I Guess I'm The Drama?

Hi, today I want to talk about something personal and closely tied to my career life. All these years, I’ve spent so much time at work trying to educate people, especially those in management, about what a Social Media Manager actually does. I’ve explained the roles, the differences, the workflow, and the boundaries countless times, but up till this day, I still feel like they don’t understand.

Whatever reasons or explanations I give often get brushed off as excuses, as if I’m being “incompetent” or “not proactive enough.” But here’s a genuine question for those outside the social media sphere: Do you really think one person can do it all?

Manage, plan, and strategize content?

Optimize Meta Ads or any digital ads at all?

Produce high-quality graphics and videos?

Shoot professional photos or record high-quality videos?

Write scripts, visual copies, and captions?

Do live event coverage and take photos for collaterals at the same time?

If your answer is yes and you’re about to suggest using AI, I’d honestly encourage you to try doing all that yourself first.

Because at this point, I sometimes feel like I’m the problem whenever I try to explain that what’s being expected of me is often beyond humanly doable. Sure, I can design something simple, but then I’ll be told it looks like it was made on Microsoft Word. Yes, I can take event photos, but you’ll probably say it looks like something your auntie took on a vacation.

I’m not out here complaining about being overworked, I actually love being busy if it’s within the scope of my work. Tell me your vision, and I’ll help you plan, strategize, and make it happen. But I’m not the one to execute everything from A to Z. If you want polished graphics, let’s get a proper graphic designer, the one who spent years studying and invested thousands to perfect their craft. You want studio-quality videos? I’ll help find the right team to make that happen.

I guess that’s where the frustration lies, because the only time I truly felt understood and valued as a Social Media Manager was when I was working in an agency. There, everyone knew their role. Everyone respected the process. Everyone understood that social media is not just about posting pretty pictures, it’s about strategy, creativity, and collaboration.

Maybe it really does take one to understand one.