In today’s digital-first world, having a dedicated social media team is essential for building brand awareness, driving engagement, and increasing sales. But as many businesses quickly discover, scaling your social media operations isn’t as simple as hiring a few skilled individuals.
It comes with significant challenges — from managing high payroll costs to ensuring your team delivers consistent results.
Let’s take a closer look at the key challenges of hiring and managing social media talent and the pitfalls brands face when scaling their social marketing operations.
1. Highly-Skilled Managers Can’t Do It All
One common misconception is that hiring one or two highly-skilled social media managers can solve all of a brand’s social media needs.
While talented managers can certainly handle strategy and oversee execution, the reality is that social media management requires a range of specialized roles to be effective.
The problem:
A single social media manager, no matter how experienced, can’t handle everything — from content creation to analytics, community management, and paid media strategy. As social media becomes increasingly complex, a broader skill set is required to keep up with the fast-paced nature of digital platforms.
The solution:
While it’s tempting to rely on one person to “do it all,” brands need to budget for a team of specialists to execute effectively. A successful social media operation requires a team effort, combining expertise in strategy, content creation, and analytics.
2. Budgeting for Social Media Talent: The High Costs of Scaling
One of the biggest challenges for brands is budgeting for social media talent. As your social media needs grow, so do your payroll expenses.
Scaling from a one-person team to a full department quickly adds up — and the costs might surprise you.
Payroll Costs for Leading Brands:
- Social Media Manager: $57,937
- Digital Advertising Specialist: $63,930
- Social Video Editor: $65,728
- Social Media Photographer: $39,091
That brings the total payroll for a robust social media department to over $226,686 per year, and that’s before factoring in benefits, software tools, and additional training costs.
The problem:
Social media roles are diverse and specialized, and assembling a well-rounded team can come at a hefty price. For many businesses, especially small to mid-sized brands, hiring a full in-house team may simply not be feasible.
The solution:
Instead of hiring all talent internally, some brands opt to hire a core team and outsource other roles, such as video production or ad management, to agencies or freelancers. This approach can keep costs manageable while still maintaining a high level of expertise.
3. The High Risk of Return on Investment (ROI)
Hiring social media talent is not only a significant financial investment — it also comes with risks in terms of ROI. Not every social media hire is going to deliver the same results, and with the rapidly evolving nature of social platforms, it’s easy for social strategies to become outdated.
High Cost, Effort & Time of Management:
Managing a team of specialists requires constant oversight.
You’ll need to invest in the right project management tools, establish clear workflows, and maintain a unified brand voice across all platforms. This level of coordination takes time and effort, making it easy for bottlenecks to form.
Risk of Employee Turnover:
Turnover is another major risk.
The social media industry is fast-moving, and employees often hop between brands and agencies to advance their careers. High turnover rates mean you might frequently find yourself back at square one, onboarding new employees or hunting for replacements.
Range of Methods, Skill Levels & Best Practices:
The skills gap can also be a challenge.
Social media professionals come from different backgrounds, with varying degrees of experience in content creation, strategy, or analytics. Even among skilled professionals, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Best practices differ from platform to platform, and staying ahead of trends takes consistent training and experimentation.
The problem:
Hiring a full social media team comes with substantial risk — not just in terms of upfront costs, but also in the potential misalignment of skills or strategies that don’t deliver the expected ROI.
The solution:
To mitigate these risks, brands need to invest in training and development for their social media teams, ensuring they stay on top of trends and continually improve their skill sets.
Regularly reviewing performance metrics and adjusting strategies will also help ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.
The Complexity of Scaling Social Media Operations
Scaling your social media team comes with a unique set of challenges.
Highly-skilled managers alone can’t handle everything, the costs of a full team quickly add up, and there’s always the risk that your investment won’t pay off as expected. For many brands, managing and retaining top social media talent can feel like a full-time job in itself.
But these challenges don’t mean that you should avoid building out your social media capabilities — they simply highlight the importance of strategic planning. Whether you choose to hire internally or partner with an agency, the key to success lies in finding the right balance between cost, expertise, and scalability.
If you’re struggling to manage your social media operations or need support in scaling effectively, IMIG Communications can help. We specialize in delivering cost-effective social media strategies and video content that drive real results.
Contact us today to explore how we can support your brand’s growth online.
