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"No, Your Mortgage Lending Business Won't Go Viral Overnight: A Guide to Managing Client ROI Expectations"

The key to managing client expectations isn't lowering them—it's aligning them with reality.

Let's address the elephant on the Slack channel: your client thinks their $500 monthly social media budget should deliver Kardashian-level results by next Tuesday.

(Don’t panic, that $500 fee I just mentioned? Yeah. We’ll be covering that in the next episode)

You've been there.

We've all been there.

The client who hired you to manage their social media presence but secretly believes they're purchasing a direct line to internet fame and fortune. The conversation typically goes something like this:

Client: "So when will we go viral?"
You: nervous laughter
 Client: "I'm serious. My competitor got 47 likes on their post. When will we get 10,000?"

The ROI Delusion 

(are we still saying “delulu”? Or am I THAT old?)

Let's be crystal clear about what social media ROI actually looks like in most industries:

For most businesses, good social media results mean:

  • Gradual, consistent growth

  • Increased engagement from the RIGHT people

  • Higher quality leads (not necessarily more leads)

  • Better customer retention

  • Improved brand recognition within their niche

What a lot of clients think it means:

  • Instant viral fame

  • Their phone exploding with orders

  • Being featured on "Good Morning America"

  • The CEO becoming an influencer overnight

  • Their competitor crying into their keyboard

Why This Disconnect Exists

The average client has been influenced by three dangerous narratives:

  1. The Overnight Success Myth: They've read about brands that "blew up overnight" (conveniently ignoring the 3 years of consistent work beforehand)

  2. The Virality Obsession: They believe that going viral equals business success (it often doesn't)

  3. The "My Nephew Does Social Media" Problem: They fundamentally undervalue the complexity of strategic social media management

How to Reset Expectations Without Getting Fired

The key to managing client expectations isn't lowering them, it's aligning them with reality.

Here's how:

1. Set Concrete, Achievable Benchmarks

Instead of: "We'll improve your social media presence."
Try: "We'll aim to increase your engagement rate from 1.2% to 2.5% within 90 days, which is above industry average for your sector."

Clients crave specificity. Give them numbers they can track that actually matter.

2. Educate Without Condescending

Create a simple "Social Media Reality Check" document for new clients that outlines:

  • Average growth rates in their industry

  • Typical engagement rates they can expect

  • Timeline for different types of results

  • Case studies with REALISTIC outcomes

Present this during onboarding, before they have time to develop unicorn expectations.

3. Redefine "Success" Early and Often

The client who asked when they'll go viral doesn't actually want virality. They want business results.

Ask: "What would a successful business outcome look like for you in 6 months?"

Then work backward to show how social media supports that goal WITHOUT promising the moon.

4. The Monthly "Here's What Actually Matters" Report

Stop sending clients vanity metrics that encourage delusion. Your monthly report should highlight:

  • Metrics tied to actual business outcomes

  • Comparisons to industry benchmarks

  • Quality over quantity metrics

  • Progress against the specific goals you set

Include a "Social Media Win of the Month" section highlighting one strategic success, however small, with a clear explanation of why it matters.

(Sidebar: complete transparency, I don’t do monthly reports, I present them to the client, quarterly. Although I do a “rough” run monthly to create future content, the quarterly shows them more data and they make time to read it and ask questions.)

When All Else Fails

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, clients will still expect their local plumbing company to rival Wendy's Twitter account by next week.

For these situations, I recommend a technique I call "The Reality Sandwich":

  1. Positive truth: "Your recent post performed 15% above industry average."

  2. Reality check: "For a business in your industry, building meaningful engagement takes consistent effort over 6-12 months."

  3. Forward-looking positivity: "Based on these early results, we're on track to meet our Q3 goals."

If they still don't get it, there's always the nuclear option: show them the social media accounts of their competitors from three years ago versus today. Nothing sobers up unrealistic expectations like seeing how long their most successful competitor has been at it.

The Bottom Line

Managing client ROI expectations isn't just about avoiding awkward conversations, it's about building sustainable client relationships.

The clients who understand real social media ROI are the ones who stay with you for years, not the ones demanding to know why they aren't trending on TikTok after two weeks.

And remember: if a client ever tells you "my nephew could do this," feel free to respond with "great, I'll send my final invoice tomorrow."

Life's too short for clients who think expertise should be free just because the platforms are.