It’s Thursday, aka Friday Jr. And it’s starting to feel like fall here in the Midwest, which means I’m busting out the leggings, sweaters, oversized cardigans, and my heated blanket.

Today I have something very important I’d like to discuss, and that’s the BIG misconceptions I see constantly about the role of a social media manager.

Truth is, this position isn’t what it was 3 years ago. Hell, it’s not the same position it was 12 months ago. But still, so many hold onto the lies that really weigh down and hold back the people in this profession, myself included.

So, I thought we’d have a little fun by playing my version of the popular icebreaker game “3 truths & a lie”, except I’m calling it “3 lies & a truth” to debunk some of the myths surrounding the role of a social media manager.

Let’s play!

– jen 🧡

3 Lies & a Truth About Social Media Managers

The term “social media manager” has become a blanket position, with small businesses and companies putting out job descriptions, looking for someone with 5+ years of experience in:

• web design

• copywriting

• blog writing

• sales

• advertising

• graphic design

• SEO

• e-comm

• videography

• photography

• influencer marketing

• marketing stratetgy

All for $55K/year. And NO! I’m not joking. I’ve seen all of these requirements in job postings for a “Social Media Manager” position.

Truth is, most people outside of marketing or social media don’t even realize how labor intensive social media actually is.

What’s worse, social media is now the primary marketing channel for most businesses, yet some still believe it’s an easy job to do. But, unforunately, that’s not the most frustrating myth anymore.

So, let’s break down three common lies and the one truth about the social media manager role that you should keep in mind the next time you think to yourself, “oh, all they do is post pretty pictures.”

1. “One person can do it all.”

LIE – If I had a dollar for every time I heard this, saw this, felt this, experienced this, I’d be able to pay off my student loans (and that’s not an exaggeration).

But here’s the thing: a social media manager CANNOT physically or mentally be all things all at once and be an expert in any of them.

And we shouldn’t expect them to be!

Expecting your social media manager to know design, videography, website SEO, email marketing, and how to put together an influencer campaign is unrealistic. Setting this as your expectation is a great way to ensure your SMM burns out faster than a lit cigarette. 🚬

Is it fair to ask them to know the basics of some things? Sure! I’d argue that’s mandatory because social media is a great funnel to other areas of marketing. But should you be asking them to cover every role and be GREAT at them? NO. That’s insanity.

One person ≠ A whole marketing team

2. “An intern can handle our socials.”

ALSO A LIE - For over a decade, the social media manager position has been viewed with such little regard that businesses and companies still put most of us in the “intern” category. This isn’t just degrading to the work, the knowledge, and the power we hold, but it’s also laughable.

A social media manager is on the front lines of your marketing and is often responsible for making sure your business is represented correctly all while your customers or your community are handled with care.

We have to know:

• brand guidelines, voice, and tone

• marketing best-practices

• buyer psychology

• how to manage a crisis

• how to build a community, not just a following

• content that shows the best side of the brand

• what makes an audience tick

• trends before they’re trendy

• when to jump into conversations online

and so much more!

If that sounds like something you want to leave in the hands of the intern…someone with zero experience, then by all means. But if not, then I highly recommend leaving it to a professional who’s had the experience and knows how to navigate these waters with ease.

3. “A social media manager can make us viral.”

BIG FAT LIE - Why? Because absolutely no one on this planet has control over when they’ll go viral (unless you’re Taylor Swift, in which case, you’d still have to put out an album release, merch drops, secret AI-generated promo vids, and do a whole press tour…but I digress).

Whether or not a post goes viral is up to the algorithm gods, and we still don’t know how they operate half the time. As social media managers, we’re gaslight by daily by Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram), fighting for our lives in the comments on TikTok, and trying to bring humor back to the boredroom on LinkedIn (see what I did there? 😉).

So, no a social media manager cannot make you go viral, nor should that be the goal. A viral post is great, but it’s catching lightning in a bottle. It feeds the dopamine drip for about 48 hours, but then your analytics tank and everything else feels like trash for the rest of the quarter.

So, if you’re goal in hiring a social media manager is “just to make us go viral” then you’re missing the entire point of social media marketing to begin with.

4. A social media manager needs a team

This is the god’s honest TRUTH!

Social media marketing has become too big of a job for one person to handle. That’s not to say your social media manager is bad at their job or can’t keep up. Instead, this speaks more to the nature of this platforms, the algorithms, the audiences, and how people consume content.

So, what exactly should a social media team look like?

Well, you can go one of two routes: Agency or In-house.

Allow me to explain…

An Agency

Hiring an agency to either run your social media marketing or to support an on-staff social media manager means you get all the support, perks, and expertise you need without the massive overhead of hiring a whole team. In many cases, when you work with an agency, you get a director, a strategist, a paid specialist, a graphic designer, a content creator, and maybe even a community manager.

In-House

But, when you choose the in-house route, you’re responsible for that salary overhead. And so choosing your social media marketing team can look very different.

In cases where budget constraints exist, your team might consist of someone who can build a strategy and run ads, while another creates content and does community engagement, while a third analyzes data and trends.

At larger companies, a social media marketing team often consists of a director, a manager (or two), a graphic designer, an ads specialist, a data analyst, and a videographer/photographer, and maybe a handful of freelancers for campaigns and one-offs.

No matter what the team looks like, the important thing to remember is that your social media manager should not be expected to be an entire marketing department wrapped up in one. This landscape is way too big, way too nuanced, and way too demanding to rest on the shoulders of one person.

So, how’d you do? Are you still falling for these three lies? Reply and let me know!