Mike Burton
Digital Content Director & Social Publishing Expert
Michael Burton is a Leeds-based digital content director with more than a decade of experience leading editorial and branded content for social-first publishers. He served as Head of Content and later Chief Content Officer at The Hook Media Group from 2014 to 2020, overseeing a youth entertainment publisher that reached hundreds of millions of fans monthly and was named the UK's #1 Content Studio at the British Media Awards. He also held a Social Lead role at LADbible Group, one of the world's largest social publishers.
About Mike Burton
Michael Burton is a digital content director whose career has been defined by a talent for building audiences at scale and creating original content that resonates with young, social-native readers. A graduate of Leeds Beckett University with a degree in Business Studies, Burton has spent his career at the forefront of social publishing, combining editorial instincts with commercial strategy.
Burton’s most prominent chapter came at The Hook Media Group, the London-based social-first youth publisher he joined at its launch in 2014. Over six years, he rose from Head of Content to Chief Content Officer, overseeing all editorial output and branded content as the platform grew to entertain tens of millions of fans. Under his leadership, The Hook won 25 awards over two years, including being named the UK’s Number One Content Studio at the British Media Awards — a recognition that placed it ahead of major international competitors. Burton also led The Hook’s brand partnerships and public-facing communications, including speaking on behalf of the company at Cision industry events and webinars.
He also held a Social Lead position at LADbible Group, one of the world’s largest social publishers, reaching hundreds of millions of monthly users across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This experience gave Burton deep expertise in what makes content work across formats, platforms, and audience segments — from organic social to branded campaigns.
His digital product growth experience, developed through content strategy and audience development roles, rounds out a profile that spans creative leadership, analytics, and editorial operations. At National Today, Burton brings that social-publishing acumen to holiday and lifestyle content, combining storytelling craft with an instinct for what audiences actually want to share and engage with.