Draft:Willow (social media management tool)
Submission declined on 19 June 2025 by CanonNi (talk).
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Kjellvdv (talk) 07:34, 19 June 2025 (UTC)
Willow, formerly known as Contento, is a Belgian software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that provides social media coaching and an AI-assisted social media management platform for small and medium-sized B2B service providers. The company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, and targets users such as legal firms, HR consultancies, and financial service professionals who aim to improve their online visibility.
History
[edit]Willow was originally founded in 2018 under the name Contento. Co-founders Steven Van Kerkhoven and Ludwig Dumont had the goal of simplifying social media for professionals who lacked the time or expertise to manage it themselves. In 2020, the company underwent a significant rebranding and adopted the name Willow[1], signaling a shift from a content-scheduling tool to a more comprehensive AI-powered platform.
The company is part of the imec.istart accelerator program[2], which supports early-stage Belgian tech ventures, and has been recognized as a promising startup within the Flemish entrepreneurial ecosystem[2]. Willow also secured funding from investors including Smartfin and the Flemish government investment arm PMV, raising €1.5 million in 2021 to expand its AI capabilities and scale its operations.[3][4]
In 2022, Willow entered into a partnership with OptiTrade, a purchasing organization for opticians and audiologists.[5] Later, they've also launched initiatives in partnership with Telenet in Belgium[6] and KPN in the Netherlands.
In 2024, Koen Verstrepen joined Willow as a late co-founder and CTO, while Steven left his position as COO. This induced a renewed effort to integrate AI in the product. It eventually led to the launch of an entirely new AI-product called Will. Will is a social media app without interface. It works entirely in WhatsApp.[7] That means Will is like a virtual contact, you can chat with this AI agent, as you would with a friend or colleague[8].
Position in the Market
[edit]Willow targets small to midsize professional service firms, such as accountants, consultants, and legal practices, that typically lack internal marketing resources. It positions itself as an alternative to both digital marketing agencies and in-house hires by offering an affordable, time-efficient solution. It's uniqueness lies in the hybrid approach of social media coaching and a social media management platform[9].
Platform and Services
[edit]Willow offers users a combination of tools and coaching sessions to support social media management. Its core features include AI-generated post suggestions, content scheduling, analytics dashboards, curated news feeds, and topical social media calendars. It supports social network integrations for X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
To supplement its automated features, Willow also provides access to human social media coaches. These coaches offer feedback, content strategy support, and one-on-one guidance. According to the company, this hybrid approach helps clients maintain an authentic and consistent online presence.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Hoe Contento vervelde tot Willow en een scale-up werd: "Je eigen chaotische persoonlijkheid mag niet bepalen hoe je bedrijf verder groeit"". Bloovi (in Dutch). 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ a b "Contento". www.imecistart.com. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "Belgium-based Willow raises €1.5M to make social media marketing accessible to SMBs; here's how - Silicon Canals". siliconcanals.com. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ De Preter, Wim (28 July 2021). "PMV en Smartfin stappen in socialemediamanager willow". De Tijd. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Willow en Optitrade gaan samenwerking aan voor social media-beheer…". DVO (in Flemish). Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Hens, Joshi (2023-03-13). "Willow partnership with Telenet Business". Cresco. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Van Espen, Roel (2024-11-04). "Willow lanceert virtuele socialemedia-assistent". Trends Kanaal Z (in Flemish). Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ strategie.agency. "Media Marketing | News | Willow presenteert virtuele social media assistant Will". www.mm.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Van Steenkiste, Matthieu (2020-12-11). "Starter van de week: Willow helpt dienstverleners met hun sociale media". Data News (in Flemish). Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ "The best social media tool for B2B service providers". Willow. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
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