WHY DIFY SOCIAL?
An experienced, practical marketing partner for established business owners.
Since 2012, Dify Social has helped more than 550 businesses, sole traders, sporting clubs and community organisations establish, manage and protect their online presence.
We provide do-it-for-you social media marketing for established business owners who want to attract and retain more business — without adding another marketing job to their week.
Dify Social combines university-qualified marketing knowledge with more than a decade of hands-on social media experience and a practical understanding of how small businesses actually operate.
We don't believe in generic social media formulas, chasing every new trend or making business owners learn another complicated piece of software.
We believe your online presence should support the reputation you've already worked hard to build.
STEVE'S STORY: A CAREER RE-CREATION
Dify Social founder Steve Hubbard's path into social media marketing wasn't quite the career he originally planned.
After completing undergraduate studies in Sport & Recreation, Steve spent almost two decades working in recreation, sport and local government. His career took him from being Cable Beach Club's first Guest Activities Officer in Broome, to a recreation role at King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia, a stint at Dulwich Baths in London, recreation management in Kwinana and more than a decade as Recreation & Culture Manager with the City of Rockingham during a period of significant growth.
In October 2007, Steve left family and friends in Western Australia and moved to Melbourne, where he worked in leisure policy and planning with the City of Brimbank. Having experienced both the rewarding and more challenging sides of local government, by 2010 he was ready for another direction.
Steve returned to university to complete a Master of Marketing at Monash University, initially thinking the qualification might lead to a career in sports marketing. A social media marketing unit in 2011 helped change that direction.
At the same time, Steve continued working within the leisure industry while studying, developing practical business skills that would prove particularly useful later — including preparing professional proposals, presenting recommendations clearly and turning strategy into practical action.
In 2012, Steve's existing West2East Recreation sole trader business effectively became a career Re-Creation, as he moved from sport and recreation into social media marketing consulting.
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA START-UP TO DIFY SOCIAL
From 2013 to 2017, Steve created, developed and ultimately exited qubeSocial, while building hands-on experience with businesses across a wide range of industries.
During the 2013/14 NBL season, he also worked on social media for the Melbourne Tigers, before they became Melbourne United, during their push to fill what is now John Cain Arena on a run to the finals.
But most of Steve's social media career has been built much closer to the ground.
Over the years, he has worked with hundreds of owner-operated businesses, professional services firms, trades, retailers, sporting organisations and community groups — many coming through business networks, referrals and long-term relationships.
Those experiences have shaped what Dify Social is today: a practical marketing service for established business owners who are good at what they do, but don't necessarily want to spend their own time managing social media.
TELL YOUR STORY
In 2023, to mark more than a decade working in social media marketing, Steve sat down with Pat Panetta from Tell Your Story Media to reflect on the journey from recreation and marketing studies to building Dify Social.
Listen to or watch Steve's Local Marketing Leaders interview → https://youtu.be/4QG_W-7PkyY
WHAT MAKES THE DIFY APPROACH DIFFERENT?
Established business owners choose Dify Social because we combine strategic marketing knowledge with practical, hands-on execution.
- University-qualified marketing
Steve holds a Master of Marketing from Monash University, helping ensure Dify Social's recommendations are grounded in marketing principles rather than simply following the latest social media trend.
- 14+ years of practical social media experience
Social media platforms have changed enormously since 2012. Dify Social has evolved with them while keeping the focus on what matters — helping businesses remain visible, credible and connected with their customers and communities.
- Local roots, Australia-wide capability
Based in Footscray in Melbourne's inner west, Dify Social is strongly connected to the local business, sporting and community environment while supporting businesses across Australia.
- Digital Asset Care
We don't just think about what gets posted. We help businesses protect the digital assets they rely on, including administrator access, Google Business Profiles and social media accounts.
- Do-it-for-you execution
From set-up and planning through to content, scheduling, monitoring and advertising support, Dify Social can take the ongoing workload off your desk.
