Being a social media manager is one of the more exciting jobs -- you get paid to post on a company’s social account, can work from anywhere with reliable Wi-Fi, and spend most of your job scrolling through social media.
Although it might sound like all fun and games, I’m here to remind you that it’s also an extremely time-consuming and highly competitive job.
To compete with the competition and earn money as a freelance social media manager, you’ll need to:
Sharpen Up Your Skills
With so much competition, make sure you’re up to date on the latest trends and platforms. Social media moves at a record pace, so it’s important to stay attuned to everything that’s happening, especially within your industry.
Monitor the news, read up on the latest trends, listen to podcasts, and do whatever is necessary to make sure you’re completely knowledgeable on all social media platforms.
Learn each algorithm, the ideal posting times for the different platforms, and what content performs best on each platform. If you're not an expert, it's important to do the work and become one.
This is a competitive field, so do whatever is necessary to give yourself a leg up on the competition.
Build a Kick-Ass Portfolio
This is your chance to really stand out! Make sure your portfolio showcases your best work and most successful posts or campaigns.
Most clients are not well-versed in the world of social media. All they know is that their posts need “more likes”, so this is your chance to impress them! Showcase your most impressive work with the best results and most engagement and likes.
Clients want results. If you can show them you’ve had past successes with your previous clients, you’re much more likely to stand out from the competition and get the job.
Find Clients Through Social Media
This might seem silly or counterintuitive, but the best place to find paid freelance work and new clients is through social media! This is great news!
You're already an expert on all the social platforms, so now you can use that expertise to help you land freelance jobs and get paid!
Facebook Groups
There are several Facebook groups that can help with your search for paid freelance work. Start by searching the groups tab on Facebook for “Paid Social Media Jobs” and dozens on dozens of groups will pop up.
Once you join a few groups, you will see that they are full of freelance gigs and opportunities.
My recommendation is to scour these groups for new job opportunities and apply as soon as someone posts a new gig. These groups will become your go-to place for finding new clients. Trust me on this!
Twitter and Instagram
Also, don’t forget to keep your eye on Twitter and Instagram for new job listings. These platforms are an untapped goldmine of opportunities.
Editors, companies, blogs, or other writers are constantly putting calls out for new pitches on Twitter, and I've seen several companies list job openings on their Instagram feed or in their stories.
Plus, as a freelance social media manager, you’ll gain brownie points if you say that you found the job opportunity through the company's social account.
As always, if you’re looking for freelance work, be sure to tell everyone you know that you’re on the hunt for new clients. You never know where your next job opportunity might come from.
For even more ways to land freelance gigs and paid social media work, check out this article!
