The Advanced Social Media Marketer’s Playbook

We're not going to explain what a SMART goal is, or how to create audience personas – we know you know the basics. Instead, we're diving into advanced social media marketing tactics. 

We've interviewed expert social media marketing leaders to discover how they're overcoming common pain points. We'll also touch on trends to watch, how to build a social team, and how to maximize your social media strategy. 

We're here to help you prepare to adapt your marketing plan and social media effort and to measure success.

Let's get started.

The state of social media marketing right now

Today, consumers are using social media platforms for everything. From searching for local businesses to learning how to cook, social media channels have evolved tenfold since they were simply a way to connect with friends. 

For consumers, social media is now a place to find niche communities, develop skills, indulge in entertainment – and even analyze a company's reputation. For brands, it's a place to boost brand recognition, generate leads, gather social data, and build relationships with customers. 

Recent changes in social media marketing

Plus, the state of social media marketing is always changing. And the last few years have been no exception. Whether it's Twitter rebranding to X, TikTok getting banned in the US, or the emergence of different social media platforms like BlueSky, social media teams have needed to adapt at the drop of a hat. And 41% of social media teams say that adapting to changing consumer behavior is a challenge. 

Being agile is part-and-parcel of working in social media marketing. But developing the ability to be reactive is often dependent on more than social media teams can control. You'll need the complete trust of your marketing head, an eager and alert team, and the tools in place to execute on social channels swiftly – and delays can be costly. 

So, how do you curate such a team? We'll discuss that later. First, let's consider the pain points felt by social media marketers across the globe right now. 

Social media marketer pain points

Understanding what's keeping fellow social media marketers up at night can help you prioritize where your team needs to spend their time. 

Let's break down the key challenges shaping social media marketing. 

Company buy-in (still) isn't where it needs to be

While we're finally at a point where CEOs and leadership teams understand the importance of a social media presence, social media marketing teams are still finding it difficult to generate company buy-in at an appropriate level. 

Many problems for social media teams stem from a lack of adequate company-wide endorsement. And with 40% of marketers finding it difficult to measure the ROI of social media marketing difficult, proving your efforts are worthwhile isn't easy. 

This might manifest into fewer team members, an uninspiring budget, or lack of engagement with campaigns.

Ultimately these pain points mean social media marketing teams have limited output. Which circles back into less company-wide endorsement. It's a tiring loop that's hard to break. 

How do you get ahead of this? Being on any social media marketing team comes with an unspoken rule: you need to be sociable. Having conversations with colleagues – even those who sit in a completely different team – to get them involved with your efforts can cause positive ripple effects throughout the company. 

Pro social media marketing tip

Be loud about your team's achievements. Share the outcome of your efforts, and back it up with statistics. If those across your company understand how social media marketing is directly impacting sales, their ears will certainly perk up. 

Platforms are prioritizing social media creators

The social media landscape used to be equally split for brands and creators to find success. But today, the scales have shifted. 

Most social media platforms are prioritizing individuals and creators, meaning brands need to make their social media marketing strategy work even harder to generate the same social media engagement. 

Equally, consumers expect brands to show up with a more human touch, giving creators the edge when it comes to view time and visibility on social networks. 

Pro social media marketing tip

Brands need to focus on prioritizing people-centered online marketing content – especially when compared to traditional media approaches. This might mean working with social media influencers on Instagram to showcase your product, or having consumers create content for your Facebook advertising campaigns. 

Consumers are becoming brand blind

Social media networks are funded by advertisers – so paid social ads are scattered across different platforms. Yet the prevalence of these ads on mobile devices means users are now incredibly quick to dismiss branded content on social networks. 

In a social media environment where users don't want to be sold to, it can be hard for social media marketers to boost engagement levels and hit KPIs on branded content. Essentially, brands need to create branded content which doesn't feel branded. 

Pro social media marketing tip

Having a team that genuinely enjoys social media makes all the difference. When your team naturally stays plugged into what's trending on social media, they're much better at spotting what works. It helps them create content that feels authentic – not forced. 

Pain points roundup

Social media marketing has been around for over a decade, yet it's still considered the wild west. The roles of Social Media Director or Head of Social are relatively new, and those in these roles are paving the way for the future of social media marketing. 

But to do this, it's helpful to know there are other social media teams navigating the same issues. So, let's take a look at some trends you should be aware of to stay ahead of the curve. 

