How Being a Social Media Manager Changed How I Use Social Media Personally.

Social Media Management has been included in my job description in some form or fashion since I graduated from college in 2018. Starting when I just responded to comments and messages for clients at my first job in public relations.

Initially, I think this was a task that was given to me solely because no one else on the team wanted to do it (the fun part of being the newest employee), but this seemingly mundane task sparked my interest in social media management and I’ve never turned back!

That was four years ago though, so you can imagine how much time I’ve spent on social media since then – both personally and professionally!

Spending hours on Instagram and Tik Tok for your job sounds like a lot of fun (and trust me, it is), but it definitely changes the way you utilize these platforms personally.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about my personal social media usage as a professional Social Media Manager.

My Screen Time is Insane

I’m embarrassed to admit, but averaging six hours a day on my phone isn’t even bad! Actually, I’m lucky if I keep it below seven hours on average!

No, all this time isn’t spent scrolling aimlessly, but rather it is spent engaging, manually posting, perfecting Instagram stories, gathering content, editing photos or putting together videos.

A lot of my work happens on my phone during the day, so my screen time seems a touch crazy to those who don’t work on their phones a lot!

New Platform? Let’s See It!

I’m 26 years old. By most perspectives that isn’t old at all, but in the social media landscape it’s ancient (ask the kids on Tik Tok).

Despite being older than a lot of demographics on certain social platforms, I still want to be one of the first people to try the platform out.

If I’m inevitably going to be using this tool professionally, I need to know how it works from the beginning!

I LOVE Creators and Influencers

Not in the way you’re probably thinking! I don’t follow thousands of influencers and buy off of all their links, but rather I appreciate them and respect their work.

I know how hard it is to get a good photo with an iPhone. I understand how time consuming it is to create a Reel or a Tik Tok. I know how hurtful it can be when your content flops.

I really respect and appreciate social media creators– especially the ones who manage their platforms outside of their traditional 9-5 jobs.

Not to mention, they keep social media platforms fresh and interesting!

I’m Saving That!

Do you ever save a helpful graphic on Instagram? Or send something interesting to a friend? I’m doing that constantly, but for work.

Every time I see a cool image, a great photo, an emerging trend or anything that inspires me, I can assure you I’ve saved it and/or sent it to my team.

My “saved” section on my Instagram is filled with content that I love and organized into different categories (clients, content type, holidays, etc…).

I find scrolling through any platform without stopping to save a few posts that inspire me nearly impossible!

When you’re a Social Media Manager, there’s really no more “mindless scrolling” on any platform– you’re always thinking of work.

To all my fellow SMM’s, how has your professional scrolling changed your personal scrolling? I’d love to know!