Social media managers are not ninjas. We’re not unicorns. And you shouldn’t be looking for one.

During this past decade of social media management, I’ve worked with many people and companies, and I’ve applied to even more jobs and projects. My pet peeve is when jobs ads say they’re looking for “ninjas” and “unicorns” rather than actual people. And while I understand the reasons someone would write that in a ad, I’m very much against it.

So you’re taking your business seriously and decided to hire someone to help you expand through social media. That’s awesome! You’re making an investment and you want results. You want immediate results. I get that. But I hate to break it to you, there’s no such thing as overnight success. Just like there’s no such thing as a social media ninja.

And you probably don’t want “overnight internet success” either. Just because you have 10k followers on Instagram, doesn’t mean you have 10k customers. A lot of times, a smaller audience is more engaged, as they’re genuinely interested in your product. Of course, big numbers on your profile look good and they will probably make you feel good for a while. But they’re just vanity metrics. They give you an insight into your potential customers but they don’t guarantee any customers. If your social media goal is to reach 10k followers, you should rethink your social media goal. You’re most likely missing out on the true benefits of social media marketing.

If you’re looking for a social media “ninja”, you’re looking for someone to boost your numbers fast. That might mean buying followers, using engagement pods, spamming people’s DMs with suspicious offers, tagging 20 accounts in each photo or following/unfollowing lots of accounts every day. None of these techniques are efficient in the long run, and you can’t really “hack the algorithm”. Think about it: if there were one-size-fit-all solution for social media success, wouldn’t everyone be using it? There’s aren’t any chosen few mastering this knowledge, just like there aren’t any doctors keeping the secrets to burning belly fat in 7 days.

An actual social media expert will take it slow and keep it steady. They’ll be consistent in voice, in frequency, and growth. Growing your social media accounts organically is the more valuable option, the one you should be aiming for.

Social media marketing takes time. It’s a process. There’s lots of analysis, lots of strategizing, lots of changes. It’s a lot of work. It’s about creating a connection with your audience and, ideally, a community. It’s selling without overselling.

While a social media ninja may sound like just the thing you’re looking for, what you’re actually looking for is a social media expert. You want reliability, experience, availability, someone who’s up to date with the latest launches and trends. You want someone you can communicate well with, and who can communicate with your audience in turn.

And if they do a great job and you’re happy with the results, please just don’t call them a ninja.