This week’s Wednesday Wisdom comes from Annie‑Mai Hodge, founder of Girl Power Marketing – a social media agency and global community created to support women, girls and allies who want to build a career in marketing without traditional barriers.
Annie‑Mai launched Girl Power Marketing nearly six years ago, inspired by her own non‑linear route into the industry, determined to challenge the idea that a degree was the only route to success. What began as an honest, publicly documented Instagram journey in 2020 quickly grew into something far bigger. Today, Girl Power Marketing is both a social media agency and a thriving community of over 480,000 people.
For Annie‑Mai, successful event content isn’t about hacks or viral formulas. Instead, it’s rooted in understanding data, testing ideas and truly knowing your audience. She encourages organisers to analyse what actually stops people scrolling and to experiment across different platforms and industries to find what works for them.
Her key advice is to treat events as the starting point – not the end. Capturing behind‑the‑scenes moments helps audiences feel involved, while thoughtful post‑event content extends the narrative long after the doors close. With clear planning and intention, one event can fuel weeks of meaningful, high‑impact content.
What’s the purpose behind Girl Power Marketing – and who is it here to support?
“I created Girl Power Marketing (GPM) nearly six years ago to show people that you didn’t need a degree to get into marketing. I suffered from anorexia as a late teen, which meant that I dropped out of college and didn’t go to university as I had once hoped because I needed to focus on getting better. For a long while, I thought I wouldn’t be able to have a career because it’s so drilled into you at school that you need to go to university or do an apprenticeship to get anywhere – which, obviously, isn’t the case.
After a bit of luck, and marketing nepotism, my mum got me a job at the marketing agency she worked at. And I worked my way up through that company before launching Girl Power Marketing’s Instagram page in 2020, within the first month, it grew to 1,000 followers – so I knew that this was a much-needed space. It’s grown from a publicly documented personal journey to a social media agency, and a community of 480k+ to help more women, girls and allies get into marketing, regardless of whether they’ve just left school, or they’re making a pivot in their career.”
What’s your go-to hook for an event post that stops the scroll?
“I actually don’t have one, there’s no hack, or silver bullet. All you can do is look at the data including your own, competitors and brands outside of your niche. Think about how much content you scroll past on a daily basis vs. what actually makes you stop and click “see more” – what do all of those hooks have in common? Because it’ll be different for every industry, niche and audience. So, for my clients, I keep it really simple and write all of this down in an Excel Sheet and then it’s time to test, which is the fun part – then you get tangible data on what works for you.”
Reels, Stories or Carousels – what works best for events right now (and why)?
“I hate to be that person but all of them because they serve a different purpose. Reels are a great tool for reaching non-followers, Carousels + Stories are amazing for nurturing existing followers. And remember: Carousels can be served in the Reels feed if you add music to them which is such a good way to make your content work harder for you.”
What behind-the-scenes moments should organisers always capture?
“BTS content is the best way to make your audience feel like they’re involved in the whole process, and you want them to feel like they have a backstage pass to your event, seeing things that they wouldn’t ordinarily see: setting up and preparation, how to keep things running smoothly, what people are doing backstage, mini mic interviews, etc.”
How do you turn one event into weeks of content after it’s over?
“The biggest mistake people make is treating the event as the end product. The socials go quiet and they don’t show up again until next year. But the event is actually where your narrative starts. How you approach it post-event really depends on the industry. A festival is selling FOMO. You want the people who missed it to feel it, and the people who were there to relive it every time something hits their feed. A business conference is completely different. There you’re taking sessions and turning them into tangible insights, mini masterclasses, something that keeps you relevant as an industry resource long after the doors close.
But honestly, it all comes down to planning, and you have to work backwards. Know what content you want to post after the event, what goals you’re serving, what signals you’re trying to send, and build your shoot plan around that. When you do it that way, the day itself becomes so much easier to execute.”
Follow the Annie-Mai & Girl Power Marketing on both Instagram and Facebook for more amazing insights and tips to help you with your upcoming events in Norfolk.
