It’s happened to all of us in this space.

Comments in meetings. Replies to emails. Chats on Skype/Zoom/Teams/whatever messaging platform you use.

With feedback, comments, criticism or non-constructive questions regarding what you’re doing on your brand’s social media.

If you’re a social media specialist or manager, or play a part in your brand’s social media strategy or content production/posting, you know what I’m talking about…

Everyone thinks they are a social media expert.

And while I appreciate people taking the time to provide feedback, comments or criticism, and I know they mean well, I must say:

Just because you have a personal social media account, or follow other businesses on your personal accounts, doesn’t mean you’re a social media expert.

And one of the worst things you can do is question or criticize what the social media channel owner is doing (unless you’re their boss of course).

So you don’t just think I’m a non-team player who can’t accept feedback or collaborate with others, let me tell you why I believe this.

• The job is more than just posting content. There is a significant amount of research and work that goes into it. You need to know and embody the brand and tone. There must be audience research and analysis, with full understanding of existing customers, ideal prospects, and social media followers. This includes all of the demographics and psychographics you can get your hands on so that you’re developing content that speaks to that audience, engages with them, and builds a relationship. And then developing content to fit those needs.
  
• Which leads me to my next point, content isn’t just content. Everything you post has to have a purpose, whether it’s to increase brand awareness, connect with leads or prospects, engage your current followers, share news about your brand, etc. It must be developed and posted strategically. It’s not just whatever the specialist decided they wanted to post that day. You have to stay on top of industry trends and topics, crises in the news, and feedback about the brand, and post content your audience needs or wants.
  
• Each platform is different. The audiences are different. It’s not best practices to post the same content, so you’ll need different content strategies for each. Each has nuances that you need to be on top of to make sure people see what you post. Reporting is different, setting up paid campaigns is different… it’s all different. And if your company is on more than one platform, it’s quite a bit to juggle.
  
• You must constantly monitor and engage with those who engage with you, as well as consistently keep an eye on your page’s metrics. This includes reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares), click through rate, etc. You must know how to pivot when a post isn’t working, or how to adjust if something is working really well. It’s critical to respond to those who leave comments or send you messages, because this day in age, people expect nearly instant responses to their questions and comments.
  
• Social media changes almost daily. There are new platforms. Algorithms change regularly, which means you may have to change how, when or what you post or advertise. There are regular privacy updates, new regulations, and recommendations for ensuring your posts are seen. And it doesn’t just come from the social media platforms. It can come from mobile carriers, Apple, Google, etc. And as a social media manager/specialist, you need to stay in-the-know about all of it, or risk your posts or ads being denied, suppressed, etc.
  
• You’re often seen as the “face” of the brand. And there’s a lot of pressure in that. You have to deal with happy or angry customers or prospects, know how to answer questions, educate, inspire and engage with audiences while also on the down-low promoting your brand.
  
• If you’re responsible for paid ads, you’re also responsible for a return on investment in social. You may have to meet certain conversion rates, costs per conversions, click through rates or engagements. You may have to report the number of leads, new customers or sales you get from a paid campaign. And when budgets get involved, the pressure is upped a notch. Because now you have to prove you deserve that budget and it’s contributing to the company’s bottom line.

I’ll step off my soapbox now, thanks for reading. But these are just a few reasons I think it’s important we give social media managers and specialists the kudos they deserve.

So next time you see your social media person, give them a socially-distant hug. Or air high-five. Or at least smile. And stop telling them how to do their jobs. Because it’s not the same as posting pictures of your dog or checking in at your favorite restaurant on your personal page. They aren’t playing around on Facebook or scrolling through Insta for fun. It’s quite a bit of strategy, research, analysis, development and work to ensure success for your brand.

This post was inspired by a friend, a social media specialist, who has regular interactions with others who challenge their knowledge of their channel. I felt it was my responsibility to bring these issues to light on my own platform so that we can all learn from these experiences.