As social media continues to evolve at a rapid pace, standing out and connecting with the right audience have never felt more challenging. So how can businesses rise above the noise and create content that feels intentional, authentic, and aligned with their brand’s values?

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We sat down with Maria Frances Marinay, Founder & Chief Social Officer of beige. social, to explore her take on social media, the vital role that branding plays, and her inspiring vision for the future of social.

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Aquí: Can you tell us about your journey to starting beige. social? What drew you to social media?

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Maria: I started dabbling into social media when I was around 18/19 years old. I was running my own food business back then making Filipino-style Ferrero Rocher-inspired chocolates. I am a very introverted person and back then, I didn’t like being in front of people selling my products so I used social media instead. I continued doing that for years as I dabbled into freelancing, worked as an intern for a food start-up in London, and then worked in a marketing agency in Dubai. Eventually, I found myself moving to Singapore to take on a social media manager role for a French restaurant. When COVID-19 hit, I started beige. social. Seeing how brands resorted to using social media for heavy selling, I craved for the connection that it was primarily intended for so I initially aimed to create more storytelling-based, honest content for brands. A year in the business, I made a decision to only work with conscious and sustainable brands.

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Aquí: beige. social has a unique approach to social media. Could you tell us what is Conscious Social Media and why it is important?

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Maria: Conscious Social Media is our own social media philosophy which involves:
a) taking a more intentional approach to designing strategies or creating content
b) choosing long-term, sustainable growth over going viral
c) employing ethical practices
d) building communities built on trust and, e) using social media for good.

It’s important for us to take this approach because of a number of reasons:

For marketers, we’re expected to always be on almost 24/7. The only way for it to be sustainable for us is by being intentional with our work.

For brands, the only way they can grow is to focus on what truly moves the needle in the business, not the next shiny object that social media dictates brands to achieve such as always going viral, having X amount of followers.

For consumers, social media impacts our consumption behaviours and beliefs. We need brands that help us become better, more conscious consumers.

For all, doing good for the people and the planet should always be a priority.

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Aquí: What does branding mean to you? What role does it play in a social media strategy that you create for clients?

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Maria: Branding is the foundation of any brand. Without it, you can operate as a business but you will struggle to have a strong identity with a strong brand recall and a compelling story. In the world of social media, branding is essential because ultimately, your strategy and content should reflect the overall brand direction that your branding dictates. We can hop on trends or try out new things to keep up with the industry but what will help us help brands stay true to who they are is branding. Branding is our north star.
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Aquí: What is a rule of thumb that you can share with business owners looking to start creating content and expand their social media reach?

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Maria: The most fundamental knowledge you should have before creating content or doing anything with your social media is to know who you are, know your story, what you stand for, and the experience that you are trying to deliver. No viral content is going to save a business without a strong, solid brand identity. Get the basics right and the rest will be easier. Going straight to creating content without working on the top level strategies means you might end up in the wrong direction or you might end up talking to the wrong audience.

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Aquí: How do you see social media evolving in the next few years, and how does that affect your vision for beige. social?

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Maria: It is already happening slowly over the past years: I foresee that social media will an even bigger role as a catalyst for change. Whether it be about embracing sustainability, who to vote for, what to shop, and even what to believe in. Social media has become this massive channel of information and misinformation. Our big vision is that we help brands and marketers realise that they hold so much power and responsibility in shaping the future. And we hope, that by working with likeminded brands, we help to shape it into a future of good.

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