Media and entertainment brands arguably have something marketers across industries envy: devoted fans who show up day after day, engage organically in the replies, and create a never-ending stream of conversation in the comments. 

Behind every thriving fandom is a community team making deliberate calls. When to jump in, when to amplify, when to let a conversation run without a brand voice in the middle of it, and when to step back entirely.

Jon-Stephen Stansel has seen this first-hand, creating social strategy and content for some of the biggest franchises on the planet including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Invincible, Hazbin Hotel, and Avatar: The Way of Water. In this session, he’ll break down what actually works in community engagement on social, and why the same principles apply whether you’re launching a series or selling shoes.

What we’ll cover:

• Making the business case. How to measure the return on community management and defend the budget for it.
• Engaging authentically at scale. What genuine participation looks like when you’re managing a very large, very passionate audience.
• Danger zones. When a response builds credibility, when silence is the stronger play, and how to make those judgement calls in real time.
• Translating it to your brand. Practical ways social media marketers across every industry can apply fandom thinking to the audience they already have.