From Interns to Experts: How Social Media Marketing Has Evolved in 10 Years

Back in 2015, managing social media was often seen as a task suited for interns, while the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) focused on strategy and paid advertising campaigns. Fast forward to 2025, and social media management is still considered an intern’s job by many, but for a different reason: because CMOs often don’t have the expertise to handle it themselves. Here’s how the landscape has shifted:

What’s Changed in the Last 5 Years:

↳ In the last half-decade, paid ads have become simpler to manage thanks to automation tools introduced by platforms like Meta and Google. However, social media marketing itself has become far more intricate and nuanced.

↳ Social media has also become far more competitive. What was once a free-for-all is now an arena filled with professional creators, high-quality brand content, influencer collaborations, and the kind of polished videos and user-generated content (UGC) that flood platforms like Reels and TikTok.

↳ Those who started their marketing careers a decade ago struggle to keep up with Gen Z’s unique social media trends, aesthetics, and communication styles. The gap between older marketers and younger audiences has widened, making it difficult for those in their 40s to speak the same language as 18-year-olds. (I’m 31, and even I find it tough…)

↳ By 2025, social media marketing has become a highly specialized and valuable skill that requires expert teams or individuals to manage effectively.

What This Means for Small Brands:

↳ If you’re managing marketing for a smaller brand, you likely don’t possess the advanced skills that a seasoned social media professional has. Competing with major brands and professional content creators can feel overwhelming and unrealistic without the right expertise.

↳ You simply don’t have the resources or time to stay on top of the latest best practices, come up with super-creative ideas, and consistently create high-quality content for your social channels.

Should You Give Up?

Not at all!

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, and I’ve come up with a potential solution.

Here’s one approach you might consider:

↳ Treat social media as a 3-month experiment where you allocate a monthly budget of €3-5k.

↳ If you’re already spending around €10k per month on paid ads, try shifting €5k of that budget into social media management for a few months as a trial.

↳ Hire a freelance expert or an agency specializing in social media marketing for this 3-month period. Let them work their magic with their expertise, creative skills, and tools to produce high-quality content.

↳ Evaluate the results after 3 months in the 1-2 social media channels you asked them to focus on. You might find that spending that €5k on a social media expert yields better results than continuing to invest heavily in paid advertising. You can track success through general performance metrics, blended CPA, and growth KPIs specific to social media.

Do You Think There’s Hope for Small Brands to Succeed on Social Media?

Let me know what you think! Do you believe it’s possible for smaller brands to thrive on social media, or do you have other strategies that have worked for you?