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[rant] Coworkers who want to “help” with social media
I’ve worked at a nonprofit for 1.5 years, and I have not managed to go a full month without a coworker “volunteering” to help. And by help they mean getting the passwords and doing their own social.
The first request was 2 weeks after I started, and I felt uncomfortable doing it, but I was new and didn’t want to seem uncooperative… it turned into a nightmare. They didn’t want to use my content calender, they didn’t want to send me posts for review, we would have double posts on the same subject because I was doing one and they were too.
At one point, I had arranged an interview with a client for a profile. When I got on the Zoom, they said the social media manager interviewed them this AM?!?!?
In 1.5 years I have had
– one department hired social media interns without talking to me first & just wanted the passwords… not actually work with them. (The interns were posting for a week using the wrong organization name ?)
– someone who wanted to do our Twitter, but then deleted his Twitter after the Elon sale … and never mentioned it to me.
– someone who wanted to teach one of our educational programs about Communications, using our socials. Did not want me to speak to the class and then after I gave the passwords, he did not reply to a single email or call
– someone who told me, “you don’t understand how social media works” after I explained my content strategy.
– I was reprimanded because someone I gave the passwords to was not only posting, but answering some IMs too. I told her she didn’t have to do that, we have a process and it gets confusing if various people are responding. She complained to her boss who then told me I was being mean and critical to a young employee. The boss then told me she didn’t want me talking directly to that person, who they still wanted to do social. So basically I was banned from talking to someone that was doing my job and I wasn’t allowed to communicate with her about it.
– someone who changed the passwords on a Friday, and didn’t respond to any of my calls / texts till Monday because it was the weekend
– the same people who hound me about doing their own posts have never once given me a suggestion they want me to execute. Basically they do it all or they won’t support the program. I have even asked these people for info on certain things for social and they don’t give it to me, but then offer to do a post themselves…these people never “like” or share any of our social… unless they do it
I feel like my situation is extreme… but does this happen to anyone else? Am I totally crazy thinking this situation is absurd?
Note, I was in e-commerce for years before this and never once did anything even close to this happen.
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1 Reply
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everyone thinks they know what they’re doing with social media, including you. Why would you hire a self proclaimed expert when there r professionals and why would you share passwords? If you’re social sucks then that reflects on u. You need to pay a professional company. Im not being mean i
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It sounds absurd, but we’re missing a lot of details. What is your title and who do you report to within the organization? How many employees and departments in this non-profit? Who claimed to be the social media manager that did an interview with the client? Without those details, it’s hard to say.
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Nonprofits can be really weird like this IMO, often they are so anti-corporate that there can be a striking amount of anarchy. It sounds like your boss is weak if they are letting this happen. If they think it’s okay, then they’re not only weak but confused. What does your boss say?
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Don’t give out passwords that easily o.o Like.. don’t you have new people sign a contract and if they breach it they get fired? Changing passwords unannounced would be a reason for that, as well as non approved posting. Even if you’re non profit you can still have them sign something. Personally I’d tell them if they want to post something the, can email you the graphics and text and you do the rest, or you don’t. You need some final say on the matter
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This environment sounds completely toxic. I think we all expect people to not understand what we do/think they can do our job because they like watching TikToks/not respect our value, but people are just walking all over you and the result is complete chaos.
Either find a new job with better structure or spend some time putting together a document that will educate your business on how social media should be run and the proper processes you will need to follow in order to successfully run them. Tell your boss you’d like to change the passwords and stop others from posting. Any content ideas and requests should come directly through you.
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Your post is a bit confusing.
Are they coworkers or people that work for you (since you are an organization leader)?
You also haven’t mentioned a “system.” “People don’t aim for the stars and fall to the moon, they fall to the level of their systems.” Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Or you did mention systems, but said employees ignore your system. Which means there’s something else up or it’s not put in writing for someone to follow.
Also it sounds like the roles at your company are unclear with many people wanting to step up and claim they are a social media manager.
Also, pretty sure almost all the major social media platforms allow you to add multiple users/admins/etc… There are even ways to make it so they can upload but require an admin to post it.
Since you haven’t mentioned this it can only be assumed there is no clarity on how social media should be run “without you” should you be sick, leave the company, be promoted or up or across, etc…
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I do digital marketing in my nonprofit, and I work with a lot of people who think they can “do social” because they have a personal Facebook. Hell, I have board members without any social media presence telling me what the strategy should be. Here’s my two cents – you are the expert. Everything goes through you. Period. Do not give out the passwords. Do not allow anyone else to develop their own content or creative. Sometimes you just have to be the bad guy. And if your supervisor is not willing to back you up, think about moving on. You are the expert, and you’re right – your situation is absurd.
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Sounds like you need backup from above. If your boss and other higher ups are not supporting you when you (rightly) push back and try to institute a new system, it’s time to start looking for another job.
Sometimes companies determine that they have a functional need, eg streamlined social media, that they think is solved once a person is hired for that position. They then dust off their hands and go about their normal routine.
Good companies know that change management also needs to happen. From what you are saying, it may just be that before you arrived, everyone could just post on social before and no attempts are being made right now to wean them off this system and shift them to a centralized function.
This change management process is not just all for you to execute. It requires top management to buy into, preach, and practice. As a newcomer, you need this executive support to make any substantial changes. Otherwise you’ll be pushing mud uphill.
When you interview for your next job, ask whether it’s a new position or a replacement for an existing role. If it’s the former, try to learn 3 things: 1) what constitutes success for that role, 2) the prevailing process/system that needs changing hence the creation of this new role, and 3) how your potential new boss figures in the company hierarchy in terms of power and influence.
Admittedly the third is nearly impossible to find out during interviews but gather as many hints as you can. A supervisor whose role is seen as supplementary, not mission critical, to a company’s success will often have a harder time instigating change because it won’t be seen as a priority.
You’ll encounter companies like your non-profit in future with some smart vetting, will know whom to work for and whom to avoid.
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