12 FAQs From Social Media Management Freelancers: Answered!
When we started Social Savvy (our social media management agency), we had alllllllll the questions! With answers in every direction, it can be confusing to not be left overwhelmed.
This is a value-packed list FULL of the most commonly asked questions we get in our Facebook Group of social media managers going through the same struggles and questions as you. Plus, our answers to each based on our experience running a six-figure social media management agency for five years now!
What are must-have tools for social media managers?
Our favorites are:
Canva - content creation
Later - Scheduling
ClickUp - Content calendar creation, approval, team management, and overall project management
Dubsado - CRM tool for sending emails, invoices, contracts, and proposals. Get 20% off your first month with code "socialsavvyhq" ο»Ώπο»Ώ
CapCut/Veed - Reels and Video Editor
How do I price my services?
When it comes to pricing your social media management services, a package rate can be helpful because (1.) your client knows the deliverables they can expect and (2.) it isn't "defining" you by your hourly rate. To create a package, map out everything that you would include in that package, and how long it takes you to do it. Add in a few hours for communication and revisions to give yourself a buffer, and then multiply by the hourly rate. When choosing an hourly rate for yourself, it can be helpful to do some market research on freelancing or job-searching websites (freelancing females, Upwork, LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.) and see what others in the industry with similar experience and education levels are marketing themselves at. Youβll also want to ensure that you are choosing an hourly rate that accurately reflects your location, experience, and education, and covers any expenses and overhead. Package pricing might not be the best for everyone, depending on what services youβre offering. Here are more pricing resources if you need them:
How do I build a portfolio?
Use your own social accounts or use one from a prior social media internship or job (make sure you have permission if you are featuring the company itself) as a case study. There isnβt much focus on the account itself, but rather the transformation and results from that account that can be highlighted. Popular things to include within a portfolio are: an intro/about me section, case studies and testimonials, packages/service breakdown, and a strong call-to-action and link to book a discovery call (Calendly is a great tool for this), are a few of our favorite portfolio must-haves. Check out this portfolio template in our resources shop!
How do I niche down?
Think about what industries you have experience in and/or who youβd love to work with! Chances are you have some passions or interests in particular fields, maybe even one you havenβt tried out, yet. From there, you can research the needs, characteristics, and profits that surround the interest area to see if it's something that you can work with. From there, get even more specific! Create an ICA (ideal client avatar) to think about what your dream client looks like.
What does an onboarding process look like?
Our onboarding process is a discovery questionnaire > disco call> proposal/contracts/invoice > onboarding questionnaire > kick-off call > first-month deliverables batch and a Loom with how to use the approval process! Inside the onboarding packet, we ask for login info and more technical questions, and anything we missed in the disco call!
Do I need a contract? Where do I get one?
Yes! We always recommend a contract between you and your clients. The Contract Shop, Dubsado have templates available for you to use and customize. Contract lawyers specializing in online businesses and are familiar with your location are great resources when it comes to contracts! Having a legal professional review or create a contract for you will be worth the investment!
Where to find clients?
Do you have a specific niche you're focusing on? Get super clear on what you do and who you do it for - This will help make your messaging super clear because you know what they need (and don't) and can speak directly to them! A couple of methods for finding clients could include referrals, job posting sites, local outreach, and directories & programs! We talk more about this in these podcast episodes if you want to tune in: How to attract dream clients as an SMM, How to find clients as a social media freelancer
How to market myself as an SMM?
Think about (1) where your ideal client is and (2) what they are consuming. Starting here will give you a good understanding of where you show up in terms of websites, social media platforms, events, etc., and how to connect with them! For example, if you are working with local companies, you might look for local networking events; vs. if you are targeting online female entrepreneurs, you might try connecting in a Facebook Group. When approaching potential clients, we tend to sway from cold pitching, and we like to take the time to start a conversation and get to know each other.
How many clients do social media managers take on at a time?
It really depends on personal preference and workflows, plus the scale of the services you offer. However, a good average we see for most social media managers is between 5-7 clients. Of course, there are more systems to put in place and you get faster over time - but it's also good to leave room, even when you're "booked out!"
How do I manage client content and create an approval system?
This will vary depending on how you like to organize things, the type of clients you work with, how comfortable they are with certain platforms. We like to use a project management system (ClickUp) to house our content planning and calendar for clients before moving it to a scheduling platform.
How to get content from clients?
(1) set the expectation from the start of the project, (2) add a clause to your contract (3) make it easy for them to deliver the content to you (4) give ample time for them to gather content and provide clear instructions on exactly what you are looking for. We also have a free masterclass we did a few months back in this group if you want to watch the replay, we go more into detail about how the process looks for us and answered some FAQs about it!
Do you log in to client accounts?
We have found that logging in directly is the easiest way for us to manage client accounts, especially when it comes to things like engagement and posting stories/reels. During the onboarding kick-off call, we typically will log into the clientβs account to get passed the two-factor authentication and save the login information to our device so we can log in and out. Instagram technically only allows for five accounts, and saving the log information will help get you a few more. However, you might want to consider using another device (iPad, old phone, etc) to log even more as you add on clients. If clients are uncomfortable sharing passwords directly, LassPass can be another tool to use for password sharing.
Don't be overwhelmed when it comes to building your social media management business! We are here every single step of your journey - launching, growing, scaling. You have a whole Collective behind you β€οΈ
