How to make money managing social media accounts for small business

Do you want to make money managing social media accounts?

You can make money for small businesses by managing social media accounts. Responsibilities include posting and creating new content, responding to customers, and growing the brand. Ideally, you have a bubbly personality and can work on social media for hours.

Amazingly, social media managers are paid well for being social. You could even replace your full-time income by using social media.

Some companies will even let you work from home. For social media managers, that gives you the freedom to work wherever there is a WiFi connection!

Interested? I thought so.

Luckily for you, I’m going to show you how to get started managing social media accounts. Make no mistake, it takes a lot of work to manage social media. However, the work is worth the freedom to work wherever you want.

This article may contain affiliate links which pays a commission and supports this blog. Thank you for your support!

How do social media managers make money?

Social media managers make money by running social media for small companies. Companies need someone to create content, manage customer relations, and grow their presence. Most likely, you will be a freelancer charging an agreed upon rate.

As a social media manager, you’re great at growing social media followers. There are thousands of growing companies in need of social media services.

Why would a company pay you to promote their products online? Simple. Companies are looking at social media as an investment. They are building brand awareness which can lead to more sales.

You are invaluable when you help a company make more sales. Therefore, companies will pay you for your skillset in growing followers.

Social media is also very time consuming. Most growing companies don’t want to waste the time and don’t know how to manage it effectively. Regardless, they know it’s important.

Businesses understand the need to hire out tasks they can’t do efficiently. You’re already good at growing social media. Naturally, your social media marketing skills are a good fit.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

How much do social media managers make?

The average social media manager makes around $50,000 per year. Therefore, you should aim to make $24.04 as a social media manager. The lowest paid managers make $35k per year. Top paid managers earn around $72k.

How much you make depends on the number of clients and the rates you charge. You need to figure out your rates and services.

For example, some social media managers create a monthly package. A client might pay you $500 per month, which includes certain services. What do you want to include for your services? You could include:

• Management of 2 social media accounts
• Social media account consultation/review of current accounts
• Results and engagement tracking
• Paid Advertising campaign, Ad spend not included
• Social media posts, 3x per week.

It’s really up to you how much you charge and the services you provide.

Remember, companies expect results. If you’re helping a company make more money then you can be expensive. However, fail to show results and you probably won’t be working for the company much longer!

How do social media managers get paid?

Social media managers can be paid hourly, monthly, or per project. You can either work as a company employee or a freelancer who submits invoices. As a freelancer, you will need to work with the company to specify how you are paid (e.g. PayPal or Venmo).

Knowing how to grow social media accounts is one thing. Do you have the organization to make and send out invoices?

You will also need to decide how frequently you want to get paid. Obviously, you want to keep money coming in, but sending out invoices takes time. Generally, it’s best to send an invoice once per month.

You also need to know when to stop working for a client for due payments. Will you stop working once payment exceeds $1,000? Or will you stop working if payment has not been received 30 days past billing?

The goal is to make sure companies don’t take advantage of you. No one should be working for free.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

How to be a social media manager for small business?

You can be a social media manager for small companies by seeking them out. Job seekers need to be active in the social media community, have an ‘online resume’, and approach companies. Finding work as a social media manager is about showcasing your value.

You want to make money managing social media accounts. So where do you start? It all begins by showcasing your skillset.

Showcase your skillset – Build a website and social media accounts

You will need to show off your skillset as a social media manager. Why should someone hire you over someone else? Having a well built website and social media accounts can help you find work.

Your website should be simple, but highlight why you’re qualified. What is your experience and have you helped anyone else? Do you have any testimonials? Are your rates visibly displayed?

Think about your website as your online resume. Basically, it’s there to showcase your skills. Your contact information is clearly displayed in case someone wants to hire you.

Having well followed social media accounts are a bonus. I would much rather hire someone who’s grown their Twitter or Instagram to 300k followers over someone with 1,000. Your social media accounts are proof that you can do the job.

Get connected into the community

You need to be plugged into the social media management community. Work as a social media manager doesn’t just appear. You need to set your self up to be found, so you can actually find freelance work.

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, create a profile that screams social media manager. Companies do use LinkedIn to fill gaps in their team.  A company will search LinkedIn and create a talent pool to approach.

First, companies weed out managers based on their profile. Next, a certain amount of managers won’t be interested in the position. Finally, a select few will be interviewed. Having a well optimized profile increases your chances of getting an interview.

Facebook

On Facebook, join groups in the social media and virtual assistant community. These groups often share work opportunities. You’ll also learn a few tips and tricks for growing social media.

Alternatively, companies may join the group and post manager jobs. Facebook groups are a convenient way for businesses to find social media managers in one spot.

Twitter

On Twitter, use the search function to find people looking for social media managers. Yes, scrolling through search doesn’t sound fun. However, you can find opportunities when you know where to look.

If you’re proactive on Twitter, finding work will happen. Finding work is less competitive because most small businesses have a small reach. Therefore, not a lot of people are going to find these work opportunities.

You can also follow other social media managers on Twitter. Remember, a large part of finding work online involves your ability to network. Twitter is just one of many networking tools.

Approach companies on your own

You can find social media management work by targeting companies with small followings. Most small companies are struggling to get off the ground. Therefore, you can find contact information and offer your services.

You’ll find more success if you can get these companies on the phone. Unfortunately, it’s easy to ignore an email. Sell yourself to the company on why they should hire you to manage social media.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

How do I run a good social media account?

Running a good social media account is all about activity. You need to be actively posting helpful content on a consistent basis. In addition, you need to respond to customers in a timely manner.

Obviously, you’ll need to learn the ins and outs of social media. The easiest way to learn social media growth is by buying courses. A course teaches you everything you need to know about building followers.

Outside of learning social media, you need to focus on consistently posting helpful content. Remember, nobody cares about products. You need to serve people if you want them to pay attention to you.

Think about it this way. What would you do if someone walked up to you and said, “buy my product?” You’d probably try and run the other direction. Now, imagine your best friend coming to you saying, “I found this awesome product!”

You want to be the best friend.

How do I increase social media followers?

Growing a social media following is all about consistently posting helpful content. Customers are looking for free advice that helps themselves. Your followers will naturally increase as your content becomes more helpful.

How many social media accounts can one person manage?

How many social media accounts you can manage depends. You need to have great organization and be able to commit time. Generally, you shouldn’t look to manage more than 20 social media accounts working 40 hours per week.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

Summary: How to make money managing social media accounts

As you can see, you can make good money managing social media accounts. Most social media managers earn around $50,000 per year. However, your pay depends on the number of clients and how much you charge.

Social media managers are in demand. Businesses don’t know how to grow social media. Good companies know that social media has the potential to increase sales. You provide value by providing a full-service management of their social media.

Outside of social media, you need to know how to invoice. Know how to bill your customers and make sure you’re getting paid.

You can find work by proving your knowledge in social media management. Have a website which showcases your skills and build your own social media accounts. You should also stay connected to the community through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Growing social media accounts breaks down into consistency and helpfulness. The more frequently you provide helpful content, the faster you’ll grow.