the data, you’re in for a treat.

In this episode, I’m joined by Phil Treagus-Evans. He’s an entrepreneur, writer, and co-founder/CEO of Giraffe Social, here to talk about why he believes personas are flawed, why funnels are outdated, and how his Empath Framework and Pinball Method can help you truly connect with your audience.

Phil shares practical ways to map customer feedback so you can build trust and drive meaningful engagement (the kind that leads to loyalty and advocacy). We also dig into AI’s role in marketing, how to balance automation with human touch, and why your team is your greatest USP.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Phil Treagus-Evans’ book: Human-First Marketing
• Giraffe Social resources
• Phil’s website
• LinkedIn Learning course

Want to put human-first thinking into action for your brand? Book a brainstorm with us at B Squared Media, and let’s talk about building real connections that convert.

You don’t need five people to care about your customers on social, you just need a plan.

In this Care Chat episode, I’m answering a question inspired by my recent interview with Ben from King Arthur Baking: How do you build an engagement team when you’re flying solo?

I break down the 5-step system we use at B Squared Media to help brands create proactive, high-impact social care programs—even if you’re a team of one. From auditing your inbound channels to tracking ROI on conversations, this episode is all about starting where you are and proving the value of social.

You’ll learn:

• Why reactive engagement is still a starting point
• How to build a response matrix that sets the tone
• Tools to help you flag urgency (without going enterprise)
• Why you MUST engage like a human (yes, daily!)
• How to track gain/retain conversations for ROI

Whether you’re running solo or growing your team, this one’s for you. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Agorapulse for prioritizing DMs and urgent messages
• Visit brookesellas.com for speaking inquiries + CX insights

👉 Book a brainstorm and let’s talk about turning your DMs into dollars: https://bsquared.media/contact 

Let’s bust a myth: You do not need a big team to deliver amazing social care.

In this episode, I’m spotlighting how small but mighty teams—like King Arthur Baking Company’s three-person social squad—are showing up more consistently (and with more heart) than brands with twice the headcount.

I break down how to scale real, heartfelt digital engagement using the systems, tone, and tools that make conversations feel personal, even at scale. If you’re struggling with slow response times, low engagement, or proving ROI on your social efforts, this one’s for you.

You’ll learn:

• How to build a tone playbook your team can actually use
• Why responsiveness is your brand’s new reputation
• Ways to tag, segment, and personalize replies using tools like Agorapulse
• How to connect the dots from comments to conversions
• Why FAQ templates still need a human “hello”

If you’re ready to scale real conversations (not just content), let’s talk it out. 💚 

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Free Course: Talk-Worthy Content
• Inside King Arthur Baking's Customer Experience with Ben Rapson
• Agorapulse social media tool

👉 Want help building your own scalable engagement system? Book a brainstorm with me and let’s future-proof your social CX.

If you’re still chasing perfect social media content, it’s time to rethink your UGC strategy. In this episode, I break down why messy is beautiful—and why your next best-performing content might be lopsided, amateur, and absolutely relatable.

I share insights from my chat with Ben Rapson of King Arthur Baking about how their community thrives on imperfect, authentic content. Plus, I walk you through four ways to spark user-generated content that actually builds trust and drives conversions.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to:

• Reframe your UGC brief to invite authenticity
• Create low-barrier prompts your audience loves
• Celebrate progress instead of perfection
• Track and nurture repeat contributors to grow superfans

Your audience doesn’t want to be impressed, they want to be included. Let’s turn your UGC into a true loyalty engine.

Want to build a UGC strategy that actually converts? Book a strategy session with me.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Brooke Sellas’ book → Conversations That Connect

What do a digital engagement pro and a 200-year-old flour company have in common? Turns out, a lot. In this episode of the Social Media CX Podcast, I chat with Ben Rapson, the mastermind behind King Arthur Baking’s award-winning social strategy.

We dig into why King Arthur focuses on delivering "knowledge and inspiration" on social, rather than selling. Ben shares how their customer care team responds 7 days a week, how they’ve built a pun-filled, personality-driven brand voice, and why embracing amateur content is a strength, not a flaw.

