From one café client to 60 brands: The growth of Born Social

When Janelle Warner launched Born Social in 2017, she wasn't thinking about international expansion, offices in New York or managing a team of more than 20 people.

She was focused on helping businesses navigate a marketing channel that was still finding its place in the business world.

At the time, social media was becoming increasingly important, but many business owners didn't know where to start.

"There was a real gap in the market," Janelle said.

"Businesses needed help creating content, whether that was graphics, photography or video, and they simply didn't have time to manage it all themselves."

Like many small businesses, Born Social started with very little.

There were no investors, no large loans and no elaborate launch plans.

"Born Social had no financial backing, but the good thing was we only needed a laptop, camera and internet connection at the beginning," Janelle said.

The agency's first clients included a café, a winery and several shopping centres.

From a small office in Elwood, Janelle worked directly with clients while learning the realities of running a business.

"When a business starts up, you really start with nothing," she said.

"Taking a really small salary at the time and doing some paid work outside of Born Social meant the money could be invested back into the business."

As social media became a core marketing channel for businesses, demand for the agency's services continued to grow.

What began as social media management expanded into photography, videography, influencer marketing, paid advertising, graphic design, SEO and website development.

The business eventually outgrew its original premises and moved into a larger headquarters and production studio in Port Melbourne.

Today, Born Social works with more than 60 brands and employs a team of creative directors, designers, marketers, content creators, photographers and videographers.

Looking back, Janelle says one of the biggest surprises has been how much content marketing has changed.

"The biggest surprise has been watching lo-fi content outperform the big polished shoots so often," she said.

The growth of the business eventually led to one of its biggest milestones.

In 2022, Born Social opened a second office in Brooklyn, New York.

For Janelle, it was a city she had admired for years.

"It had always been a dream of mine to branch out to New York," she said.

"I had fallen in love with the city many years ago. We discovered there was room in the market for our kind of services and just went for it."

The move required a significant investment and a steep learning curve.

Learning the US tax system, establishing business operations and building a team overseas created new challenges, but the demand was there.

Today, the agency serves clients across Australia and the United States, while Melbourne remains firmly at the centre of the business.

"Melbourne is where it all started, and it's shaped everything about how we work," Janelle said.

"There's a creative energy here that's hard to explain until you're in it."

The agency now supports brands across industries including hospitality, health and wellness, fashion, retail and consumer goods.

Some of those businesses have grown alongside Born Social.

"We have seen some of our clients go from small enterprises to large multinationals," Janelle said.

"Those are wins we love to celebrate with them."

While the agency has grown considerably since its early days, Janelle believes the biggest lesson has had little to do with marketing.

"The biggest lesson has been that it's a people business before it's a creative one," she said.

"Great content matters, but the relationships matter more."

For aspiring Melbourne entrepreneurs, her advice is simple.

"It's not easy, but start small," she said.

"Find a niche and do that first. Don't overexpand into too many offerings. Pick what you're best at and focus on that."

Nearly a decade after launching Born Social, Janelle says the goal is not simply growth for growth's sake.

"In five years I'd love for Born Social to be known as one of the best social-first creative agencies across both markets, without ever losing the boutique feel that makes us us," she said.

"Bigger isn't the goal. Better always is."