While we at So Buzzy prefer creating buzz for brands and organizations, we became the talk of the town ourselves this year. 🙌 For example, there were some agency groups that lunged at us to rope us in. I take this as a compliment because it means we are being noticed, and that’s a big thumbs-up for the hard work of our fantastic team. But in case you are still wondering, we are still going to run our own course in 2024! This does not mean that we will not partner with others with complementary expertise where relevant. Because we do believe in being strong together, but it has to be for the right reasons.

Our growth splurge was also spotted. 👀 The question I was asked the most this year? “How many people are you willing to grow to?” Anyone who reads my New Year’s letter every year will know that my ambition is not to become one of the biggest Belgian agencies in terms of team size. The motivation to consciously grow a little came from the fact that I saw team members leave because they didn’t see any growth opportunities or didn’t have colleagues with the same function to exchange ideas with. I am very loyal myself: I worked at the same bakery every weekend from age 16 to 22, and that workplace felt like my 2nd family to me. I was even asked to join ’the suite’ when my bosses got married. Furthermore, in terms of clients, I prefer to go for long-term collaborations where we really become part of the team, where our clients feel like colleagues and the brands we work for like our babies. I look at our own team with the same glasses: I don’t want a team where colleagues are competitors who stab each other in the back for their own gain. I consider myself lucky to have been able to turn my passion into my job. That is precisely why I like to surround myself with enthusiasts who love their job and who give their all ’together’ to producing strong work for our clients, and who are constantly learning.

A larger team also brings with it increasing responsibility, and that should not be underestimated. Budgets are under pressure everywhere. While everything is getting pricier, companies are demanding more and more for less money. In our industry, I have also recently been hearing more stories about layoffs and bankruptcies. Because of this, I feel that we are only now really starting to feel the effects of the pandemic. So I am very grateful that we currently cannot complain (fingers crossed we can keep it that way!).

So Buzzy also had the pleasure of blowing out 10 candles this year, making it an exceptional year full of memorable moments. Highlights were our birthday party in May and our recent trip with our entire team to the Web Summit in Lisbon (👉 discover our favorite talks here). This brought us even closer together, and I am convinced that this will help us do even better next year because our spirit to thrive is high!

We attended significantly more events this year than the previous 3 years (rather logical too) and that did me personally a lot of good. For example, I taught more live live classes again instead of via video call, I finally went to another VLCM event, and I truly enjoyed running into so many old acquaintances at the BAM Quiz and the BAM Marketing Congress and exchanging views. So that’s also my good intention for next year: continue that trend for myself and for our team, because inspiration doesn’t just come through ChatGPT. 😉 So let’s get social in 2024!

What can you expect from us next year? We are going to revamp our website shortly. Our services have evolved tremendously, and that’s something we want to showcase. For example, unburdening our clients in terms of Content Creation has become a very important pillar on which we are actively focusing. We have our own in-house studio and a lot of nifty equipment. We love to go into the field (and yes, you can take this literally). Our Paid Advertising team has not been sitting still, either. While in the past we only did Social Advertising and SEA, you can now also turn to us for Programmatic Advertising and Direct Media Buying. And of course, you can still count on us for Social Media Strategy, Social Media Management, Influencer Marketing, Ambassador Marketing and Community Management like before.

But before we get back into the rat race that the rapidly evolving social media landscape brings, I want to enjoy the last moments of 2023 and take the opportunity to say thanks! A big thank you to all our clients for the trust they place in us, to our top team for their never-ending dedication and to our network and partners for their support in various ways. This video is for all of you! 🥳 #HappyNewYear