Social Driver’s Senior Creative Strategist Erica Lynn joined Abigail Haigh of Face the Fight and Kevin Coroneos of the Investment Company Institute for the Public Affairs Council’s session on Video and Social Media Fundamentals. The conversation centered on practical ways to make content clearer, more inclusive, and easier to act on. Abigail showed how elevating authentic voices helped Face the Fight resonate nationwide, Kevin shared lessons from leading digital strategy in a member-driven organization, and Erica distilled the discussion into clear, usable steps.

Key takeaways

• People crave authenticity
  
• Real stories build trust
  
• Representation matters for both the audience and the storytellers
  
• Content is more than posts. It is an advocacy tool
  

What’s working right now

Keep stories human and specific. Lead with the most useful point in the first few seconds. Format for the channel so people can follow without sound, read captions easily, and grasp the point quickly. Details do the heavy lifting: clean audio, tight framing, readable text, and platform-ready aspect ratios. These choices respect your audience’s time and make messages stick.

Erica’s practical playbook

Plan with intent

Decide who you are talking to, the single action you want, and the one line that proves your point. Put that line first. Use a simple beginning, middle, and end. Close with a clear call to action in both the content and the caption.

Choose the right level of polish

High production fits conference screens, site hero moments, and evergreen explainers. Low production fits timely social content and community voices. A healthy mix gives you reach and credibility without slowing you down or blowing the budget.

Create for how people consume

Use window light or a simple ring light. Keep backgrounds uncluttered. Capture clean audio with a small mic. Add captions so it works on mute. Shoot vertically for social. Save horizontal for longer pieces on channels that reward it.

Repurpose on purpose

Turn longer content into multiple 15 to 60 second vertical pieces. Pair each with a clear caption and call to action. Tag partners so the story travels and earns secondary reach.

Thanks to our collaborators

Appreciation to Abigail Haigh and Face the Fight for demonstrating how authentic voices drive impact, and to Kevin Coroneos and the Investment Company Institute for sharing on-the-ground strategy insights. And kudos to Erica Lynn for turning principles into steps teams can use right away.

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