Once upon a time, the social media manager (SMM) was simply the person pulling the strings behind the curtain: curating, scheduling, responding, reporting – you know the drill. These days? They’re front and center—the voice in the comments, the personality behind the posts, and sometimes even the face on the feed. Welcome to the era of the main character SMM.
Whether it’s Morning Brew’s roster of in-house creators or the masked chaos of Duolingo’s Zaria Parvez, more social media managers are becoming brand personalities themselves—and audiences are loving it.
In the era of TikTok, influencers, and online personalities, authenticity is no longer optional. Audiences crave human faces, real voices, and relatable energy. They want to know who is behind the brand—and social media managers are often already perfectly positioned to be this personality.
Instead of outsourcing content to influencers or waiting weeks for agency edits, in-house SMMs can jump on trends in real-time. They know the brand voice, understand the audience, and can whip out reactive content before the moment passes. As a result, many brands are skipping the casting call and turning the camera on their own team.
However, with great visibility comes great responsibility. When a social media manager’s image, voice, or personality becomes part of a brand's identity, it changes the game. It’s not just posting memes anymore—it’s a performance.
Suddenly, you’re not just managing the brand—you are the brand. And that shift requires a new kind of social contract.
This visibility has benefits: audience trust, brand recognition, and even personal career growth. But it also blurs the boundaries between job and identity, raising questions about rights, representation, and fair compensation.
Why settle for a lackluster social media management tool when you could be using Sked Social? With unlimited collaborator access, streamlined approvals and advanced auto-post technology that lets you schedule to all major platforms, Sked Social offers everything you need.
Get Started for FREEAs social media managers step out from behind the screen and into the feed, their job descriptions—and their legal protections—also need to evolve.
When your face becomes part of the brand's aesthetic and your voice drives brand engagement, you're no longer just an employee—you're a talent. And talent needs terms. This isn't about nitpicking—it's about protecting people who do high-visibility, high-impact work in real-time.
If your SMM is now a front-facing brand asset, it’s time to get the paperwork to match. Here’s what updated contracts might include:
Just like influencer contracts have evolved, so should creator-SMM agreements.
There was a time when "posting on social" was just a task on a to-do list. Today, it’s a full-blown performance—and often a public one. The modern SMM is a one-person content studio, expected to wear ten hats and be camera-ready while doing it. From scripting TikToks to starring in Reels and responding to comments in real time, this role demands a new level of energy, creativity, and labor.
Let’s call it like it is: today’s social media manager isn’t just juggling captions and analytics—they’re expected to be part strategist, part trend forecaster, part on-screen talent.
This shift has led to more visibility, opportunity, and influence—but also burnout, blurred boundaries, and performance pressure. It’s time for brands to recognize the labor behind the LOLs.
If two or more of these apply to your current role, it’s time to open up the conversation:
✅ You’re regularly appearing on camera in brand content
✅ Your face or name is used in campaign promotions
✅ You’re being tagged or mentioned on your personal accounts by the brand
✅ You’re being asked to go viral, be funny, or build a personal brand in public
✅ You’re receiving DMs or recognition as “the face of the brand”
✅ You’re spending time creating content about your job, not just doing your job
✅ You’re being asked to help with influencer-style or performance metrics
If two or more boxes are ticked, it’s time to talk contracts.
The role of the social media manager has evolved. You’re not just scheduling content—you’re shaping the brand in real time, often with your own face and voice. That deserves recognition, respect, and yes, the right contract.
Whether you’re stepping into the spotlight or supporting someone who is, Sked Social provides you with the tools (and boundaries) to do it all. Schedule smarter, react faster, and add a human touch to your feed.
Sked's tools are designed to streamline your workflow, enhance team collaboration, and deliver exceptional results for you and your team.
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