Launched four years ago in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Life Like Media is the brainchild of brothers Paul and Jack Kennedy, designed to meet the demand for innovative ad creative solutions in the digital commerce space. The agency specializes in partnering with direct-to-consumer product brands, providing a comprehensive suite of services that includes the creation of photos, videos, and user-generated content aimed at scaling brands on social media platforms.

Life Like Media was created out of a desire to revolutionize the way content is utilized in digital marketing. As a content creator deeply embedded in the events industry—creating compelling videos for clubs, restaurants, and various events—Paul observed a significant gap in how his content was being used by his clients. “I noticed that the content I handed over wasn’t being utilized effectively. They might post it once on Facebook, and then it just vanished into the ether. It felt like a waste of my creativity and their resources,” he recounts.

This observation led Paul down a path of exploration and innovation. “I started to see the potential of not just creating content, but also guiding its journey, ensuring it reached the right eyes and drove the desired action,” Paul explains. “From what I was seeing in the industry, there was a clear need for a more strategic approach to content marketing, one that didn’t just create content but also ensured it performed.

And that is what led me to paid ads”, Paul says. This pivot was not just about changing the focus of his work; it was about redefining the value of content in digital marketing. “What we’ve built with Life Like Media Marketing is not just an agency; it’s a mission to show the world how content can truly drive commerce, one campaign at a time,” Paul proudly states.

Fostering Authenticity and Impact: Life Like Media’s Collaborative Blueprint

“Our approach hinges on utilizing creators for their genuine affinity with products, rather than solely their follower count, since we run paid content, we are looking for creativity, skill and connection over the audience at this stage.” Paul begins. “This philosophy of authentic connection between creator and product is paramount,” he explains. 

Paul highlights the critical gap that Life Like Media seeks to bridge, “While creators excel in crafting visually stunning videos, there’s often a missing link to the marketing fundamentals that are crucial for selling the product, he states.

“We address this by introducing marketing frameworks that creators incorporate into their work, ensuring the content not only captivates but also convinces the audience of the product’s value, leading to increased sales,” he adds.

Paul believes that a key element in Life Like Media Marketing’s approach is the encouragement for creators to overshoot. “We tell them, ‘Go crazy. There are no bad shots or wrong clips.’ This openness leads to a wealth of content that can be transformed into a diverse array of impactful materials when we take it back to the editing suite”, he shares. 

Life Like Media’s Data-Driven Approach

For Life Like Media, data is not just a tool but the backbone of its strategy. Paul views the landscape as one where “data-driven decisions are paramount.” Before any creative work begins, the team dives into historical data to understand what resonates with the target audience, from buyer personas to effective messaging angles. 

Paul introduces the concept of a “creative feedback loop,” a continuous cycle of creation, analysis, and iteration. “We’re in a constant state of evolution, using real-time data to refine our strategies and produce variations of the most successful ads,” he says. 

But Life Like Media doesn’t keep these insights to themselves. They believe in empowering both their clients and their creators with data, providing regular reports that highlight what’s working and what’s not. “Our creative strategists analyze the data daily, enabling us to quickly identify winning strategies and pivot away from less effective ones,” Paul notes. 

Paul is particularly passionate about the impact of this data on creators. “Access to data sets our creators apart, giving them a competitive edge in understanding the metrics behind successful engagement and conversions,” he asserts. 

Transforming Brands with Creative Insights: A Success Story

Paul recounts a memorable campaign centered around a seemingly ordinary product — a wallet. The initial promotional efforts focused on male-centric imagery and messaging, a traditional approach given the product. However, it was the strategic pivot to include a female perspective that exemplified Life Like Media’s creative agility.

“We had this idea to showcase the wallet from a female’s point of view, inspired by a trending topic on TikTok,” Paul explains. This fresh angle portrayed a girlfriend lamenting her boyfriend’s bulky wallet, only to introduce the sleek, slim alternative offered by the brand. This narrative not only tapped into current social media trends but also broadened the product’s appeal.

“The client was local enough to join us for a strategy session right here in our office. We brainstormed with our creators and project managers, drawing out new ideas and concepts, which the client immediately greenlit,” Paul shares. The impact of this campaign on the brand was nothing short of transformative. “We grew them from $30,000 a month to $300,000 a month in sales,” he reveals, showcasing the significant financial uplift resulting from the agency’s strategic content innovations and data-driven refinements. 

