4 Takeaways from the Pretty Little Marketer IRL Event

Unless you’ve been living under a rock – or you don’t spend a lot of time in the LinkedIn marketing space – you’ll have heard of Sophie Miller and Pretty Little Marketer. 

Sophie is a freelance social media manager with a passion for inspiring young people and helping them grow in their careers. 

In June 2020, Pretty Little Marketer – or PLM – was born! Since then, Sophie has grown a vast online community of over 200,000 members. She gives tips and advice, runs webinars and provides a huge amount of support to others.

She even ran a #PLMLinkedInChallenge in January, encouraging people to swallow their nerves and start posting on LinkedIn. Along with many others, I took part, using Sophie’s content prompts along the way. I’ve never looked back!

When I saw she was hosting an IRL (in real life) event, I knew I HAD to be there!

So I hopped on the train from Hull to a beautiful venue in London… In truth, I was nervous! This was my first solo in-person networking event in a while and I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

Of course, the PLM community was just as welcoming IRL as they were online! It was fantastic to meet so many enthusiastic and like-minded people – all of us passionate about social media and eager to thrive in our careers.

Sophie hosted a panel of industry inspirations, picking their brains on how marketers can make the most of social media opportunities in 2023. 

  • Natalia Cortazar – Founder & MD of The Good Egg
  • Daisy Morris – Founder of The Selfhood
  • Grace Andrews – Head of Content for Steven Bartlett & The Diary Of A CEO

Key takeaways

It’s hard to pick just a few insights from the event! My fingers ached from speedily typing notes into my phone as the panellists shared their thoughts, feelings and predictions, using real-life examples.

Here are the biggies…

1) TikTok is not everything – it’s about longevity

  • Natalia talked about not putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to social media: “Do we really want to be at the mercy of one platform we have no control over?”
  • Focus on what your client/brand would benefit most from 
  • Creators and advertisers need to branch out and be adaptable, recognise where the value is, and where our strengths and weaknesses are

2) Creative freedom for influencers & content creators

  • Let them do what they do best!
  • Grace talked about how creative freedom is a huge challenge for content creators
  • They know their audience, they know what works – restricting them can be damaging not only to the impact of your content but also to your partnership

3) Embrace the rise of micro-influencers

  • Authenticity – TikTok’s lashgate has boosted demand for more transparency from influencers
  • Big brands are seeking micro-influencers out to help with this
  • Tap into niche interests and communities that are relevant to your products/services – these audiences are hyper-engaged – don’t neglect them!
  • Don’t be afraid to diversify (we’ve seen a fab example of this that we’ll be talking about soon!)

4) Community over audience – know the difference!

  • Daisy explained how some brands think they have a community, but in reality, they have an audience
    • Audiences read newsletters, consume content and likely engage
    • A community is talking about you with their family and friends, is actively seeking you out
  • Building a community is about giving something back – if someone takes the time to engage, don’t ignore them!
    • Natalia said “if you’re trying to sell, it’s an audience. If you’re giving something back, it’s a community”.
    • Share values and feelings, and relate to your audience – don’t sell to them!
  • “Give so much value that people become attached” (Grace)

I was bursting with ideas during the long journey home! I couldn’t stop thinking about ways we can help our clients even more at Iff Digital. 

Also, I couldn’t wait to continue the conversation with the PLM community! 

I’m a big believer in the POWER of conversation. It can welcome you, motivate you, inspire you. 

The PLM community is just one place you can experience this… Use your team, your colleagues, your fellow students. Use your online contacts, your clients, your partners. Find people who share your career or academic interests – learn and grow together. 🫶

by | Feb 21, 2023