Freelance social media management is something you can do from anywhere. You just need to make sure that you have a good internet connection so you can manage all of your clients’ accounts and keep their content fresh and engaging.

If you’re considering a career in freelance social media management, don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make the most of it! Whether you’re looking for your first clients or you need more tips for managing the ones you already have, we’ve got you covered with the following tips.

Takeaways
1. Effective content planning is crucial for consistent posting.
2. Audience engagement fosters strong online community.
3. Utilize analytics to refine strategies and track performance.
4. Stay updated on platform algorithms and trends.
5. Authenticity and transparency build trust with followers.
6. Diversify content formats for better engagement.
7. Develop a social media calendar to streamline efforts.
8. Respond promptly to comments and messages.
9. Collaborate with influencers to expand reach.
10. Incorporate storytelling to connect emotionally.

1. Set Your Rates

Social media management is one of the most popular freelance jobs out there, which means there’s a lot of competition. Don’t let that discourage you, but do make sure that you set your rates strategically. Clients can and will go elsewhere if they feel like they’re paying too much for their services.

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2. Be Active On Social Media Yourself

Look, no one expects you to be on social media 24/7—but it’s important that your clients know that you understand how it works, and what people look for on each platform. Make sure that the accounts on which you are active are updated regularly, boast a good number of followers (if appropriate), and generally reflect well on your company.

3. Have A Clear Process Or System For Managing Clients

This is true regardless of whether you’re freelancing or not, but it’s particularly important with your business because you’re often juggling several clients at once—some of which may have very different needs and expectations for the work you do for them.

We would also recommend having that process written down: that way, if you find yourself with a miscommunication or with a client who is upset, you can point back to this document to show what they agreed to when they signed up with you.

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4. You Need To Be Flexible

When you’re a freelance social media manager, your clients are going to have different styles and needs. You can’t expect them all to match up with the way you work. That’s why you need to be willing and able to adjust your approach and style as you move from client to client. This flexibility will make it easier for you to get more clients and retain more of them.

5. You Have To Have A Personality

If you’re going to be successful in social media management, you have got to be able to put your own personality into what you do. It doesn’t matter how many tips and tricks you know, or how many tools you’ve learned about, if your posts are boring, no one is going to want them. When people see your social media posts, they should feel like YOU wrote them, not as a robot did!

6. You Have To Take The Initiative

When you freelance, no one is going to tell you what to do. You have to be able to take initiative and find your own clients. This means you may have to do some marketing on your own, and learn how to find the kind of clients you want.

7. Make Sure You Have A Contract

A contract will ensure that everyone is clear about what they expect from each other. A contract helps protect both parties against misunderstandings or miscommunications regarding payment, deliverables, and other details of the job.

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8. Know What Type Of Work You’re Doing

If you’re working for a company remotely, you might be paid by the hour or by the project. If you’re freelancing for yourself, figure out how much time a project will take and then charge per project rather than per hour. This will help you determine how much time to allot for each task. Then, calculate your hourly rate based on the amount of time per project and the price of each project.

9. Have A Plan For Your Freelance Business

You need to determine what your business model is going to be, whether you are going to work for yourself or if you want to work with others. One way to do this is to use an online tool like Fiverr that allows freelancers to work together on projects and share their profits (which also means they get paid more).

10. Know How To Communicate With Clients

Know the channels they prefer and their preferred methods of communication. Are they chatty? Do they prefer text, email, or video calls? Do they like to get all their messages at once, or do they like them spaced out throughout the day? 

Make sure you respect their preferences when communicating with them—and don’t be afraid to ask them questions! If you want to try out a new communication channel with your clients or check in more or less frequently, make sure you ask them first so they know what’s going on.

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11. Know How To Manage Client Relationships

What do your clients want from their social media management service? What do they expect from you? Do they have any questions about the work you’re doing for them? Make sure you show up for your clients in whatever ways are most helpful for them and make sure that your expectations align with theirs as well. For example, if your client has been asking about analytics reports but you haven’t been providing any information yet

Also as a freelance social media manager, you’re responsible for building and maintaining the online presence of your clients. You may have one or more clients at a time, or you may work with a larger agency that provides you work continuously. While this kind of job can be flexible and rewarding, it’s important to understand the details of what it takes to be successful as a freelance social media manager before starting out.

12. It’s All About the Research

Before you create a post for any social media account, you need to do some research. This includes:

Researching your client’s brand in order to understand what they’re trying to accomplish

One of the first things you need to know when freelance social media marketing is how to research your client’s brand. This will help you understand what they’re trying to accomplish, and why they’re hiring you in the first place.

There are many ways to go about doing this but start with the company’s website. Read it thoroughly, taking notes on what they offer, who they serve, and the overall tone of the site. You’ll want to get a feel for their brand voice and visual identity. Look at their Instagram page as well—what kind of photos do they post? Who are they tagging? What hashtags do they use? Do their captions sound similar to what’s on their website? Are there any patterns you can identify in how often/when/what types of posts they’re making?

Next, take a look at the company’s competitors. Do a simple Google search and see which companies appear in the top results. Go to each site and read them just like you did for your client. Look at their Instagram pages as well—are there any differences that stick out immediately between them and your client? Are there any similarities? Also, take note of which businesses seem to be doing better than others based on their website design and presence.

Research your client’s audience so that you know how best to create content that resonates with them

Spend some time researching your client’s audience so that you know how best to create content that resonates with them. It means becoming an expert on whatever your client does—what they sell, what their services are, what kind of people they want to attract. You need to become extremely familiar with their social media profiles so that you can create content in line with what they already have.

