Burnout and overtime shape social media careers, report

Metricool, global social media and online ad management platform, has published its first Social Media Well-being Report, examining the mental health and workload conditions of social media professionals worldwide.

Based on responses from nearly 1,000 practitioners, the report outlines growing job complexity, increasing responsibilities and limited structural support that contribute to stress and burnout across the sector.

The survey included social media managers, content creators, agency staff, in-house marketers, freelancers, consultants and business owners. Findings indicate that while creative autonomy has increased in many roles, staffing levels, recognition and sustainable workloads have not kept pace with expanding expectations.

Social media role growing without clear boundaries

Social media positions have developed into multidisciplinary roles that combine strategy, content production, analytics, community management and stakeholder communication. According to the report, 75 percent of respondents say they are responsible for too many tasks simultaneously.

Nearly 80 percent also report dealing with urgent issues and last-minute requests that interrupt planned work and create constant reactive pressure.

Staffing structures have not evolved at the same pace. Close to 60 percent of professionals work alone, particularly freelancers, creators and entrepreneurs. Even within agencies and in-house teams, respondents describe lean staffing relative to the number of brands, platforms and content formats they manage.

Mental health concerns and retention risks

The cumulative impact of workload expectations is reflected in the mental health data reported by participants.

Around 69 percent report mental fatigue, while 73 percent experience loss of motivation or creativity. In addition, 46 percent say they have experienced burnout or symptoms close to burnout, and more than 60 percent struggle to disconnect outside working hours.

Nearly half of respondents say they have considered leaving their role due to stress or burnout. The figure rises to 52 percent among agency employees and 48 percent among in-house marketers. Freelancers, consultants and business owners report similar concerns, at 47 percent and 43 percent respectively.

Overtime also appears widespread. More than 73 percent say they frequently work beyond regular hours, often around time-sensitive campaigns, product launches or crisis situations.

Creative freedom without proportional reward

The report shows that while many professionals experience autonomy in creative work, financial and professional recognition remains limited.

About 59 percent report having a high level of creative freedom in their roles. However, only 24 percent received financial rewards such as raises, bonuses or business growth linked to their work in the past year.

Promotions or public recognition were reported by 15 percent of respondents. At the same time, 57 percent feel their work is valued less than other marketing roles, despite their responsibility for brand voice, audience interaction and performance outcomes.

Compensation also appears to be a concern. Only 4 percent of respondents believe they are fully fairly compensated, including 3 percent of agency employees, 6 percent of in-house marketers, 3 percent of freelancers and 4 percent of business owners. Overall, 60 percent feel underpaid.

AI adoption tied to efficiency demands

Technology plays an increasing role in managing growing workloads. The report indicates that 72 percent of respondents use AI or automation tools for content creation, scheduling, reporting or monitoring.

However, the use of AI appears to support productivity rather than reduce workload. Many professionals report using the technology to keep up with increasing expectations rather than to create more balanced working conditions.

Half of respondents say their organizations have introduced well-being initiatives, though fewer consider these efforts effective. Many professionals rely on personal approaches such as exercise, cited by 69 percent of respondents, and limiting notifications, used by 50 percent.

Structural changes needed, CEO says

Participants also identified changes that would improve daily working conditions. The most frequently cited priorities include better internal processes and planning, selected by 37 percent of respondents, followed by tools that improve efficiency at 34 percent. Clear limits on working hours were identified by 14 percent.

Juan Pablo Tejela, CEO and Co-Founder, Metricool: "Social media is now a defining marketing channel for all brands and where many people get their information, yet the professionals behind this work are stretched too thin. Our report highlights that the challenges faced by social media marketers go beyond individual well-being. Companies must implement structural changes to protect their talent, which is the best way to ensure a sustainable business performance."

The full report can be accessed here

www.metricool.com

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