Social media can be a really powerful way to connect with and build deeper relationships with your audience – but it can be extremely time consuming. So, we asked some folks we admire to share how they manage their social profiles and whether they’ve hired professionals to help.

Suzanne Anderson

Currently I manage my own social media. Because the business is small and due to budget constraints I am managing it for the time being. The results have been fair and gaining followers slowly. I developed a monthly marketing calendar that has helped to stay on topic for the month. I plan on hiring someone to take over my social media as soon as I am able to do so. I have learned one lesson, that customers and followers love seeing behind the scenes of a business. My most liked and followed posts are from sharing behind the scenes media. Read more>>

Fayth Hand

I manage all my own social media. Personally I feel like running my own social media allows me to stand out by constantly being myself and adding in a personal touch to my business pages. I’ve organically grown my social media presence and I feel like it’s been successful in my eyes. With a pool full of people in the same industry, and everyone trying to stand out doing the same thing on instagram, it can be tough! But when you can put a personal touch on it, people (customers) are more likely to be drawn to that because they already feel like they know and trust you. It comes with its struggles because social media adds a whole entire job to your list of things to do, but it can very much be worth it! Read more>>

Janet(yanny) Velasco

I manage my own social media as much as I can. I just have not been able to find anyone to manage my social media accounts or emails so I do this on my own. Read more>>

Carey Lundin

This year, I created a social media series called Citizen Kate. (@realcitizenkate. about a young woman’s political journey from spring through election day. I worked with a team of producers and stand-up comedians. This was the third time I’ve produced this series. It made a splash in 2008 when it was one of the top political comedy sites on YouTube. Back then, we filmed short pieces of Kate’s humiliating and enlightening life, meeting everyone on the campaign trail. So, this year, I tried to do the same thing. But, I discovered the demands were far different from my past experience in both content and distribution. I had a lot to learn. Read more>>

Ari Perez

I handle all of my own social media marketing on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat. I’m very tech savvy and my day job is a recruiter, so I have an entry-level marketing background. I love taking pictures of my dogs and puppies to post across all of the platforms and engage with clients or potential clients as well as other breeders. Some of my videos or pictures are cute, some are funny, and some are just for advertising purposes. I love being able to handle all of the social media on my own because for me it’s a lot of fun! My account on Instagram used to grow followers a lot faster than it does now, but I believe that it’s due to the algorithm changing as well as not posting as consistently as I would like. Read more>>

Elizabeth Harvey

At Bourgeois Wicks, we currently manage our own social media. We made this choice because we wanted to maintain a personal connection with our audience and have full control over the brand’s voice and message. So far, this approach has allowed us to be more authentic, respond quickly, and build a loyal community. One lesson we’ve learned is the importance of consistency and engagement. It’s not just about posting content, but about interacting with followers and creating meaningful conversations. For other business owners, I’d say it’s key to understand your audience and be clear about your goals. If you’re thinking about hiring help, consider whether you want a more hands-on approach or if outsourcing would allow you to focus on other aspects of your business. Both options have their benefits, but it really comes down to your capacity and vision for your brand. Read more>>

Peyton Parker

I manage all my social media platforms myself. I believe in learning how to do something yourself before hiring someone else to do it. I’ve always been photogenic and since taking a photography class in college, my eye for a good shot that’ll get people engaged has sharpened. Starting out, I would test different types of content just to see what my audience responded better to. Back then and still to this day, they love when I post tutorials, before & after transformations, or just a step by step video of the entire makeup process. Those are the videos that get the most engagement. I know my audience the best and I love creating & posting content so I don’t see me hiring anyone for that aspect of my business anytime soon lol. Read more>>