Employee refuses to promote company's products on their personal social media platforms, despite having a big following, boss insists it's wasted potential: 'Get your followers to join'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jan 12, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Nowadays, many people have a regular 9-5 job while also maintaining an active social media presence. 

You don't have to be a full-time influencer to post on social media, and you can grow a small, yet significant, following without aiming for it to become your full-time job. Posting on different platforms has become a hobby just like any other, while some people put more effort into it than others. This is why it shouldn't really surprise anyone to find out that one of their young coworkers has tens of thousands of followers on Instagram or TikTok, which they invest in outside of work. This is just a form of self-expression that they get to enjoy outside of their regular full-time job.

The question is, how should they react to discovering a coworker is a small creator with enough followers to fill out an average arena in real life, and what do they do with that information?

The boss in the story below, for example, didn't react brilliantly when they discovered one of their employees had around 30k followers on both Instagram and TikTok. They weren't mad or jealous, quite the opposite, they wanted to use their following for the benefit of the company. During a marketing meeting, the boss informed this employee that they are expected to post videos on their personal social media to promote the company's products. The employee, on the other hand, was not a fan of the idea and told their boss that they prefer to keep their personal life separate from work. The company's products don't even align with the content they post on their personal platforms; posting about them could actually damage their image.

Safe to say, the boss did not like being refused, and the rest of the meeting was filled with disputes and discussions on what the employee should do. 

Should the employee "help" promote the company they work for on their personal platform, or did the boss cross a line by demanding it in the first place? Keep scrolling to read the full story and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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  • 01
    Three people working in front of laptop
    via Ivan S

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    AITAH for refusing to promote my job’s company on social media?

    1 (27m) work for a startup company that's in the process of looking for participants to join our online programs, and I'm one of the hosts responsible for operating them.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 03
    In one of my team meetings, my boss (45f) pointed out how she discovered my Instagram & TikTok accounts and that I have a lot (not really but still a big-ish number) of followers on both platforms (35,000 on IG & 22,000 on TikTok).
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 04
    The videos and content I post are not related to my job at all and I want to keep my work life separate from my online business.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 05
    My boss said: "OP, you should make videos and post about us to get your followers to join and participate in our programs.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 06
    We could really use the exposure and your audience would be a big help." I responded with: "I don't think that's how it works.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 07
    I want to keep my work life separate from this and even if I did make that video, it would feel wrong for me to be promoting something completely unrelated to the regular content they expect to see from me." My boss got really upset and said I'm not being a team player, and that it would be such a waste to miss out on that potential.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 08
    My co-workers tried to convince me by saying "maybe we can find a way to merge the two ideas together so that your followers don't lose sight of your identity, but still participate because they like and care about you as a person." I stood my ground and said that the idea was cringe and I won't do it.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 09
    The meeting ended with everyone being pissed at everyone and the marketing team feeling defeated. In my opinion, there's more meaning behind those big numbers on the screen.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 10
    In my eyes, it's like walking into a sushi restaurant because I want sushi, but when I sit down and read the menu, there's no sushi to order, just a brochure of an unknown insurance company trying to reach me about my car's extended warranty.
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 11
    That sounds ridiculous, but that's what the whole conversation felt like to me. AITAH for not helping my company grow faster and letting them struggle to raise awareness?
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 12
    Social media beauty influencer answering questions
    via warrengoldswain

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 13
    Worth-Season3645 NTA...but could you not offer to do a company tik tok? Your time paid for of course.
    via Worth-Season3645
  • 14
    Electrical-Ideal-791 Original Poster's Reply I could. But I kinda don't want to
    via Electrical-Ideal-791
  • 15
    Dry_Salary_7843 NTA unless you were specifically hired for that reason. they'd have to pay an influencer outside the company for what they want and they are just trying to get it from you for free. also it kind of sounds like your company is not doing great if their marketing people are having a breakdown over this
    via Dry_Salary_7843
  • 16
    EmceeSuzy That is not something you do for free and the company owner absolutely knows that.
    via EmceeSuzy
  • 17
    consulent-finanziar You're not. Your account is your personal space and audience trust is built on consistency. It's reasonable to not want your job turning that into an unpaid marketing channel just because the numbers look tempting.
    via consulent-finanzia
  • 18
    Anonymoosehead123 NTA. It's a ridiculous request. It's also a potential liability for them. What if one of your followers is offended by a non-work related post and wanted to virally trash you or sue you? They'd see your employer's name on there and decide that your employer is the deep pocket they should go after. And why the hell was she looking at your SM?
    via Anonymoosehead123
  • 19
    Bigolbc y75 NTA. That what the marketing team is for. They are responsible for putting out content and figuring out how to expand. They are being lazy and are trying to use your platform as a shortcut. Very unprofessional.
    via Bigolb**y75
  • 20
    bananas_- Duuuude, that's so evil that they even suggested that NTA
    via bananas_-
  • 21
    PuzzleheadedRead9222 NTA Your boss is wrong. I would not post content for a business without a contract outlining the exact scope of work and liability coverage. It doesn't even matter if what you posted is 100% harmless, if it is affiliated with a business and if someone decides to complain. You become a liability.
    via PuzzleheadedRead9222
  • 22
    ShinePretend3772 NTA - What's yours is yours & what's their's is their's. It's a really bad idea to blur the clear line between the two.
    via ShinePretend3772
  • 23
    LandMustDepreciate NTA. It's definitely best to not mix work life with personal hobbies. I'd look for a new job over this. The reaction from the boss and coworkers tells how selfish they are. It also proves the "coworkers aren't your friends" phrase.
    via LandMustDepreciate

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boss workplace-stories employee manager job marketing tales-from-the-workplace instagram social media promo workplace company tiktok
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