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.

Mackenzie Stokx

I manage my own social media accounts, and it is definitely a second full-time job. Before starting my own business, I was never really a fan of social media or participated in it all that much. However, after launching my business, I realized that social media is one of the most important aspects of running a business, especially in the wedding and event industry since it is such a visual community. After accepting that I was going to have to work hard to build up my socials in order to create both credibility and community, I spent hours reading blogs and articles, looking at other wedding planner’s pages and listened to podcasts to teach myself all about the algorithms and the different kinds of clients you will find across the various social media platforms. Read more>>

Trista Croce

My social media platforms are huge for my wedding planning business. I do not allocate any money towards advertising and marketing so the only source we relay on to generate clientele is social media. We have outsourced this work to a marketing company in the past, but we currently do this on our own now and have for the last several years. I have been in business for over 10 years and can honestly say that is is very important to have guidance and education from professionals on how to properly and effectively run your pages but I feel It is most impactful to run your own or have someone from your team run It. There is nothing more authentic and relatable to using your own voice, expertise and opinions on your pages. Read more>>

Kellsie Dumas

I manage all my social media for my business. I am currently in school studying Digital Media Advertising at Texas State University. I felt it was important for me to run all my business’ social media for a true experience of how to grow a business from a social media presence. I manage everything from content creation and planning to analytics, replying to direct messages, and promotional campaigns on our social media. That in itself is a full-time job and has made a huge impact on Golden Glo Spray Tan’s success. The majority of our clients find us through our social media. That is why our social media is a very important part of our brand and online image. Read more>>

Matt McGovern

Out of the eleven years and counting that I’ve been working in the TV / news industry, I have been a web producer to some capacity for eight of those years. Starting with the third TV station I worked for, I was the very first web and social media producer in the history of the station (KGNS TV in Laredo, Texas). I did everything myself with very little help or instruction and made something out of it. Eventually, they added on to the web department and I became the Senior Web / Social Media Producer. At one point, I managed two other people in the newsroom. Read more>>

Diane Haase

Truffle Me! is my third or fourth “career”! I have never been great with computers or technology. I can hear my children laughing!! Being a bit older and not tech savvy, I have relied on others to do what I just can’t do. My daughter built my original website and took the photos, a friend helped me set up Instagram, and others have managed my newsletters and website. However, I am the one in charge of posting on Instagram and Face Book. There are many days that it is overwhelming the amount of time it takes to take care of social media needs. If I was younger and in my first or second “career”, I would spend the money it takes to have others take care of my social media. I know you need to spend money to make money, but in my case I need to be very frugal and deliberate as to where I spend my money. Read more>>

James Richard

Social media can be a tricky thing to navigate. In the past we have had our friends help us make content for social media and that was awesome. It helped us not have to worry as much about the face that we were putting out there on the internet. I always thought outsourcing to a team would eventually be best but I think I have come to learn that social media, depending on the industry, might not be what really drives your sales. It is always good to have a presence on the internet but at the end of the day should I be paying someone for something that does not help us grow significantly. We did a lot of bootstrapping in the beginning and I think you should bootstrap things when you can. Read more>>

Martin Tsai

People always ask me “hey, where do you post your stuff?” or “hey, how do you manage your account? by yourself?or…?” As a photographer or specifically a Marine photographer, an online platform is extremely important. Not only it allows you to share whatever you want to people, but it also allows you to have the opportunity to build up your connection and expand you online resources. To answer questions above, Yes I use Instagram only and Yes I manage everything by myself. Read more>>

Malore Johnson | Business Owner

I think it depends on what stage you are in business. I definitely think in the beginning managing your own social media is necessary and budget friendly. As we evolve into the digital age of things, learning Social Media Marketing skills are a must if you plan to go into business for yourself. I minored in Graphic Design in collage so anytime I start a business I create my own content. I will reach out to help build websites and maybe even create a logo from time to time but I create all my own flyers, advertising, I style my own product shoots and take my own pictures. Read more>>