Many of our Launchest clients get started as social media managers because they are approached by a business, but they don’t really know where to start.
If you’ve been asked to run social media for a business, you’ve skipped one step in starting a business (getting clients) and you may be able to skip over some of the business set-up, like creating a business name and website.
If you have a social media client, someone who wants to pay you to run their social media, here are the first 5 things that you need to do:
1) Decide how much to charge.
I’ve written a number of posts about this, so I won’t go into it in detail, but I will say that you need to charge an amount that you (based on your unique situation) can live with. Calculate an estimated hourly rate that works for you (at a minimum) but also note that most people forget to include time communicating with clients in their calculations. Read more about how to charge for social media services here.
2) Send a killer proposal or packages with options.
Unless you already have a verbal agreement tog et started, you’ll want to send them a proposal or packages that clearly outlines what you will do and how much they will pay you. Don’t make the rookie mistake of being vague – spell out exactly what you will do (number of posts, etc.) so that you are both on the same page.
3) Get a signed contract.
This may seem like overkill, but TRUST ME – you want a signed contract so that you are clear about payment terms and have something in writing.
4) Create a client on-boarding process
Once you get the paperwork in order, you want to get off to a strong start and make a good impression. This means that you’ll need a good client initiation process where you set clear expectations about timing, results and what you need from the client. Develop a process for the first month to go smoothly and so that you can quickly get everything you need to get moving.
5) Have monthly and daily checklists
Assuming you know how to get started with social media (and actually run the social networks) the next thing you’ll need is checklists to keep you on track every month (and every day). You should have a clear idea of exactly what you need to do to get started each month, and what to do every day to be sure that you are delivering as promised.
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