By Mashum Mollah
You might be considering becoming a freelancer for more freedom, or you might want to utilize your social media skills to help brands and make an income. It may seem terrifying, but becoming a freelancer can be a great career option, especially for a freelance social media manager.
In 2021 the freelance social media manager is a new trendy form of career. The best part of the type is that you will be your boss and dance to your tune. Freelancing is always attractive among people, and social media is opening up a new form of freelancing.
10 Tips For Becoming A Freelance Social Media Manager:
For the social media additive people, this form of career is like a sweetmeat. Are you among them? So for you
Here are the ten strategies that will guide you to become a triumphant top freelance social media manager.
1.Knowing The Job:
Before you start your career as a freelance social media manager, the first step is to do your research. You should know what a freelance social media manager does. Typically, they are responsible for planning and executing social media strategies for their clients. Social media managers working for a company are generally assigned one brand, whereas freelancers can take on a bunch of brands at one point in time.
Once you have done your research, you should ask yourself if you are ready for this field since it is dynamic and constantly evolving. If you want to become a freelance social media manager, you need to be socially savvy and experienced with handling different social media platforms.
2.Acquire Social Media Skills:
If you aren’t already a pro at social media skills, you can learn social media for free and acquire necessary skills and knowledge such as SEO, SEM, social media marketing, social media analytics, as well as knowledge of different tools that you can use.
You should be innovative, creative, and adaptable because of the volatility of the profession. Apart from this, freelance social media managers also need to be thick-skinned, persistent, and confident. Communication skills are a must-have for this profession.
3.Set Up A Service Offering Website:
Now that you are sure of becoming a freelance social media manager, the next step is to set up a website of your own. It is good to have a website that will showcase your work before you start pitching your services and take on clients.
It is also an excellent way to create your online presence and direct prospective clients to your website. You can make an about page, a services page, a portfolio page, and a contact page.
4.Figure Out Which Tools To Use:
Using business admin tools such as Bonsai for accounting and invoicing, Clockify for time management, and Sendible for social media scheduling right from the start can help you stay organized and streamline your tasks.
Social media analytical tools are with different price ranges. For startups, the choice of social media tools is playing a significant role. You have to choose the tool which is going to serve your freelance social media manager jobs but within your budget.
5.Figure Out Your Service Rates:
It can be difficult to figure out what would be a good rate for your freelance services. You can start by doing some research and get in touch with other freelancers to get an idea about rates and income.
It varies from person to person, so the best way to decide is what you would be comfortable with. In the beginning, you can figure out an hourly rate and start with that, gradually moving on to better methods.
Calculate your monthly expenses – this will be your base pay. Then add taxes and other business-related expenses that you might incur. Also, calculate how many hours you want to work every month and divide your monthly expenses to charge an hourly rate.
6.Networking:
Now that you’re all set, it is time to find your first client. This isn’t easy, and you won’t land a client right away. You need to build a network with potential clients and other professionals. With this, you can get better market recognition and also build relationships with people who can become potential clients in the future.
You also need to network with other freelancers with whom you can collaborate for projects or who can recommend you for work. For any freelance jobs, you have to find your projects with the help of your connections. The Freelance social media manager jobs this theory is the same as the traditional concepts of freelancing.
7.Finding Clients:
There are many places where you can find potential clients, including job boards such as Indeed and Monster, social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn, and Google search. For professional Social media, a manager works the Linked In is the best suitable platform.
You can also research companies that you want to work with and prepare individual pitches telling how you can help them. It might seem scary, but you need to be confident and start by pitching to people who you know, like family or friends.
8.Promoting Your Services:
Along with your work, you need to maintain a consistent presence on social media and keep promoting your services by scheduling regular posts. With this, you will be present and fresh in the mind of prospects. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn are great platforms for this.
You can also start your personal blog to put your name out there and attract clients through search engine optimization. By SEO, you can pick out relevant keywords that users search for and embed them in your articles and blog posts to make them appear higher on a search engine’s result page. Apart from this, you can get readers to sign up for an email newsletter.
9.Specialize:
Once you have established your freelance business, you will observe that you enjoy working with clients of a particular industry, such as fashion companies, financial organizations, or beauty brands. In 2021 niches-based service is the most significant trend. So pick the right niches for your organization and start your Freelance social media manager career.
You can target that particular sector and charge more for working with them as you know the ins and outs of that business. It also becomes easier to land work when you focus on a particular industry.
10.Make your portfolio:
As you keep on working for your clients, make sure to collect your work and add it to your portfolio. You can showcase all your past projects to prospective clients to give them an idea about your work and your capabilities. Getting testimonials from past clients is even better as it is helpful in landing clients in the future.
The freelance social media manager is a responsible profile. When you choose this form of career, be specific to present a robust portfolio to your clients. And share your unique concepts with them. You may not have a high brand value, but uniqueness and innovative ideas will give you a substantial boost up.
Conclusion:
Becoming a freelance social media manager can be scary, and it does not happen overnight. There is a lot of preparation that goes into building this business. However, you can become a successful freelance social media manager by following this guide. With consistency and hard work, you can find bigger and better clients. And choose the work on projects which you are enjoying doing. Do not forget to share your opinion in the comment sections.
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