Highlights:
- Social media leaders shared how they’re managing burnout in their teams and how they’re maintaining success in the social media landscape.
- Saying “no” to meetings and blocking time for breaks can help reduce excessive work and stress.
- It helps to adjust your strategies to help your team succeed when affected by burnout and the Great Resignation.
Social media leaders across industries are all experiencing a shared challenge: burnout. The current expectations of protecting brand reputation, overseeing statements, community management, data analytics, driving sales, and more seems never-ending. If you’ve ever felt unable to log off, you’re part of the 73% of social media managers who feel pressured to work 24/7, according to Hootsuite.
Those who face the challenge of burnout are not alone. SocialMedia.org members, all who lead social media at the world’s biggest companies, have continually shared best practices for mitigating fatigue and maintaining success in the fast-paced social media landscape.
Here are some of the ways social media leaders are addressing the battle of burnout.
Reduce Excessive Work and Stress
SocialMedia.org members benchmarked how they’re addressing burnout within their teams. Many shared how they are encouraging colleagues to block time for lunch and breaks, say “no” to meeting invites, use flexible hours and PTO, and limit instant messaging and emails after work hours.
The sentiment of saying “no” was highlighted by Leigh Morrison, Senior Manager of Corporate Social Media at Red Hat, in a Sprout Social article.
“It’s important to build in moments to step away, connect in real life, and recharge,” Leigh said in the article.
For social media teams, disconnecting can be challenging, as many feel the pressure to respond to messages during after hours. But an Academy of Management study reported how it damages employees’ mental health and job performances when there’s expectations to monitor activity during off-hours.
Reducing expectations to always be connected can be a huge lift in addressing burnout on your social media team, and can help lessen the stress of feeling overwhelmed.
Take a Break From All the Breaking News
It’s no question that in recent years many social media teams feel overwhelmed with all of the crises and breaking news that impacts their brands. During a leadership discussion on addressing burnout, one SocialMedia.org member shared how their workplace environment has shifted from proactive to reactive because of all the breaking news events.
Members shared how beneficial creative ideas and reminding teams of the fun involved with marketing and social media can be for mitigating fatigue. This is especially true for those who have neglected creative aspects when always preparing for the next emergency.
Sallie Poggi, Executive Director of Strategic Communications at UC Davis, shared more tips for social media managers that go beyond self care. In order to make the role of social media manager more sustainable, Sallie said it’s critical to:
- Establish time blocking to set boundaries
- Draw healthy boundaries by communicating to your team and disconnecting from online
- Build and condition your mental fortitude to understand when you are overwhelmed
Social media managers, let’s talk about #MentalHealth. The past year has been a stressful one, so for #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth we have teamed up with @SallieB, Director of Social Media at @ucdavis to learn about 5 key tips which go beyond self care. #1 – #3 here 👇 pic.twitter.com/oHulmCqU5L
— Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite) May 10, 2021
Adjust Your Strategies to Help Your Team Succeed
During a SocialMedia.org leadership discussion, members benchmarked how they’re adjusting strategies to help their teams succeed after being affected by burnout and the Great Resignation. 49% of members in the discussion shared they had to backfill vacated roles over the past year, and 20% said they created new roles on their social media teams.
Mitra Mehvar, Social Media Manager at Buffer, a social media management software company, shared insights on how companies should adjust strategies and hire different roles to manage burnout.
In a Buffer article, Mitra recommended how when companies grow, they should outsource certain responsibilities and create a support system for the existing social media managers.
“Being a social media manager is not just doing posts,” Mitra said in the article. “We do so much more: graphic design, video editing, copywriting, customer service, and strategy just to name a few. It’s a lot.”
One SocialMedia.org member shared how focusing on soft skills rather than trainable skills has helped them find good talent. It was explained how candidates with a journalism background, former agency talents, and creative types have been good fits for social media teams.
Build Connections with Those Who Understand Your Challenges
Leigh Morrison highlighted how helpful creating a culture of communication can be for social media managers.
“As a manager, my team looks to me to set boundaries and standards,” Leigh said in the Sprout Social article. “My advice is to talk about it openly, create norms that make it okay to step away, and take moments to bond as a team outside of work.”
Community can be a powerful tool in connecting with those who understand the challenges you face. For 15 years, SocialMedia.org has been the place for unbiased conversations with other social media leaders at billion-dollar brands on managing burnout, paid and organic social strategies, crisis communications, social listening, and much more.
Are you looking for more best practices on mitigating the fatigue that comes with leading social media? Apply to learn more about joining SocialMedia.org to get insights from your peers to help your team make quick, informed strategic decisions.