Addressing the Creator Economy’s Hurdles

Paul is candid about the creator economy’s largest hurdle: its low barrier to entry. This accessibility, while democratizing, leads to market saturation and variable quality in content creation. “The saturation means there are more creators than demand, which poses risks for brands investing in UGC or content” he observes. However, Paul also sees this as an opportunity for motivated individuals to quickly ascend to greatness with the right guidance, drive, and resources.

Life Like Media’s response to this challenge is multifaceted and nurturing. Through initiatives like the “The Creator Call”,  a Saturday morning virtual hangout with expert creatives teaching the latest skills, or the wealth of free educational content on platforms like Instagram, the agency aims to elevate the skill set of the broader creator community.

“Our goal is to help creators transition from zero to hero, enhancing their understanding of essential marketing principles and the art of storytelling,” Paul shares. This educational approach aims to improve content quality across the board, benefiting creators, brands, and the overall health of the creator economy.

Cultivating Sustainability in the Creator Economy

Paul highlights a common inefficiency within the creator economy—brands cycling through multiple creators in pursuit of satisfactory results, incurring unnecessary expenses and effort.

“Imagine hiring a creator for £500, only to find their output doesn’t meet your needs, prompting a search for another, and perhaps another. It’s a cycle that’s neither efficient nor sustainable,” he explains. The solution, according to Paul, lies in investing in high-quality creators from the outset. This not only ensures a better return on investment (ROI) for brands but also promotes a more sustainable model of engagement.

“When a creator invests time in honing their craft, they position themselves as valuable partners for brands, potentially securing steady work and moving beyond the constant hunt for one-off projects,” Paul shares. Life Like Media itself practices what it preaches by directly hiring talented creators and offering them full-time positions.

“Our approach moves creators from being seen as commodities to being recognized as high-value partners. This shift is crucial for building a sustainable creator economy, where quality and efficiency are prioritized,” Paul asserts.

Fostering Synergy: The Creator-Brand Partnership 

Paul believes that creators should not only be receptive to feedback but also actively request it. “Asking smart questions and showing willingness to create variations based on performance data can significantly enhance the relationship with the brand,” Paul states. This approach not only demonstrates a creator’s commitment to excellence but also positions them as an educated and valuable partner. 

On the flip side, Paul advocates for brands and agencies to acknowledge the professional nature of creators’ work. This recognition involves moving beyond viewing the high-quality creators as interchangeable commodities and instead valuing their unique contributions. “It’s essential for brands to understand the time, energy, and creativity that creators invest in their work.

Offering fair compensation and resisting the urge to minimize costs at the expense of quality can attract higher-caliber creators,” he advises. Moreover, Paul suggests that brands should be open to initial collaborations with emerging creators at a lower cost or even pro bono, as a means to discover new talent and foster growth.

Central to Paul’s philosophy is the feedback loop, an iterative process of creation, evaluation, and refinement that benefits both creators and brands. “Maintaining an open channel for feedback and incorporating creators’ insights about the product can lead to unexpected improvements and innovations,” he notes. 

Empowering the Creator Economy: Life Like Media’s Vision and Guidance

Paul emphasizes Life Like Media’s role in educating creators to think like marketers, a crucial skill set in today’s digital landscape. “Think Like a Marketer, Build Like a Creative” encapsulates the company’s ethos, offering free weekly sessions to impart valuable marketing frameworks and principles to creators. “By coaching and pulling up the next generation, we’re not just being altruistic; we’re also nurturing talents that will ultimately support our efforts and the broader industry,” he explains.

For brands and creators alike, Paul’s advice is to deepen their understanding of marketing principles and the psychology behind effective advertising. He presents two paths: mastering direct response advertising or specializing in the platform’s organic virality and trends. Paul encourages leveraging unique strengths, such as humor, to stand out.

As for the future, Paul outlines a vision of growth and partnership. “There’s an abundance of opportunities for those ready to upskill and apply themselves. Engaging with our content and learning from our data could very well lead to rewarding collaborations,” he says, highlighting the company’s open invitation to potential collaborators seeking to make a mark in the creator economy.