The International Social Summit 2025 took place last month and we were thrilled to welcome attendees from all around the world to enjoy a full day of learning and professional growth in the beautiful city of Barcelona!
We hope you all had a wonderful experience learning from the very best in the international social media marketing industry and networking with like-minded professionals facing the same daily challenges that come with marketing internationally.
With two separate tracks to choose from, you may not have been able to attend every single talk you were interested in, so we decided to put together this blog post to collate some of the top takeaways from the International Social Summit 2025.
We have also uploaded the slides and video recordings from the event to our Self-learning platform – just sign up to the platform (it’s free) and search for International Social Summit Barcelona 2025 to access everything.
1. The importance of authenticity in the age of AI
In Pedram Parsaian, Diego Bartolome and Fiona Bradley’s panel discussion “AI vs automation vs authenticity”, they spoke about how the growth in AI-generated content and automation has, if anything, increased the importance of authenticity. Standing out is now about being real, being open, living your values (as people or brands) and creating content that means something to your audience. So, rather than focusing on how you can use AI to create and share content, start with how you can be authentic, create something of value to your audience and, above all, show that you are real.
2. How to use video content to convey authenticity
In Anthony Leung’s talk “Human trust vs AI: Why authentic videos will save us”, he also talked about the importance of authenticity and advocated the value of video for this. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, trust has become the most valuable currency, and video is one of the most powerful ways to earn it. As platforms like LinkedIn slowly adopt new features, their investment in native video signals it is more than a trend. With AI making it easier than ever to fake expertise, audiences are craving real, human connection. Authentic video content, showing up as your genuine self, cuts through the noise, builds credibility and reminds people that behind the screen, there is a real person they can trust.
3. Consistency and memorability matter
In Sam Gillies’ talk “Building brands organically on TikTok”, he spoke about how brands must be consistent in style and tone in order to stand out on TikTok. Rather than chasing trends, brands should develop scalable, repeatable formats and a unique voice that is easy to recognise. As users scroll endlessly, memorability is key. Brands like Urban Tandoor prove that even small businesses can gain massive reach with creative, audience-first content.
4. A clear strategy is key when embarking on TikTok marketing
Sam also emphasised that success on TikTok starts with a clear strategy, i.e. knowing why you are on the platform, whether that is to boost brand awareness, increase brand relevance or provide education. Focus on your niche and create content tailored to specific communities or “Toks” (like #MarketingTok). With tools like Creator Search Insights, brands can align content with real search behaviour and trending topics.
5. B2B marketing does not have to be boring!
In Elena Zhigalina’s talk “Building a niche B2B brand through social media”, she showed us how B2B brands do not have to be boring, whilst also not having to follow B2C content types or trends on social media. Building personal and authentic involvement from audiences and internal stakeholders can be a powerful medium to success. You can build trust with your audiences and make them feel like insiders by creating content that shows your company “behind the scenes”, at events, or even showing some of the manufacturing process. As part of this, you can also involve your own teams as the stars of the content, showing them as experts, making your team more passionate about your marketing activities and continuing to build trust and engagement with your audience. With the right approach, every company can succeed in building engagement with its audience, no matter how niche it is.
6. Break down unnecessary barriers by embracing accessibility
In Maddie Alvarez’s talk “Accessibility practices for your favourite platforms”, she highlighted the power of digital accessibility to break down barriers and improve access to information. Prioritising accessibility is not just the right thing to do, it also brings millions of global users (and their spending power) into the conversation. Maddie shared practical tools to help assess whether content is truly accessible, offered real-life examples, and introduced clear guidelines and categories to support and strengthen our accessibility efforts.
7. Tell your brand story
In Mercy Fulani’s talk “Strategy? No. Storyline.”, she spoke powerfully about the importance of telling your story as a brand and controlling the narrative. A lot of brands make their social media marketing about selling their product, but it is more important to truly live by and tell your story and be consistent.
8. The value of social listening
In Anna Milburn’s talk “Managing global brand consistency with social listening”, she explored how global brands can use social media listening to strike the right balance between brand consistency and cultural relevance. With her data-driven approach, brands can adapt messaging to regional nuances and ensure local campaigns stay aligned with global values.
9. Genuine connection is key when doing social media
In Pedram Parsaian’s talk “5 principles to become a brand worth following”, he shared powerful insights into how brands can stand out by doing social media right. The key? Building real connections – and to get started, you need to show your face!
Want to access the slides and video recordings from the event?
Good news – the slideshow presentations and video recordings from the International Social Summit 2025 are available to access for free on our Self-learning platform!
Just sign up to the platform and search for International Social Summit Barcelona 2025.
Want to attend our future events?
Whether you missed out on the opportunity to attend this event, or you attended and cannot wait for the next conference, check out our event timetable for 2025 below!
- 12 November 2025 – International SEO workshop Barcelona
- 13 November 2025 – International Search Summit Barcelona
We hope to see you there!
Need support with international digital marketing?
Webcertain, the agency behind the International Social Summit, is an international digital marketing agency that lives and breathes marketing for global brands every single day. If you need support with your international digital marketing efforts, or just want to have a no-obligation conversation about the options available, our expert team are here to help! Get in touch with us today and one of our friendly team members will get back to you.
