From Kate’s POV
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend State of Social, Australia’s largest digital marketing conference, held at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
I was one of 700 eager marketers in the crowd, soaking up the insightful workshops, listening to inspiring keynote speakers and chugging multiple free coffees (not to mention the tasty breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea!)
I’m starting my career, and it was eye-opening to hear from experienced marketers about the current digital marketing climate.
Here are my top five takeaways and learnings from #StateofSocial23.
Don’t be afraid of AI
A hot topic on everyone’s lips was artificial intelligence and how it could affect the future of marketing.
Ryan Bodger and Bob Connelly from the creative agency Now We Collide hosted a workshop called ‘The Threats and Thrills of AI in Marketing’, and they showed us how quickly new innovative video and still advertisements can be whipped up using AI.
The team left us with this quote, “AI won’t take your job, but your job could be taken by someone who’s using AI better than you.”
AI will inevitably be used more in marketing, but instead of throwing our hands up in exasperation, why not embrace it and learn more about this technology? Because at the end of the day, if we don’t embrace its possibilities, someone else will.
Everyday people usually work just as well as the big, shiny influencers
Mel Ho from LADbible hosted a workshop on branded content and shared a few nuggets of wisdom about seamlessly incorporating branded content into your channels.
A few standout quotes from her included:
“When it comes to content creation, always remember everyday people work just as well as the big shiny influencers.”
She reminded us that when filming branded content, sometimes ‘regular’ people can help tell your brand story just as well as expensive influencers. Plus, they are usually up for anything!
“Forget that you work in media; would you actually consume the content you are putting out in the space?”
It’s essential to take a step back to consider whether we would click or engage with the content we produce. What is the purpose of the content? Does it meet a strategy, or are we just pumping out content for the sake of it?
Microbatch your content
Krya Goodman from Sked Social hosted a workshop on creating quality content in record time, and one of her tips was to micro-batch your content rather than mass-produce it.
“To ensure your content stays relevant and so that you don’t get content fatigue, try creating in smaller batches,” she recommended.
This idea is particularly relevant for short-form videos such as Reels and TikToks. Social media moves quickly, and new trends always pop up, so making content a week in advance rather than months can benefit your engagement.
Brands need to get real about DE
In a world where brands use well-meaning but mostly hollow diversity and inclusion gestures, it’s essential to incorporate genuine diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into marketing.
Tess Palmyre hosted a workshop on the importance of DEI and informed us what it stood for:
- Diversity = Using a mix of people with varying identities who are trusted and accountable for those they represent.
- Equity = Adjusting for systemic barriers and individual needs so everyone can thrive equally.
- Inclusion = A felt environment where people – regardless of who they are – feel safe, welcome, understood, and appreciated so that they can be their true, authentic selves.
Tess said inclusivity shouldn’t be a one-off thing; it must be considered part of your brand and its purpose.
Work-life balance is of the utmost importance
Julian Pace from Happiness Co reminded us of the importance of prioritising our mental health and that the one key ingredient that causes us to suffer is neglect – neglect in our relationships, health, career and finances.
It was refreshing to hear about the ins and outs of marketing at State of Social and how important it is to look after ourselves and the people around us at work and home.
Julian left us with a thought-provoking question. He asked, “Every single person makes a difference in the world, but the question is, are you making a good one or not?”
