A Social media manager is often not seen as a professional by people around their work environment and even some friends outside. This attitude is probably because of the general view of social media- a platform to post anything and have fun. But this is rather a misconception that seeks address.

Social media professionals make it look easy to manage official social media accounts, but that is because it’s part of their job to make it look effortless. But sincerely, it could be tasking and grueling to build loyal followers who become customers and continuously post contents their audience can relate.

These people deserve the same respect and recognition with other people playing different roles in your business. If you can’t remember the annoying questions you might have asked your social media manager, here are some questions to never ask them:

Can you make this content go viral?

The new craze in town is that everyone is looking to create contents that will go viral. It could be a good thing, especially the fact that it creates more engagement and gets people to know more about your brand. But how long is it going to last? Will your social media manager have to post contents with a high probability of it going viral every day?

Contents are meant to provide value for your target audience continuously. It is not a question of it going viral, but the impact on each of your audience. While viral contents can increase traffic to your website and improve audience engagement, when you allow your manager to focus on crafting quality contents, it will meet your business goals and probably even go viral.

Can we get this online right away?

If you feel the need to ask your social media manager to post something right away, you might as well assume the role. Remember the reason you hired the manager? Because you didn’t know how to navigate the social media space for your business.

Telling your manager to post a content that wasn’t part of the schedule for the day, week, or month is running their strategy. It could affect everything they’ve been trying to build around your brand online or give a direction that won’t turn out positive.

You need to understand something about social media strategy. Every post or tweet, no matter how insignificant they might look has a purpose. The number of posts and the time they get sent out also matter.

So, even if you don’t have an understanding of the strategy, have faith in your social media manager. If you think they should make any post, then allow them to fix it in their schedule.

Can we make a fun post for Independence Day (or any other significant holiday)?

If there were a need to do so, your manager would have done so already. Like what we’ve discussed above, there is a purpose for every post, and it is not all about making your followers have fun and laugh. You need always to have your brand and what it represents in mind.

Putting up something funny might look odd in the eyes of your audience who have come to identify the brand as serious and informational. Any wrong post might only irritate them and devalue your brand in the long run.

If your manager has decided not to post anything about the holidays or anything significant going on in the country, believe it’s intentional and not because they’ve forgotten. They certainly know when it’s time to jump on the train of posting about trending topics, and they’ll do that with a goal in mind.

Why are we yet to join this new network?

It’s not about how many networks your brand joins, but its ability to share quality contents specially crafted to suit the different social networks. Your manager certainly has a reason why they are yet to enter a particular new network. And while you should know the idea behind it, there are better ways to put the question.

For instance, you could ask, do you think we can reach our target audience through this new network? This question gives an open room to discuss the essentials a brand should consider before joining a network such as the demographics.

It also gives the manager room to discuss things to consider before joining a new network such as the additional planning and resources needed. This question fosters teamwork and appreciation for various roles under your organization.

If it’s necessary to join a new network and your manager sees the need, they would do it even before you request because they know it pays off more when brands join a new network early.

Can you help me with something creative for my account?

But why would you want to mix business with pleasure? Is it not against work ethics? This question is one you should never ask your social media manager because it’s a clear indication you are not sure why you hired them. And it would only take a little time before they turn in their resignation letter.

Understand that they are professionals vesting their efforts on your brand to make sure you get a full return on investment. They are lots of campaigns and A/B testing to run and taking out time to look into what will work for your account isn’t something they should be doing and not what you hired them to do.

However, if you do feel the need to pick their brain for your personal social media account, check if they can refer you to a beginner’s course that could give you some insights.

Can we get this celebrity to endorse our brand on social media?

The real question should be, do you think our budget can cover an influencer’s fee? Getting a celebrity or a favorite influencer to endorse your brand as part of your social media campaign is a smart thing to do.

But you need to consider your budget because influencers do not endorse for free. You should be ready to pay in cash or offer your products to them for a long time. Moreover, it’s essential to find the right influencer that suits your brand because at the end of the day, it’s not about the likes or follows but they impact they point of view has on your target audience.

These are lists of questions you should Never ask a Social Media Manager. Feel free to add yours in the comment section.