EXPERIENCE BUILT IN THE REAL WORLD
Dify Social has provided social media marketing, consulting, set-up and management services for 550+ businesses and organisations since 2012.
That experience has included independent and franchise businesses, professional services, trades, retailers, sporting organisations, community groups, branches of a major bank and a national sporting team.
More importantly, much of Dify Social's growth has come through referrals, repeat business and established business networks.
That means we understand businesses where reputation matters — and where social media needs to reinforce the trust already built through years of good work.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Steve's 2014 Sky News Business interview provides a snapshot of the social media landscape at the time - and how long Dify Social has been working in it.
While platforms and tactics have evolved considerably since then, many of the fundamentals remain remarkably consistent: helping businesses stay visible, build relationships and connect with customers through the channels they use.
Facebook, now Meta (with Facebook Ads, Instagram and WhatsApp), and Google+ - now Google Business Profile, including Google Maps - remain central to the online presence of many businesses, alongside newer and evolving social media channels.
GROWING TEAM DIFY
Dify Social has also been a place for emerging marketers to gain practical experience and build their careers.
Adrian joined Dify Social as an intern in 2017, with Siri and Kaitlin later joining as casual marketers. After completing the Franchise Simply program and preparing to launch a Dify Social franchise model in early 2020, COVID-19 changed those plans almost overnight.
Instead, Steve shifted direction and recruited marketing graduates to work casually with Dify Social. More than 1,100 people applied through LinkedIn, 24 were interviewed and 11 Dify Marketers were engaged. While the model didn't ultimately develop as originally envisaged, many of those marketers went on to build careers with marketing agencies and larger organisations - making the experience something of a win-win.
PROTECT → BUILD → GROW
Dify Social simplifies social media marketing around a practical three-stage pathway:
PROTECT — Secure and maintain the digital assets your business relies on.
BUILD — Establish a professional, consistent online presence that reflects your business.
GROW — Stay visible and connected with customers, prospects and referral partners through ongoing social media marketing.
Whether you need help protecting what you've already built, professionally setting up your online presence or taking ongoing social media management off your desk, Dify Social can provide the appropriate level of support.
Explore Dify Set-Ups, Dify Strategy and Dify Management to find the right level of support for your business
LOCAL BUSINESS. REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS
Dify Social may work online, but we're very much connected to the real world.
Steve has lived and worked in Melbourne's west for many years and remains actively involved in local business, community and sporting networks.
His background in sport and recreation has never entirely disappeared either. Alongside Dify Social, Steve has remained involved in major Melbourne sporting events and the racing industry, as well as community and junior sport.
That combination of business, marketing, sport and community involvement helps keep Dify Social grounded in the environments where clients actually operate.
Fun fact: When Steve returned to university to complete his Master of Marketing, he also obtained his security licence specifically so he could remain connected to elite sport while changing careers. That decision led to event security work across major sporting venues and events - and occasionally brought his two working worlds together, with Dify Social also providing social media services for SECUREcorp.
DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
The best measure of Dify Social's work is what clients and business partners say about their experience.
Dify Social has accumulated more than 100 first-party reviews and testimonials from businesses and organisations across a wide range of industries.
From restoring access to important digital assets through to ongoing social media management, strategy, training and support, those reviews reflect the practical assistance Dify Social has provided over many years.
READ OUR TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS
IS DIFY SOCIAL RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Dify Social is particularly suited to established business owners who have already built a good business and reputation, but whose online presence may not fully reflect it.
If much of your business comes through referrals, repeat customers and established relationships — and you'd rather have an experienced professional take responsibility for your social media than add it to your own to-do list — take a look at Who We Help.
WHO WE HELP
READY TO TAKE SOCIAL MEDIA OFF YOUR TO-DO LIST?
Your online presence should support the reputation you've spent years building — not consume the spare time you've earned.
Whether you need to Protect, Build or Grow, book a chat with Steve to discuss where your business is now and the right level of Dify Social support.