You’ll also hear how they track success across UGC, their annual Recipe of the Year, and even their emotional connection to baking trends.

🔗 Mentioned in This Episode:

• King Arthur Baking Company  
• Follow King Arthur on Threads 
• Follow King Arthur on Instagram
• King Arthur Baker’s Hotline 
• Recipe of the Year: Big & Bubbly Focaccia 

Social Tools Mentioned: Sprout Social and Hootsuite

In this week’s Care Chat, I’m answering a listener question about one of my favorite CX tools—surprise and delight. Specifically, can it actually be measured? Spoiler: YES. And in this episode, I show you exactly how.

I walk you through our GLOW framework (Give, Listen, Observe, Win) and how to use it to create moments that actually matter to your customers and move the needle for your business.

From handwritten notes and unexpected swag to brand love and revenue lifts, this isn’t about going viral. It’s about creating emotional retention that leads to lasting loyalty.

Let’s talk about how we can help you create a repeatable, revenue-generating CX strategy. 

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Mentioned in This Episode:

• Conversations That Connect by Brooke Sellas — https://bsquared.media/conversations-that-connect-book
• Book a brainstorm → https://bsquared.media/chat 

What do your DMs look like when your team is offline?

In this week’s CX Hot Take, I’m breaking down what I call the fireworks moment: When your inbox explodes, your mentions go wild, and you’re left scrambling during a holiday or weekend. Sound familiar?

I’m sharing a real story from Jill Sammons at BCU and unpacking the most common social care gap I see: coverage fails during nights, weekends, and holidays. Plus, I walk you through a quick audit you can do right now to check if your brand is at risk.

You’ll learn:

• Why reactive social care creates brand risk
• The exact mini-framework we use at B Squared to keep brands covered 18/7
• A 10-minute audit to expose your coverage cracks
• How to avoid turning one rogue DM into a full-blown crisis

And if you’re thinking “we really need help with this”... you do. And we’ve got you.

Mentioned In This Episode:

🎯 Check out my LinkedIn Learning course: Mastering Social Media Customer Care

📣 Or skip the overwhelm and hire us to manage your social care the right way. Learn more at bsquared.media or reach out directly.

Who’s your brand’s “Nick”? 

In this quick mini drop, I’m revisiting a powerful moment from my convo with Jill Sammons, VP of Brand at BCU. She shared how one unexpected advocate kept showing up—and how BCU turned that moment into a movement.

This story will shift how you think about loyalty, advocacy, and social listening.

If you're not identifying and engaging your "Nicks"... you're missing a major CX opportunity. Hit play to hear how to spot these superfans—and why they matter more than any ad campaign.

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Want to go deeper into building loyalty through social listening and real conversation? Grab my book Conversations That Connect—available now on Amazon or at bsquared.media.

In this episode, I’m unpacking a big CX truth: empathy without process is chaos. But process without empathy? That’s just cruelty.

I share how empathy and structure together unlock scalable social care—including a story from my twenties (yes, there’s beer involved) and how we helped Brother International cut response time by 3,791%.

You’ll also hear the Three E’s that drive connection and results:

1. Embed empathy in your workflows
2. Enable empowerment on your frontlines
3. Evaluate consistency monthly

🔗 Mentioned In This Episode:

• Listen to Jill’s full interview
• Read the Brother case study
• Subscribe to Lost to Loyal for weekly CX truth bombs

We’re pulling back the curtain on what real social care looks like in action. My guest is the brilliant Jill Sammons, SVP of Marketing, Well-being & Wealth Advisory at BCU, and yes—a longtime client of ours.

This conversation is packed with truth bombs about empathy, internal alignment, and how one fireworks-worthy moment completely shifted the way BCU shows up for its members. Jill shares what it took to get leadership buy-in, the surprising results of authentic social listening, and why member experience can’t be a siloed metric. It’s everyone’s job.

If you're in marketing, service, or CX leadership, this episode will reframe the way you think about connection over communication.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• My book: Conversations That Connect

Learn how B Squared helps brands like BCU reduce response times by up to 3,791% and turn social messages into retention and revenue wins. 

👉 Book a Care Consult: https://bsquared.media/