A social media manager’s guide to difficult conversations

Social media is a tough job, but it’s not always understood or viewed that way by others. 

If you’re a social media manager, chances are you’ve heard things like: “You’re just the TikTok person,” “My cousin went viral once, so how hard can it be?” or the classic “Can you just quickly make a post?”

This guide won’t help make those moments disappear completely, but hopefully it will give you some tools and confidence to handle them head-on, while still advocating for yourself, your workload, and your community.

Explore the different conversations by theme or take a read through all at once. And, don’t hesitate to message us on Instagram (@heyorca) or join our Facebook Group Community of social media managers if you ever want advice in real time.

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How to talk about requests around social strategy, goals, budgets, and results

These conversations tend to pop up when expectations and realities don’t quite match. A lot of times, education around social media is needed.

When leadership wants to “just post more”

Social media fact: Quality beats quantity. Posting more without strategy risks weaker results, audience fatigue, and team burnout.

How to frame it: “I’d love to talk through what outcome we want from posting more, and how we can balance that with maintaining quality and results.”

Questions to ask:

• What outcome is expected from posting more?
• What triggered this request – competitor activity, declining results, or something else?
• If we post more, will extra resources support content creation?
• Has this been tested before, and what were the results?
• How would more posts impact content quality and engagement?

When someone suggests a shiny new platform

Social media fact: Not every platform is right for every brand. Success depends on whether your community is there, if the platform aligns with goals, and whether resources are available to manage it effectively.

How to frame it: “That platform could have potential. Let’s explore if our community is there and how it fits into our current goals and resources before we commit.”

Questions to ask:

• Is our target community active on this platform?
• How does this platform align with our current goals and strategy?
• Does this platform require completely original content or can you cross-post from other platforms?
• Does this platform connect to your social tools or will you have to manually post?
• Do we have the resources to create and manage content for it?
• What metrics would define success here?
• Can we test it with a pilot before committing fully?

When results don’t meet expectations

Social media fact: Social media results take time. Performance can be influenced by factors outside your control, like algorithms, seasonality, or industry trends. Underperformance is an opportunity to test, refine, and adjust strategy.

How to frame it: “I hear your concerns. Let’s look at the context behind these numbers and talk about what we can test next.”

Questions to ask:

• What specific goals or benchmarks were we hoping to hit? Were they realistic?
• Have there been external factors (seasonality, algorithm shifts) affecting results?
• What experiments or optimizations can we try next?
• How do results compare to our own past performance?
• How do results compare with company-wide results?

When someone compares your results with another brand or competitor

Social media fact: Comparisons are rarely apples-to-apples. Competitors likely have different audience sizes, budgets, content strategies, or goals. Success is best measured against your own objectives and benchmarks.

How to frame it: “That’s a good point of reference. Let’s dig into what’s different between their situation and ours, and see if there are lessons we can apply.”

Questions to ask:

• What triggered this comparison?
• What context do we know about the other brand’s results (budget, team size, goals)?
• Are their audiences and platforms truly comparable to ours?
• What lessons can we learn without copying?
• How do our results measure against our own KPIs and progress?
• What unique advantages do we bring that they don’t?

When asked to quickly increase or buy followers

Social media fact: Buying followers undermines credibility and harms engagement rates. What matters is follower quality, not just quantity.

How to frame it: “I understand the desire for fast growth, but focusing on follower quality will give us stronger engagement and brand trust long-term.”

Questions to ask:

• Are we focused on vanity metrics or meaningful growth?
• How will low-quality or fake followers impact credibility?
• What organic strategies can we try to attract the right audience?
• Does your leader understand long-term community health and the risks of bought followers?

When community-building is undervalued

Social media fact: Communities drive retention, referrals, and advocacy more effectively than one-off content. Community isn’t a soft metric; it’s a growth driver.

​​How to frame it: “Community isn’t just engagement – it’s a growth driver for the entire business. Here’s how investing in it impacts retention and lifetime value.” (TIP: You might want to reference our Community Framework for help here.) 

Questions to ask:

• What value does leadership expect from social – awareness, engagement, or loyalty?
• Are your social goals attached to overall business objectives?
• How does community impact customer lifetime value and retention?
• Can we highlight examples where community efforts drove measurable outcomes?

When asked about direct sales attribution

Social media fact: In most industries, social media contributes across the funnel, often as a first touch or trust-building layer, but doesn’t always show direct last-click sales.

How to frame it: “Direct sales from social are one piece of the puzzle—let’s look at how social contributes across the whole customer journey.”

Questions to ask:

• What role does social play in the larger marketing/sales funnel?
• What attribution models are in place to better understand the larger customer journey?
• Do we have tracking set up to capture assisted conversions?
• Can we measure other signals of sales intent (like DMs, saves, bio link clicks, or comments)?

When many teams have access and post to social

Social media fact: Too many voices posting without alignment leads to inconsistency, content overload, and reputational risks.

How to frame it: “To protect the brand and stay consistent, let’s align on who posts what and set up a clear approval process.”

Questions to ask:

• Who currently has access and what is their posting authority?
• Is there a unified approval workflow?
• What guidelines or brand voice documentation are missing?
• What data do you have to demonstrate what your community is looking for?

When there’s pressure to do more with less

Social media fact: Fewer resources inevitably impact quality, consistency, or team well-being.

How to frame it: “We can definitely prioritize, but if we’re asked to do more without support, something will have to give – quality, consistency, or team health.”

Questions to ask:

• What are the top priorities tied to business outcomes?
• What’s at risk if we keep stretching without more support?
• Can we streamline by cutting low-impact activities or automating?

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How to talk about content, creative direction, and approval workflows

Content conversations can be tricky. They’re your chance to protect brand consistency, streamline workflows, and ensure your audience gets the best possible experience.