Social media marketing trends to keep an eye on

In our latest Digital Marketing Trends report, we outline a handful of key trends that are impacting the social landscape. 

Here's a wrap up of some key social media marketing trends we've identified when analyzing millions of online data points.

Consumers are taking a more mindful approach to tech

Consumers are getting fed up with being "chronically online." Instead, they're yearning for a more mindful social media experience, and it's your brand's job to help them. 

Seems counterintuitive, right? But by demonstrating to your followers that you understand them, you can create engaging content that connects with them personally. 

Unexpected collaborations are the next marketing strategy

36% of marketers agree that surprising brand collaborations are a growing trend, and almost 75% of sentiment-categorized mentions in this conversation are positive. 

Consumers want to see interesting collaborations from brands on social media platforms – and those that do them well will create content that contributes towards an effective social media marketing strategy. 

Disruption to search continues

Social media has become a go-to search engine over the last few years – but AI is adding even more complexity. 

The rise of generative AI means that consumers are no longer searching for information in traditional ways. Social media teams need to keep this in mind when creating search-friendly content with a strong social media presence. 

Discover more trends to watch in our 2025 Digital Marketing Trends report. 

How to build and scale a high-performing social media team

The root of any effective social media marketing strategy is a dedicated, knowledgeable, and high-performing team. But how do you build one? 

Let's discover what an ideal social team looks like and then dive into how you can generate company buy-in to build that team. 

The ideal social media team: A blueprint

There's no one-size-fits-all for social media marketing teams, but here's how to identify where you have skills gaps. 

Start with your KPIs

Begin by asking: What are your business objectives, and how do these translate to social media channels? 

Whether you're looking to increase new followers, post regularly, show off your brand's values, boost website traffic, or increase brand awareness – begin by outlining some team key performance indicators (KPIs) before you decide who to hire. 

Need more reach? You might want to hire a content creator who's fluent in short-form video. Want to stay ahead of trends? A social listening specialist can monitor conversations and spot emerging trends. Getting swamped in your DMs? A community manager can respond to customer feedback and keep your followers (and inbox) happy. 

Figure out your social media marketing strategy and goals first. Then build a team that can actually get you there. 

What skillsets already exist in your business?

Social media marketing managers are jack-of-all-trades. Small teams can often mean employees need to upskill in an array of areas, so check in with your team to understand the skills they have and, importantly, where they want to improve. 

And depending on how your wider marketing team is structured, you might already have resources you can tap into from across your business. 

Do you have a design team to help support your efforts? Or a marketing analyst who can do the data for you? Can you outsource some DMs to a social customer service team? Or can your paid ads team help with putting budget behind your organic posts? 

Discover how existing teams can help fill skills gaps. 

What gaps are left?

Now you have a better idea of your goals and existing skills, it's time to map out the missing pieces. Here's a list of potential social media marketing roles to consider. 

Core roles: 

• Head of Social Media: Oversees the social media marketing team. 
• Social Media Manager: Manages your social channels. This includes everything from the content calendar, content strategy, publication, and engaging with your target audience. 
• Content Creator: Produces dedicated content that's tailored to each social media marketing platform. 
• Social Media Analyst: Monitors analytics, analyzes negative feedback, reports on KPIs, and helps improve your social media marketing and content strategy. 

Specialized roles: 

• Social Media Strategist: Develops long-term strategy and ensures online marketing content aligns with trends and business objectives. 
• Influencer Manager/Partnerships Manager: Builds and maintains relationships with social media influencers and brand partners. 
• Community Manager: Engages with your target audience to foster community across social networks, including responding to messages and managing appropriate community spaces. 
• Videographer/Producer: Helps to create content tailored to each platform – from finding filming locations to editing content. 
• Graphic Designer: Helps create brand-friendly visuals to complement your team's content efforts. 

If budget and time constraints are an issue, internships are a great place to start when it comes to scaling your team. Internships can benefit both your business and the individuals you hire. 

According to career management platform Handshake, internships can improve your hiring efficiency, increase brand awareness, and upskill your pipeline. 

Recruiting interns shouldn't be taken lightly – they require proper management and structure like any employee. But if you are able, it's an excellent way for social media leaders to develop management skills on the job. 

Building a business case for a bigger team

Oftentimes, leadership recognizes the importance of a social media marketing team – but they might not designate enough budget to hire for the team effectively. 

So, how do you deal with this pain point? You build a business case. 

