When we shared these findings with the Sprout LinkedIn community, a few social media professionals voiced their opinions on why this might be.
A comment from Alex Sorrell, Sr. Digital Marketing Associate at Western Alliance Bank, that says, " From what I see, the ones who want to stay are probably working for large brands with dedicated social media/content teams where there are resources and growth. In my experience, with most orgs there is a limit to growth only doing social media. That "Chief cash app data Social Officer" position doesn't exist, so you need to leave social media for other marketing areas that do lead up to leadership positions."
Career stagnation is the biggest threat to developing social media talent. However, this threat can become an opportunity if your company has a well-established internal mobility process.
A rising tide lifts all ships. When social pros move on to other areas of your marketing department, their historical knowledge enriches the entire team, resulting in a fresh batch of social advocates who can help create more cohesive and robust strategies.
Money can’t buy happiness, but amidst hyperinflation and a global cost of living crisis, it can get you the next best thing: stability.
Compensation was a significant motivator for many respondents. Social media managers are looking for higher salaries and better benefits, and they’re willing to ditch their titles to get there.
Job hopping—moving through multiple positions during a short time period—is not the resume faux pas it once was. Today, it’s how savvy employees are gaining competitive wages and higher job satisfaction. As it becomes more normalized, we’ll continue to see more professionals in social media and beyond opting for shorter tenures.