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Greg Allum describes a day working on the #VisionWeek campaign

My day

6.30am: It’s the crack of dawn and I’m awoke by two eyes staring at me – no not my boss asking me to start early, but my nine-month-old daughter who finds it funny to repeatedly grab my nose. My failed attempt at convincing my partner to go downstairs and make breakfast means the social media campaign, #VisionWeek, which reaches its halfway point today might be more appropriately named #BlurredVisionWeek.

8.00am: Shower, eat and finally get some time to check how #VisionWeek has been running overnight. The constant buzzing of my phone suggests it is going well. And what I’ve been hoping for actually plays out in front of my very eyes when a celebrity decides to join in with our campaign and all of a sudden a flurry of activity occurs. That celebrity is comedian Johnny Vegas and with over 133,000 ardent followers on Twitter, it could be transformational for #VisionWeek.

9.30am: As the constant stream of tweets come in from people posting “selfies in specs” it’s time to ensure the rest of my day is set up and my other client’s accounts are running smoothly. I log into SproutSocial to check the scheduled posts before our morning huddle, all very David Brent a la The Office, but it is an opportunity to discuss and adapt plans with the senior PR managers. I refrain from singing.

10.45am: It seems the ‘Power of Celebrity’ is never more prevalent than in today’s social media age. Since Mr Vegas’s participation we’ve almost doubled the amount of selfies in one morning. The beauty of #VisionWeek is for every selfie taken, our sponsor, Eyesite will donate £1 to the charity. I call the sponsor and charity with an update and they are ecstatic. It’s great to see the enthusiasm and passion generated from this campaign already.

Midday: I de-brief one of our PR managers who is heading to a local radio station to be interviewed about #VisionWeek, grab a bite to eat and then ensure my other client’s social media platforms are running smoothly whilst engaging with some followers on each account.

2.00pm: Manage to sneak a half hour of preparation into a new business pitch for a prestigious client. We’re heading up as a team to present and I pick the brains of one of our senior staff members. I always use the old adage “If you’re the most intelligent person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”

2.30pm: Mini crisis averted. Someone posts a rude image wearing their spectacles in a compromising position. Being on top of social media is a full time job, I managed to intercept and delete the offending image.

3.00pm: The development director from Vision Aid Overseas arrives, we’re off to a Brighton radio station for an interview. He brings an array of whacky glasses for me to wear; I politely decline and stick with my trusty Ray Bans.

4.00pm: Radio interview in Brighton. I get asked to join in but decline, it’s all about the charity and the cause rather than the explosion of social media, even though I’m told I have a face for radio!

5.30pm: Back at the office, provide feedback to the rest of the team and share results, we’re at 6,000,000 impressions after just three days. Amazing! I check my emails and schedule a few more tweets for the evening before signing off.

6.30pm: Return home to more nose pulls from the little one and continue to monitor the campaign remotely. Running short-term campaigns is an intense and exciting experience. Being a social media manager sometimes means being on-call permanently, but finding that work/life balance is key to a happy home …and partner!

Greg Allum, social media manager at agency Aneela Rose PR

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