The social media manager is the person who makes your business’s online presence more than just a presence. They’re the ones who develop and implement social media strategies, run campaigns and manage your company’s content on all of its social platforms. A good social media manager can boost engagement, grow your audience, and attract new customers.
You might be wondering: why freelance? You get a lot of benefits when you hire a freelancer instead of an in-house employee. For example, freelancers are often more experienced at their craft than in-house employees, since they have been exposed to several different companies and have had to hone their skills to make themselves marketable to each one. In addition, you don’t have to pay for any of your freelancer’s benefits—they cover their own.
It also means there are no worries about getting the office space or other equipment–they work remotely. Finally, you don’t have to worry about finding someone: they come to you through a platform like Toptal!
So what do you need from a social media manager? Let’s go over it here
Takeaways |
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1. Social media managers enhance brand visibility. |
2. Improved customer engagement boosts brand loyalty. |
3. Strategic content increases website traffic. |
4. Lead generation thrives through effective campaigns. |
5. Social media fosters real-time customer interaction. |
6. Brand reputation can be positively impacted. |
7. Competitor analysis aids in staying ahead. |
8. ROI can be tracked and improved with data insights. |
9. Consistency across platforms strengthens brand identity. |
1. Managing And Maintaining Your Brand’s Social Media Pages
A social media manager is responsible for managing and maintaining your brand’s social media pages. They are the ones who create content for your pages, respond to customer inquiries, and increase engagement with users by posting relevant content on a regular basis.
The first step to finding a freelance social media manager is making sure they’re qualified for the job. They should have at least two years of experience working in this field or related fields like digital marketing or public relations. If you don’t have any experience, then ask someone who does!
Once you’ve found someone who meets those requirements, ask them questions about their work history to get an idea of what they’ll do as part of your team. For example: How long have they been managing social media accounts? What kind of content do they typically post? Do they take care of customer service issues when they arise?
You can also ask them if they’re interested in working with you on projects outside of their job description—like creating graphics or video content for use on other platforms like Instagram Stories or YouTube channels.
Becoming a successful freelance social media manager involves more than just skills – it’s about strategy and business acumen too. Discover insights from experienced professionals in our guide on how to become a freelance social media manager and make six figures.
2. Planning And Executing Promotional Campaigns Across Multiple Platforms
A social media manager is ensuring that their company or organization’s profile is represented accurately on all platforms. In addition to monitoring these platforms, they also need to monitor other relevant websites such as Reddit and Digg for any new trends or issues related to their company or industry that could affect its reputation online.
Social media managers must be able to communicate effectively with customers in order to build relationships with them through engaging content that resonates with their needs.
3. Assessing The Success Of Each Campaign
You’re in charge of your social media strategy from end to end. This includes everything from creating campaign ideas to assessing the success of each campaign based on KPIs such as engagement rates, conversion rates, referral traffic, and sales revenue. You work with a team of freelancers (like yourself) who provide input and execute your creative vision.
4. Monitoring Competitor Activity On Social Media And Responding
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s so important that we can’t overstate it: You need to know what the people that you’re competing against are up to. You may be raking in the likes and comments with your posts, but if rival companies are tweeting about their latest cat video challenge—or even just posting more frequently than you—you could lose out to them in the long run.
In the world of business, harnessing the power of social media is a must. Explore our article on how social media managers can benefit your business to understand the 9 key benefits they bring to the table.
5. Collaborating With Other Marketers And Creative Professionals To Develop New Content Ideas
This means you will be responsible for developing new ideas as well as writing copy that matches each brand’s voice and tone. The best social media managers know how important consistency is when it comes to building trust with an audience, so they strive to keep their messaging cohesive across different platforms.”
6. Creates 1-3 Social Media Posts Per Day On Each Platform
As a freelance social media manager, you will be responsible for creating at least two social media posts every day. These can be in the form of images, text, or video and should be posted to the company’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. You will also be responsible for answering questions about the company on social media.
7. Responds to comments on all platforms within 24 hours of posting
A freelance social media manager works with companies to help them maintain an active profile on all appropriate platforms. This means everything from responding to comments on all platforms within 24 hours of posting, to ensuring that every piece of content is posted in a timely manner on every platform, no matter what kind of content it is or what platform it’s being posted on.
8. Manage Social Media Marketing Campaigns And Day-To-Day Activities
Social media is a fantastic way to reach new customers and gain exposure, but it takes time and skill to do well. That’s where you come in! As a freelance social media manager, you’ll be doing all the things that keep your clients’ accounts active, engaging, and growing.
9. Develop Brand Awareness And Manage Presence Across Channels
Social Media Managers create relevant content for each social media platform in order to attract new followers and promote brand-focused messages or campaigns. This helps increase brand exposure and broaden customer reach. Also, social media managers and digital marketing schedule content and respond to questions or comments on behalf of their brand across all social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
On the other hand, social media and digital marketing, in general, have become a huge part of our lives. We’re plugged in all the time, and it’s hard to imagine what things would be like if we weren’t. Our jobs, our shopping habits, and even how we connect with friends have all changed dramatically over the past decade.
Curious about the realm of freelance social media content creation? Uncover the significance and perks of this field in our piece on what freelance social media content creation is & why you should be doing it.
Social Media Skills Needed
If you’re someone who wants to find employment in a field that is growing constantly, then you’ll want to know what skills are needed to prepare for a job in social media or digital marketing. Here’s a list of skills you need to be a freelance social media manager
1. Time Management
We often underestimate how much time we spend on social media. But when managing social media accounts for clients, it is paramount that you track how much time you’re spending on each account. If you don’t, you’ll probably end up charging your client too much or too little.
