How to Make Money as a Freelance Social Media Manager [2023]

A freelance social media manager is a social media expert hired by clients who want to outsource their social strategy and execution.

Generally, freelance social media managers work with multiple companies and clients at a time.

Services commonly offered by freelancer social media managers can include:

• Social media strategy
• Creating and managing content calendars
• Content creation (photography, design)
• Content writing
• Scheduling and publishing posts
• Community management (engaging with followers, answering DMs and comments)
• Analytics and reporting

If you want to follow the freelance path, you’ll need to cultivate entrepreneurial skills on top of your social media management expertise.

You may be great at getting results for your clients, but you can end up struggling if your business processes aren’t solid.

Here are nine skills you should hone if you want to become a successful social media manager.

Social media has grown more visual in recent years, but a good caption goes a long way in developing an engaged community.

A contract social media supervisor wears many hats, and content material creation isn’t any exception. In lots of instances, you could be anticipated to create graphics, TikTok movies, or images.

There are lots of people interacting with a model’s social media pages. From DMs, feedback, and critiques, a social media supervisor could also be anticipated to answer to every message.

It’s time-consuming, and plenty of manufacturers outsource this facet of social media administration. Good group administration requires being organized and meticulous (making certain no customer support points are missed), following the model’s tone of voice tips, and having real interactions with the group.

It is a massive one. Social networks provide quite a lot of information, and your purchasers will count on you to have the ability to accumulate and analyze it. You want to have the ability to type via the numbers to search out actionable insights.

As a part of your freelance enterprise, you might want to have the talents to pitch and promote your providers to potential purchasers. That is in all probability a ability you didn’t want in your company life as a social media supervisor, however it’s important as a freelancer.

One of many hardest issues about freelancing? Consumer tasks can finish, and you could not have new purchasers lined as much as take their spots. Getting good at freelancing means studying tips on how to maintain your eyes open for brand spanking new alternatives.

Pitching and promoting your social media providers will turn out to be extra snug the extra you apply.

Bettering your relationships together with your purchasers can develop your corporation. In any case, in case your shopper likes working with you, then likelihood is they’ll proceed to ship work your approach. They could even refer you to others of their community or provide a testimonial to your web site.

Constructing and sustaining shopper relationships is essential to being a profitable social media supervisor. Whereas your present purchasers are vital, you don’t wish to neglect different relationships. You’ll wish to maintain tabs in your potential purchasers and previous purchasers and allow them to know in case you have availability.

Social media managers must have their fingers on the heartbeat of the newest tendencies. This could imply all the things from memes to present occasions. With out this angle, social media campaigns can look outdated or not related.

For instance, Wendy’s used the timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to advertise a particular prize for the winners of the USA vs. England sport. The successful nation scored free fries within the Wendy’s app.

Group is one other essential ability for freelance social media managers. Not solely do you might want to handle content material calendars, however you additionally must maintain observe of your individual enterprise. Whereas you might have labored with undertaking managers in previous roles, going freelance means taking over this job your self.

You’ll want a social media administration workflow to make sure belongings are delivered on time and permitted by your purchasers. You’ll additionally want a course of to make sure your invoices are getting delivered and paid.

Understanding advertising methods and the way they are going to influence your social media campaigns are non-negotiable abilities. Chances are you’ll be answerable for making a social media advertising technique that aligns with the shopper’s enterprise aims — and even in the event you aren’t creating the technique, you’ll probably be following another person’s.

Each social media publish wants cautious reflection on the way it helps develop the shopper’s enterprise. Strategic pondering turns a social media publish into partaking content material.

Earlier than you’ll be able to work as a contract social media supervisor, it is best to take into account what you might want to do legally to arrange a enterprise.

This may range relying on nationwide and native legal guidelines, however might embody:

• Deciding which sort of enterprise it is best to register (equivalent to a sole proprietorship or a restricted legal responsibility firm).
• Registering your enterprise title (which must be distinctive); verify trademark databases if you need the choice to trademark your model sooner or later.
• Registering for a tax quantity (not all freelancers want one, so you should definitely analysis the factors to your scenario).
• Getting your enterprise license (which often must be renewed yearly).
• Making a enterprise checking account (optionally available, verify with an accountant).

Alongside the best way, you would possibly wish to seek the advice of with a tax skilled to find out how a lot of your earnings it is best to put aside for taxes. They could additionally be capable of present recommendation on which enterprise sort would greatest fit your wants.

You might also wish to create a enterprise electronic mail and social media accounts (or no less than reserve the handles for your corporation title, in case you resolve to construct them up afterward). This shall be helpful if you begin advertising your corporation extra publicly and wish to determine a model.

When you’ve taken care of the authorized facet of freelancing, it is best to take into account making a portfolio to show your experience.

