WEEK 5: A Conversation with Guest Speaker Sara Dunaj by Chia Ling Tsai

By UCLA X469.21 Student Chia Ling Tsai

SARA DUNAJ

Our week 5 guest speaker – Sara Dunaj – leads the social media team at Princess Cruises. She brought our class up-to-speed on a range of topics, from choosing the most effective social media platforms to working with influencers. She also provided an overview of social media analytics.

While Sara referenced some of the more advanced tools she uses at work, she also told us about free tools such as the native analytics dashboards built-into Facebook, Instagram and other major platforms.

When it comes to working with influencers, she said the best way to find those who are most relevant to your brand is simply to search for them directly on social media platforms. She also explained that the best influencer value is often provided by so-called “micro-influencers” – defined as everyday consumers with small but highly engaged followings revolving around a specific topic.

Sara then discussed KPIs (key performance indicators), and why it’s important to establish them before choosing a platform or engaging with an influencer. With KPIs in place, you can use analytics data (including likes, shares and other engagement metrics) to refine your strategy.

When it comes to dealing with negative feedback, Sara stressed that it’s important to remember “the customer is always right” (even when they’re wrong). This means apologizing quickly and avoiding an argument. When addressing negative comments, it’s best to limit the public back-and-forth discussion to three engagements; anything more is likely to be viewed as an argument.

I found our discussion with Sara to be a valuable experience. Thank you very much!