In the early 2000s, MySpace was the social media network to be on. Since then, social media has grown at a rapid speed as we continue to seek out new ways to connect with others and as technology advances.
Looking back on the early days of social media, it was hard to fathom that one day, there would be careers entirely dedicated to managing brands and organizations on social media. But rest assured — there are still a number of myths surrounding the profession. Below, we’ve highlighted four that our team hears on almost a daily basis.
“I always see you on social media during the day. It must be nice to just play online during the work day!”
It’s 100 percent factual that social media managers are on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter almost the entirety of any given day, and even well into the evening. However, “playing” is a very broad term. Social media managers are constantly studying trends, coming up with new strategies, monitoring and crafting answers to comments, sharing content and honestly, the list goes on and on!
“I’d love to have a low-stress career like yours.”
Think about when you’ve had a bad experience with a brand or organization and you’ve gone to a social media platform to voice your opinion through a comment or direct message and the brand doesn’t respond fast enough. Social media managers are essentially always on the clock, meaning they work grueling hours to keep a brand’s image in the right light. In addition to that, they’re dealing with internet trolls, staying ahead of the curve constantly, learning about new platforms and again, the list goes on!
“You don’t need any experience or skills to be a social media manager. Anybody could do it!”
It’s not like you have to go to school for social media management (although nowadays, there are actual degrees available in social media!), but experience and skills is something that is very much needed to succeed. Managing social media pages is a lot more than sharing a beach photo on Instagram with a clever caption. Copywriting, customer service, adaptability, good grammar and spelling, and creativity are just a few tools that one must have in their belt.
“I wish I got paid to attend events just to take photos for social media.”
We totally get the glamorous appeal of the social media profession that many millennials have highlighted on TikTok. However, life as a social media manager is not always sunshine and roses. While attending events or going on trips for work, there are usually a ton of moving parts behind-the-scenes. Generally, social media managers have a long list of shots they need to get, soundbites from specific people and they’re also live updating various social media platforms throughout the duration of the event. Half the time, social media managers are so consumed in gathering and creating content, it feels as if they weren’t even at the event!
At the end of the day, almost every career has a number of misconceptions that most don’t understand until they’ve worked in the field, and the grass always appears greener on the other side. What are some common myths you hear about your profession?