If you don’t take the time to do this, then you’re going to make mistakes. No matter how good your writing is, no matter how creative and funny your content is, if it’s not in line with your client’s brand, they won’t want it. They won’t want to pay for it. So before you even think about starting this career, do yourself a favor and take some time to research and learn about what you’re going to be doing for your clients!

Researching what kind of content has performed well in the past on each platform so that you can get an idea of the optimal length, type, and timing for posts

You’ll need to be able to do your own research on what kind of content has performed well in the past on each platform. This will give you an idea of how long posts should be, what types of posts perform better than others, and what times will result in the highest engagement from users.

Also, it’s important that you have a good idea of how to use hashtags effectively. While it may seem like just throwing every hashtag you can think of onto one post is a good idea because it gives people more ways to find your content, this can actually have a negative impact on your engagement levels. Your audience might find the most annoying or overwhelming when they see too many tags attached to it.

Researching current trends on social media so that you can include relevant topics in your content when appropriate

When you’re a freelance social media manager, it’s your job to be on top of all the latest trends in the industry. For example, when you’re managing a client’s account on TikTok and you notice that their audience is posting a lot of videos about skateboarding, you can create content for them about buying new skateboards or doing tricks. You can also use current social media trends to come up with topics for your client that get picked up by bigger influencers in the industry.

It’s important to keep track of what’s going on on social media because it helps ensure that you’re creating content that will be relevant to your audience and will help them feel like they’re part of an online community.

13. It’s All About Setting Expectations

Managing expectations is a huge part of managing any project, and that includes your client’s social media presence. You need to make sure you know exactly how much work they want to be done, and what their expectations are for how their accounts should look and feel. That might mean more creative freedom than you’d be used to at an agency, which can be exciting—but it also means it’s easier to mess up if you’re not clear on the specifics.

14. Be Realistic About The Amount Of Time It Takes To Do The Job Well

If you’re doing your job right, social media management takes more time than most people expect—and most freelancers aren’t paid nearly enough for what it actually entails. Make sure you either charge accordingly or be realistic about the amount of time your clients will get from working with you.

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15. Don’t Be Afraid Of The Numbers

You’ll need to understand how the social media platform’s analytics work and how they report various data. For example, Facebook Insights allows you to measure metrics like post reach and engagement, while Twitter Analytics provides data on impressions, profile visits, mentions, followers, and more. Use this information to find out what’s working for you and what isn’t so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

Wrapping Up

Start small, but have the right mindset: Freelance social media management is a great way to make some extra cash, but it is also one of the hardest jobs you can take on as a freelancer. You need to love social media and if you are consistently active with it you should expect to see results fairly quickly after starting your new freelancing career.

Further Reading

Essential Skills for a Successful Social Media Manager Short Description: Learn about the essential skills that every social media manager needs to succeed in a dynamic online landscape.

Summer Content Ideas for Freelance Social Media Managers Short Description: Get inspired with creative content ideas tailored for freelance social media managers to engage their audience during the summer season.

15 Biggest Lessons Learned for New Freelance Social Media Managers Short Description: Discover valuable insights and lessons from experienced professionals that can guide new freelance social media managers toward success.

People Also Ask

While there are plenty of great reasons to hire a freelancer—your business may not be able to justify a full-time employee, you want someone with more experience than a newbie, someone who can work on multiple projects at once—there are also some fair concerns that should be addressed. We highlighted the following five FAQs as the most commonly asked questions by both clients and freelancers, and we’ve tried to do so in the most straightforward way possible.

What Is Social Media?

Social media refers to the Internet-based platforms that let you publish content and connect with different users. Common examples include Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Snapchat.

What’s Freelance Social Media Management?

Freelance social media management involves managing a client’s social media accounts in particular ways that they like. The freelancer handles the day-to-day tasks of posting, responding to comments/messages, and more.

How Do I Get Started?

The best way to get started is by making an account on websites like Upwork or Freelancer.com. This will let you make a profile and start applying for jobs right away!

Do I Need Any Special Qualifications?

You don’t need any special qualifications other than experience in social media management and a portfolio of previous work. You can also get relevant certifications if you want to make yourself more marketable.

How Much Do I Charge?

Like with any freelance position, your pricing will depend on the level of experience you have, the time commitment you’re willing to make, and how much value you can provide your clients. That being said, don’t sell yourself short: ask for what you’re worth!

How Do I Get Clients?

The best way to start is by building up a portfolio of your favorite projects so that potential clients can see what you’re capable of. If you don’t have any experience yet with social media management, you can always create accounts for your friends or family members just to practice. 

As you build your portfolio and improve your skills, people will start coming to you for work. When they do, make sure that you deliver beyond their wildest expectations!

Who Needs A Social Media Manager?

Business owners who have no time or inclination to maintain social media accounts for their business, or who are doing it but not seeing results they’re happy with.

What Makes A Good Social Media Manager?

A good social media manager knows how to create engaging content that gets engagement from followers, as well as being able to spend time and money on paid ads that reach more potential customers for the business’s products and services. 

They also know what kinds of posts work best on each type of social platform, e.g., Facebook vs Twitter vs Instagram vs Pinterest, etc. For example, A photo post might get more likes than a text-only post because people like visuals better than just words. 

Do I Need A License To Become A Social Media Manager?

Nope! There’s no need for any special certification to be a social media manager. However, if you’re working with clients in a regulated industry, it might be helpful to get some knowledge of the regulations that affect them. (For example, if you’re working with medical or legal clients, you might want to understand HIPAA and attorney advertising rules.)