The Social Complex

Welcome to the Social Complex Podcast! Hosted by Hillary Applegate of Digital HQ, this podcast explores the good, the bad, and the complex impact that social media has on our world. From connections to criticisms, clout chasers and crazy stories, we’re diving into the variety of social experiences that make the space what it is.

Subscribe to hear unique perspectives from brand managers, creators, influencers, moderators and memes. Hillary will also share her ongoing perspective as a social media marketer of 10 years with a keen interest in human psychology.

Social media is so pervasive in our lives, whether you’re an active user of it or not. It impacts political change, pop culture, news and beyond. You’re living in the middle of one of the most interesting times in human history where we are more connected than ever virtually. What kind of impact is that going to have on the future?

The answer? It’s complex.

Episodes

Ep 11 - Elon Musk & The Twitter Takeover

Unless you live under a rock, you've heard of Elon Musk's offer to buy Twitter and take the social media giant private. The story of how this deal came to fruition is fascinating. Not only is it a massive deal for one of the most popular social media networks in the world, but it also took place on such a public scale that the world got a front-row seat to a slice of how the deal shook out. We don’t always get such an intimate look at how strategic communications can make or break a deal like th...

May 03, 2022•13 min

Ep 10 - From Boomers to Zoomers: Exploring Generational Differences in the Digital World with Meagan Johnson

Millennials are entitled, Gen X is cynical, Baby Boomers are technophobes, Gen Z is addicted to their phones. We’ve all heard stereotypes about different generational groups, maybe even believed them ourselves. Millennials were both the last generation that grew up without the internet and the first digitally native generation. Generation Z consists of the first connected kids who never knew the world without the internet. Technology has become a core differentiating factor for each generation, ...

Apr 26, 2022•57 min

Ep 9 - Is Facebook Dying? Let’s Discuss.

It’s speculation we’ve been hearing for a decade: Facebook is dying. And in spite of perception, Facebook has continued to grow in revenue, scale, and monthly active users. In 2022, we’re starting to see slowed growth - but it’s still growing. So, is it dying? Sure. But not as quickly as you may think. In this episode, we discuss the rise of the platform, the evolution of its holding company (Meta), and why Facebook remains a viable option for brands today. We challenge perceptions with data, gi...

Apr 19, 2022•23 min

Ep 8 - Move Over Mackelmore: Inside the Thrift Community Online with Bree Wolver (ThatGirlThrifts)

Get ready to pop some tags and grab the twenty dollars in your pocket. We’re diving into the wild world of thrift shopping on social media with Bree Wolver of the popular Instagram page, @thatgirlthrifts. Bree brings a unique experience as a digital marketer in big tech with a side hustle as an online thrift shopper. Her weekends are spent hunting for treasure in thrift shops and reselling them online, which is both a passion project and one that’s great for sustainability. She’s not alone thoug...

Apr 12, 2022•57 min

Ep 7 - The Wild World of Anonymous Social Media & Return of Yik Yak

Trigger Warning: Suicide, CyberBullying In this solo episode, Hillary snorkels through the various anonymous social media platforms, which are specified as “content or information posted that is not connected with particular online identities or profiles,” according to the good ol’ Wikipedia. We explore the history of anonymous social, the rise and fall of Ask.FM, the data that tells whether it's good vs. evil, and the general reaction from users about the fact that Yik Yak is back. We discuss m...

Apr 05, 2022•22 min

Ep 6 - Standing Out on LinkedIn & Stepping Into Creativity with Jasmine King

LinkedIn is the top professional networking site in the world. With nearly 800 million members in more than 200 countries, it’s a powerhouse platform for those in the workforce who are looking to make connections and elevate their careers. Jasmine King is a LinkedIn creator, among many other things. Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Jasmine is a recent University of Kansas graduate who studied marketing. She also is the founder of a social media shop called Socially Hooked. She went viral on Lin...

Mar 29, 2022•39 min

Ep 5 - The Influencer Industry: Origins, Fraud, and Why The FTC Won't Let Them Be

Influencers have been around since the beginning of time. Now, the term “influencer” has become amplified and democratized now because of social media. Think about your community growing up; a local pastor, a teacher with a strong reputation in your small town, a beloved mayor. All of those people had influence over the community and impacted behaviors, beliefs, and actions. Take that, give them a smartphone with some internet, and you have unlimited potential. That’s the essence of influencer m...

Mar 22, 2022•22 min

Ep 4 - Algorithms Create Echo Chambers, Influencers Are Getting More Real, And Other Admissions From Social Media Managers

If you’re interested to hear what it's like being a social media manager by trade, this is the episode for you. Maddie Lydon is a social media strategist with some incredible brand experience. She started her career in sales and pivoted into social media, never looking back. We discuss various times in social media history that have changed the game, including political elections, algorithms impacting the way people operate, data regulations and how the Covid-19 shut down drastically changed the...

Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 5 min

Ep 3 - Life Through The Eyes of a Creative: How Huy Nguyen Has Built His Creator Brand From The Skate Park to Now

Huy Nguyen joins us on today’s episode. He’s a creator, social media executive and entrepreneur. We bond over being psych major dropouts, using film and photography to pay the bills, and what is more important than brands being “authentic”. We talk about his life growing up as a Vietnamese American, how he got into video editing thanks to YouTube skateboarding videos, and what it’s like to live in the mind of a creator who’s always scouting locations. Huy has an incredibly unique perspective whe...

Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 21 min

Ep 2 - Going Viral on TikTok, Building a Web Design Business and Surviving a Pandemic as a NYC Performing Artist with Sarah Kleist

Sarah Kleist isn’t your typical web designer. A performing artist by trade, Sarah’s world came to a halt when Covid-19 stopped all live events and shut down New York City. With time on her hands and a skill for design, Sarah took to designing websites for some friends and ultimately, turned this skill into a full blown freelance business. Her story includes stumbling into success on TikTok, building a business in web design through the pandemic, and finding funny connections via social media — i...

Mar 11, 2022•45 min

Ep 1 - Social Media: It's a Little Complex

Welcome to the Social Complex Podcast! Hosted by Hillary Applegate , this podcast explores the good, the bad, and the complex impact that social media has on our world. From connections to criticisms, clout chasers and crazy stories, we’re diving into the variety of social experiences that make the space what it is. Subscribe to hear unique perspectives from brand managers, creators, influencers, moderators and memes. Hillary will also share her ongoing perspective as a social media marketer of ...

Mar 11, 2022•21 min

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