It isn’t just finding a social media consultant who can get you likes and comments. Your reputation is at risk if they do not follow best practices and protect your brand as if it were their own.

~ Jennifer Gardella, PhD

Top Takeaways

• Good social media is not about fluffy posts and getting “likes”

• Never share your personal login credentials without guidelines

• Always retain ownership of all accounts

• Grant access through permissions, not passwords

• Ensure all accounts are set up under your email, not your consultant’s

• Require a clear content strategy focused on your ideal client

• Demand transparency in systems, access, and execution

Hiring a social media consultant is often a confusing process, and most attorneys and business owners get caught up in promises of likes and engagement.

You may have fallen prey to a consultant or individual on your team who pitches you ideas based on “high vibes” and snazzy pictures. The problem is that the work has inconsistent messaging, weak content, and no connection to your ideal clients. You might also notice that the writing is obviously written by AI, filled with emojis and filler phrases, and lacking substance.

And if you question weird behavior or requests by the consultant, it might be time for a check-in. Do they refuse to access your accounts as admins, but rather, they want your personal LinkedIn and Facebook logins? They claim they “need” access to your email. Or they set up new social media profiles for your firm with their email, and you do not have the password.

And then you see the high vibes posts, polished graphics, and constant activity, but feel something is off. You start to get followers, but they are all in high school and college. You notice strange comments and engagement:

• A college freshman posts, “I need this attorney right now.”

• Your post about divorcing is shared by a 22-year-old marketing intern.

• “Oh, this is awesome” or “YUP!” are frequent comments adding nothing of substance.

And, the consultant or staff member is leading the pack with likes and multiple comments, driving your engagement, and creating the illusion of progress while quietly weakening your brand.

Now, let’s talk about the standards and best practices your consultant MUST follow.

Do Not Lose Control of Your Accounts

Most business owners do not intentionally give up control of their social media accounts. It happens through small decisions that feel convenient but create long-term risk. When access is handed over without structure, oversight, or clear expectations, control is lost before you realize what has happened.

One of the biggest issues I see is a business owner granting full access to all accounts. Your social media consultant should not:

• Insist on logging into your accounts directly instead of being granted access as an admin

• Create accounts under their own email instead of yours

• Create any content without first developing a one-year editorial calendar

• Post to any of your accounts without your approval

Just to reiterate…You should never share your personal login credentials with anyone managing your social media for the business. If they are going to be posting to your personal accounts, then they should be clear about access and how they are protecting your login information. For instance, I do post directly to a few clients’ LinkedIn accounts, but I am clear about how I secure their passwords. If there are accounts to be set up, you, as the business owner, should be the sole owner and/or top administrator.

If someone asks for your personal login credentials and plans to run everything directly as you, that is a clear red flag that they do not follow best practices.

Control is not a technical detail; it is the foundation of your brand and your digital presence.

You must maintain control of your digital foundation

So let’s get into the nuts and bolts. Here are the accounts where your social media consultant can have access as an admin:

• LinkedIn Business

• Facebook Business

• Google Business Profile

• Google Analytics

• Google Search Console

• Website access

For platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, your consultant should be granted access through admin permissions using their own active accounts. If they do not have an active account, then they are the wrong consultant for you.

For your website, they should have their own login and access level appropriate to their role, not shared credentials. You grant access to your consultant through their email, but you never transfer ownership.

Of course, if your consultant is posting directly to your personal LinkedIn or Facebook page, they will need access credentials. In those cases, you have the right to ask them how they plan to secure your login credentials and to discuss the exact steps of what they would like to do.

With full access, your consultant has the ability to shut down or hold hostage any social media accounts you have built. So your full ownership protects your investment and ensures that your growth stays with your business, not with a vendor or employee.

Last point: For anyone who has access to your accounts, they need two-factor authentication set up on their own accounts. This is not negotiable. If their account is hacked, your business page is at risk.

Instagram: You Need a System

Not all platforms are built the same, and some require a higher level of structure and coordination to manage properly. Instagram and X operate with a single login, which introduces additional complexity and risk if there is no clear system in place.

Given that you are sharing logins to an account you need a defined process for two-factor authentication, changing passwords, and posting content. What seems like a simple login detail can turn into a lockout, a delay, or a breakdown. As the account owner, you and you alone should have full control over the password and receive email notifications if it is changed.

Of course, this should not be an issue if you fully trust your consultant, as they have already demonstrated and talked to you about best practices.

You need a shared system that defines who has access, how authentication is handled, and how issues are resolved. That system should be clear, documented, and consistently followed by everyone involved.

Now let’s dig into engagement…it isn’t just all comments and likes.

Unethical Engagement Is More Common Than You Think

Engagement is often misunderstood, and many business owners assume that more interaction automatically means better results. In reality, the source and quality of engagement matter far more than the volume.

