Week 2: A Conversation with Matt Meeks by Kathryn Mudgway
By UCLA X469.21 Student Kathryn Mudgway
A Discussion with Catholic Ventures CEO Matt Meeks: Invite your customer to help tell your brand story.
On Tuesday, April 6th, we had the privilege of speaking with Catholic Ventures CEO Matt Meeks. Prior to his current position, Matt advised Hollywood studios, the gaming industry, celebrity talent and tech startups. During our class conversation, we learned more about his story and experiences, the marketing funnel, the importance of paid media, community building, content marketing and the social media playbook.
Here are a few of my thoughts and key takeaways. Disclaimer: Some points have been paraphrased and further analyzed from the live discussion.
[ID: A visual diagram of the marketing funnel highlighting its six categories: awareness, interest, consideration, intent, evaluation, and purchase. To the right are bullet points of activities involved in each stage. Credit: Skyword.]
THE IMPORTANCE OF PAID MEDIA AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES
As someone who follows brand content almost daily, I’ve seen how the marketing landscape has changed over the years. It’s crazy how far everything has come and it’s fascinating to watch it happen in real time. Paid boosts can help your content gain traction and beat the algorithm — especially as the power of organic content continues to dwindle as you try to reach those beyond your dedicated core.
Like the marketing funnel, the advertising funnel is also a top to bottom concept. Except this time, the sections are awareness, interest, consideration, purchase, loyalty and advocacy. This model also reinforces the importance of fan advocacy and online communities.
[ID: A visual diagram of the Facebook advertising Funnel. On the right side is a temperature range for each section (cold to sizzling). On the left are the names of the sections: awareness, interest, consideration, purchase, loyalty and advocacy. Credit: foodservice.com]
THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYBOOK
Throughout the first couple of weeks in class, we’ve learned how sound strategies can help marketers achieve their goals realistically and effectively.
KEY TAKEAWAY: The social media playbook is a tool that teams should spend time building and utilizing. Treat it like a North Star. It’s a guide that will help your team stay on track. Just don’t forget to update it every now and then.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As someone who has been on social media since the late 2000s, it never ceases to amaze me. We’ve seen how technology can change the playing field. We’ve seen how platforms have come and gone. We’ve seen how social media has changed the world and how we interact with one another. Regardless of budget, you can tell a great story. Sound strategies are key to making sure that happens. It’s worth putting in the effort to get to know and understand people with whom you want to build a community. Always remember that at the end of the day, it’s not just about you. You are not alone. Your brand can make an impact. Having a platform comes with a lot of responsibility. What are you waiting for? Channel your inner Yoda and inspire your community to channel their inner Luke. Shout out to Donald Miller for the reference.
Thank you for stopping by and for spending a couple of hours with us, Matt! It was great getting to know you.
SOURCES
Catholic Ventures. (n.d.). Homepage. Catholic Ventures.
https://www.catholic.ventures/
Skyword Staff. (2020, October 2). How the Marketing Funnel Works From Top to Bottom. Skyword.
https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/how-the-marketing-funnel-works-from-top-
to-bottom/
Smania, David. (2018, November 16). Facebook Marketing Funnels that Drive Conversions and Sales. foodservice.com
https://www.foodservice.com/blog/facebook-marketing-funnels
