Publishing Profiles: Meet Victoria Squirlock, Senior Manager, Social Media
Victoria Squirlock wears many hats online, but all with the same goal: connecting readers with the right books at the right moment. As Senior Manager, Social Media, Consumer Marketing, she helps shape how Penguin Random House shows up across platforms, bringing a thoughtful, consumer-first approach to everything from children’s book content and major cultural conversations to influencer partnerships and creative collaborations.
Since joining PRH, Victoria has made an immediate and lasting impact in the social stratosphere. Her storytelling helps our brand reach readers in new ways, including the widely-shared banned books lawsuit updates and the highly-engaging children’s content series she helps develop. With a sharp eye for what connects with audiences, Victoria is leading strategic social initiatives and scaling how we engage readers.
In the Q&A below, Victoria shares what drew her to a social media job in publishing, what a typical day balancing strategy and platforms looks like, and why helping books meet readers is at the heart of it all.
Q: What led you to this role specifically?
Victoria poses with the PRH logo at 1745 Broadway.
When social media really started to play a role in society, I saw the ways in which it can show up in a positive light, and I also saw how it can be a negative light. I really wanted to be a part of that positive side through uplifting purposeful content.
When I saw that PRH was hiring, it caught my attention because books play an absolutely crucial role in educating and empowering people. This job is the perfect blend of having a job in social media while also having a job with a deep purpose. There will always be negative and positive conversations on social media, and I wanted to find a way to be a part of those conversations that happen on social media no matter what.
What it really comes down to is being passionate about your work. I love to document things through taking photos and writing. I’m so passionate about how brands decide to show up on social media and include themselves in conversations. PRH is a large company and brand. We’re legitimate and intentional, but we also find ways to be a bit whimsical and resonate with consumers who simply want to experience to joy of books and reading. I wanted to be a part of extending that unique brand expression to our current and growing audience.
Q: How long have you been at PRH?
I started in February 2022. I actually just had my four-year work-iversary!
Q: How would you describe a typical day in your role?
Victoria and her team members at 1745 Broadway.
A typical day will balance developing our strategy and touch-base meetings with my team, as well as meetings with outside partners and other internal teams. In between those meetings, I’m briefing children’s book content to our design team, corporate communications moments, or brand content. When I finish one of those tasks, I may bounce over to my work phone and send a message to a co-creation TikTok partner to brief them on content and gather approval.
My day also involves bouncing from one social media platform to another—whether it’s Instagram, Threads, TikTok, or Pinterest—I make sure deadlines are being met, posts are going up, and communications are ongoing between our internal teams and external partners. Some days, I’m deep in analytics and data analysis to inform our next month’s content and approach.
Q: How do you typically work with other departments and teams?
I work with our Editorial team as they put up keyword and search-based book lists. I’ll collaborate with them to learn their expertise on our books and lists, and I brief that into social-first content. I also work with them on long-form tips-and-tricks content.
Victoria attends the “Save Our Stories Supper” in Washington D.C.
I collaborate with our Design team and Corporate Ops teams on workflows, deliverables, meeting deadlines, and approval processes for designs. Monthly, I work with the divisions to organize our collaboration schedules with organic content that is social-first and brainstorm for upcoming moments.
I also collaborate with Consumer Insights when they flag trends and data that may be relevant. I work with our Corporate Communications team to create social-first content for our audience to update them on banned books lawsuits and larger partnerships, as well as monitor any brand or PR moments that have surfaced on the internet.
Q: Is there a particular project or campaign you’re especially proud of?
Within the last six months, we’ve nailed down our long-term children’s book content to a science. We’re seeing that success in follower growth, engagement, saves, shares, and comments. About a year and a half ago, we began transitioning children’s book content to PRH. It used to live on the Read Brightly account, but we shifted the strategy to use our existing audience to promote it.
At first, it was being received well, but it wasn’t exactly hitting the algorithm in the right way. We went through a lot of iterations from a brand perspective, thinking about our visual display and what graphics and fonts we should be using.
Once we leaned into PRH branding, we saw engagement and response skyrocket, and the posts now have extremely long lifetimes. Many continue to trend upward as more people share them. I’m especially proud of it because children’s books and young readers are a big priority, and we want the content to resonate and reinforce why children’s reading is so important.
Victoria and colleagues take a selfie!
I don’t want the content to just go up—we want to hear people to say, “Thank you for these tips. This is a great roundup or book suggestion.”
Now that we have the formula, the content stands on its own, and we receive really rewarding feedback.
I also have a special opportunity to communicate with consumers directly. On platforms like Threads that feel more playful, any social media manager will tell you there’s a thrill in being in the nitty-gritty as a large brand and having that direct relationship with your audience. Especially when someone comments, “You need to give your social media manager a raise.”
Q: How does your role contribute to PRH’s mission to create books for everyone?
My role contributes to our mission because we’re always thinking about what readers need in specific, present moments. We try to ensure that what we’re posting online is culturally relevant, personally resonant, or emotionally resonant. Matching books and content to what people need in that moment is one of the best ways we can connect someone with a book.
We think about how content aligns with emotional, personal, and cultural moments to show how books can support people when they need it most. Through social media, we’re able to speak directly to readers and match books and content to what they’re looking for. We can also see responses and feedback in real time when we put thoughtful strategy behind our content.
Beyond direct book lists, we can also express the PRH brand by highlighting the work PRH does for the greater good. People want to support companies they like and that take action on what matters to their audiences.
A: I’m in the middle of THE CORRESPONDENT, and I’m really loving it. I love hearing from Sybil, the main character. The story follows all parts of life in general: aging, career, family, grief, and finding joy. Sometimes I need a story written from the perspective of an older woman because they have so much wisdom but also can be so witty, wise, and sharp. I love a letter—I’m such a card writer—so a book that’s written in all letters resonates deeply with me.
Learn more about Victoria in our Q&A video below!