How to Get the Respect You Deserve As a Nonprofit Social Media Manager

Some people think that social media marketers get to play around on Facebook and Instagram all day and call it a job.

How can nonprofit social media managers showcase the work that we do and get the respect that we deserve?

Maybe you’ve got a great social media plan, but not a lot of internal support.

How can you get the rest of the organization to rally around the importance of your plan and contribute?

The Nonprofit Social Media Nerds tackled this topic on getting buy-in and respect for your work as a social media manager.

We also gave a special recap of the inaugural Nonprofit Social Media Summit, and answered the burning question – Why is Josh always wearing a bright pink wig?! 🤓🔥📱

Watch the replay below.

Main points: 

The problem is that you can’t GET respect, you can’t buy it, you have to earn it. And that takes time. But follow these steps and you will be well on your way.

Understand and recognize that a big part of any job is selling people on the importance of your job.

Find an ally who will have your back at Board meetings and/or staff meetings.

Have a clear budget and plan for execution. If you have ideas without putting a budget or a plan behind it, it’s just an idea.

Share case studies – show what’s possible. Explain WHY these case studies are so successful. Don’t just say, “If only we could do what charity:water is doing!”

Advocate for yourself to report out at every staff meeting, but not with simple vanity metrics like “We got 50 more Facebook likes this week.”

Share an anecdote or a story of how the mission of the organization was served because of social media – someone called the hotline, someone started a Facebook fundraiser, etc.

Share your editorial calendar so people can see the moving pieces. Explain what it takes to be successful – research, creation, management and interaction, follow-up.

Address skeptics on their terms. People are scared of things they don’t understand, so educate them but not in a condescending way. People are often afraid to admit they don’t know how this stuff works, so offer free and open, no judgement zones lunch and learns, have open door policy.

Please take time for yourself. Social media managers have a unique set of mental health challenges because they spend their days in the trenches of the internet. 

Explain that you have to tackle issues and comments in a triggering, divisive, and often depressing news cycle. 

Remember – building community and showcasing the impact of the great work you do is NEVER a waste of time.