It’s harder than ever for businesses to grow an engaged following on Instagram. Competition is fierce and content creation is time-consuming.
Meanwhile, an ever-changing algorithm puts consistent success, well, consistently out of reach. The solution? An Instagram social media manager. Whether you are looking to capitalize on a career in social media management, or simply lessen the content creation load, this article explains everything you need to know.
What Does an Instagram Social Media Manager Do?
An Instagram social media manager is someone who curates and distributes Instagram content on behalf of clients.
They are usually employed by businesses for one or more of the following reasons:
- To save in-house time and resources
- To grow a larger following
- To improve engagement rates
- To audit and improve a current profile
- Set up an optimized Instagram account
- Design content for in-feed posts, stories, and reels
- Undertake targeted hashtag research
- Schedule posts for maximum engagement
- Respond to direct messages and comments
- Regularly engage with the target audience
- Create a long-term content plan
Key Skills
Whether you are looking for one or hoping to become one, here are a few key skills involved in Instagram social media management.- Communication: Instagram is all about communicating with an audience and strong social skills are a must. A good Instagram manager will be fluent in the language of the target audience and able to speak to their specific needs.
- Creativity: At its core, Instagram is a visual platform that prioritizes unique and engaging content. This is why social media managers need an eye for design and aesthetics, as well as an ability to think outside the box.
- Organization: A perfectly timed post or swift DM response can lead to great success on Instagram. Account managers should have excellent timekeeping skills and flawless processes.
- Marketing: The majority of brands use social media as an extension of their wider marketing strategy. Anyone in the business of Instagram management should develop an in-depth understanding of digital marketing strategies and stay abreast of algorithm updates.
Becoming an Instagram social media manager
Think you have what it takes? Here’s everything you need to know about a career in social media management.
Where to Find Work
The majority of social media managers are self-employed.
Working for yourself has a huge range of benefits, including a better work-life balance and higher earning potential. However, finding work can be tough.
Thankfully, Legiit makes it easy for freelancers to land clients with a vast interactive marketplace for buyers and sellers. All you need to do is set up a profile, and then add a service to advertise your skills. Prospective clients can easily find your advertisement and contact you to discuss their needs. Legiit also tracks your earnings, making it easier to manage money when you’re self-employed.
Instagram Social Media Manager Salary
The average salary for a social media manager in the US is $58,870 according to data from Comparably.
Annual salaries can range from $24,000 to $175,000 depending on industry, expertise, and experience. Freelancers usually have higher earning potential because they’re in charge of their income. Be sure to set your rates according to your experience, and raise them as you gain reviews, referrals, and further expertise. When you first start out , it can be difficult to know what to charge prospective clients. Here are a few tips to help you on an appropriate rate.
- Divide your desired income by the number of hours you plan to work per week.
- Analyze your competitors on the Legiit marketplace to see what they are charging.
- If you were previously employed in a relevant field, figure out your day or hourly rate from your previous salary. Add at least a third to this to cover any time you might need off.
- Consider what skills, qualifications, and experience you bring to the table and set a rate that reflects these.
- Decide whether you want to charge by the hour, or by deliverables such as a set number of posts and stories. You can also create custom quotes for clients depending on their needs.
- Don’t forget to account for freelancer expenses such as software subscriptions, taxes, and hardware.
Tools You’ll Need
If you’re completely new to Instagram social media management, you might be wondering what tools you’ll need to be successful.
Nowadays, there is a huge range of software and subscription services to help you improve on the service you offer clients. These tools can generally be split into two categories. There are the ones you’ll use for design when you need to create content for a client, and there are the ones you’ll use for scheduling and analytics when you need to boost engagement, followers, and visibility for a client. We have listed some of the most popular below, but it’s best to try several and see which ones work best for you.
Design Tools
VSCO: A photo-editing platform to ensure your images pop, with both free and premium filters.
Canva: A free and highly popular design tool for creating multimedia content, including images overlaid with text and creative graphics. A paid subscription is available for a wider choice of design elements and animation options (great for Instagram stories).
Vimeo Create: A fantastic tool to easily turn product images and descriptions into short-form videos which can be shared on stories or reels.
Snapseed: This app can help you perfect images with easy airbrushing and editing.
HypeType: With videos becoming more and more popular on Instagram, this app can make it quick and easy to add captions and animation to reels and stories. You can even post directly to Instagram from the app.
Scheduling and Analytic Tools
Hootsuite: This is a powerful platform that allows you to schedule and publish Instagram posts, and can be streamlined with other social media such as Facebook if you manage more than one. Buffer: Another popular app to help with scheduling in-feed posts, which can also be used to post and schedule stories.
It also features performance analytics and is free for up to three social accounts.
Sprout Social: Used by the best in the business, Sprout Social delivers detailed performance reports for each post, along with competitor comparison, hashtag research and, comment monitoring.
Iconosquare: When you need to learn more about your audience, Iconosquare makes it easy with specific statistics on your followers, their location and, their level of influence. This can help you engage with specific fans and followers who can be of additional value to your client.
Instagram Insights: Don’t forget the app itself! As long as your client has a business account, you will be able to check up on performance metrics and insights such as reach, impressions, and audience statistics.
Hiring an Instagram Social Media Manager
There are plenty of tasks you can outsource , and social media management is one of them. An Instagram social media manager can save you valuable time and resources and generate high-quality leads in the long term. Nevertheless, few businesses can afford to bring on a full-time employee. If that sounds like you, finding a freelancer offering the services you need is an ideal solution. Here’s everything you need to know.Where to Find a Freelancer
Putting out an advert on a regular job board can be risky.
Not only will you have to sift through hundreds of resumes, but it will also be hard to find someone who delivers guaranteed quality work.
Head to a freelance marketplace such as Legiit, and you’ll find a wealth of high-quality sellers with the skills you need.
Sellers on our platform have public reviews from previous buyers, offering a level of social proof and assurance you won’t find elsewhere.
Each seller can post a variety of job adverts to describe their service offering, so you can quickly find one to match your needs. If you find a seller you like, but their service doesn’t exactly match what you’re looking for, you can message them to request a custom offer instead. Most sellers are highly receptive to clients looking for a specific service and will create something bespoke to your needs. Here are a few Instagram social media managers on Legiit you could try;
Instagram Social Media Manager Cost
The cost of Instagram social media management varies greatly depending on the services offered and the experience of the seller.
To get an idea, weekly packages start from around $20, including one post a day, and go all the way up to $900+, which can include everything from stories, reels, and posts, to comment response, targeted hashtags, and content conception. It all depends on the level of detail and experience you’re looking for. Click here to browse high-quality sellers and supercharge your social media presence today!
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