Icks from a Social Media Manager

Every profession has its pet peeves. Chefs cringe when someone asks for ketchup with a perfectly cooked steak. Photographers die a little inside when someone says, "We'll just Photoshop it." And social media managers?

Oh, we've got a list.

These aren't deal-breakers. Most of them are harmless. But if you've ever managed social media professionally, chances are you've rolled your eyes at least once while reading this list.

1. "Can you put the website link in the Instagram caption?"

This one deserves to go first. Instagram captions don't support clickable links. Never have. Yet somehow, it's still one of the most common client requests.

Typing out: www.mybusinesswebsite.com, in a caption doesn't help anyone. Users can't tap it, and almost nobody is going to manually type it into their browser. Instead, direct people to the link in your bio, use Stories with link stickers, or leverage platforms that actually support clickable links in posts.

If your social media manager gently pushes back on this request, they're not being difficult, they're trying to help!

2. "Come with me..."

"Come with me while I spend $14 on coffee."

"Come with me to answer emails."

"Come with me while I reorganize my desk."

Not every video needs to start with "come with me." There are plenty of creative ways to hook viewers without using the same opening everyone else is using.

3. The Logo Everywhere Problem

We need to talk about the brands that discovered Canva and Photoshop… or worse, AI… and immediately decided their logo belongs on absolutely everything.

A photo of a team member? Add the logo!

A customer testimonial? Put the logo in the corner!

A behind-the-scenes video? Watermark it!

A graphic with five words of text? Don't forget the giant logo taking up half the screen.

Here's the thing:

Your logo is important. But your logo is not your brand. People don't build trust with a company because they saw your logo 47 times in one Instagram carousel; They connect with your story, your people, your expertise, and your personality.

The best brands don't need to constantly remind people who they are because the content itself makes that clear. Think about some of the brands you follow online. You probably recognize their content style, tone, and personality before you even see their logo.

That's good branding.

Your audience doesn't need to be hit over the head with your logo. They need a reason to care. A recognizable brand isn't built by putting your logo everywhere. It's built by creating content people actually want to remember.

4. Every Brand Wants to Go Viral

"Can we make this one viral?"

Sure! While we're at it, let's win the lottery. Virality isn't a strategy. Consistency is and even big names in social media can’t predict which piece of content will take off.

Most successful businesses aren't built on one viral Reel. They're built on hundreds of useful, entertaining, or trustworthy pieces of content that gradually earn attention over time.

The goal isn't to create one video that explodes. The goal is to create content that builds recognition, trust, and relationships with your audience.

5. Copying Every Trend Without Asking Why

Just because a sound is trending doesn't mean your accounting firm needs to dance to it. Good trends feel natural. Bad trends feel like someone in the office said:

"The internet likes this... let's do it too."

Ask one question before jumping on any trend:

Does this actually make sense for our audience?

If the answer is no, skip it. The best brands don't chase every trend. They know when a trend helps tell their story and when it distracts from it.

6. Chasing Followers Instead of Customers

"I wish we had 100,000 followers." Why? Would you rather have 100,000 followers who never buy...

...or 1,000 loyal customers who actually do?

Follower count has become one of the least interesting metrics in social media. Reach, watch time, shares, saves, website clicks, and actual conversions tell a much better story and if that info was publicly shared at the top of your profile, would it matter more to you? Again, why? because everyone can see it?

A smaller audience that trusts your brand is far more valuable than a large audience that scrolls past you as a vanity metric.

7. "Can You Make It Pop?"

Every designer has heard this. Every video editor has heard this. Every social media manager has heard this.

But what does it actually mean? More text? More colours? More emojis?

Usually, content doesn't need to "pop." It needs to communicate one clear idea and asking this question is poor communication at it’s core.

Simple almost always beats busy. Great content doesn't need more elements. It needs a better reason to exist.

8. Businesses That Only Post Sales

SALE. NEW PRODUCT. BOOK NOW. LIMITED TIME.

Repeat. Social media isn't a digital flyer. If every post asks people to buy something, eventually they'll stop paying attention altogether.

The best brands understand that people don't open Instagram hoping to see another advertisement. They want something useful, interesting, entertaining, or relatable.

Teach. Entertain. Tell stories. Answer questions.

Then sell.

The Biggest Ick of All?

Treating social media like it's a checklist:

☑️ Post three times a week.

☑️ Add a logo.

☑️ Use trending audio.

☑️ Add hashtags.

Done. Except social media doesn't work that way. The brands that grow aren't always the ones posting the most. They're the ones willing to experiment, listen to their audience, and create content people actually want to consume.

Social media isn't about constantly promoting your business. It's about giving people a reason to remember it. And yes, if you’re a social media manager… people will probably still ask you to put a website link in an Instagram caption once in a while.

We'll forgive them.

Eventually.