Updated 3/26/25
Social Media Managers are awesome. They’re so awesome, in fact, that they get mind-blowing (read: unreasonable) requests.
My friend Carol Stephen wrote a post called “What Can a Social Media Manager Do For You?” In that post, she includes items such as research, deciding when to post, and choosing hashtags.
I thought it would be fun to do the opposite.
10 Things Outside of the Scope of Social Media Management
A social media manager should not:
- Care about your business more than you do.
- Be a videographer.
- Be a video editor.
- Be a professional photographer or editor.
- Be an expert in InDesign, Photoshop, et al.
- Design logos or creative.
- Build your website.
- Be a technical SEO expert.
- Be an expert in paid advertising.
- Be a professional copywriter.
Even though many social media managers have specialized training in marketing, these requests are way out of the scope of social media management. Especially if you’re underpaying them or (god forbid) are using a VA.
How Much Should I Pay a Social Media Manager?
Paying a social media manager what they’re worth is directly correlated with the quality of the postings. I strongly recommend against hiring someone on an hourly basis since social media management isn’t a 9-5 job.
With that said, ZipRecruiter shows that the average salary of an in-house social media manager is $62,638 (2025) in Corpus Christi, TX. The low is $23,666 a year and the highest is $105,773. What surprises me is that nationally, ZipRecruiter shows that the average is just above Corpus Christi’s, which isn’t an affluent area.
In contrast, I have flat rates based on the platform and scope. If you want the pro level of Twitter/X, for example, that’s going to cost you $1200/mo. But if you want the low end, it’s just under $400.
Who Typically Hires a Social Media Manager in a Large Corporation?
A Marketing Manager ($85k+/year) will most likely be responsible for the entire list but outsource quite a few marketing tasks to vendors.
A social media manager who bills for the work, not the time, is easy to get a hold of and has a good account of their own. A Marketing Manager will likely hire a social media manager to work under them.
Social Media Managers Free Up Your Time
Have you thought about outsourcing social media? It’s a great way to grow your business and free some of your own time. Having realistic expectations helps you value what a social media manager actually does.
A good social media manager will represent your brand online and off. They will post content created by your editorial staff (content creation is another job). They will post photos taken by your team (or professionals you hire) and write captions and add hashtags. Your social media manager will interact with your audience (known as engagement) with your best interest in mind.
Do You Need a Social Media Manager for Your Business?
What kinds of questions can I help you answer or problems I can solve. Let’s roll up our sleeves and do the work.