I remembered the days when I had to do a six-to-six job from Mondays to Saturdays with little pay and the heavy and outrageous amount of transportation I had to pay for transportation. That was not just my year at all, but all that changed when I came across, or should I say, learnt about, a freelance social media manager and began making enough money in the comfort of my house.

My life took a positive turn, and I’m excited to share this with you. But before that, let me tell you who a freelance social media manager is.

What Is A Freelance Social Media Manager?

A freelance social media manager is a social media marketing specialist who works on a project-by-project basis. They normally work as a one-person team, but they also work as members of their local Chamber of Commerce and work with a variety of companies and clients. 

While most freelance social media managers manage their clients’ social media accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and even Facebook, certain positions are more specialized.

Social media managers have specific job descriptions that include creating a social media strategy.

• Creating and managing content calendars.

• Creating content by taking pictures or designing it.

• Engaging followers, replying to Direct Messages (DMs) and comments.

• Analysing and reporting.

In most cases, a social media manager doesn’t have to do all these things in a job, pending on what a client wants. Freelance social media jobs are not new or unpopular jobs, as more and more people look for job opportunities or work as social media managers every day. In a situation like this, your ability to make yourself a top pick depends on how well you are able to strategize, work, and sell yourself. 

Here Are Five (5) Qualities A Social Media Manager Should Possess If They Want To Be Outstanding

Photography And Design

It is important you always have this in mind, and that is the manner in which your product picture is taken. The ability to make your aesthetic catchy is one thing that is used in rating a pro social media manager. The finest camera for photography a social media manager can have is the one you always have with you, which is your phone.

Today’s smart phones are completely capable of shooting material that satisfies the image and video standards of each social media network, whether you’re recording videos for TikTok and Reels or taking images for Instagram and blog posts.

Being Able To Analyze And Give Reports

Yes! A social media manager should and must have the foresight to be able to analyze certain ideas and give results. On the client’s social media channels, freelancers are frequently asked to provide analysis and report. A good freelance social media manager should submit a monthly report (here’s a free template) detailing the results of their efforts, including audience growth, engagement rates, reach, and direct sales/conversions, if applicable.

Sales And The Manner In Which Things Are Presented

To secure the contract at their desired rate, freelancers often need to develop a pitch or proposal for each prospective customer and effectively sell it (more on setting rates below).

One of the most difficult mental components of being a freelancer is that clients can terminate contracts at any time, so you’re always on the lookout for new work. The more pitches you give, the more at ease you’ll be selling your services (and the more you’ll build your own template and style).

Effectively And Properly Engaging In Community Management

Monitoring inboxes and responding to DMs, engaging with post comments and mentions, connecting with other users, and moderating discussions are all part of community management. 

Good community management necessitates being organized and meticulous (to ensure that no customer service issues are overlooked), adhering to the brand’s tone of voice requirements, and engaging with the community in real ways.

Have A Proper Client – Freelancer Relationship

Freelancers are always accountable to their client, which means they must respect their budgets, campaign messaging, graphic assets, and other decisions (which can be frustrating). 

That isn’t to say that independent social media managers shouldn’t challenge techniques and strategies. Clients pay freelancing social media managers for their experience, after all.

If you haven’t managed to build up all these qualities, the next thing would be to swing into action and engage in a job.

Steps To Becoming A Freelance Social Media Manager

1. Build Your Portfolio

You’ll need a portfolio to show off your previous work and talents in order to acquire your first clients. It doesn’t have to be done on a beautiful website—for many clients, a PDF will suffice. 

If you’ve solely held full-time corporate jobs, you can utilize projects and examples from those jobs as long as you keep the focus on the social media marketing strategy you helped develop and the results you were responsible for.

2. Rate Your Service By Putting A Price Tag On It

Before you start looking for clients, do some research to determine how much your time and talents are worth. However, I always conduct discovery talks with clients before disclosing my pricing to them. See below for additional information on how to do so.

3. Put Yourself Out There

This is where the main work begins. Putting yourself out there means your search and struggle to find a client begins, and it basically boils down to how you are willing to portray yourself, and also knowing the right pages and medium to check is important. Checking places like, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram…

Thanks for reading.