Building a Social Media Presence That Actually Sticks | Eric Stark of Slate

Is social media a distribution channel or the heartbeat of your brand? This week, we’re joined by Eric Stark, co-founder of Slate and former NFL social leader, to unpack why most brands are fundamentally looking at social the wrong way. Eric dives into the transition from "posting for performance" to "creating for brand longevity," offering a masterclass in building creative workflows that empower teams rather than draining them. We explore how to maintain high-quality storytelling in an era of 3-second attention spans and why the "move fast and break things" mentality might actually be breaking your brand's reputation. Whether you’re a solo creator or leading a massive department, Eric’s "hill to die on" for 2026 will change how you view every piece of content in your library.

Key Takeaways:

// Social as Brand Identity: Why treating your social channels as a distribution arm for other departments is a mistake—and how to pivot back to brand-first marketing.

// The "Stickiness" Factor: What separates the brands that own the cultural conversation from those that are just adding to the noise of the scroll.

// Workflow = Quality: How optimizing your internal creative process actually yields better creative results, not just faster ones.

// Short-Form Storytelling: Strategies for balancing the need for speed with the rising consumer expectation for high-production value and authentic narrative.

Connect with Eric: LinkedIn

Discover Slate: Website

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