Carma Levene, Head of Social, So Media Group
A marketing professional passionate about digital and content, Carma is the quintessential marketing nerd and loves nothing more than exploring the infinite possibilities of social media marketing.
In her 11 years as a marketer, her clients have spanned many industries, and she's worked alongside solopreneurs, international marketing agencies, SMBs, NFPs and government departments.
Carma is an Australian Marketing Institute CPM (Certified Practising Marketer) on the Australian Marketing Institute's Western Australian Committee. She's most at home in the hospitality, events and tourism niche after her previous career running some of Perth's best-known hotels.
Carma confidently walks the breadth of the marketing gambit – from strategy, implementation, analysis and optimisation of both organic and paid social media content and loves nothing more than pulling all the pieces together to go beyond brand awareness and make an impact on the bottom line.
This passion for social media marketing led to Carma's ongoing relationship with Edith Cowan University as a Seasonal Academic, tutoring Social Media Marketing students under the School of Business and Law in Joondalup.
She co-founded The Marketer, a digital marketing publication focused on local campaigns, an event series called Grill The Marketer, and an accompanying podcast. In addition, she's been published across the globe as a subject matter expert in Facebook Advertising and Social Media Strategy, most notably by Social Media Examiner – the world's largest digital marketing publisher.
Carma loves to problem solve and is always dreaming up new ways she can help her clients reach their goals via smart marketing strategy and flawless execution.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Personally, LinkedIn. I find it's where I am most at home, and my newsfeed is most representative of my day-to-day looks.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
My business was acquired in August 2021 by So Media Group (the entity behind Maverick Social) after six years of running my own social media marketing business.
We've just acquired another marketing agency, so my world's been very full onboarding our new clients - and although I work across the marketing spectrum now, my special subject is definitely social media marketing strategy and Meta advertising.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
It's always different. I get bored easily, so working on social suits me. There's no one size fits all - no answer that'll work the same across different clients, verticals, audiences, regions, stages of awareness etc.
So it keeps me challenged. Not to mention how much the platforms change in such short periods of time!
What is the best advice you have ever received?
A smart man once told me, "your best customer is your worst customer", and at the time, I wasn't really sure what he meant, but it's stayed with me for over 20 years, and I think about it often.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
What inspires me is the conversations and curiosity of our industry - especially in the young people coming through. I like spending as much time as possible with them, soaking up their wonder and outlook.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
That I get to live my life on my own terms, I've been around long enough now that I know exactly who I am and who I'm not. And that can mean I'm not for everyone or every project - and that's ok. That just means they're perfect for someone else.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
Over drinks! Is that a trick question?
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I think what's helped me in marketing is that it's my second career. I've been in management and run businesses before - which means I can understand the client's POV. I think more marketers should have business experience - it'll help them ask the right questions.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That you didn't need to use the industry jargon to sound smart.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
An actual person? Melanie Perkins from Canva. She's from my home town, and she created something missing from the market and made a mint, of which she's been very generous about giving back by supporting community groups, educators and causes.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Hobbies - I am pretty knowledgeable about gin and love to taste new ones, especially if they're local.
I also crochet - pretty badly, to be honest. But as far as things of importance, I believe in gender and racial equality, affordable housing, tax reform, and addressing the climate emergency.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
I'd say both. In March 2020, I basically lost all my clients. And I was rebuilding and more in demand than ever when I was approached to be acquired and offered a role at So Media Group, which started me down a whole new trajectory.
I think COVID has affected everyone's business, even if just from the standpoint of people's attitude to how they spend their time.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Not officially, but when I first started working in marketing, I was interning with a team of people to whom I really looked up to. I'm still in contact with many of them today (one is the founder of So Media Group), and I do my best to make sure I'm available to students in my network to ask for advice, talk through challenges, etc.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Do it. What have you got to lose? Also - network.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Hummmm, tough one. Probably bad leadership makes people the most miserable and undervalued and would contribute to a decision to give up.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I recently saw on LinkedIn that Salesforce is offering to relocate any of its US staff who might need to access abortion treatments out of their home states if it's made illegal there. I thought that was a solid move to make their employees feel valued and understood.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success is being happy and having time and capacity in your life to do things you enjoy with people you love. I think COVID helped us realise success isn't a linear series of promotions.