TikToker named Amanda (@socialmediamanageramanda) says she was the subject of an awkward and humiliating conference call where her boss questioned the worth of her social media manager. He also says he earns significantly less than the average social media manager, which according to Actuallyit ranges from $35,0300 to $90,900 per year.
In her clip, Amanda recreates an “awkward” scenario in which her supervisor wonders aloud if a social media manager adds any value to the company. The video has amassed over 680,000 on TikTok at the time of writing.
@socialmanageramanda Enjoy this masterpiece of reconstructing the need to explain what I do as a social media manager #social media manager #social medimanagers #zoommeetings #zoommeeting went wrong #clienthorrorhistory #reconstruction ♬ original sound – Amanda | Social media manager
“OK, I’m going to repeat a phone call I just received that was incredibly awkward,” says Amanda.
Acting as her manager, Amanda starts playing the video conference she just attended. “Hi everyone, thanks for jumping in, you know, I really appreciate it, I hope everyone has a good Friday. Uh, I just wanted to, uh, before we start checking on Amanda and just, you know, see what she’s been up to this week, see what she’s been up to.
The social media manager then moves on to his “character” in the video.
Amanda: “Um, so just tell me what I’ve been working on this week?”
Manager: “Yeah, yeah, it sure would be really helpful, yeah, if you could do that.”
Amanda then lists all the results she has achieved in that time frame.
“Yeah, I can definitely do that. Um, so I created and posted all of the company’s social media posts on 5 different platforms for a total of 40 posts this week, which was a lot. I also work with other departments to come up with ad copy to launch the ad campaign. I also collaborated with other departments to develop several blog posts. Um, I wrote 4 different blog posts totaling 3000 words. I also responded to all comments and private messages, then created an updated social media strategy, an internal social media strategy, and yes, that’s what I did this week,” he concludes.
Even after her detailed answer, Amanda’s supervisor is unimpressed. “Hey, okay, I’ll be honest, I don’t even understand why we’re paying you. I don’t even know what you’re really doing or why it’s helpful to the company. I feel like you know if you’re not making money, so why?”
The social media manager further demonstrates his value to the company by analyzing how the company operates. He explains that social media plays a big role in how a company makes money. “Um, okay, your company literally relies on social media to get leads, so if you’re not posting on social media, you’re not getting any leads,” he says to his supervisor.
But the manager doesn’t seem to see her point. “Yes, but I like it, I just don’t understand how you’re like an asset to the company. It’s like we’re really looking for similar assets for the company.”
Amanda tries again. “Okay, I think I see a problem here, um, I’m a social media manager. I’m not a sales rep, I don’t do cold calls or anything like that. You hired me to help with brand recognition and social media, graphic design and graphic design, um, and blog post creation, um, and that’s exactly what I do.
Manager: “Okay, but did you reach your limit at all?”
The social media manager seems stunned by the question. As she is not a sales representative, the limits do not apply to her.
“I am a social media manager, I have no limit. I don’t sell, he repeats.
The manager then opens the discussion to include Amanda’s co-workers. “Does anyone think this is valuable to the company? Do you think we need a social media presence to be successful?” He’s asking.
A third person, presumably a co-worker, chimes in. “Yeah, so I just feel like if Amanda was hired to build brand awareness and likes on social media posts, and that’s what she’s doing, that’s fine.”
But the manager remains unconvinced. “Okay, yeah, I’ll have to like circulation and see if we even have the budget to keep a full-time social media manager. I just don’t know if we have as much as you know to give you that salary.
Amanda corrects the manager and reminds him that he’s not even a full-time employee. “I’m not a full-time employee. I am a contract worker. I don’t get paid, and you only pay me $1,500 a month. So let me know if you can afford it.”
Viewers in the comments were united in their position that Amanda is underrated and underpaid by the company. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon among TikTok employees. One person remarked, “I don’t think $1,500 is enough” for a job Amanda listed in the clip.
Another agreed, writing: “You’re working for free GF, that’s a $5,000 job you just explained.”
A third TikToker suggested a simple way for a social media manager to demonstrate the value it brings to the company. They said, “I would LOVE to see a lead source report before your services and now.”
Many commenters simply told her to leave the company as soon as possible. As one person said, “GIRL. START. I was there, I did it. ESPECIALLY for this price dear.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Amanda via email for further comments.
*First published: May 16, 2023, 12:56 PM CDT
Jack Alban
Jack Alban is a freelance journalist for the Daily Dot, covering popular stories about people and social media and real people’s reactions to them. He always tries to include evidence-based research, current events, and the facts behind these stories to create your not-so-average viral post.
