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What does a freelance social media manager do?

A freelance social media manager is the person within an organization responsible for developing, editing, distributing, and promoting content in multiple forms across various social media platforms. Social media managers are typically members of the marketing, communications, or public relations departments. They have a keen sense of what news and content, whether in written, audio, or video format, resonates best with different target markets.

A freelance social media manager must be an expert not only in social media marketing but also in the details of an organization’s operations and industry. Via social media, organizations are able to intimately engage their audiences and have better control over the perception of their brand. In addition, freelance social media managers are usually involved in a company’s customer acquisition process and the attraction of leads into the sales funnel.

What skills do I need to become a freelance social media manager?

The skills needed to be a freelance social media manager are similar to those needed by professionals working in marketing, communications, and public relations. Many social media skills are simply an extension of more traditional marketing and communications capabilities.

While there are a number of skills that can prove helpful in the role of a freelance social media manager, the following are common across organizations and industries:

• Excellent communication. Exhibiting excellent communication skills may seem obvious for freelance social media managers, but this goes beyond social media platforms. Not only should a social media manager have a grasp of how to communicate via multiple social media platforms, but they should also effectively communicate with staff, internal and external stakeholders, and partner organizations.
• Excellent writing. Writing well for a variety of audiences via multiple social media platforms requires the ability to communicate creatively, with proper grammar and spelling, and in a way that quickly engages an audience to drive them to a particular action. They say the pen is mightier than the sword. In the case of a freelance social media manager, using that pen as eloquently and creatively as possible will go a long way to further engagement and drive revenue.
• An understanding of digital marketing. Getting the most of our social media includes leveraging the technology that helps maximize engagement. It’s great to have increased engagement across all social media channels, but it’s also essential to measure the effectiveness of campaigns and analyze which campaigns are driving revenue and which ones need to be optimized.
• The ability to network. Social media is exactly what the name suggests: engaging socially via online platforms through the use of media. Establishing and growing engagement requires a thorough understanding of how to network with audience members in a way that provides value. Providing that value, in turn, will result in increased engagement, more leads, and greater revenue.
• A knack for analyzing data. Social media offers more data than many organizations know what to do with. A freelance social media manager should have a high level of comfort gathering and analyzing data. Being able to identify opportunities, trends, and warning signs is a necessary component of any organization’s social media endeavor.
• Superb time management. With a variety of moving parts associated with developing and distributing content across multiple platforms, a freelance social media manager must possess outstanding time management skills. Whether you are doing most of the social media work yourself or managing a team of social media specialists, properly managing and organizing your time will often be the difference between success and failure.

What are the core freelance social media manager job responsibilities?

While the jobs of freelance social media managers will vary slightly from organization to organization, there are a number of core tasks freelance social media managers will be responsible for.

These responsibilities include:

• Developing, curating, publishing, and promoting video, audio, and written content from selected templates across multiple social media platforms
• Researching and analyzing competitive social media activity
• Overseeing photoshoots and artwork creation for use across social media channels
• Engaging multiple social media audiences in an effort to increase sales funnel participation and revenue
• Managing paid advertising across social media channels
• Reporting on, analyzing, and refining social media activity
• Interacting with executive leadership and other stakeholders to ensure social media activity aligns with key organization objectives

Should I get a degree or certification to be a freelance social media manager?

In addition to developing your skills through experience with several organizations, obtaining a degree and/or professional certification can help your Upwork profile stand out. Those with a degree from an accredited college or university should be comfortable doing research, developing strategy, reading reports, and making presentations. In addition, a college degree is often accompanied by an internship of some sort that can further your ability to position yourself positively as a freelance social media manager.

Likewise, a certification in social media management, while not necessary for most jobs, can help position you positively among your competitors. What’s more, a certification in digital marketing can have direct application for social media.

Examples of popular degrees or certifications suitable for social media managers include:

• Associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in the area of marketing, business administration, communications, technology, social media management, or public relations
• Social Marketing Certification—offered by Hootsuite Academy
• Facebook Blueprint Certifications—offered by Facebook