Week 2: A Conversation with Guest Speaker AJ Feuerman by Laura Rueda

By UCLA X469.21 Student Laura Rueda

On week-two of our class, we were delighted to welcome guest speaker AJ Feuerman. She is a social media strategist and publicist who works mostly with entertainment industry clients including independent films.

AJ started her social media career working with Hallmark, where she was an early adopter of marketing on MySpace and Facebook. She later on moved on to AEG Worldwide, where she worked with artists such as Bon Jovi, Bruno Mars, Kanye West, Katy Perry and many others. It was after working at AEG that she decided to shift to independent films and the opportunity to run marketing campaigns.

AJ had some great advice for our class. She discussed key social media platforms, pointing out that Instagram isn’t the focus for indie film campaigns because it doesn’t drive sales (though it’s still useful for building awareness). She explained how Facebook and Twitter tend to be the most effective platforms because they are where the people she is targeting tend to spend time. AJ lives by the phrase “you go where the people are, you don’t bring them where you are.”

When it comes to creating content, AJ stressed the need for it to be relatable on a personal level to your audience — no matter which platform you’re using. She noted that quotes, memes and really great photos make for amazing content, and that organic outreach can generate engagement as well as paid campaigns when the content is clear, compelling and to-the-point. She also encouraged us to get organized with a simple but effective content calendar, which she said is the social media marketer’s “best friend.”

Finally, AJ shared a few tips about working with influencers based on her own experience working as an influencer back in the day with her blog “Confessions of a Fat Girl.”

AJ Feuerman delivered compelling information with a great sense of humor and amazing personality. She has a lot to offer to the social media world.