EBU Academy Social Media Week 2025

Overview

Social media remains important to public service media for reaching and engaging audiences but equally the platforms remain challenging to work with.

The tools and algorithms change, competition for attention is fierce and the social companies are now focusing more on the needs of individual content creators rather than established media.

Enter EBU Academy Social Media Week which we have developed in collaboration with colleagues at EBU Digital.

It focuses on specific topics, with strong relevance today to PSM, with interactive Mini Master Classes led by experienced and skilled trainers from within our community.

Whether you work in entertainment, factual, news or sports, there are sessions to inspire you and help you immediately use social in an even more impactful way.

Monday, February 10, 2025

10:00 - 12:00 CET Lessons From the Social Media Success of the ESC

Whether you’re working on big live events or flagship entertainment formats, don’t miss this chance to learn directly from the massive success of the Eurovision Song Contest on social media. For example, in Malmo, TikToks with the hashtag #Eurovision2024 gained an impressive 6.5 billion views! Learn how the ESC has used social to connect powerfully with younger audiences and achieve skyrocketing engagements.

What you’ll learn:

How the ESC’s digital team built a strategy to create clear user journeys and increase younger audiences
Techniques to engage with talent to create content
What social content works and what doesn’t, based on analytics and KPIs.
Tools recommended by the team

Faculty Member: Rob Holley, Head of Content, Eurovision Song Contest Digital

14:00 – 16:00 CET Writing for Social News

The visuals are critical for social news videos, you already know this, but it’s time to recognize the value of great writing – finding that killer hook, getting the tone right and the art of an engaging caption. This session led by award-winning and pioneering journalist on TikTok, Sophia Smith Galer puts a focus on creating social-first journalism including the secrets to writing an accessible, credible and engaging script. Its time to level up your writing of social news!

What you’ll learn:

The art of hook writing
Best practices for proactive and reactive content-making
The key components to a video script
The full package of social video; captions, cover images and the video's afterlife online

Faculty Member: Sophia Smith Galer, Reporter, Author and Creator

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

14:00 – 16:00 CET Standing out with Social Sports Video

Stats demonstrate without question the huge popularity of sports content on social media but how to stand out in a very crowded newsfeed? When every media outlet is reporting on the same event, how can you be different? This session. led by Joel Goldman, Digital Producer at BBC Sport. will fire up your creativity with inspiring examples focusing on football. It also addresses the question, what content strategies work if you’re not a rights holder?

What you’ll learn:

What makes a standout idea – From original treatments to new takes on existing trends and answering the question ‘What do I want the audience to take from this?’
How to tailor the right idea for the right talent– producing pundits and the public
How to ensure the content makes a splash when it lands – where to publish, when to publish and what to publish
What to do when you don’t have the rights – Everything but the goal!

Faculty Member: Joel Goldman, Digital Producer, BBC Sport

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

10:00 - 12:00 CET How to go viral on social media with public service value

On social platforms that reward clicks and engagements, it can be a tricky space for public service media. But it is possible to create social content that’s both virally powerful and has strong public service value and this course explains how. It’s led by Yasmina Al-Gannabi who studies how to reach and engage audiences for Deutsche Welle. This session is perfect for those with digital content creation experience who are still relatively new to public media or anyone looking to achieve more with their posts.

What you'll learn:

Strategies for viral content with public service values - Balance educational value with emotional appeal to foster meaningful engagement
Social media algorithm analysis - Use data insights to boost organic reach effectively
Ethical storytelling techniques - Craft compelling narratives that maintain journalistic integrity while capturing attention
Leveraging short video platforms - Develop platform-specific strategies
Data-driven audience engagement - Ensure inclusivity and cultural sensitivity in all content
Ethics and unique selling points (USP) - Maintain credibility and trust by prioritizing quality over clickbait

Faculty Member, Yasmina Al-Gannabi, Senior Audience Development Manager, Deutsche Welle

14:00 - 16:00 CET YouTube strategies to engage younger audiences

Young audiences love You Tube but how can public service media win their attention amongst a seemingly endless collection of content and platform choices? Ram Paramanthan, from Germany's public youth brand funk, will share insights into how he successfully identifies and engages its audience on the platform. And, Gina Fuhrmann, ARD’s YouTube Partnership Manager, will explore the challenges PSM face in bridging the gap between teens and thirty/forty-somethings. She’ll also outline strategies for adapting existing formats to connect with new audiences and leverage YouTube’s and your own potential.

What you’ll learn:

How to get to know your young audiences, by listening and not assuming
Ways to fit their needs
YouTube strategies for a range of young audiences from teens to 30/40-year-olds
How to reshape existing formats to fit a different platform, in this case YouTube

Faculty Members: Gina Fuhrmann, You Tube Partnership Manager, ARD and Ram Paramanathan, Creative Producer/Partner Manager, Funk from ARD and ZDF.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

14:00 – 16:00 CET A content moderation toolkit for 2025

The days of media using social media purely as a publishing platform are gone but taking on the “social” part of social media can be tough. This session run by RTBF’s social news strategist, Aline De Volder helps those managing social media communities navigate the many challenges they face. Hot questions will be explored including - when is it ok to turn off comments, in-house moderation vs third part, what role AI is playing and how to protect mental health?

What you’ll learn:

The key steps in the moderation process
Who are the people in your organization who should do the moderation and how should you coach them
What can you do in case of a crisis: which process to apply
What are the tools that can help

Faculty Member: Aline De Volder, Social Media Editor, RTBF

Friday, February 14, 2025

14:00 - 16:00 CET Why you should cheer on lesser-known sports and athletes on social.

News feeds are packed out with posts about the big sports events but this session explores the potential of covering less popular sports on Instagram and other social platforms. Rasmus Askman who leads social at DR Sport will highlight the benefits of reaching new audiences, fostering inclusivity, and telling compelling stories. You’ll discover how diversifying content can drive engagement and performance.

What you’ll learn:

Why you should consider covering small/niche sports and the athletes, that represents your country in these sports.
How to detect the great stories and content from niche sports and less popular athletes.
The power of storytelling - especially on Instagram - in less popular sports.
How to overcome difficulties with getting material such as video and photos from an event or athlete, that is not easily available.

Faculty Member, Rasmus Askma, Sports Team, Danish Broadcasting Corporation