On February 27, 2019, Animikii’s Digital Communications Strategist Jen Polack hosted a Lunch & Learn at the Songhees Innovation Centre called “How to Run a Successful Campaign on Social Media”. The first of a series of Lunch & Learns scheduled at the Songhees Innovation Centre, the workshop discussed how to successfully implement a social media campaign, use analytics to your advantage, and use best practices for launching, maintaining, and analyzing your social media accounts. The event was also live-streamed for online attendees.

After the Lunch & Learn we caught up with Jen to ask how the workshop went and why she felt it was an important thing to do for Animikii’s Giving Back strategy.

Animikii: Why did you decide to host a Lunch & Learn?

Jen: When I was approached by Sam, the Songhees Innovation Centre’s Coordinator, I was excited at the idea of providing a workshop for the Songhees’ immediate and extended community on something that I not only know a lot about but also am very passionate about. In my mind, the Lunch & Learn was a way for me to give back to the community in my own unique way.

Animikii: What did you speak about?

Jen: We started out by discussing campaigns for social media and some strategies on how to make them successful. What was interesting was how the conversation organically shifted to campaigns focussed on Indigenous content and how to come up with content, identify the audience, and manage online communities.

Animikii: What part of the event did you find the most impactful?

Jen: For any speaking event, I always find that the most impactful thing is hearing back from people who attended after the event. In this case, I was able to develop a dialogue with the people that attended that went beyond the content of the Lunch & Learn. It was also a great opportunity to interact with and strengthen the already robust community at the Songhees Innovation Centre and it was also an opportunity to share our expertise with each other in a friendly and organic way.

Animikii: Why do you think it’s important for organizations like Animikii to reach out to the community in this kind of capacity?

Jen: To me, you’re only as good as the people you work with. I am lucky enough to share my workspace at the Songhees Innovation Centre with so many talented entrepreneurs and organizations outside of Animikii so hosting this Lunch & Learn was a great way to continue building our community. It also allowed me to say thank you to my coworkers at the Songhees Innovation Centre for their love, support, and camaraderie since I was hired in August.

Animikii: Which of the 7 Sacred Teachings do you think was most expressed at the event?

Jen: Definitely Love. Without a doubt. Doing this Lunch & Learn was a way for me to express my Love to my office family and they show me a remarkable amount of Love every day I come into the office. The Lunch & Learn felt almost like sitting around the dinner table with your family, except instead of discussing how each other’s day way was we chatted about social media campaigns.

Jen’s Lunch & Learn is adapted from her workshop presentation “Social Media for Social Enterprises”. If you are interested in having Jen speak at your event or gathering please fill out our impact page. To find out more about other workshops Animikii offers, visit our Workshops page.