According to a report by Sprout Social in 2023, there were an estimated 4.89 billion social media users globally and nine out of 10 consumers will buy from brands they follow on social media. Creating and sustaining an engaging social media presence is essential for businesses of all sizes, entrepreneurs and celebrities. Social media management side hustle opportunities involve being hired for a certain project with specific objectives. Responsibilities include creating content, increasing brand visibility, driving engagement with potential customers, growing brand loyalty and monitoring campaign performance. Becoming a social media manager can be a great side hustle and provides the opportunity to earn extra income.
What do freelance Social Media Managers do?
Freelance social media managers plan and deliver social media strategies for clients. As a social media manager, you will be required to develop and implement a content strategy to increase engagement across social media platforms, analyse the performance of social media campaigns, utilise data to optimise campaign performance and moderate comments on social media platforms. Social media managers are required to help brands establish their tone of voice and brand identity across the different social platforms. To succeed you will need to be adaptable and innovative because social media and the industry landscape are constantly evolving.
What skills are required to become a freelance Social Media Manager?
Creativity. Social media platforms are saturated with businesses trying to stand out. You will need to be able to create unique ideas for social media strategies and design creative content to resonate with the target audience.
Copywriting. The objective of copywriting is to compel the reader to act. Writing persuasive copy that retains the attention of the reader is an essential skill for social media management. Expertly crafted, action-driven social media posts can captivate and motivate readers to take a particular action. Proofreading skills are also essential to ensure the content is grammatically correct and accurate.
Design skills. Visual content incorporating videos, images and photos is crucial to drive engagement on social media. Design skills are required for creating platform specific social media content that resonates with the target audience and is aligned with brand guidelines. To create social media content, knowledge of design software tools including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and Canva is beneficial for creating high-quality graphics for posts.
Video Editing. Videos are dominating on social media platforms for a variety of reasons including their shareability, the significantly higher engagement rates they can achieve and their ability to help brands reach new and extended audiences because social media algorithms prioritise video content. Video content provides the opportunity to tell a story and create an immersive experience for those watching.
Here are several key video marketing statistics that demonstrate the power of video content:
- Users retain 95% of a message when they watch videos, compared to only 10% when reading text
- 98% of consumers have watched videos to learn more about a product or service, while 87% have been convinced to make a purchase after watching a video
- Video posts on social media platforms receive 48% more views than other posts, illustrating the impact of video content
Video content creation is therefore a fundamental element of social media marketing. Videos provide the opportunity to drive brand awareness, increase engagement, and sales. If you are considering starting a social media management side hustle, decide how you will offer video content. Are you interested in creating the content? Or would you prefer to share content provided by the brand you are supporting? If you are creating content top tips include focusing on creating short clips, optimised for the specific platform where you will be sharing the content. Include a call-to-action at the end of the video, add music and use high-quality visuals to drive engagement.
Social media scheduling. From creating and publishing content to analytics and reporting, as a social media manager you will have a variety of tasks to complete. Social media scheduling and management tools can help streamline workflows, save time, and ensure your content reaches the target audience.
Some of the best social media management tools:
Buffer Intuitive and trusted by freelancers to achieve results, Buffer is an excellent social media management platform.
Hootsuite Schedule and publish content, monitor effectiveness in real time and optimise the best performing content, Hootsuite is an effective option to help you deliver exceptional results.
Sprout Social If you are looking for social media scheduling, reporting and analytics, Sprout Social provides the tools to enable you manage your workflows efficiently.
Reporting and analysis. Monitoring and optimising campaigns, analysing data and creating regular performance reports are important skills to achieve success with your social media management side hustle. You will be required to provide your clients with campaign reports showcasing audience growth, engagement rates, reach, and, if appropriate, sales or conversions. If your campaigns are underperforming against the required objectives, you will need to be able to identify where and how they can be improved.
Getting started with your Social Media Management side hustle
Consider Your Niche: Determine the types of brands and businesses you would like to work with and position yourself as an industry expert to attract clients. Also consider the services you will offer as a social media manager. For example, will you create content or only work with clients who provide it? Will you take responsibility for responding to complaints or enquiries? Deciding your services and identifying elements of the social media strategy you will expect a client to manage is essential to achieve successful results.
Decide which social media platforms you want to manage. Every social media platform has its merits and choosing the platforms you will manage is personal preference. If you are creative, you might be more interested in Instagram or TikTok. If you prefer community engagement and conversation, Facebook might be more suitable. It is important to consider that social media platforms require an individual approach with tailored content created specifically for that platform, to resonate with the target audience.
Training and courses. Whilst you do not need any formal qualifications to be a social media manager, you will need to understand how to build and implement a social media strategy, aligned with the required business objectives. You will also need customer service skills and an understanding of how to interpret data to create reports for your clients. Hubspot Academy offer a free Social Media Marketing Certification Course that covers how to develop an effective social media strategy including how to create engaging content, expand reach, and measure performance.
Create a portfolio website: Online portfolios provide you with the opportunity to attract clients and display your social media management skills and expertise. Showcase your work, include client testimonials and a contact form with an email address and ensure your portfolio is cohesive and easy to navigate. Also include an about page to provide information about yourself, skills, and any awards and recognition received. There are various platforms available to choose from that provide portfolio templates including Wix, Squarespace and Canva. To promote your portfolio and attract clients, create a professional online presence on LinkedIn and advertise on freelance websites including Upwork and Fiverr.
Launch Your Social Media Side Hustle. Did you know that 63.9% of the world’s population use social media and the average daily usage is 2 hours and 21minutes? (February 2025). In the UK, the social media user base is 79% of the total UK population and social media platforms are fundamental to the UK’s digital world. From increasing engagement and building communities to amplifying brand awareness and driving business outcomes, social media provide extensive brand and business opportunities.
To succeed with your social media management side hustle, it is important to remember that social networks will continue to evolve to preserve their market share and revenues. Remaining aware of these changes and being willing to adapt to the changing landscape will be pivotal to ensuring you stay ahead of the curve and make smart, strategic decisions. However, if you have the skills and passion, social media management can be an excellent side hustle and provide you with the opportunity earn additional income.