Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adi Bates. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Adi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

At Purpose Possible, we manage our own social media as well as the accounts for numerous other organizations. As a communications professional, I find it essential to craft and represent our organizational personality across various channels. This involves understanding voice, tone, messaging styles, and strategies, which I find fun and exciting. However, I acknowledge that this isn’t everyone’s forte. Even I have a team to help get the work done!

For many organizational leaders, managing social media can feel like an added task or a chore. It’s crucial to use social media for organizational awareness, building trust, and staying in touch with the communities served. If managing this excites you and you have the time for it, go for it! If not, it’s perfectly okay to hire someone to take that task off your plate.

We chose to manage our own social media because we have a team of skilled communications professionals who can plan, schedule, strategize, and pivot when necessary. This approach has worked well, allowing us to maintain a cohesive and engaging online presence.

For those considering whether to manage social media themselves or hire someone, I recommend assessing your team’s skills and availability. If social media feels burdensome, outsourcing might be the best option to ensure consistent and effective communication without overwhelming your team.

Adi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Adi Bates, and I’m the Director of Communications for Purpose Possible. After earning my Master’s Degree in Marketing from Georgia State University, I worked with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits in various capacities, including graphic design, brand development, social media, event marketing, writing, editing, strategy, and advising.

Looking back, I was always a right-brained creative with a knack for strategy, problem-solving, and storytelling. I came into adulthood at the height of MySpace and the beginnings of Facebook. In undergrad at UGA, I studied art and tried to have part-time business jobs to balance creativity with building a resume. This combination of skills and interests led me to seek opportunities and education in marketing and design. In this quest for experience and knowledge, I found my niche with “passion-centered” work—individuals and organizations who were fueled by more than profit.

In my current role, I lead the marketing efforts for Purpose Possible and manage consultant teams supporting communications work for mission-driven organizations. Purpose Possible is a consulting firm providing a range of services that allow organizational leadership and staff to focus on what they do best—the mission-driven work.

In this role, I’m most proud of our ability to tell stories that amplify organizations and connect with their audiences. What sets Purpose Possible apart is our people-first approach. We aim to integrate ourselves into our clients’ teams to offer tailored support for the people moving organizations forward. We prioritize relationships, both internally and externally, ensuring that our services genuinely benefit the people doing the work and the communities they serve.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Brand loyalty is fostered through transparency and personality. Regular emails and engaging social content help keep audiences informed and connected. I recommend showing humanity, personality, and a unique perspective in all communications. Social media is a great place for transparency and personality—showing what happens behind the scenes, the people behind the work, and what drives the organization. Building brand loyalty and connection is like having a friendship—it requires effort and nurturing to grow. Calling a friend to say “hi” and see how they’re doing is a business equivalent to sending regular emails to a client list and telling them what your organization is doing. Social content works the same way. We post on our personal pages to show our friends what we’re doing—businesses have to do the same to keep a connection to their clients.

Any advice for managing a team?

When managing a team and maintaining high morale, it’s crucial to remember the humanity of your team members. Involve them in decision-making, challenge them, and let them see your humanity as well. It’s okay for your team to see that you’re not always right and feel like they can contribute to decisions. Praise in public, and critique in private or in a setting that doesn’t make anyone feel publicly admonished. Be intentional about connection. Let your team know they can correct you if you’re wrong and that your ideas or ways of working aren’t the only ones. Not all times will be great, but you can prepare for challenges by fostering connections, being humble, and being open to ideas and critique during good times. While leaders can’t always work in the “trenches,” it’s necessary to do so sometimes. Your team needs to know that when things get tough, you can and will be there with them to overcome challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.purposepossible.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purposepossible
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposepossibleatl
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/purposepossible
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@purposepossible9293