Every business wants to attract social media traffic to its products or services. But, everyone can’t afford to execute social media marketing strategies on their own. The process is just too time-consuming.
Instead, small businesses hire someone who can effectively manage day-to-day marketing tasks and help them grow. As a freelance social media manager, you work remotely for the brand that hires you. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to become a freelance social media manager. Let’s dive in.
What Does a Social Media Manager Do
If you’re thinking of becoming a social media manager, it’s crucial to understand what your responsibilities will be. The job requires a variety of tasks from you since you’ll be managing a brand’s social media presence. It may include one or more of the following:
- Creating a social media marketing strategy
- Writing content
- Handling customer queries
- Managing ads
- Analyze the performance
- Stay on top of trends
- And more
When you’re a freelance social media manager, you also need to manage client acquisition and communication. As you can see, you need a handful of skills if you want to be an effective social media manager. Let’s break each skill down a little.
Skills Required to Be a Freelance Social Media Manager
Communication
Communication is one of the most important skills you need as a social media marketer and a freelancer. You’ll need good communication skills to reach out and close new clients. Plus, as a social media manager, you’ll be required to understand your audience and provide satisfactory answers.
Copywriting
From writing ads to engaging with prospects, copywriting is everywhere in social media marketing. You’ll have to write a lot of persuasive content to attract, engage, and convert your client’s audience.
Creativity
Sometimes, your client won’t offer a lot of help with developing a strategy. You may even have to create ad creatives for them from scratch. To manage all that effectively, you will need to be creative.
Graphic Design Knowledge
As mentioned above, you may have to create ad graphics and social media posts without the client’s help. You don’t need to be a graphic design expert though. Tools like Canva have ready-made templates you can reuse as your own. Some graphic design sense is all you need to pick engaging graphics.
Client Acquisition and Management
Freelance social media managers have to hunt for clients and manage their communication effectively. One of the major reasons why many aspiring freelancers quit is because they find client acquisition too hard.
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How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager
Take Social Media Marketing Courses
Start by taking some social media marketing courses from reputable organizations. There are thousands of courses to learn from. You just need to understand the basics and learn the ins and outs of the platforms you want to work on. For instance, you can start by learning Facebook ads management and expand your knowledge later to other platforms.
Pick Your Platform/s
Before you can start reaching out to potential clients, it’s important to understand which platforms you want to focus on. Defining a platform helps you get your first client relatively easily. Your target platform will also depend on the target audience of your potential client. For instance, if you want to work with B2B companies, LinkedIn would be the perfect place for client hunting.
Learn to Create Social Media Strategies
As a freelance social media manager, you’ll mostly need to identify the best path for your client. When it comes to spending their marketing budget, you may have to take the driving seat.
Identify Your Target Clients
One of the best things about freelance jobs is that you get to choose who you work with. Identifying your target clients also makes your reach out much more effective. You’ll know their pain points or desires, which makes it easy for you to grab their attention.
Pick Your Services
There are plenty of services you can offer as a social media manager, but there’s a limit to how much you can manage effectively. Identify your strengths and stick with them. For instance, if you’re good at strategy building, offer ad management services. If you can write good copy, offer copywriting services.
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Set Your Prices
At first, you might have to keep your prices a bit low to get your foot in the door. The social media marketing industry is overcrowded, so you will have to do something unique to stand out and get noticed. As you get more experience, you can start charging more. Your charges will, however, depend on several other factors, including your location, platforms, and services.
Finding Your First Client
At this point, you should have a good understanding of social media marketing. So, why not use it to get your first freelance client? Start by networking on social platforms where your target client hangs out. Position yourself as someone who can help others reach their marketing goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s answer some frequently asked questions about becoming a freelance social media manager.
How Do I Start Freelance Social Media Management?
Start by taking some courses on reputable platforms like Google Digital Garage and Hubspot Academy. Implement what you learn on your own social profiles to get clients. Learn communication and use networking to land clients consistently.
How Much Can I Make as a Freelance Social Media Manager?
Your earnings as a freelance social media manager depend on your services, platforms, and types of clients. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a freelance social media marketing manager is $64,845 per year.
How Do I Pitch Myself as a Freelance Social Media Manager?
Start by introducing yourself and your social media marketing expertise. Tell them how investing in your services will help them grow on social media and why you’re the right fit for the task.
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Conclusion
This was all about how to become a freelance social media manager. To be a successful social media manager, you need a range of skills, including copywriting, understanding of graphic design, strategy building, analyzing the data, and more.
Therefore, you should start by taking a detailed course on the subject. Then, narrow your expertise down to a certain area, for instance, Facebook ads. Start networking on social platforms your target clients are spending time on. Offer your services at a competitive rate in the beginning to get your first client as soon as possible.