How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2025 9:53 am
Great, you've perfected your social media skills. Now you're ready to take the leap. Discover the steps to becoming a freelance social media manager.
Step 1: Create your business
Before you start working as a freelance social media manager, find out what steps you ghana phone number data need to take to start your business.
They vary from country to country, but here are some examples:
Choose your legal status (sole trader or limited liability company, for example).
Apply for a tax identification number (not all self-employed people need one, so check your situation).
Check whether you need to obtain a license or register with a registry . Again, this doesn't apply to all self-employed people, so check.
Open a business bank account (not mandatory, check with an accountant).
By the way, you can consult a tax advisor to determine how much of your income to set aside to pay your taxes. They can also advise you on the legal structure best suited to your needs.
Create a professional email address and social media accounts. At the very least, consider reserving handles that use your business name if you want to expand your online presence later. This will be helpful when you start promoting your business more widely and need to establish yourself as a brand.
Step 2: Build a portfolio
You need a portfolio to show your skills to potential clients.
There are different ways to present a portfolio. For example, you can:
create a website
use your LinkedIn profile
create PDF files
use a Google Drive folder to store your case studies
Please note: if you use PDF files or a shared Google folder, your work will not be indexed online. SEO is important!
If you've only held salaried positions, use projects and examples from these experiences to create your portfolio. Be sure to focus on the social media marketing strategies you've contributed to and the results you've helped achieve.
Step 3: Set your rates
Determining the price of your services is one of the most challenging tasks for a freelancer. This is especially true if you're new to the market and unsure of what a fair price is. Several factors need to be considered, such as your desired salary, business expenses, and taxes.
We've previously explained how to calculate your rates, but if you need more clarity, you can reach out to other freelance social media managers and build a network.
Step 4: Make yourself known
This is where the fun begins: using social media to promote your services. Even if you're the best social media manager in the world, you won't get very far if your potential clients don't know you're available for work.
Here are some proven ways to sell yourself:
Attend networking events. Don't be afraid to try events outside your industry. You might be the only social media manager at a trade show dedicated to merchandising professionals, and that's probably a good thing.
Post on LinkedIn. LinkedIn users are already looking for professional connections on this platform, so it's the perfect place to promote your services.
Join freelance groups on social media. Be an active member, don't just be a spectator.
Ask for recommendations. Ask previous clients for testimonials and references, don't be shy.
Get started with content marketing. You already knew you'd need to create a social media strategy for your freelance social media management business, right?
Step 1: Create your business
Before you start working as a freelance social media manager, find out what steps you ghana phone number data need to take to start your business.
They vary from country to country, but here are some examples:
Choose your legal status (sole trader or limited liability company, for example).
Apply for a tax identification number (not all self-employed people need one, so check your situation).
Check whether you need to obtain a license or register with a registry . Again, this doesn't apply to all self-employed people, so check.
Open a business bank account (not mandatory, check with an accountant).
By the way, you can consult a tax advisor to determine how much of your income to set aside to pay your taxes. They can also advise you on the legal structure best suited to your needs.
Create a professional email address and social media accounts. At the very least, consider reserving handles that use your business name if you want to expand your online presence later. This will be helpful when you start promoting your business more widely and need to establish yourself as a brand.
Step 2: Build a portfolio
You need a portfolio to show your skills to potential clients.
There are different ways to present a portfolio. For example, you can:
create a website
use your LinkedIn profile
create PDF files
use a Google Drive folder to store your case studies
Please note: if you use PDF files or a shared Google folder, your work will not be indexed online. SEO is important!
If you've only held salaried positions, use projects and examples from these experiences to create your portfolio. Be sure to focus on the social media marketing strategies you've contributed to and the results you've helped achieve.
Step 3: Set your rates
Determining the price of your services is one of the most challenging tasks for a freelancer. This is especially true if you're new to the market and unsure of what a fair price is. Several factors need to be considered, such as your desired salary, business expenses, and taxes.
We've previously explained how to calculate your rates, but if you need more clarity, you can reach out to other freelance social media managers and build a network.
Step 4: Make yourself known
This is where the fun begins: using social media to promote your services. Even if you're the best social media manager in the world, you won't get very far if your potential clients don't know you're available for work.
Here are some proven ways to sell yourself:
Attend networking events. Don't be afraid to try events outside your industry. You might be the only social media manager at a trade show dedicated to merchandising professionals, and that's probably a good thing.
Post on LinkedIn. LinkedIn users are already looking for professional connections on this platform, so it's the perfect place to promote your services.
Join freelance groups on social media. Be an active member, don't just be a spectator.
Ask for recommendations. Ask previous clients for testimonials and references, don't be shy.
Get started with content marketing. You already knew you'd need to create a social media strategy for your freelance social media management business, right?