When building a business case to justify your hiring needs, start by assessing your team's current workload. Analyze how many hours are spent per week doing certain tasks like answering enquiries, engaging with customers on social media platforms, editing content, or working with freelancers, influencers, and agencies. 

Gather data to back up your claims, too. Pull data from your task management system on how long it takes to complete each task. If you don't, ask your team to log the hours spent per task in a week – including everything from ideation to admin. 

Report on the numbers too. For example, how many messages do your team respond to each day and how long does it take to answer each one? 

When you have your team's workload available in quantifiable terms, begin to ask which areas you'd want to expand. 

Ask things like the following: 

• How many hours per week would a videographer contribute to your team, and how might your team benefit from hiring one? 
• Can you have a trial period with a relevant freelancer? 
• Which posts have seen the most engagement, and who would you need to create more content like this? 

Having the exact numbers to quantify your decisions can make sure you're justified in your hiring needs. 

Now, let's look at ways to boost efficiency when working with other teams across your company. 

How to work effectively across other teams

It's not uncommon for social media marketing teams to be constantly bombarded with requests from all areas of the business. From HR wanting to share job adverts to leadership checking in with the latest social media campaign, there are plenty of stakeholders to touch base with. And it can get overwhelming. 

Social media marketing teams might also need to request assistance from other areas of the business. Whether it's assets from the design team or data from the paid team, getting on top of both incoming and outgoing requests is important for efficiency. 

The biggest key to working effectively with other teams is to build a rapport. Get to know your coworkers, understand how they work, and build relationships that allow seamless collaboration. 

Here are some ways you can work effectively with other teams. 

Create ticketing systems

Ticketing systems are beneficial both for you and for the teams you work with – as long as they aren't a hindrance to collaboration. 

If you're constantly being asked about preexisting requests, or if people are always dropping you the odd message about something that needs doing ASAP, having a ticketing system – even if brief – can help categorize your requests appropriately. 

This method helps key stakeholders to understand and respect your workload and timelines for requests, all while helping you manage what's been requested. 

More advanced software like Zendesk or HappyFox can be a great place to start if you have regular requests from all areas of your organization. But if you're a smaller business or you're short on budget, your ticketing system doesn't need to be super sophisticated. A simple Google Form distributed across the business can do the job as well. 

Remember: these systems shouldn't be a barrier, but it should help to facilitate better coworking across teams. What kind of thing will others request and how can you make it as easy for them as possible? Add in timeline estimates too so others have a good idea on when their request will be completed. 

Managing outgoing requests

When working with other teams, it's important to get to know their preferred way of working. For example, if you regularly work with a design team who create visuals for you to post on social media platforms, have a check in to see how they prefer you to request these assets. 

This is helpful for the team dealing with your request, and for you to have an idea of timescales. 

Use this collaboration as an excuse to get to know other team members and encourage regular collaboration, too. After all, companies with high collaboration are 5x more likely to be high performing. 

Utilizing your wider team's expert skills can help make your job a little easier. Make sure you give them a creative say too – it's much more exciting for them this way and encourages buy-in from other team members. 

Share results with contributors

Relay any successes back to the teams that helped your campaign succeed. This can provide more company-wide investment in your work and be vital for proper employee advocacy. 

For example, let designers know which assets perform best on social media platforms, or how much engagement their latest work received across social networks. Let the customer service team know when a customer shares a positive interaction with them. Or let members of your sales team know how many leads your social media marketing has helped with. 

Shout about your successes by getting other teams involved and give them some of the credit if they've helped your social content. This is a sure-fire way to boost your social media marketing efforts internally. 

How to maximize your social media team's creativity

Crafting content that engages and interests your target audience is something that all social media marketers should master. After all, 84% of consumers favor user-generated content (UGC) and word of mouth marketing over branded content. 

Crafting an environment that exudes creativity is vital to get your team's imagination flowing. So, how can you, as a manager, facilitate this? 

Creating an idea-friendly environment

While it might make sense to have a regular meeting where you brainstorm ideas, this can sometimes lead to ideas feeling forced. In fact, studies have continued to show that forced brainstorming can create significantly less productivity. 

Instead, for many social media marketing teams, it's beneficial for this process to happen organically. Creative ideas come sporadically – for example, when your colleagues are scrolling on social media channels in their downtime. 

It can be helpful to have a place for your team to brain dump ideas and concepts in an easy, non-obstructive way. This could be in a group chat, or even by encouraging them to put ideas in a note on their phone to follow up with when they're next in the office. 

