Editorial Social Media Strategist & Manager

Location: United States only Platform focus: Instagram first Engagement: Ongoing / monthly retainer preferred I’m looking to retain an experienced U.S.-based social media strategist and manager to launch and manage a founder-led Instagram account focused on culture, hospitality, wine, food, travel, and lifestyle through a personal editorial lens. This account will not be built on trend-chasing, generic lifestyle content, or AI-written posts. The goal is to build a distinct, intelligent, visually strong presence with a clear point of view around taste, hospitality, wine, food, and lived experience. Scope of Work Launch and manage the Instagram account from the ground up Develop account strategy, positioning, content pillars, and posting cadence Create and manage a content calendar Write original captions in a natural, human voice Create or coordinate posts, carousels, Stories, and Reels Manage publishing, scheduling, and day-to-day account management Engage with followers and relevant accounts Track analytics and translate performance into clear recommendations Identify organic audience-growth opportunities Help shape the account into a long-term editorial and community platform Required Qualifications Based in the United States Excellent command of written English Strong grasp of conversational language, idioms, humor, and contemporary slang Clear understanding of Millennial and Gen X audiences Proven experience managing and growing Instagram accounts Strong portfolio of caption writing and visual storytelling Understanding of culture, hospitality, food, wine, travel, or premium lifestyle Exposure to international culture, especially France and Spain Ability to write with taste, warmth, restraint, and personality Organized, reliable, proactive, and responsive Creative Requirement Posts and captions must be written by a person, not generated by AI. This account depends on authentic voice, lived perspective, cultural awareness, and editorial judgment. AI may support workflow or organization, but the creative writing itself must be original. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate understands the difference between posting content and building a point of view. You should be comfortable creating social content that feels intelligent, current, personal, and culturally aware without becoming stiff, overly polished, or generic. You should understand how people actually speak online while still protecting a refined editorial voice. Experience with wine, restaurants, hospitality, travel, food media, luxury lifestyle, cultural commentary, international travel, or founder-led personal brands is strongly preferred. Familiarity with French and Spanish culture, dining, wine, hospitality, and lifestyle is a plus. To Apply Please include: A brief introduction Your location in the United States Instagram accounts you have managed Examples of captions or posts you personally wrote Examples of account growth or engagement results Your experience with culture, hospitality, wine, food, travel, lifestyle, and international markets Your recommended approach for launching this account from zero Your rate structure: hourly, monthly retainer, or project-based Generic applications will not be considered. Please apply only if you have strong writing ability, strong taste, and a genuine understanding of culture, hospitality, wine, food, and lifestyle audiences.