The time has finally come and we had to drop a post around this topic which has sparked both questions and controversies over many years for a variety of reasons, though we’re here to put everything to rest once and for all.

First and foremost, all social media folks are created equal and we have a passion for the art, however as with most things in life practice becomes perfect which ultimately leads to other opportunities. For example, the most iconic coaches of sports teams were first players in the game then used those skills to guide/inspire others.

And the same applies to social media managers who are in the game as players learning everything they can versus the OGs that have been there and done that, and therefore have insights spanning years and tons of projects to know what works and doesn’t work without having to test the waters to learn.

When you’re a global company (Fortune 500, etc.) there’s really no room for error and that’s why many times they gravitate towards bringing in high-level social media consultants to first guide strategies (the game plan) before the players jump on the court to implement the moves.

In a nutshell, social media consultants are really the coaches while social media managers that operate on the ground level each day are the players that continue to deliver actionable insights.

Looking at your company in particular, do you need a consultant or player now? Something to think about.