There are almost too many options when hiring a freelancer to run your social media accounts.
We come in many shapes and sizes, with different costs, skills and offerings!
So, here's my list of what a social media manager can do, so you can pick the best one for your business.
Content Creation
Content creation covers most responsibilities within social media management. A content creator may do any of the following:
Take photos and/or videos
Create designed posts
Write captions
Plan and post
Not all social media managers do all of these tasks - sometimes, the business owner prefers to come up with the content themselves, and instead has the expert optimise, edit and offer advice. In other cases, the social media manager will take care of everything, and the business owner doesn't need to have any involvement.
Scheduling and Planning
To save time and make sure content is posted at optimal hours, most social media managers use scheduling tools like Hootsuite.
You'll need to plan your posts well if you want them to have a great impact. Knowing what to post, who to, and when is vital for successful socials.
Your social media manager will likely be responsible for scheduling and planning, however they might simply provide images and captions and leave the rest to you. It's important to discuss this with your social media manager, so you know what to expect.
Creating Campaigns
Social Media Campaigns are varied, but it can be very beneficial to get a freelancer's help. You might be happy to run your own business accounts, but feel it's a good idea to boost a certain product with a professional advertising campaign.
In this instance, an expert freelancer can help you research, plan and maintain a campaign with specific targets.
Writing Captions
In some cases, you'll only need a copywriter to assist with socials, and they will solely be responsible for the written aspects of social media. In this case, the freelancer will be an expert at writing for your audience.
You will provide the visuals, and they'll use them to create written content (such as captions) that sells. A social media copywriter will know exactly how to communicate with your audience, how to use hashtags, and how to write a call-to-action that converts.
Maintaining the accounts
Although your freelancer might be responsible for creating and posting content, someone still needs to keep the accounts up-to-date, reply to comments and messages, and review analytics.
Many larger businesses choose to hire a completely separate freelancer or agency just to reply to comments. If you have a large following, this can be a big job!
The most important thing to remember when looking for the perfect social media manager is to find someone on your wavelength. Don't hire someone you don't connect with, or who you feel isn't compatible with your wants and needs.
Also, avoid hiring someone based on price. Instead, look at their portfolio, and how you can see their work highlighting your own business. An expensive social media expert will likely bring years of experience and a track record of big profits. Alternatively, a cheaper content creator with less experience might just have the fresh ideas you need!
Are you looking for a social media manager? Get in touch to see if I can help you!