Half of my Job is convincing People it’s not that serious.

Half of my job is convincing people social media matters. The other half is convincing them it’s not that serious.

Over time, I’ve noticed that most organizations fall into one of two camps.

The first treats social media like an afterthought. It’s something to “keep up with,” delegated when there’s time, with little strategy behind it. When results don’t magically appear, it reinforces the belief that social media doesn’t work.

The second camp treats social media like a cure-all. If ticket sales are down, if engagement is low, if awareness is lacking, the answer must be social. Post more. Go viral. Fix it.

Both approaches miss the point.

Social media is neither a waste of time nor a magic solution. It’s a tool. And like any tool, its effectiveness depends entirely on how it fits into a larger system. The most successful teams I’ve worked with don’t isolate social media. They integrate it. They understand that social is one piece of a broader communications ecosystem that includes email marketing, PR, partnerships, paid media, and on-the-ground engagement. Each channel plays a different role. None of them can carry the full weight alone.

Where things often break down is at the strategic level. If your organization doesn’t have a clear, shared understanding of its goals, social media will feel scattered. Content will be created in a vacuum. Success will be hard to define, let alone achieve.

Every team needs a clear, visible direction that guides decision-making across departments. Without it, even the most talented teams end up pulling in different directions. With it, each channel can develop strategies that actually support a common goal.

When social media works well, it’s not because of a single post or trend. It’s because it’s aligned.

Aligned with organizational priorities.
Aligned with audience needs.
Aligned with the rest of your marketing efforts.

That’s what allows it to do what it does best: tell stories, build relationships, and support larger initiatives in a way that feels both intentional and human.

Social media should be taken seriously enough to invest in strategically.

But not so seriously that it’s expected to do everything.