First and foremost, your social media consultant should not like, comment on, or share your content on their personal or business accounts. This includes:

• Their personal and business accounts

• Their friends and family

• Paid engagement groups

• Internal agency team members trying to help

• Fake or bot-driven interactions

This type of activity creates the illusion of growth but does not connect you to your ideal client. It distorts your data, misguides your strategy, and ultimately wastes your time. While some may claim that the engagement will help you in the algorithm, the fake engagement does nothing in the long term.

If you are a divorce attorney in NYC and you see that your new followers are high school students in Nebraska, that is a problem.

If your engagement suddenly increases, you need to evaluate who is interacting and why. Real growth comes from real people with real problems, not from manufactured activity designed to look impressive.

Your Content Should Speak to Your Ideal Client

Content is where your strategy becomes visible, and it is the clearest indicator of whether your social media is actually working. If your content is not aligned with your ideal client, it will not drive meaningful results.

The most important part of your strategy is that your social media is not about you, your team, or your office. Your content strategy should be entirely based on addressing the questions, concerns, and challenges that your ideal client is actively trying to solve.

A divorce attorney’s audience is looking for clarity on custody, assets, and legal protection during a difficult transition. An accountant’s audience is looking for guidance on taxes, deductions, compliance, and financial decisions that impact their bottom line.

If your consultant is posting random lifestyle content, generic posts, or empty engagement comments, you are not building authority.

“High vibes in the office today” is not a social media post.

Here is what weak content looks like:

• “Meet our amazing team,” with no context

• Random holiday graphics with no relevance

• Overly sales-driven posts with no value

• Generic motivational quotes

It does not build credibility.
It does not answer a question.
It does not move your business forward.

A real strategy includes a defined ideal client, a clear content plan, and consistent execution. If your content is not solving problems and demonstrating expertise, it is not contributing to your growth.

What to Look for in a Social Media Consultant and What to Avoid

Choosing the right consultant is a strategic decision that directly impacts how your business is perceived and how effectively it grows. The difference between a strong consultant and a weak one is not subtle; it shows up clearly in structure, consistency, and results.

What to Look For

You want someone who understands that social media is not just posting, it is positioning your business in a way that builds trust and authority. Every piece of content should have a purpose and connect back to your ideal client.

First and foremost, you want a consultant who also includes blogging in the plan. Without great content on your website, you are never going to rank for Google Search (SEO) or in AI search. Additionally, a good consultant will:

• Use proper access and permission systems and will explain the control they need.

• Ensure all accounts are set up under your ownership, and that you know how to access them

• Have a clear, documented content strategy tied to your ideal client

• Build an editorial calendar with purpose for the coming year, so you can see the plan

• Write with authority and understand how to establish expertise

• Focus on business outcomes, not vanity metrics

Can write to your ideal client in detailed, thoughtful ways without relying solely on AI

You are not hiring someone to keep your page active; you are hiring someone to represent your brand and move your business forward. The right consultant brings structure, clarity, and consistency to your marketing.

What to Avoid

The warning signs of a poor fit are usually visible early, but they are often overlooked in favor of convenience or cost. Ignoring those signs leads to weak results and unnecessary risk.

Avoid anyone who:

• Asks for your login credentials and wants full control

• Sets up accounts under their email instead of yours

• Talks about likes and followers instead of leads and clients

• Cannot define your ideal client clearly

• Posts generic or irrelevant content

• Relies on trends, fluff, or engagement hacks

• Creates or encourages fake engagement

• Writes like they are posting to friends instead of prospects

• Cannot show you a clear plan or process

If their strategy is unclear, your results will be unclear. If their approach is not ethical, you are headed to disaster.

Avoiding the wrong consultant is just as important as choosing the right one. The wrong hire creates noise, while the right one creates growth.

The Bottom Line

This decision of how to find an ethical social media consultant impacts far more than your digital footprint and has far-reaching implications for how your brand is perceived, how your audience engages, and how your business grows. It is one of the few marketing decisions that directly intersects with operations, security, and long-term strategy.

Hiring a social media consultant is not just a marketing decision; it is an operational, security, and brand decision. Do it right, and your business grows with clarity, consistency, and purpose. Do it wrong, and you spend time and resources undoing damage that could have been avoided.

Ready to Work With a Strategic Partner?

If you are ready to move beyond inconsistent posting and into a structured, strategic approach to your digital marketing, the right partner makes all the difference.

At The Gardella Group, we build research-based digital marketing strategies that connect you to your ideal clients and then execute them consistently across blogs, social media, and newsletters.

Our CEO, Jennifer Gardella, is here to answer any questions. When you are ready, simply book a call: https://callwithjen.thegardellagroup.com/jens-calendar-booking-page