In 2025, the role of a social media manager has evolved. When your face or voice becomes the brand, it’s not just content—it’s performance, and it comes with weight. Here's how social media contracts are changing to reflect that.
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.
Why brands need on-screen talent (and why social media managers often fit the bill)
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.
From behind the scenes to brand personality
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.
Here’s how other brands have tackled this new trend:
- Morning Brew uses one of its own, Macy Gilliam, as the face of many of its social posts as part of its in-house creator strategy. Macy recently signed new contract with Morning Brew which sees her launching her own new show Morning Brew’s YouTube channel, switching to an uncapped revenue share that increases based on video performance, and the flexibility for Gilliam to work on and promote her personal social channels through Morning Brew.
- Duolingo’s Zaria Parvez has become the face of Duo’s TikTok fame, even winning awards for her work.
- Brands like Poppi and Juno & Co build content series around the social team’s personalities.
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.
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Get Started for FREEWhat new contracts might look like
As 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:
- Image and likeness rights: Clarify how the brand can use their face, name, or voice across channels.
- Handle usage: Guidelines for tagging or using a personal handle to amplify branded content.
- On-camera compensation: Whether it’s a flat fee or creator-style licensing, additional content duties deserve recognition.
- Offboarding clauses: If the SMM leaves, what happens to their content? Can it still be used? Is it archived?
- Tone, boundaries and expectations: What’s the on-camera tone? Can they say no to trends? Are there boundaries around work hours or style of humor?
Just like influencer contracts have evolved, so should creator-SMM agreements.
How expectations are evolving
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.
What that looks like:
- Always on: Need a TikTok in 30 minutes? The SMM is up.
- Camera ready: Posting from a conference? Time to film a vlog.
- The brand, not just behind it: DMs from fans? Mentions in the comments? You’re not just repping the brand—you are the brand.
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.
Checklist: Should you discuss a contract update with your manager?
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 TLDR? Let’s make the SMM role sustainable
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.
