How to Become an Irreplaceable Social Media Manager

Becoming a good social media manager really boils down to 3 things: creation, connection, and consistency. A typical day in the life of a social media manager often means spending time creating and scheduling/posting content alongside consistently building a community of meaningful connections for your clients on social media.

When you become a social media manager who can do all of this and give your clients a white glove experience at the same time… you’ll make yourself irreplaceable.

But there’s more to it than just going down a checklist of “things to do to be a badass social media manager.”

In fact, I’d argue it’s as much who you are as what you do.

Who Do You Need To Be?

A mentor once told me something that has stuck with me year after year, and it’s something I think about often, especially when business is busy, and I feel like I might just finally lose my mind.

She told me to stop asking myself what I needed to do to achieve my goals and start asking myself who I needed to be.

Becoming an irreplaceable social media manager is just as much that—asking yourself what kind of person you need to be to achieve that goal—as it is checking off a list of tasks.

Because becoming irreplaceable is more than just being good.

Any client can find adequate social media support for their business. Good isn’t what sets you apart. YOU are what sets your brand of social support apart. You are what makes you irreplaceable.

When I was deciding who I needed to be, I started with an objective list. I love lists, as anyone who watches my Tiktoks about being a neurodivergent entrepreneur probably knows, so I started my list without myself in mind. For me, this was easier than putting my list instantly through my self-evaluation-imposter-syndrome filter, and it was easier to get an objective view of what kind of person I thought would be irreplaceable.

Next, I prioritized what qualities were most important to me personally. I made notes about some qualities I might struggle with and what accommodations I might need to be able to successfully embody that value.

Then I got to work on the development aspect of becoming who I needed to be. I did a lot of mindset work and personal development, and I still work on that to this day. I committed to myself that I wanted to be me—authentically, beautifully, flawed me—but a me who also worked hard to be a happier human and better business owner.

The Mechanics of a Social Media Manager

Now, while the mindset work of becoming irreplaceable is certainly important (and the reason I talk about it first is because it’s often left out of the conversation altogether), to become a social media manager who is truly irreplaceable, you’ve got to nail the job, too.

So let’s briefly dig into the holy trinity of being a social media manager: how to create better content, connect on social media, and be more consistent for your clients.

Create Better Content

Creating “better” content is really about creating aligned content. Before you ever write a single piece of copy or design a graphic, you’ve got to take time to really get to know your client’s business, their specific marketing goals, and what their audience needs to hear from them on social media.

Connect and Build Community

I’m a firm believer that communities aren’t built using the post and pray method, that you need to be actively building relationships with people outside of your following as much as you’re engaging with people inside of it.

Establish Consistency for Your Clients

Many clients suck at being consistent, and because they don’t have a consistent marketing system, they don’t have consistent sales, and their revenue is unpredictable.

Social media gives entrepreneurs and small businesses a way to compete with the big boys because it gives them a space to stand out. As people seek to connect more and more, social media has become an integral part of everyday people’s lives, and how they engage with brands and businesses has changed.

Consistency has become more than just a visibility strategy. It’s also a trust building strategy.

When you’re creating consistency when it comes to engagement and posting content (and I say consistent, not daily for a reason), you’re creating a predictable rhythm for your client’s audience. You’re subconsciously telling them that they can trust doing business with your client.

Becoming an Irreplaceable Social Media Manager

Standing out as a stellar social media manager means balancing your marketing skills with who you need to become to realize your vision for success, but by taking the time to develop yourself and those skills, you’ll position yourself as an irreplaceable social media manager with your clients.