The Unwritten Rules of Working With a Social Media Manager
Working with a social media manager isn’t complicated, but there are a few unspoken rules that make the relationship work better for everyone.
They’re not in the contract.
They’re not always said out loud.
But when they’re understood, social media becomes less stressful and a lot more effective!
Consider this a friendly guide.
Rule #1: Don’t Judge Performance After 24 Hours
Social media is fast, but results aren’t instant.
A post underperforming on day one doesn’t mean it failed. Algorithms need time. Audiences need repetition. Context builds over weeks, not hours.
One post is a data point, not a verdict.
The real insights come from patterns, not panic refreshes.
Rule #2: Trends Have Expiration Dates
If you saw a trend on your feed yesterday, chances are your social media manager saw it weeks ago.
Trends move quickly, and timing matters. Jumping on something too late can make a brand feel out of touch instead of relevant.
Sometimes the smartest move isn’t participation, it’s restraint.
Missing a trend isn’t a failure. Chasing everyone is.
Rule #3: More Posts ≠ Better Results
Posting more doesn’t automatically mean growing more.
In many cases, it does the opposite, diluting your message, overwhelming your audience, and creating noise instead of clarity.
A strong social strategy focuses on:
Purposeful content
Repeatable formats
Consistent messaging
and room for fun and spontaneity
Not filling the calendar just to say you did.
Rule #4: Silence Can Be a Strategy
Not posting is sometimes the best decision.
Whether it’s a sensitive moment, a cultural shift, or simply a pause to reassess, silence can protect your brand more than a rushed post ever could.
Social media managers don’t just decide what to post.
They decide when not to.
And that decision is just as strategic.
Rule #5: Trust the Process (And the Calendar)
That content calendar isn’t random.
It’s built around goals, pacing, audience behaviour and bandwidth. Constantly changing direction mid-week makes it harder to measure what’s actually working.
Trusting the process doesn’t mean ignoring data, it means giving the strategy enough time to do its job.
Consistency builds confidence. For you and your audience.
Rule #6: Every Platform Has a Job
Not every post is meant to sell.
Not every platform is meant to convert.
Some content builds trust.
Some educates.
Some entertain.
Judging all content by the same metric is like using one tool for every job. It rarely works.
Rule #7: Social Media Is a Long Game
The brands that win on social media aren’t the loudest or fastest.
They’re the ones that:
Show up consistently
Make thoughtful decisions
Learn from what works
Avoid reacting emotionally to short-term fluctuations
Social media rewards patience more than urgency.
Working with a social media manager works best when there’s trust, clarity and shared expectations.
These unwritten rules aren’t about control; they’re about creating space for better decisions, better content, and better results!
And when everyone’s aligned, social media stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling intentional.
(If any of these rules made you nod, laugh, or feel personally attacked (in a good way), we’d probably work well together!)