By creating an environment where your team is constantly volleying ideas around, you're more likely to strike gold. 

These ideas can be assisted with regular creative meetings. Schedule them in at a cadence that suits your team and create an agenda that encourages creative thinking with the aim to share ideas that will maximize your content.

Encourage open communication and an environment which doesn't dismiss ideas but rather builds on each other's suggestions. This way, your team will feel comfortable speaking up – even when an idea feels silly.

You can utilize traditional marketing meetings to stimulate creative thinking, but even just having a 30-minute chat at a local coffee shop can be a great way to encourage creativity outside of a meeting room. And if you're a remote team, encourage members to dial in while taking a walk (or even on the sofa) to promote creativity through a more informal setting. 

Crisis communication in the age of social media marketing

Social media marketing teams now sit at the frontline of any crisis communication strategy. Traditional marketing approaches are no longer relevant and consumer expectations have changed. 

So, in order to have a strong social media presence during a crisis, an appropriate crisis management plan should be in place. 

Strategic social media marketing planning is vital in these scenarios, so make sure your team is familiar with your company's crisis management strategy. 

Mastering crisis communication as a social media marketing team is not just a skill, but a necessity. Let's break down the moments that matter most for social media teams. 

Brand monitoring and early detection

A vital part of any social media marketers' job is monitoring multiple platforms for brand and industry mentions. Staying on top of these can help with the early detection of potential crises. 

The early detection of any emerging issues allows teams to respond proactively before they escalate into a full-blown crisis. This proactive approach helps contain the situation and prevent further damage to your brand's reputation. 

If your budget allows, consider implementing a brand monitoring tool that will instantly notify your team of any online mentions. 

These tools can help save you time trawling through each social platform or news site looking for your brand – instead, they'll send them directly into your inbox. 

Keeping on top of these conversations means you can engage in both positive and negative feedback in conversations about your brand on social sites as soon as possible. 

Crisis management and influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is part and parcel of any good digital marketing strategy. The right partnerships can build trust, reach new audiences, and add a human voice to your brand identity. 

But like any public-facing relationship, there are risks. Whether it's an old controversy resurfacing or a post that doesn't align with your brand's values, working with influencers can quickly shift from an asset to a liability – if you're not prepared. 

While this absolutely is not a reason to avoid working with social media influencers (they're one of the most effective ways to reach an online audience) it does mean that it's important to do your due diligence. 

So, how do you prepare? 

Firstly, ensure you properly vet any influencers you plan to work with. Get to know their personal values, other influencers in their professional network, what kind of things they post on social media sites, and how this aligns with your company goals. Their audience demographics should also mirror yours. 

You should aim to work with influencers that fit your brand image as this limits chances of them sharing content that might tarnish your brand image. 

Make sure your social media influencer contract covers potential crises, too. For example, include a clause that means you can terminate the contract. 

Lastly, make sure your crisis communication plans are watertight. How would you handle it if something were to go wrong? What would you do if an influencer you work with got into controversy? And have you briefed your social media marketing team on how to manage a crisis? 

Create a playbook on how to do influencer marketing right, and make sure your team understands how to follow it. This way, you're less likely to be left in the dust. 

Future-proofing your social media strategy

As cliche as it sounds, the digital world is always shifting. Let's find out how you can be future-ready. 

Monitor trends

An obvious, yet vital way to stay ahead with any social marketing strategy is to meticulously monitor the industry's trends, your market share compared to competitors, and target audience expectations. Make sure you're always clued in so you know exactly when to adapt your efforts. 

There's plenty of software that can alert you to new trends in your social media landscape, so utilize these to keep on top of your competitive competitive analysis on social media. Subscribe to relevant industry newsletters to keep track of changes that might impact your company's brand and audience, too. 

Most importantly, be active on social media sites in your downtime. What stands out to you? How are the brands you love getting your attention? Repurpose these methods into your own strategy. 

Anticipate and experiment

Keep an eye on new platform features – or even new platforms. Be an early adopter of these features and experiment with how they might benefit your brand identity. You might be surprised with how helpful it is to get ahead of the curve. 

Allocate budget for experimentation too – and if that's not possible, allocate your team's time. Prioritize learning about the platforms you're marketing on so you're better equipped when your audience's needs change. 

Whether this is a new content type or a new platform completely, your ability to anticipate and experiment with these platforms can make a huge difference.