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I've been working at home for about twelve years now. People ask me all the time, what do I do to be able to work from my home? You all know me as a blogger and yes, it does pay the bills but over the past few years I've branched out and have also become a social media manager and a virtual assistant. I get a lot of questions and one is How to Become a Social Media Manager.
Becoming a social media manager was a natural fit for me. I've been running my own social media for many years and I've been marketing for brands during that time. I knew I could run social media for other brands and businesses and do it well.
What does a Social Media Manager do?
I have several clients and honestly, I do something different for each of them but all need me to help develop or maintain their brand then drive sales or traffic. It really depends on what the type of business it is and what their goal is. Are they a clothing company? A doctor's office? Each would have different goals.
I also reply to fans, reply to messages, create graphics, share memes, and sometimes run ads for them. You must match their voice, understand their goal, and have a basic understanding of marketing. My daughter likes to joke I share pictures of hot guys and share memes all day (for a romance author) but there really is more to it than that. You need to understand the audience and cater to it.
Related —> How to become a virtual assistant
Who are your clients?
Bloggers
Authors
Local Businesses (restaurants, doctor's offices, retail shops, etc)
Online Magazines
Basically, anyone that uses social media for their business
Where do you find clients?
This can be tricky because even big firms have problems finding clients sometimes but I've found that for me word of mouth works quite well. I've found clients in Facebook groups, on social media, through friends and acquaintances. I'm online creating great content and potential clients can see that, I've even had brands go to hire me for a campaign through my blog and I end up managing their social media.
You can also post on boards like Craigslist and reach out to local businesses in your area.
Build your own community
This touches on what I said above. I'm online sharing content. I have friends and on my pages I have fans. You can start small but I highly suggest having your own business social media accounts. You can also cross promote for your clients on your account.
How much should I charge?
That would depend on how often you are posting and what are you doing? Do you need to stop by the restaurant and take pictures of food to share? Are you creating graphics? Do you manage the companies' Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Newsletter? I generally charge between $25-$35/hr. I give discounted rates for the more I do. If someone has a contract with me for 6 months or if I’m doing multiple things for a client I charge on the lower end.
Repin it to your board!
A Few Quick Tips
Time – You really need to learn how to manage your time. Time is money and you need a plan otherwise you’ll be sucked into Facebook. At least that is what has happened to me. I start my day by making a list of what I need to accomplish for each client per day. I find that having a visual really helps me cross everything off my list quickly.
Money – All of my clients are billed once a month. I use PayPal to send them an invoice. You can also set up recurring payments to make it easy on yourself. I keep a spreadsheet and mark off once a client has paid.
Smart Phones – I highly recommend having a smartphone. I use an Android and it makes my life easy because I’m always on the go and I can work from anywhere. I feel like I am always running the kids to martial arts or music and I can work without being tied to a desk.
I did a lot of research and on the job training as I became a Social Media Manager and you can too but if you need some extra help you can take classes. Social Media Manager school has great classes and you can sign up to get their Free Social Media Consultation Starter Kit.
Want join my work at home group on Facebook? We help and encourage each other. We are entrepreneurs that want to work for ourselves and not others. (NO MLM allowed!)
Mom Work at Home Entrepreneurs
