
Why Copying Ryanair's SMM Tactics Won't Work Anymore | Michael Corcoran (Slice Social, Ryanair)
From Ahrefs Podcast by Ahrefs Podcast
June 9, 2026 · 1h 6m · Season 6 · Episode 7
About this episode
Michael Corcoran discusses why copying social media tactics from Ryanair won't work for brands without a proper strategy.
A gym franchise creates workout content like everyone else in their category — and sees zero brand awareness gains. Sound familiar? Michael Corcoran, the mastermind who drove 2 billion organic impressions in 18 months at Ryanair (with zero paid media), reveals why most brands are failing at social media by copying tactics without understanding strategy. Michael Corcoran is the former head of social at Ryanair, where his team of just eight people transformed the airline into a viral sensation. Today he runs Slice Social, a social media consultancy helping brands achieve extraordinary results through strategic social media marketing. In this episode, you'll discover why jumping on trends isn't a strategy, how to use the 4C's framework to develop actual social media strategy, and why Michael thinks you should create a "data dating show" for a B2B SaaS company. Plus: the real reason Ryanair's unhinged posts worked (hint: it wasn't just about being funny). Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:00) Intro (01:06) What clients really want from social media consultants (06:05) The education gap between social media managers and marketers (07:42) Why content pillars aren't strategy…
People in this episode
Guest: Michael Corcoran
Topics covered
- social media marketing
- brand strategy
- content creation
- 4C's framework
- B2B marketing
Keywords
- social media
- Ryanair
- marketing strategy
- content pillars
- B2B SaaS
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ryanair, Slice Social
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