7 things in 7 years as a Social Media Manager at CrowdSouth

May 2022 marks seven years for me at CrowdSouth. It’s crazy how fast the time has gone by and how much I’ve grown as a person and as a social media manager looking back. Now time to share some of the things I’ve learned in those seven years…

1. Social Media is always changing and that is not something you can control.
   I love working in social media because there is never a dull moment. On the flip side, I thrive when I have a routine and know what’s coming – and social media management doesn’t always let that happen. You can’t control when Facebook makes changes to its platform and you have to adjust the strategy you’ve been working on for months. You can’t control if someone has a bad experience with a client and starts letting you know about it on the social media pages you manage. And that’s okay. You learn, you adjust, and you make the best of anything thrown at you.
2. Processes are important, but you always have to be open to changing them.
   It’s important to have processes in place that keep things running smoothly – but just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean that is always the right way. Some of the best things in our department have come from someone saying “What if we tried this instead?” and it changed everything we did in the best way.
3. Put people around you that support you and push you to be better.
   The team around you is so crucial to your success. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is you can’t do everything alone and that’s okay. You don’t have to try to control every little thing, it’s impossible actually. There is so much value in having good, hard-working people around you. Find a team that helps you, supports you, and pushes you to be better personally and professionally.
4. The support of your management is everything.
   Management makes or breaks your job. I’ve heard countless stories from friends about how unhappy their manager makes them. You spend 40 hours a week at work and life is too short to be miserable in those hours. Good managers do exist. I’ve stayed at CrowdSouth for seven years because of the support I have above me. They have invested so much into me to grow as a worker and as a human. The Shelby that walked through CrowdSouth’s door seven years ago wouldn’t believe where she is now. And there is no way I would be here without their support, trust, and guidance. Now my goal is to be that person for the social media team.
5. Your mental health can and should be a priority.
   This has been a hard lesson for me to learn but it’s okay to step away from your computer and it is okay to not have your work email on your phone with push notifications. It’s also okay to set boundaries on when you are available and not. Everyone needs a break. It’s not healthy to be available 24/7. Reading social media negativity can wear on you if you don’t watch yourself. Take the time you need away and you will be better at your job for it. More than likely that post can wait.
6. It’s fun to be a part of something that is always growing.
   When I started at CrowdSouth there were 4 people including me as a part-time intern. We’ve tripled in size of employees since then. It’s been fun to have a front-row seat for it all. I started fresh out of college just trying to get my foot in the door in social media to now leading a social media team. My role and environment have been constantly growing since day 1. That growth does bring new challenges and we’ve had our fair share of growing pains, but we always figure it out and keep moving forward.
7. Never get too comfortable.
   When I say to never get too comfortable I don’t mean to not be comfortable with your job and the company you are working for. What I mean is it’s easy when you’ve been at a company for a longer period of time to just be. To just go through the motions and not work on your growth. I’ve made it a goal of mine especially the last year to not get too comfortable and I’ve experienced more growth than any other year I’ve had here. It’s important for me to continually push myself to learn new things, better our department, and grow as a manager. Keeping a challenge ahead for me to work towards is crucial to my happiness.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. I look forward to the next 7 years at CrowdSouth (if they’ll have me) and beyond!