Seriously, it’s hard to imagine something without social media in today’s world. What’s more interesting is that you can build a career on this platform. Yes, if you have been looking for a side hustle or a career change, you are at the right place. In this article, we will share how to become a freelance social media manager and some effective techniques.
As per a survey by Hootsuite, around 93% of internet users are social media users. The solid point is that various social networking platforms are available right now. So, building a career in this field can be beneficial.
But we are not going to lie. Choosing social media management as a career can be confusing at first. That’s why understanding everything is essential for beginners. In this “how to become a social media manager” guide, we will unfold some fabulous techniques to skyrocket your business. Let’s get started.
Contents
Who is a Social Media Manager?
A social media manager is someone who creates and publishes content that attracts targeted groups and grows the client’s audience on various platforms.
As the market for social media sites is expanding day by day, you can have a lucrative career as a freelance social media manager. Well, you can work for a company with a stable job.
But, freelancing will always keep you one step ahead. Working with multiple clients can skyrocket your career. Plus, you can add flexibility to improve your performance.
Advantages of Becoming a Freelance Social Media Manager
Why should you choose this career path?
If you have second thoughts about becoming a social media manager, you need to explore the advantages of this career. Yes, there are some quality benefits. Let’s find out:
- The best part is you can choose your clients, projects, and working hours as per your preference.
- Freelancing gives you the freedom to choose a particular niche.
- You can showcase your skills on a global scale.
- Work with multiple clients to grow your career.
Required Skills to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager
Social media management might sound easy compared to video editing or web development, but it requires top-notch skills. When you master these skills, it will be easy to build a roadmap. Let’s find out about these essential skills in the following list:
1. Creativity
We have seen many people misunderstand the basics of social media management. Sure, you will handle your client’s accounts. However, that doesn’t mean it’s all about building customer relationships.
A social media manager has to create posts as well. In fact, you need to design videos and images for most projects. Not all companies will provide visual content. So, you have to be prepared beforehand.
An ideal social media manager will understand what the audience wants and deliver something creative. Hence, it will increase the client’s conversion rate as well.
2. Brand Interaction
When we are talking about how to become a freelance social media manager, we can’t exclude this required skill. When you master this particular skill, it will skyrocket your performance. Once you start managing social media for your client, you will receive several brand interactions.
From replying to comments to reviewing DMs, all of these activities are part of your job. Sure, it can be time-consuming but you have to play strategically.
Handling brand interaction requires a range of soft skills, including active listening, research, transparency, communication, and more. To master this skill, follow some big brands and analyze how they interact with other brands.
3. Copywriting
Copywriting is a different field, but when you are selling or promoting something on social sites, you need to learn the basics of copywriting. Don’t ignore the act, even if your client has a professional copywriter.
Your excellent copywriting skills can motivate potential customers to make a move. To skyrocket your career, you must create powerful content and sales copy. Follow pro copywriters and the latest trends to create killer content.
4. Managing Client Relationships
One of the best ways to grow your social media management career is to improve client relationships with customers. Simply put, building and managing client relationships can be a deciding factor. You have to consider some crucial factors to improve this skill:
- Inform everything to your current clients
- Always reply to their messages and emails quickly
- Suggest new campaigns
- Deliver top-notch works
Always follow these steps to build a long-lasting client relationship. On the other hand, you can keep track of your clients’ projects by using some project management apps. It will make everything easy.
5. Analysis
Social media is a place where you need to do deep analysis. You have to analyze a huge amount of social media data to plan strategies. Regular reporting and analysis can improve performance and give your clients better conversion rates.
6. Project Management
We have already talked about project management. You see, being a social media manager requires a lot of time and patience. In fact, you have to do some time-consuming tasks in this field.
In that case, managing everything can help you out. If you want a better result, use some project management tools. You will master this particular skill with practice.
How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager
Now, you know the basics of social media management. If you are ready to start this career, you need to follow some simple steps. In the following list, let’s unfold each step before implementing them:
Step 1: Learn Social Media Strategy
Sure, almost everyone uses social media platforms. Well, that doesn’t mean you can become a social media manager overnight. As we noted before, it needs proper dedication and planning.
In that case, you need to learn the best social media strategies. Now, it’s up to you. Here, you can either learn how to become a freelance social media manager by studying online resources or you can go for a paid course.
Still, you need to practice regularly to gain in-depth knowledge. Before you start your business, make sure you have proper knowledge in some areas, including:
- Social listening strategy
- Content and brand voice strategy
- In-depth audience demographic information
- Influence strategy
- Competitor analysis reports
Pro Tip: Even though you have basic social media knowledge, you need to understand each business model clearly. Not all businesses follow the same social media marketing strategy.
Step 2: Choose a Niche or Platform
Now, it’s the most crucial part of this ‘how to become a social media manager’ guide. You see, there are several social networking websites available in today’s world. But you don’t have to be the jack of all trades at first.
Choosing a particular niche can give you more success in terms of your social media management career. Simply put, you need to find which social media platform is suitable for you.
To get regular clients, popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok are good options. For example, if you want to focus on customer service, Twitter and Facebook are the right choices. On the other hand, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tiktok are ideal for creative social media managers.
Step 3: Master Additional Skills
As we noted before, you need to master some skills to become a freelance social media manager. In that case, you can acquire some additional skills to win top-rated projects. Plus, it will be helpful to skyrocket your freelancing career. Let’s find out about these advanced skills:
- Influencer marketing
- Social advertising
- Local SEO
- Online reputation management
- Graphic Designing
- Videography
Besides mastering additional skills, you need to learn to use some tools as a social media manager. It can be designing tools or project management software.
Step 4: Build a Portfolio
When we are talking about how to become a freelance social media manager, we can miss out on building a portfolio. It will be an online career, so you have to build an online portfolio sooner or later.
Okay, it’s not easy to build a portfolio as a beginner. But you shouldn’t avoid the face. There are some websites that help freelancers build a free portfolio. But it can be better if you create a website.
There are some other ways to build a portfolio, such as by creating a PDF file or a LinkedIn profile. If you have a LinkedIn account, keep updating it to win high-ticket clients.
Step 5: Create Your Packages
One of the best things about freelancing is that you can set your rate according to your preferences. Yes, you can make different packages for your clients. In fact, you can provide extra services with extra payments.
If you have a portfolio website, make sure you include all the services along with the package details. To improve client relationships, ask for advances. In fact, you can set up different packages on freelancing marketplaces such as Fiverr or Upwork.
Step 6: Grow Your Network
Networking is the foundation for growing a freelance business. We have seen many newbie freelancers become hesitant when it comes to networking. However, it can work like magic if you follow the right strategy.
You see, networking isn’t a quick strategy. If you have to grow your network tactically. Linked, Twitter, and Facebook are the best platforms for growing your network. In that case, you also have to help your social media friends to build trust.
Step 7: Market Your Services
One of the most essential steps in this how to become a social media manager guide is marketing your services. Well, you are a one-man army in this freelancing business. So, you have to do everything by yourself.
Build a portfolio, create social media pages, and do shameless marketing to get the best projects. Plus, you can also choose cold emailing and networking for a better result.
Wrapping Up
Launching a successful business requires much effort, hard work, and dedication. So, before you start your career in social media management, understand the basics of this field. In fact, you can contact some experienced social media managers to seek help.
Ruchira is the founder of Pro Freelancing Blog, a writer by passion and profession. Besides writing, she’s a travel buff, foodie, and culture enthusiast.
