How to Become a Social Media Manager

Becoming a social media manager is not something that should be taken lightly; however, you don’t need a fortune or a following to get started. If you have the drive, and the want to learn and grow, then you’ve got this!

 

What is social media management?

Over 4 Billion people use social media worldwide (almost 60% of people) The average user spends over 2 hours a day on social media. Over half of social media users say they use social media to follow brands or look at/find products.

So it’s NO WONDER businesses are investing in their social media presence as a part of their marketing plan.

And…they need the people to help, which has started resulting in a LOT of searches for social media managers.

 

Here’s what you need to know:

A social media manager is an individual who manages social media for businesses.

Vague, huh?

Yep.

That’s because the tasks that social media managers do vary widely depending on:

  • Whether they are freelance or employed by a business
  • The size of the organization
  • Their specialty or social media tasks that they complete 
 

Understanding the difference between freelancing vs. a job

A freelance social media manager is a business owner. They are their own boss and can have one or multiple clients. They can work where and when they want. BUT…they don’t get some of the perks of employment.

whereas an…

Employed social media manager (those on an hourly rate or a salary) get benefits, training, and more perceived job security, due to the investment of the business into them..

 

How do freelance social media managers earn money?

Social media managers help businesses be “social.” There isn’t a rule of thumb for pricing or how things are structured, because, again, freelance social media managers run their own business.

This means that they can structure it how they want! 

However, generally, social media managers offer monthly packages that include specific deliverables and tasks that they are responsible for a month.

For example:

  • X Amount of posts on social media
  • Caption copywriting
  • Hashtag research and implementation
  • Monthly analytics
  • Social Media engagement

These can change depending on the needs of the business and the preferences or specialties of the social media manager.

 

How does the money change hands? 

Well…the easiest way is to:

  1. Create a contract for the business to sign
  2. Invoice the business using your chosen invoicing platform (I use Stripe)
  3. Then begin work!
  4. Typically social media management contracts are monthly, so rinse and repeat the invoicing process each month!
 

How much do they earn? 

The AMOUNT that social media managers can earn per client, per month, varies widely.

Many new social media managers will charge as little as $500 per month, however, more seasoned or specialized social media managers that have more deliverables in their package rates can charge thousands of dollars per month, per client.

 

What types of tasks do social media managers DO?

There is SO much variety! 

But here are some examples: 

  • Building the social media strategy for a specific platform that aligns with business goals
    • TikTok
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Email
    • Blogs
    • Podcasting
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
  • Curating and creating content
    • Copywriting for social media posts, blogs, or emails
    • Designing graphics, banners, and other needed resources
    • Taking/editing photos or videos
    • Sourcing user-generated content
  • Publishing content
  • Community / DM management (monitor, moderate, and respond to comments)
  • Repurposing / adapting content across social media channels
  • Strategize marketing campaign for launches
  • Manage influencer programs (identifying and selecting influencers, posting their content, and engaging with posts)
  • Track and analyze key metrics to audit results and adjust accordingly
  • Social listening (monitoring the state of social media, competitors, best practices, and trends so the brand can respond appropriately)
  • Collaborate with other members of the marketing team to be sure the social media marketing strategy aligns

Again, these are just examples of potential tasks, not things you are expected to do in their entirety.

 

How to start your social media management business

The good news? 

If you’re one of the MAJORITY of people that USE social media, you already have some social media experience, which can serve as a foundation for beginning to learn more.

You might start by experimenting with your own social media and learning best practices of a specific platform along the way.

You might find a posting from a business owner who needs help with social media that all look like tasks you are already capable of, and then just jump in!

Or…you can find and work with a mentor who has done the damn thing and has a system to start (ahem, ahem, ME!)

 

7 Ways to Find Clients

These are the top 7 ways that I’ve found clients that need assistance with their social media presence.

  1. Facebook groups
  2. Talk to people you already know in your personal network
  3. Connect with other business owners 
  4. Market yourself by creating value-based content on social media and have an application to work with you in your bio
  5. Fiverr or Upwork (don’t really recommend these because they take a percentage of your income)
  6. Referrals through existing clients
  7. Search job sites online and apply (LinkedIn & Indeed) – even if they are seeking employers, many are also open to working with freelancers if they find the right fit.

The interesting thing?…the best way to get clients for your social media business is actually…getting social.

 

What’s a day in the life of a social media manager?

I could give you my daily routine, but TO BE HONEST, it varies widely.

Sometimes I have a structured daily routine that involves working on my business, then working on content creation for client work, then doing the management, trend research, and social listening and engagement side of client work.

Other times, I love batching specific tasks for certain days a week. For example, only taking calls on Wednesdays. Or creating all the content for a specific client on every Tuesday.

The beauty and the challenge? 

You can actually structure this however you like!

 

Conclusion

You’ll never learn EVERYTHING you need to know about becoming a social media manager before you start offering social media services and practicing through DOING.

It can be tempting to have imposter syndrome and think you aren’t qualified because you don’t have enough experience…or a certain degree…but to be honest, since social media is ALWAYS evolving, jumping in is 1000% doable (and no one will care if you have your degree OR what it’s in, just that you are reliable and will do your best to get results).

Is it challenging sometimes? Yes.

Is it worth it? HECK YES.

Imagine:

  • You have a sustainable way to earn a part-time or a full-time income
  • You are able to work from anywhere, on the schedule that works the best for YOU
  • You get to build the job title of your dreams for every client (Yep! That means if you don’t like doing something, you can outsource it, or just not offer the service!)
  • You can build a business and life by design, how you want it to be because you are able to create the client load, schedule, and TIME OFF that you want
  • You have unlimited potential for income and business growth

And that’s the value of building your own business providing services. EVEN IF you have no business experience, you can totally do it!

 

It’s time to get social.

Xoxo, Allison

 

P.S. If you want more support and a step-by-step system to follow to go from NO BUSINESS to starting a freelance social media management business and starting to earn an income through work with clients, my course YOU MEET SOCIAL: Earn an Income as a Social Media Manager, is for you. Plus, you get access to others along on this journey with you, and support from my team and me to answer your social media management questions!

This Post Has 61 Comments

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