Once upon a time “running the socials” meant handing the passwords to the youngest person on the team.
Now it’s one of the most complex, high-stakes jobs in marketing.
According to Sprout Social’s 2025 UK Index, 79 percent of marketing leaders say organic social is now a top organisational priority – second only to their website.
The most valued skills? Social listening, data storytelling, and creative direction. This isn’t about posting for engagement, but understanding audiences, shaping narratives, and feeding customer and market insight back into strategy.
Once again, the tech or the tools aren’t the stars of the show. It’s how social has become a brand’s cultural radar. Most people aren’t on there to follow trends. They’re there to be entertained, to hear from peers and people they trust. The best brands get that. They read the room, join the conversation with some self-awareness, and earn attention.
Yet only half of social practitioners believe their leaders truly understand its impact.
Social has evolved from the days of managing a content queue and measuring engagement. The people leading it are learning brand management, customer insight, crisis response and analytics – coincidentally the very skills tomorrow’s marketing leaders will need.
It’s not the intern’s job anymore. It’s the training ground for the next generation of CMOs.
By Dave Heywood
A marketer who’s spent his career figuring out how real growth happens – for brands and people alike. He runs Marketing Careers Uncovered, a podcast where marketers talk honestly about the work, the missteps, and what actually moves the needle.
