Social Media Management
Struggling to manage your own social media accounts? Without the right talent, this can be challenging, especially for business owners with limited time or resources.
This guide will help you unlock the potential of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok by partnering with a knowledgeable social media manager (SMM). Learn to craft a winning social media strategy with engaging content, powerful analytics tools, and a data-driven approach.
Steps to Hire a Social Media Manager
- Determine your business needs and goals. These might include improving your online presence, managing brand reputation, or driving sales through social media channels.
- Create a detailed job description. This should outline the required education, experience, skills, responsibilities, and platform specialties to attract candidates who are the best fit for your organization.
- Post your job on Upwork. This is the best way to reach a wide pool of qualified social media managers.
- Review candidate portfolios. Look for style, quality, and experience with social media content that aligns with your brand’s aesthetic and values to ensure a seamless fit.
- Interview qualified candidates. Meet with candidates in person or virtually to evaluate their industry knowledge, brand experience, achievements, and communication skills.
- Negotiate terms. Discuss pay rate, project scope, deadlines, communication methods, and tools to establish clear expectations and a smooth working relationship.
Writing a social media manager job post
A job post should outline responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations while providing insight into your company’s culture and values.
Below, are the essential components to include in your social media manager job post:
- Job title. Use the exact role you’re hiring for and specific tasks or platforms for your social media campaigns, such as “Social Media Manager for Fashion Brand - Instagram Expert” or “Senior Social Media Manager for Tech Startup with LinkedIn Experience.” This helps candidates quickly identify if the role aligns with their skills and experience.
- Project description. Provide a company overview, project scope with goals and deliverables, project duration, and budget to give candidates a clear understanding of what the role entails and what they can expect if hired.
- Responsibilities. List duties like managing social media content across platforms, developing campaigns, responding to messages, and analyzing data to help candidates assess if they have the necessary skills and experience for the role.
- Qualifications. Specify needed skills. These might include proficiency in social media tools like Hootsuite and Canva, analytics tools like Google Analytics, or knowledge of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X. You might also add content creation, time management, and communication skills.
Including these key elements will help you attract top talent and find a social media manager who can help take your online presence to the next level.
Hiring a remote social media manager
Indicate whether the role can be done remotely. Social media management is ideal for remote work, giving you access to a global talent pool and reducing office costs.
The role of a social media manager
A social media manager handles a company's digital presence on social media platforms. They help your business by creating engaging content, managing social media accounts, and analyzing metrics to refine content strategies.
Below are their most common day-to-day responsibilities:
- Strategy development and implementation. Developing and implementing comprehensive social media marketing strategies is a key responsibility of a social media manager. These strategies align with your brand’s overall marketing goals and target audience preferences, increasing your visibility and engagement across various social media platforms.
- Content creation and scheduling. Creating, editing, and scheduling engaging content also falls under the purview of a social media manager. This content includes eye-catching visuals, compelling copy, and promotional offers, all tailored to various social media channels based on the latest trends, audience insights, and performance data.
- Performance monitoring and analysis. Monitoring and analyzing key performance metrics is essential to a social media manager’s role. They track likes, comments, shares, follower growth, and conversion rates to identify top-performing content, adjust strategies as needed, and report on social media ROI to stakeholders.
- Community engagement and management. Engaging with your brand’s online community is an important task for social media managers. They respond to comments and messages, host Q&A sessions and virtual events, and run contests and giveaways to build relationships and foster brand loyalty among your target audience.
- Cross-functional collaboration. Social media managers collaborate with internal teams, such as marketing, sales, and customer service, to make sure social media efforts align with your overall business goals and brand identity. They also work with external partners and influencers.
Understanding these tasks and responsibilities can help you understand their value to your organization in driving online growth and engagement.
Common social media platforms to manage
Social media managers must understand the unique features, demographics, and best practices of each platform.
Key platforms:
- Instagram: Showcase brand personality with photos, videos, and stories.
- TikTok: Create short-form videos using storytelling techniques.
- Facebook: Develop visually appealing content and interactive polls.
- LinkedIn: Share industry insights and thought-provoking posts.
- Snapchat: Send short-lived videos and photos to build excitement.
Essential Tools for Social Media Managers
Social media managers rely on various tools to streamline workflows and gain insights into audience behavior.
Key Tools:
- Hootsuite/Sprout Social: Schedule posts, monitor accounts, and track metrics.
- Google Analytics: Insights into website traffic and user behavior.
- Social Listening Tools: Monitor brand mentions, track competitors, and identify trends (Brandwatch, Mention, Talkwalker).
Industries hiring social media managers in 2024
Social media managers are in high demand across a wide range of industries, each with its own unique goals, target audiences, and best practices for engagement. According to Upwork’s Most In-Demand Work Skills in 2024 report, many companies are looking for social media management skills such as SEO, lead generation, and campaign management.
Some industries commonly hiring social media managers, and the specific tasks and responsibilities they tend to have, include:
- Advertising and marketing agencies. Social media managers in this industry often handle multiple client accounts, develop content calendars, schedule posts, and monitor engagement to support each client’s unique marketing goals and brand identity.
- Retail and e-commerce. In this fast-paced sector, social media managers create product-focused content, engaging videos, and promotional materials to drive engagement, boost online sales, and build brand loyalty among target audiences.
- Hospitality and travel. Social media managers in this industry showcase destinations, experiences, and amenities through high-quality visuals on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. They also run contests and giveaways and interact with potential customers to encourage engagement and drive bookings.
- Non-profit organizations. For mission-driven organizations, social media managers help raise awareness for their cause. They share updates on their impact and achievements and encourage donations and support from followers through compelling storytelling and calls to action (CTAs).
- Health and wellness companies. In this growing industry, social media managers help increase brand visibility, educate audiences on products and services, and drive sales through informative content, engaging visuals, and targeted promotions on various social platforms.
By understanding the specific needs and goals of businesses in different industries, you can better tailor your search for a social media manager to find a candidate with the right skills, experience, and industry knowledge to help your organization succeed on social media.
Cost of hiring a social media manager
A social media manager’s average salary and hourly pay will differ based on the candidate’s knowledge of social media strategies, familiarity with various social platforms, and years of experience in your industry. Their geographic location can also impact pricing, as professionals in areas with higher living costs may charge more for their services.
The cost of a social media manager can also depend on the scope of the services required. For example, suppose you need a social media manager to handle complex projects, such as multiple social media channels and creating various forms of content. In that case, the cost may be higher due to the increased time and expertise needed for these tasks.
The average rates for a social media manager are:
- Hourly. $14-$35 per hour
- Part-time. $280-$700 per week or $14,560-$36,400 per year, assuming a 20-hour work week
- Full time. $560-$1,400 per week or $29,120-$72,800 per year, assuming a 40-hour work week
Ultimately, deciding who to hire for your business depends on your needs and budget.
When determining your budget for a social media manager, also consider the potential return on investment (ROI) these professionals can bring to your business. Consider the specific goals you want to achieve and the level of expertise and experience required to help you reach those objectives.
Don’t wait to start building a stronger, more engaging social media presence. Post your job on Upwork today and find a social media manager who can help your business thrive in the digital age.
Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.