There are just a few alternative ways to showcase your skilled portfolio. Some concepts embody:

• Constructing a web site
• Utilizing your LinkedIn profile
• Creating PDF information
• Utilizing a Google Folder to retailer your case research

In the event you’ve solely labored full-time company roles, you should utilize tasks and examples from these roles to construct up your portfolio. Simply ensure you give attention to the social media advertising methods you’ve contributed to and the outcomes for which you had been accountable.

Pricing your providers might be one of the agonizing elements of a freelancer, particularly if you’re new and not sure of what’s a good price. There are numerous features to contemplate, together with your required wage, enterprise bills, taxes, and extra.

We talk about some benchmark charges under, however it is best to take into account networking with fellow freelance social media managers to search out out what they’re charging for his or her providers. Doing your individual main analysis may help you develop a aggressive price to your personal social media providers.

Now comes the enjoyable half: touchdown your first purchasers. Regardless of how gifted you’re as a social media supervisor, you might want to put your self on the market for purchasers to know you’re out there as a freelancer.

Listed below are just a few concepts that can assist you get began:

• Networking occasions. Networking occasions are an effective way to place your self on the market and meet new individuals. When you’ve got a selected area of interest, you could wish to attend occasions the place you’ll be able to meet individuals from that business. And don’t overlook your fellow freelancers. They’ll present helpful insights into working as a freelancer and will even advocate you to their purchasers.
• LinkedIn. An optimized LinkedIn profile may help purchasers discover you and inquire about your providers. You may add portfolio items to your profile and community with friends on the platform.
• Social media teams. Many Slack and Fb teams usually have channels the place members can share freelance social media jobs. It’s additionally an amazing place to maintain observe of tendencies and community with different freelancers.
• Phrase of mouth. Previous and present purchasers can turn out to be an amazing supply of referrals. When you’ve labored with a contented shopper, allow them to know that you just’re open to suggestions as they usually know different associates/contacts like themselves.
• Content material advertising. If you wish to construct a longer-term secure supply of shopper referrals, take into account beginning a publication, weblog, or YouTube channel. Your content material ought to cowl matters potential purchasers can be all in favour of (equivalent to “social media suggestions for [your target industry]”) and embody a CTA mentioning your freelance social media providers.

Constructing associated abilities could make your resume stand out and will make purchasers rent you.

Listed below are some abilities to contemplate engaged on:

• Influencer advertising
• Paid social promoting
• Videography
• On-line popularity administration
• Content material repurposing

Pricing your freelance social media work might be tough as a result of there are lots of variables to contemplate. Your social media administration price must be primarily based in your expertise, worth, enterprise bills, and your shopper’s price range and scope of labor required.

It additionally will depend on what the shopper wants for social media. For instance, a shopper might want an Instagram technique, however they may additionally ask for content material creation, publish scheduling, month-to-month analytic experiences, and group administration.

Earlier than you give a possible shopper a quote, it helps to know what they want.

Scheduling a discovery name can can help you ask questions in regards to the shopper’s enterprise mannequin, goal clients, advertising budgets, KPIs, and any historical past of working with freelance social media managers to uncover potential crimson flags. It additionally helps the shopper get to know you and ensure you’re match for the job.

One of the best ways to develop a sustainable enterprise is to safe ongoing tasks or retainers. Since social media is an ongoing necessity, your shopper in all probability desires you to handle it month-to-month. However this could solely occur in the event that they belief you. A part of that belief is communication.

As a contract social media supervisor, sturdy communication is your accountability. In case of any delays, be immediate and clear. Creating an distinctive shopper expertise is the easiest way to retain present purchasers (and possibly even earn a referral or two!).

At all times ensure to signal written contracts with new purchasers, which ought to comprise your most popular cost phrases and penalties for late funds. A typical cost time period is 30 days.

Chances are you’ll wish to get invoicing software program to ship skilled invoices with due dates and automated reminders for cost. Some accounting software program additionally consists of invoicing together with monitoring bills.

Don’t overlook to put aside a proportion of your cash for taxes. The amount of cash it is best to save will rely in your native legal guidelines, so it’s greatest to seek the advice of an accountant to find out the tax price.

Investing in instruments may help you save time whereas engaged on social media administration.

A social media administration software like Hootsuite means that you can schedule posts, create analytics experiences, and reply to feedback and DMs, all from one dashboard. And, bonus, you’ll be able to ditch the spreadsheets because you gained’t want them to identify tendencies or extract insights.

Study extra about how Hootsuite may help you simply deal with a number of purchasers’ social media accounts:

Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. Publish and schedule posts, discover related conversions, interact your viewers, measure outcomes, and extra — all from one dashboard. Strive it free at this time.