How I Made it in Social, featuring Steven Rebeiro, Manager of Brand Social at HBO & MAX
From interning at a bank to attending Comic-Con and becoming an expert in all things Game of Thrones, Steve Rebeiro, shares his career journey and explains how he ended up at HBO.
Welcome to Make It Go Viral’s weekly interview series, How I Made It In Social. Every Wednesday, Pennant Digital Social Media Director Anna Fogel talks to the best and brightest people working in social media about their career journey.
Next up: Steve Rebeiro, who has spent almost a decade working in social, and he currently creates some of your favorite memes on the HBO accounts. Steve shares what has changed since his career started, valuable lessons he's learned, and how he landed his current job. If this edition resonated with you, please share it with someone you love.
What was your first job in social? And what year did you start?
I was an intern at a local bank in Connecticut in the summer of 2015. Our focus was on Facebook and LinkedIn content.
What has changed about the industry since then?
The pivot to video! When I started in social, Vine was seen as a disrupter. Now video content has become the priority for any brand worth their weight, and the video-first platforms have become the places to be for brands. I think brands have also become more informal and fan-first on social. Wendy's was an outlier in 2015, but that type of brand energy has really become the standard in today’s age.
First piece of content you ever hit publish on?
From a professional standpoint, I have no idea! Nine years in social feels like 90 years otherwise. But I can confirm my first personal social post was publishing my top friends on MySpace.
What was the most valuable thing you learned early on in your career?
Hold yourself accountable and learn from your mistakes. Every single person who works in social has published something incorrectly. It happens! But when you mess something up, it’s better to own up to your mistake, learn something from it, and (most importantly) don’t make the same mistake twice. Deflecting blame may feel like the right call in the short-term, but long-term, the accountability will go a long way.
How did you showcase your body of social media work?
My favorite way to showcase work is sharing it on my IG story and sending it to my friends. But if I’m in the job market, I like a website portfolio!
What is your current role?
I’m a manager on the brand marketing team at HBO & Max, working on organic social media for the brand.
Where did you initially find this opportunity?
LinkedIn!
What do you think was the key factor in getting a foot in the door to your new role?
I had a connection who helped me get to the top of the pile, and I think the passion I had for the HBO brand helped me get to the finish line. I always recommend job seekers to search for any connections they can at a company – whether it’s a former colleague, a friend of a friend, or even just an alumni you’ve never heard of from your school. If you have somebody who can help push you through the pile, it goes a long way. It can feel weird hitting up a stranger for help, but if that company offers a referral bonus, they’re going to be happy to do it!
Did your own social media habits or ‘personal brand’ help (or hurt) your job search? Do you think brand building is something social pros should set aside time for?
I’ve gotten this far without much of a personal social brand, and I would never dock somebody in the hiring process for not having one. But obviously, it doesn’t hurt to have one, and if you don’t feel like you’ve got the necessary social experience for the job you want, building your own brand as a side hustle certainly helps. And if you have a personal brand your proud of, send it in your resume! I’m not going to search for you on Instagram before our interview. Essentially, it’s just extra credit.
Now that you’re in the seat, what’s the number 1 attribute you’d look for in a replacement?
Somebody who can move fast, be flexible, juggle multiple projects at once, and actually cares about this stuff. Entertainment marketing requires you to have your finger on the pulse of shows and films you’re working on and understand what the people love, and hate, about those titles. I would look for somebody who is willing to watch everything and invest themselves into caring about these projects. Fans will sniff out very quickly if you don’t understand the material you’re promoting.
Favorite piece of content you’ve ever created?
A recent favorite was this very silly House of the Dragon meme.
Ever? I’ll always have a soft spot for the launch post of @MellowCorn, a niche meme Instagram for a very small whiskey brand that I championed early in my career.
What’s the best part of your job?
I live for the days where I get to have in-depth conversations about the most minor details on Game of Thrones content to make sure they are true to the universe.
Coolest experience you’ve had while working in social media?
This year at Comic-Con, I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to meet up with my team for a panel, so I just walked into Hall H and walked backstage and nobody stopped me. I would have been happy to just be in the building as a fan!
If you'd like to nominate someone (or yourself!) for a future edition of Make It Go Viral’s interview series, How I Made It In Social, please send Anna Fogel a message on LinkedIn or reach out to me at anna@pennantdigital.com!