Social Media Marketing: An Interview with Mel Welsh

The following social media marketing industry interview is with Mel Welsh, serving as the Editorial Lead for the Strategic Development team at Comcast. Prior to her current role, Mel worked in Local Media Development at Comcast, where her responsibilities included managing several of the company's social media pages. Mel has also worked in a digital marketing role for Pearson, in which she helped the company increase their overall social media engagement by 68%.

Andrew: Have you noticed any noteworthy trends in social media marketing in recent years and what are they?

Mel: One of the social media marketing trends I have noticed in recent years is communication between brands. This humanizes brands and can make for some really interesting content. Brands leverage their relationships with other brands to access new audiences and better engage their existing ones.

Andrew: Do you think social media marketing is a useful tool for providing customer service?

Mel: Social media marketing is an excellent tool for providing customer service. Comcast has adopted this technique. At HQ, we have a department dedicated to responding to the tweets of Comcast customers via social media. This allows Comcast to address concerns with its products and services immediately. Social media marketing has been a key part of the company's strategic plan to improve its customer service.

Andrew: What is your favorite aspect of digital marketing?

Mel: My favorite aspect of digital marketing would probably have to be the analytics piece. It is pretty amazing how much you can learn about your audience and how quickly you can learn it through social media analytics tools. I enjoy analyzing the numbers tracked on digital platforms and using them to create a better picture of consumers.

Andrew: What role has social media played in your career?

Mel: Social media has played a huge role in my career. While at Pearson, I spent a significant amount of my time working to improve their social media marketing strategy. Also, in my prior role at Comcast, I managed several social media pages for the company. However, I think the role social media has played in helping me stay connected with my professional network has been the most significant. Social media has helped me to maintain the relationships I have established throughout my career in a way that is both effective and efficient.

Special thanks to Mel Welsh for the interview!

Written by: Andrew C. Belton