Key takeaways:
- Leverage age diversity to enhance strategy: Create teams with diverse age groups to generate a wider range of perspectives, leading to more inclusive and effective social media strategies.
- Frame your experience as a competitive advantage: Reposition your years of experience as a unique asset, emphasizing adaptability, innovation, and strategic thinking.
- Mentor and learn across generations: Take on a mentorship role to provide guidance and stability to younger team members, while also staying open to learning from them to keep your skill set relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.
Social media leaders of all ages face challenges when it comes to navigating career advancement. Age biases often affect how you are perceived in the industry, especially because social media is often associated with youth. However, there are ways to leverage age and experience to your advantage.
SocialMedia.org members — heads of social media at the world’s largest brands and nation’s largest hospitals — recently shared insights on navigating age biases during our panel on navigating career development in social media.
We’ll highlight the best practices our members shared to advance your career.
1. Leverage Age Diversity as a Strategic Strength
Makenzie Bowker, Senior Manager of Social Media Strategy at City of Hope, discussed the value of age diversity within social media teams. She explained how different generations provide various perspectives on how you strategize your content.
When her team at City of Hope reimagined its social media strategy after acquiring new hospitals, the presence of diverse voices was crucial to its success.
“I don’t think that would have been executed as flawlessly as it has been if we didn’t have those different voices at the table,” Makenzie said. “It makes a difference when we think about social for our patients, donors, researchers, and prospective employees.”
She also discussed how blending experience from various age groups produces well-rounded content strategies that resonate with broader audiences.
It makes a difference when we think about social for our patients, donors, researchers, and prospective employees.
Makenzie Bowker, City of Hope
2. Tailor Content for Different Age Groups
Nicolle Lopez, Social Media Manager at Amtrak, shared how understanding age-related differences in audience behavior allows her team to target specific demographics more effectively.
With her team spanning from millennials to Gen Z, they collaborate to ensure content is tailored to the right platforms. For example, Nicolle explained that her team markets differently on Facebook compared to TikTok, depending on age-related consumer behavior.
“On TikTok, which is mostly Gen Z and young millennials, they’re very price conscious, so I’ll focus on numbers,” Nicolle said. “Whereas on Facebook, the audience is older and more conservative, and they care more about comfort and service.”
Nicolle also highlighted how age diversity helps social media teams craft content that aligns with the preferences of varied age demographics.
“Having those different perspectives within my team, I can go to different people and ask what’s the right way to talk about content and make sure I’m expressing our brand correctly,” she added.
Having those different perspectives within my team, I can go to different people and ask what’s the right way to talk about content and make sure I’m expressing our brand correctly.
Nicolle Lopez, Amtrak
3. Embrace Mentorship Across Generations
Allen Plummer, Global Head of Content at The Carlyle Group, described how being a Gen Xer in a team of millennials allows him to take on a mentorship role. He shared that his experience provides stability to his team during challenging situations.
“I joke oftentimes that I’m like the team dad,” Allen said. “I fall into that role. There’s immense value in that consultative mindset. We’ve been through this, and it’s all going to be fine.”
Allen explained how more experienced social media professionals can leverage their skills and insights to mentor younger colleagues and to create stability and confidence.
“From a career perspective, it’s critical for each of us, as we figure out our career paths, to figure out what we need in our environments to excel as professionals,” he stated.
From a career perspective, it’s critical for each of us, as we figure out our career paths, to figure out what we need in our environments to excel as professionals.
Allen Plummer, The Carlyle Group
4. Frame Your Experience as an Asset, Not a Liability
Robbie Schneider, Enterprise Social Media Manager at Franciscan Health, noted how much like athletes face ageism in the later years of their careers, social media professionals experience age-related biases when people assume that experience might lead to irrelevance.
However, Robbie said she sees age and expertise as advantages that should be celebrated.
“People treat experience like an Achilles’ heel instead of something that should be treasured,” Robbie said. “We all bring different talents and skills to the table that help make a more creative place to be.”
Robbie emphasized the importance of positioning your years of experience as an asset, demonstrating your adaptability and strategic mindset.
“I’ve been able to tap into people across generations, especially through this community, who are doing wonderful things,” Robbie said. “No matter the age or experience, we all bring different talents, skills, and experiences to the table that help make it a more uplifting industry to be in.”
No matter the age or experience, we all bring different talents, skills, and experiences to the table that help make it a more uplifting industry to be in.
Robbie Schneider, Franciscan Health
5. Continue Innovating and Highlighting Your Unique Contributions
Nicole at Amtrak discussed how the social media industry’s relative youth creates opportunities for all professionals, regardless of age. She encouraged social media leaders to emphasize their role as pioneers in an industry that’s always evolving.
“I was the first to beta test YouTube shorts ad buying,” Nicolle said. “This is something that I always bring up, as it was different, adopted, and now something everyone could use.”
She then discussed the importance of showcasing your unique contributions to the field, especially if you’ve been involved in early stages for specific platforms or trends. She said highlighting your innovation can help you stand out, regardless of your age.
6. Adapt and Evolve to Avoid Burnout
SocialMedia.org members also discussed how, over time, many social media professionals begin to feel burned out by the always evolving and demanding tasks.
Robbie at Franciscan Health stressed that the skills developed in social media, from data analysis to crisis communication, are highly transferable, allowing social media leaders to pivot into new roles within marketing or communications.
“You get labeled as a social media manager, but really, you’re touching strategy, customer service, creative media relations … all the hats that work from a marketing communications perspective,” Robbie said.
For older professionals feeling stuck or burned out, she explained that social media skills can be repurposed to achieve new career milestones, even outside of social.
Allen added that it’s key to understand how your social media skillsets provide strategic insights for other roles. He also shared that it’s important to align your aspirational career goals with development opportunities to avoid being pigeonholed into repetitive tasks.
“A you become more strategic, lean into that and demonstrate those skills,” Allen said. “The trick is to take those core skills that we all learn in this space and build upon them to carve out your own path in a way that demonstrates that consultative mindset and strategic thinking we oftentimes don’t get credit for.”
Gain Insights from Your Peers Leading Social Media on Advancing Your Initiatives
Navigating age biases in social media can be challenging, but by embracing diverse experiences, seeking mentorship, and staying innovative, leaders can build fulfilling, lasting careers.
For further support in your career, SocialMedia.org offers a confidential space for social media leaders at the world’s largest brands to benchmark strategies and share insights.
Apply to learn how to connect with your peers and stay ahead of the latest trends.
