Meet the Team: Will
In this edition of our Meet the Team series, we meet Community Manager Will Barber. When you partner with Quiip you get the opportunity to work with a team of 24 wonderful community and social media managers. All whom bring their own fascinating stories, lives, insights and experience to the hive mind.
When did you join Quiip, and what led you to Quiip?
March, 2021. I’d known of Quiip for ages, and admired the really progressive business model and B Corp membership. I was working a few different freelance gigs and looking to add some variety, and the timing just worked out.
What were some of your prior roles?
Lots of social and digital gigs. I was at Clemenger BBDO for a couple of years, and a few other agency roles before I packed it in and moved to the beach for a lifestyle change. Since then, lots of contract work and some fun times in tourism and higher education.
What are some of your favourite places on the internet?
I tend to aggregate news and interests through apps or newsletters these days – news, music, sport and surfing stuff – then there’s Reddit, for a bit of wholesome weirdness.
When did you join Quiip, and what led you to Quiip?
March, 2021. I’d known of Quiip for ages, and admired the really progressive business model and B Corp membership. I was working a few different freelance gigs and looking to add some variety, and the timing just worked out.
What were some of your prior roles?
Lots of social and digital gigs. I was at Clemenger BBDO for a couple of years, and a few other agency roles before I packed it in and moved to the beach for a lifestyle change. Since then, lots of contract work and some fun times in tourism and higher education.
What are some of your favourite places on the internet?
I tend to aggregate news and interests through apps or newsletters these days – news, music, sport and surfing stuff – then there’s Reddit, for a bit of wholesome weirdness.
What are the current client projects you work on?
Currently working on ME Bank, Hungry Jacks and StreetSmarts.
What project/client stands out and why do you enjoy it?
I enjoy the variety of all the clients, and its interesting having a first hand look at how some major industries are going about social media and content strategy.
Are there any brand communities or social media that you really love?
I’m a member of some great music and sport discord communities, but broadly tend to keep myself off social media these days. If I ever need a fix of animals enjoying chiropractic treatment or surrealist Gen Z comedy, there’s always TikTok.
What does flexible work enable you to get up to outside of work?
More work, haha. But also a little long-boarding, cooking and hanging out with my dogs.
What is something quirky or interesting about you?
There’s a story about a night of natural wine and an exploding portaloo, but this is hardly the place.
What do you think the future of social media and/or community management holds?
The impact of quality community building remains enormous, but perennially undervalued.
Facebook jumped the shark long ago, and Twitter’s being well, Twitter. In the midst of this, there seems to be a public desire for more discrete, authentic platform experiences. Effectively managed online forums and owned communities remain such powerful spaces for interaction, education, support and engagement. Commercially, it’s still hard to beat social media for cheap reach, but increasing privacy restrictions and a laughable lack of transparency means advertisers will keep exploring alternative avenues. Meanwhile, YouTube, TikTok and assorted subscription platforms prove that we still love watching each other be silly/sexy/cool (depending on your perspective) and if you’re clever about branding and product definition, you can make a serious living as a content creator.
Do you have a question for Will or the Quiip team? Get in touch with questions: info@quiip.com.au If you’re interested in joining Quiip please check out our jobs page. Check out the rest of the Meet the Team series on our blog.