9 Ways to Become a Better Social Media Manager

Social media management is a big part of modern day marketing. Read this to improve your management skills as a social media marketer or manager.

1. Be a good time manager 

Whether you want to start a agency or want to be a solopreneur you must have a schedule and stick to it. A good social media manager will often have a editorial calendar for content development and promotion in their kit

2. Stay informed

Follow your platform’s social media accounts to stay abreast of changes and developments. Follow the founder’s accounts as they may share some insights. For instance, Adam Mosseri of Instagram is great at making announcements about new features. He often explains the reasoning behind their algorithm changes which is useful in pivoting strategies. I often use his posts to inform clients on how their social media manager will adjust their content to keep their digital momentum on track.

Also follow influencers in your industry. They are often the first to adopt new technology or know what big brands are doing next as part of their job. Use what they are up to to inform your own work practices or critique theirs.

3. Always be learning

You always want to be trying new things, attending conferences or workshops. Yes, you may have your working processes, design preferences and caption formulas. However, learning, testing and introducing new things to your work enables you to provide competitive service. An added benefit of upskilling is being able to go after better contracts with a higher expertise level. 

4. Know your numbers

Always know your operating expenses. 

These are how much your tools and time cost. Photoshop or Canva subscriptions, and exclusive stock photo, sound and video sites. The website maintenance costs.  Your healthcare and dental plan. The machinery you use such as your laptop or phone. These depreciate yearly and are business assets so include them. Add business taxes and accounting fees. Do not forget your salary because you’re your brand’s employee. Read this pricing guide for a better handle on your finances.

Once you know all these add 20% on top because you’ve likely underpaid yourself. That’s it. 

If this is hard, check out what other people at your level are charging per hour or package. Be honest about your level of skill as it will affect how confident you are when requesting $200 or $2000 per month.

Don’t forget to increase your rates regularly as you’ll be getting better at what you do. That’s assuming you’re learning more and providing greater value to your clients.

5. Embrace clarity

Always ask whether your client has worked with other contractors before. Some will expect in-house level work which often includes tasks not included in your deliverables sheet. Go over how you work, what you will deliver with dates and quantities when possible. For instance: I will provide 12 static designs per month. I will also post 3 times on your Facebook per week as part of your social media management plan. 

The more specific you are the easier it is to explain why you’re not providing video or email marketing as part of the package. Plus it’s good to ensure your client knows exactly what they are getting. Why would you want to be vague?  

6. Be honest

What does honesty have to do with it? A lot. 

You’re being trusted with sensitive company information. Do not disclose this but be discreet. 

Also be honest about your rates, refund policy and deliverables upfront. This helps maintain trust and professional in your contract work. When you miss deadlines or know you may not be able to deliver something, contact your client immediately and ask for extensions. 

Ghosting people and fudging deadlines is disrespectful to people who have trusted you to handle something important to them. Plus you do not want to affect their revenue through late or shoddy delivery of work. 

7. Be a great financial manager

Know when something is going wrong and act before it becomes a disaster. A client not paying on time suggests strained or non-existent finances. Have a talk with them, work out a payment plan or let them go. 

Do not jeopardise your financial situation by doing free or unpaid work. If they can’t afford this month’s work what makes you think they can afford this month and next month’s work? 

8. Protect yourself

Some clients will take your work for granted. They may say they are not paying for past work as they were not happy with it or it was not what they wanted. You’ll have no way of recovering the fee unless you opt for expensive legal help. For this reason, don’t ever work without an advance or deposit. This helps avoid the emotional and financial stress of such bad contracts. 

9. Deal with problems head on

Always watch out for bad communication, buyer’s remorse or disrespect from your client. None of these are fixed by hiding your head in the sand. Pick up the phone or arrange a Zoom call so you can nip the displeasure in the bud. If you leave it unattended you won’t know how to fix it now. Neither will you get a good review or referral later which you need as you’re in the service industry.

Being a social media manager may seem like an easy job but the extras help you rise above rest. This service is still in its infancy but your actions can help shape the industry and develop the kind of standards that help build a lucrative career for others. So be your best and enjoy being the best marketer you can be.

Please share these tips if they’ve helped you or leave a comment below.