At Rippling, the social media role is elevated from a simple scheduler to a strategic creative partner. This person acts as a "gatekeeper" for quality, collaborating with various internal teams to transform their requests (e.g., for a webinar promo) into engaging, high-performing content that fits the brand's human-first voice.

Spreading a small team across multiple social platforms leads to mediocre, generic content. A more effective strategy is to focus intensely on a maximum of two channels, posting 2-3 times per week to maintain relevance without sacrificing quality or platform-specific nuance.

The old strategy of maintaining a presence on every social platform is impractical due to team consolidation and content saturation. A focused approach on 2-3 core channels allows for higher quality creative, better engagement, and stronger community building.

Companies often bring social media management in-house because they perceive it as less serious than traditional advertising. This is a critical error. Driving real business results through social media is far more complex and difficult than replicating the functions of a traditional creative agency for print or TV commercials.

Traditional strategy forces "either/or" choices due to resource constraints. On social media, where distribution is cheap, the best strategy is "and." Don't choose between two brand names or content pillars; create content for both. This allows you to test what resonates with different audience segments without artificial limitation.

When hiring for social media roles, prioritize candidates who have successfully built their own public platform. This hands-on experience is a non-negotiable prerequisite for understanding platform nuances, virality, and authentic creator collaboration. A traditional corporate background is insufficient for this specific role, as it lacks proof of practical expertise.

Webflow's CMO restructured their team to unify media relations, social media, and influencer marketing under a single PR umbrella. This integrated approach acknowledges that these functions are no longer separate disciplines but interconnected components of brand building.

It's standard practice to have dedicated experts for Google Ads and Facebook Ads, yet companies expect one person to master all organic social platforms. To achieve excellence, marketing teams should structure their organic social function with platform specialists, mirroring the successful paid media model.

Spreading efforts thinly across all platforms is a mistake. It is better to dominate one relevant platform. A minimal, inactive presence on multiple channels can be a negative signal to customers, suggesting your business is out of touch or struggling.