In today’s world, businesses need a strong social media presence to thrive. However, working around algorithms, planning an editorial calendar, and creating or curating content can be a full-time job. Fortunately, this has created a new business opportunity: social media management.
If you’ve been wondering about how to start your own social media management business, here’s how.
Choose Your Niche
While taking a broad approach might seem like the best way to get more business, it’s not. When people look for a social media manager, they want someone with experience that’s relevant to their business.
By choosing a niche and drilling down, you’ll appeal more to a specific client base. This will also allow you to target your messaging for that particular group. For example, you could offer your services to other solo entrepreneurs looking to build a personal coaching brand. Alternatively, you could specialize in promoting fitness studios.
The options for choosing a niche are endless. Think about where the opportunity lies and what you’re passionate about. Identify your ideal customer and create an avatar.
Create a Business Plan
Once you have a better idea of what your ideal client looks like, you can put together a detailed business plan. Going through this exercise will help you choose the foundational components of your business. You’ll need to choose a business legal structure (read more on this page) and outline the financial components of getting started.
Your business plan should also take a look at the competitive landscape and identify how you’ll manage your personal and business finances.
Identify Your Value
As a social media manager, you’ll be doing a job that many businesses could handle themselves. So, how are you going to accentuate your value and show potential clients why they need your help?
Take some time to write out your unique selling proposition and what your offering entails. This could include anything from graphic design to photography, to an in-depth knowledge of analytics and insights. Remember, you’re not selling a service; you’re selling a solution.
Invest in the Right Tools
To be an effective social media manager, you’ll need to have a robust toolbox. Some must-have tools for social media managers include:
# Social media scheduling software
# Subscriptions to industry publications
# Graphics editing software
# Photo editing software
# Social listening tools
# Project planning tools
# Email CRM platform
# Cloud storage
By having these tools in place, you’ll be able to provide consistent customer service by using automation and organization. Many of these tools are free or have a tiered freemium set-up so that you can scale up your expenses in alignment with your business growth.
Practice What You Preach
As a social media manager, you have the unique opportunity to highlight your skills through your own social media channels. Use these as the foundation for practicing different techniques, working with algorithms, and generally highlighting your skills.
Remember to tell your audience what you’re trying and why. The more you’re able to position yourself as an expert, the higher your reach and engagement will be.
Build a Portfolio
Once you’ve set the tone with your own social media, you can start to build a portfolio. Highlight some of your metrics over time and reach out to your ideal clients to offer a beta test. In other words, offer your service for free or deeply discounted in return for testimonials and reviews.
Over time, you’ll add to your portfolio and prove your learning and experience. You can then leverage that information and social proof to get more clients and increase your rates. A portfolio will be the foundation for scaling your business.
Like any business, becoming a successful social media manager will take time. Set goals, move forward, dedicate yourself to continuous learning, and your business will thrive.