When a stakeholder wants off-brand content

Social media fact: While an off-brand post from time to time can be fun, ultimately, brand consistency builds trust and recognition. Off-brand content risks confusing audiences and weakening your identity.

How to frame it: “I see the value in that idea – let’s explore how we can adapt it so it stays true to our brand voice and goals.”

Questions to ask:

• Can this idea be adapted to fit the brand?
• What’s the goal behind this request, and can it inspire other on-brand concepts?
• Is there an opportunity to better educate the team on your brand voice, personality, and visual identity?

When the approval process takes longer than needed

Social media fact: Lengthy approval workflows slow execution and risk missing time-sensitive opportunities.

How to frame it: “I want to make sure our content is both high-quality and timely. Let’s look at where the process can be streamlined.”

Questions to ask:

• Are approval steps clearly defined and documented?
• Are all approval steps necessary for every type of content?
• Could we use pre-approved captions or designs to speed things up?
• Where is the main bottleneck?
  How does the delay affect campaign timing or relevance?

When teams go rogue

Social media fact: Uncoordinated posting risks inconsistent voice, brand dilution, and reputational harm.

How to frame it: “I love that the team is enthusiastic. How can we align posting so everything reflects our brand and strategy?”

Questions to ask:

• Which teams currently have posting access, and do they follow guidelines?
• Is there a centralised content calendar or workflow?
• What risks come from unapproved or inconsistent posting?

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Questions about tools and processes

Having the right systems in place is essential for consistent, efficient, and secure social media work. 

When asked to manage social without proper tools or access

Social media fact: Proper tools and access are essential to deliver consistent, secure, and trackable social media work. Access is a business need.

How to frame it: “I want to ensure we’re delivering consistent results. Let’s review what tools or access we need to make that possible.”

Questions to ask:

• What specific tools or access are needed to meet objectives?
• How does lack of tools impact quality, efficiency, and security?
• What are the risks of working without the right resources?

When asking for a tool to help with scheduling

Social media fact: Scheduling tools save time, reduce errors, and improve collaboration. They allow teams to focus on strategic work instead of manual posting.

How to frame it: “A scheduling tool could streamline our workflow and give us more time for strategy – here’s what we’d need to make it work.”

Questions to ask:

• How will this tool improve efficiency or content quality?
• What is the ROI of implementing it?
• How will it integrate with existing workflows?
• What budget do you need to work within?

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Questions about boundaries and workload

The average worklife balance of a social media manager is 6.68/10. This is because of the demand to be “always on”, high volume of content creation, unrealistic expectations, and lack of career growth.

When asked to respond 24/7

Social media fact: Continuous monitoring without boundaries leads to burnout and compromises quality of work.

How to frame it: “We want to respond quickly, but let’s set clear expectations so we can deliver quality without burning out myself or the team.”

Questions to ask:

• What are the expectations for response time?
• Are you at a company that requires immediate response times?
• What’s realistic given team resources?
• Could on-call rotations or scheduled monitoring work instead?

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Crisis and reputation management

Unfortunately, every brand might have to deal with this at one point. Our biggest recommendation is to have a general response plan ready so that you’re tailoring vs building when the situation arises.

When a post sparks backlash and leadership wants it down

Social media fact: Transparency and empathy are the best tools for addressing backlash. Silence or deletion can fuel further backlash.

How to frame it: “We should address this openly and with empathy, in line with our crisis communication approach.”

Questions to ask:

• What’s the nature of the backlash?
• Does it warrant a formal response?
• What is the brand’s crisis communication protocol?

Questions about professional growth

Salary and career progressions are among our most asked questions from social media managers to HeyOrca.

How to request clarity on career path or promotion criteria

Social media fact: Clarity on expectations drives performance, engagement, and retention. It’s mutually beneficial to be on the same page. (Tip: check out the career section of our Community Benchmark Survey for more data.)

Questions to ask:

• What skills or achievements are valued for promotion?
• What roles are available at the company?
• What role am I interested in? 
• What gaps exist in my skills?
• How can personal growth align with company goals?

How to suggest expanding the team or creating specialized roles

Social media fact: Specialized roles allow for deeper expertise and better results.

How to frame it: “Our team’s capacity could be strengthened by adding specialized roles. Here’s what they could achieve.”

Considerations:

• How does current workload impact results?
• What gaps would new roles fill?
• What ROI could be expected?
• What budget exists for this new role?
• How long would hiring and onboarding take before these results are realized?

How to advocate for a raise

Social media fact: Salaries should reflect the value and impact of the work delivered.

How to frame it: “I’d like to discuss aligning my compensation with the impact I deliver—here’s the value I bring.”

Questions to ask:

• What measurable results support the request?
• How does your work contribute to business goals and results?
• Does a larger salary budget exist?
• Which stakeholders need to be involved in this decision?
• How does your salary compare to others in the industry? (Tip: check out the career section of our Community Benchmark Survey for more data.)

How to advocate for a rate increase with clients

Social media fact: Rates should reflect the value of expertise, results, and market conditions. They also should go up overtime.

How to frame it: “I’d like to discuss adjusting rates to reflect the value and results we deliver – here’s what that looks like.” (Tip: the best clients will understand and accept that your rates are increasing because they’ll understand your value. If you have a client that is penny pinching, you may no longer be a good fit.)

Questions to ask:

• What results have been delivered?
• How does your expertise provide ongoing value?

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Conclusion

Tough conversations come with the territory of being a social media manager.

The good news? With the right facts, a clear frame, and the right questions, you can turn tricky talks into wins for your strategy, your team, and your career.

And remember, don’t hesitate to message us on Instagram (@heyorca) or join our Facebook Group Community of social media managers if ever you want advice in real time.