Catalyst Employee Spotlight: Greg Hayes

You can have the best data and most sophisticated tools, but it doesn’t mean anything without great people. Fortunately, at Catalyst, we have no shortage of great people. From Search Associates to Search Directors, and from Project Managers to Managing Partners, each member of the Catalyst team is committed to maximizing client business results and making Catalyst a world-class agency. Read our Employee Spotlight series to meet some of the team members responsible for making Catalyst an all-star agency partner and a great place to work.

Greg Hayes, CatalystMeet Greg

Name: Greg Hayes

Title: Associate Director, Paid Social

How long have you worked at Catalyst?

I’m still a relative newbie – I started at Catalyst earlier this year, but have loved getting up to speed and becoming part of the team!

How long have you worked in social and what type of clients have you worked on? 

I have been in paid social for about 5 years now. I’ve worked in a variety of different verticals – CPG, healthcare, retail, tech, insurance, automotive, pharmacy, and banking.

How did you get your start in social?

Out of college, I knew I wanted a role at an ad agency. As my search started to get serious, I kept noticing paid social positions were popping up everywhere. I looked into it more, did my research, and really thought about how advertising was making a dramatic shift towards digital – with social media seeing incredible growth at the time.  I saw the opportunity and jumped in!

What do you like most about working at Catalyst?

The flexibility. The agency is filled with a lot of bright, driven people who work very hard – but everyone understands there is life outside of work. If you get your work done and do your job right, management is flexible with where and how you work.

What has been your greatest achievement or success in social?

A few years back, I worked with my team at the time on a detailed plan that persuaded social “non-believers” that their media dollars would be better spent on social then what they had done in the past. It was extremely tough because they weren’t 100% (not even 50%) sold on social and had a lot of budget to go around. Getting this “old school” client to adapt to modern, digital trends was tough, but we got a large chunk of business as a result and it was very satisfying.

In your opinion, what is the most important social trend or change for 2019?

A huge change that occurred this year was the roll out of the direct checkout feature on Instagram. This is a HUGE development in the social space. Various social platforms have proven their worth amongst retail brands, but the ability for users to purchase directly through a social platform will change the game. It makes buying easier than ever and provides mobile shoppers with an immersive, entertaining environment where they can quickly act on impulses and desires. I anticipate other platforms to make the shift down the road – especially Pinterest.

If you had to give one recommendation to an advertiser who wants to use search or social marketing to achieve business results, what would it be?

Focus on all areas of the funnel. While social is fantastic for driving DR and low funnel KPIs, it’s imperative to continuously grow your business and stack the funnel. The split doesn’t have to be even, but driving demand will pay off in the long run. This is the difference in having short term success on social and establishing yourself as a best in class leader.

Share a fun fact about yourself

I used to be a religious Vine user… Absolutely loved the platform and would spend way too much time messing around on it and making comedy shorts with friends. I was (and still am) devastated that it’s gone.

Why Greg Makes Us Proud

Greg plays an integral role in establishing a solid paid social practice at Catalyst. He’s knowledgeable, creative and a good listener. He keeps tab on the latest news and innovations in the field of social media marketing and feeds this knowledge into our client’s social strategy. He’s an invaluable team player and a mentor to junior employees. – Mariya Ruseva, Group Director, Search and Social, Catalyst

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