2. Writing Skills
This is the most important skill for a social media manager because most of their work will be written content. Content creation is where they spend the bulk of their time. Even though most social media platforms are visual-based, there’s still a lot of written content involved in managing those accounts. You’ll have to be able to write really well—both quickly and engagingly—if you want to get clients.
3. Design Skills
Designing visuals for social media is one thing that sets outstanding social media managers apart from average ones. If you’re able to create graphics and images for clients’ accounts, it will set you apart in the industry and make it easier for you to find clients. It also makes your content more engaging and helps attract new followers
4. Strategic Thinking
It’s not enough to be able to utilize cool features like Instagram Stories and Facebook Live. You also need to know how to put them together in a way that actually creates value for the client. This means understanding their goals, their ideal customer, and the problems they face.
As a freelance social media marketer, self-marketing is a vital skill. Dive into our guide on how to market yourself as a freelance social media marketer: 26 reasons to master the art of self-promotion.
5. Organization
Like any business endeavor, freelancing requires good organizational skills. Do you have a good system for keeping track of deadlines? Are you able to keep yourself accountable when it comes time to do the work?
6. Energy
It’s important to have energy in this job. If you’re managing 30 different clients’ social media accounts, it can be easy to let things slip through the cracks–but your clients are counting on you.
7. Creativity
Social media is all about coming up with new ideas that get people talking. You need good writing skills and the ability to think on your feet as well as do some research so that you can write accurate content that people will want to read.
8. Communication Skills
The ability to communicate with others is essential when working online or planning online campaigns. You’ll need to be able to work with other members of a team as well as connect with clients/customers regularly and provide them with excellent customer service.
9. Relationship Building
As a social media expert, you’ll often be asked to help companies grow their online presence by gaining more followers and building relationships with other brands and companies. This requires creativity and an understanding of how people work together and what they like. It also requires some knowledge of how people work within organizations—in other words, organizational psychology.
10. Research And Evaluation Skills
In order to successfully build relationships through social media, you need to understand the people you’re trying to reach. This means researching your target audience so that you can write content specifically designed for them. In addition, being able to evaluate the effectiveness of your social media efforts
11. Technology Skills
Even though writing is an important part of social media, there are also other aspects that you will need to learn about such as using analytics programs, operating content management systems, and social media platforms such as Facebook, and Twitter. The ability to collaborate is important because most social media positions require both internal collaboration and external outreach.
You may need to be comfortable interacting with clients or customers online, as well as liaising with colleagues in different departments or offices. You should have demonstrated experience in working with teams or project groups in a professional setting.
All in all, soft skills are essential, including strong communication skills both verbally and written. You’ll need to be able to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively for various audiences and explain technical concepts simply to people who aren’t familiar with your field or work environment.
Being a freelance social media manager comes with its own unique challenges. Equip yourself with the essential knowledge by exploring the 15 things every freelance social media manager should know to thrive in this dynamic field.
Final Thoughts
Companies are beginning to realize the value of hiring social media managers, especially as time and money come into play. All in all, knowing how social media is being used in business, and why companies hire social media managers, is important to get an idea about how you can use this tool for your own benefit.
Further Reading
Content Intelligent Blog: The Benefits of Social Media Management Short Description: Explore the advantages of effective social media management and its impact on business growth.
Hootsuite Blog: Leveraging Social Media for Business Success Short Description: Discover how businesses can maximize their potential through strategic social media utilization.
WebFX Blog: Unveiling the Advantages of Social Media Management Short Description: Learn about the various benefits that proficient social media management can bring to your brand.
People Also Ask
How Much Can I Expect To Make As A Freelance Social Media Manager?
This is a tough one to answer. It depends on a lot of different factors, including the size of the client’s audience and the number of social media accounts they want you to manage. One thing we do know is that social media managers tend to be paid by the hour rather than by project, so your rate will depend on how long it takes you to complete your daily tasks.
A good starting point is to check out job listings for social media managers in your area (or the area you’d like to work in) and see what those jobs are paying. You can also ask other people who are doing this type of work what they charge their clients and compare their rates with yours.
What Does A Freelance Social Media Manager Do?
A Freelance Social Media Manager develops the voice of a brand through social media. They are responsible for creating content that aligns with their client’s marketing strategy, curating content from other sources, and engaging with their followers by responding to comments and answering questions. This position is often part-time or project-based and can be done remotely.
What Skills Should I Have If I Want To Work As A Freelance Social Media Manager?
Freelance Social Media Managers should be organized and able to multitask effectively. They also need strong writing skills to develop content. It’s also useful if they have experience with popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc…
What Do they Expect From Social Media Managers?
They expect you to be able to use all of the major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. They need writers who can create an engaging copy in our tone and style and are familiar with search engine optimization. They also need graphic designers who are comfortable creating images that follow our visual style.
What Is A Social Media Manager?
Social Media Manager is an online community builder who’s responsible for managing a brand’s communication via social media channels. In this role, you’ll create content, engage with your audience, and measure the effectiveness of your efforts.
Will I Have To Monitor My Client’s Social Media Accounts Every Day?
Yes. That’s the job! You’ll need to be online every day and active whenever people are engaging with your client’s social media accounts. It’s best if you can schedule some time each day during peak hours for the demographic your client wants to target.
What Is Included In Freelance Social Media Management Services?
Freelance Social Media Management services include creating a social media strategy and calendar, creating posts, images, videos, and more for all accounts you provide management for on a monthly basis. Additional services may include managing paid advertising campaigns and engaging with your audience as your brand voice.
Do You Have To Be A Freelancer To Be A Social Media Manager?
No! There is no specific requirement that you must be a freelancer to work as a social media manager. Of course, there are plenty of companies that hire freelance social media managers, but the job doesn’t have to be done remotely–you can work in an office for any company that hires full-time social media managers.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.