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A Convo with Haley Correll

What’s the backstory of how you got into social media?

I started out in journalism as a content creator.

Back in college, I landed a one-year contract with MTV News as part of their 2008 Choose or Lose campaign.

My job was to create weekly videos and blog posts about political issues affecting young people in my state.

At the time, social media was still in its infancy—Twitter was brand new, Facebook was only for college students, and Instagram wasn’t even a thought yet.

I was creating all this content for MTV, but I wanted to find a way to make sure the right people—young people in my area—actually saw it.

That’s when I really started thinking about audience building and targeting, mostly on Twitter, even though I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing at the time.

After graduating, I took a job as a video producer at a nonprofit in DC, and that same audience mindset helped me land a role on the social media team at The Washington Post.

Social media platforms were a little further along by that point, and the Post was where I really got to experiment and learn about social-first content, strategy and audience development from some of the best in the business.

Since then, social media has taken me to some incredible places—mostly in journalism, and now back in the nonprofit world leading social strategy for the American Red Cross.

But through it all, my content roots have stuck with me. I truly believe that great content is the foundation of everything we do in social media.

What was your approach when you started at your current gig?

I was already on the team when I was promoted into my current role, and I had been working on building out some strong enterprise-wide social strategies and workflows, particularly around disaster response.

When I started managing the team, that focus shifted to how we could build on what we’d already been doing and take things to the next level.

We’ve done this through many different tactics, but I think they all fall into one of two buckets:

• Quality over quantity. Creating more content had helped us expand our reach, but could we achieve even more by focusing on less content — just making it higher quality, more intentional, and better optimized?

• Experimentation. We embraced a test-and-learn mindset. We had already cemented our status as early adopters of TikTok, and that decision paid off in a big way. So we prioritized making time for regular experimentation – whether that be trying new platforms (like BeReal - RIP) or things like trying new content types, partnership plays, and even posting cadences. All test-and-learns are creatively inspired, but insights driven. And I’ve made it clear to my team that failing is ok as long as we learn something that we can take forward.

What results have you been able to achieve?

By focusing on quality of content and experimentation, we’ve been about to drive more engagement and impact, rather than just pushing content for the sake of it.

Over this past year in particular, we shared fewer posts, but reached and engaged with more people.

And we’ve been able to increase awareness of key campaigns and components of our mission among some audiences that are historically harder for us to reach. I’m really proud of that.

We’ve also been able to build relationships with people on new platforms, like Threads, which is not a huge audience for us, but a really engaged one.

It took us some time to get it right in terms of tone and content for that platform, but I think we’ve hit a sweet spot and we’ll continue to be active there.

What content has been the most effective?

Great storytelling—regardless of the subject or format—has been at the heart of our most effective content.

We focus on the “why” behind our mission: why it matters, why we help, and why people should care.

Storytelling allows us to make those connections, and we’ve seen strong engagement with posts that focus on people with powerful stories to tell.

We’ve also had success with strategically engaging with trends and current events. The key word here is strategically—we don’t jump on every trend, but when there’s a natural connection to our mission, we lean in.

For example, we effectively tied social conversations to CPR education when Taylor Swift released her latest album and to winter safety tips as a major cold front swept across the U.S.Notably, neither of these posts included a call to action. Instead, they positioned us as a trusted voice in these conversations, so when people do think about topics like CPR, fire safety, blood donation, or disaster response, they think of us.

Another highly effective content format for us has been Facebook Live, particularly in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

When a hurricane hits or a wildfire spreads, we see an influx of social media comments and posts from people wanting to know where the Red Cross is and what we're doing. In those moments, static text updates or photos of responders in front of shelters may not fully convey the scope of our work.

People don’t just want to hear about our response—they want to see it in action. Through Facebook and Instagram Lives run by people on the ground, we can provide real-time updates, show our relief efforts, and answer questions directly in real time.

Viewers see the cleanup kits we distribute, the meals we serve, and our volunteers in action, reinforcing trust in our mission. While Lives aren’t always feasible—connectivity can be an issue, and our teams are often busy assisting those in need—we prioritize them whenever possible because they make a real impact.

What are some things you’ve learned along the way?

• Social media success isn’t just about viral moments—it’s about consistency, thoughtful engagement, and meaningful impact over time.

• Listen to your audience. Some of the best content ideas come straight from the comments section.

• Good social media strategy is a mix of creativity, risk-taking, and analysis. You need all three.

• No amount of money can fix a boring post. You can pay to boost its reach, but if the content isn’t engaging, the audience won’t care, and they won’t interact.

• But also: Sometimes you post something because it’s important, not because it’s going to be a home run. Not everything is going to be an engagement play, and that’s okay. Some messages need to be shared because they matter, even if they don’t rack up likes and shares.

What do you think the future holds for social media?

Who knows. But really — As someone who’s been working in the social media space since its infancy, I’ve learned that the key to longevity isn’t about chasing trends.

It’s staying adaptable, staying human, and always putting the audience first. Platforms will come and go.

Algorithms will change.

But the people and brands that focus on providing value, listening to their audience, and building relationships will always come out on top, no matter what social media platforms look like.