Are You Ready to Be a Social Media Manager? Here are Three Signs!

Wondering if you’re ready to become a social media manager?

It’s a question I hear a lot. And the truth is if you've never managed a business's content before, leaping into social media management can seem intimidating.

You don’t want to lose money.

You don't want to look like you don't know what you're doing.

It’s completely understandable, too. No one wants to put all that effort in only to have no clients and no extra income to show for your hard work. But don’t let that stop you! 

If you’ve been feeling like you’re ready to become a social media manager, you probably are getting close! 

To help you decide, today I’m sharing 3 ways to know if you’re ready for your first social media client.

This way you can focus on actually making money without feeling like you're jumping into something you're not ready for.

(And if you’re not ready yet, you’ll know what you need to do!)

Let’s dig in.

3 Ways You Know You're Ready To Become A Social Media Manager

Only you can say for sure whether you’re ready for social media management. As I mentioned above, if it’s been heavily on your mind lately, you’re probably in a good place to start researching your options, at the very least. You may even find that you're more prepared for it than most managers out there right now.

To help you decide, here are a few tell-tale signs that show you're more than ready to start your business.

Readiness Sign #1: You're Passionate About Social Media

Has someone suggested you try managing their social media? Or say, "hey, you have an eye for this!"

This is why it's so helpful to have a support system.

When I first started my business, I didn't feel I was ready for it but after being a virtual assistant for 2 years, I knew I could do it because I had been managing a client's graphics and social media copy, so that was the push I needed. I started to look for courses that showed exactly what a social media manager did and just kept going! (Freebie above - wink, wink!)

 Look at me now, I own and run a successful social media management business averaging over $10k months and growing. Who knew?

If you don’t have a support system or network of people to give you feedback, try asking a friend or business partner. You can even try stepping back and being your own coach. Given the circumstances (and keeping all emotions and fear aside), would you say you’re ready?

Always look within first, friend.

Readiness Sign #2: You Have The Skills

You may not feel it now, but your intuition about taking the next step will almost always steer you in the right direction. 

So if you think you’re ready to start your social media management business but struggle with imposter syndrome, it can be hard to admit that these are just thoughts and not reality. You totally have the skills - just put them into practice!

I had imposter syndrome when I started but I sat down with a friend and she reminded me of all the things I was already doing on social media and how I could just do that for someone else. Duh!

Here are a few ways to push past it:

• First, picture yourself succeeding. What would it feel like to actually do it? Amazing, right?
• Next, imagine the worst-case scenario. How would you handle it? How would remedy the situation?
• Finally, picture a time in the past when you felt the same way you do now but overcame it. Then use that same motivation to do this!

Now, chances are none of the bad things you imagine will happen. But planning ahead will make you feel more confident. You’ll survive it and thrive in it!

In the words of motivational speaker Mel Robins, "Start before you're ready. Don't prepare, begin!"

Readiness Sign #3: You're A Self-Starter 

Sometimes big decisions come easy because someone else makes them for us.

That can feel frustrating in the moment, but many times it’s a blessing in disguise. 

So when that happens,  just go with it. Especially if you are normally a self-starter. Being a social media manager requires a lot of independence and self-management. It's not uncommon for social media managers to work remotely, which means that you need to be a self-starter and have good time-management skills to complete your tasks on time.

You should have the ability to set goals and manage priorities, especially if you're working with multiple clients or businesses. 

Now that we’ve covered some of the mindset signs that will help you determine if you’re ready for social media management, it’s time to cover some practical reasons. 

Before you start, there are some things you’ll need to have in place. It makes little sense to start a new business without the right systems.

It's extremely important to have a few things, your foundation, done before you start looking for clients.

If you don't, you can bring a new client on and they may have a bad onboarding experience or you aren't sure HOW to manage or track the content. Eek!

Here’s how you’ll know that launching your social media management business will be a huge success:

#1. Have a solid onboarding system

When you first look for clients and start to gain attention, you want to ensure that you have a solid onboarding system already in place. 

 It's the most important part of your business - in my opinion. This is the first time the client will see how you do business and if the onboarding process is extremely choppy, then how does that make you look to your new client? Do you think they will be confident in your abilities?

Here’s what I mean:

Let's say you bring on a new client and during your first strategy session, you spend 15-20 minutes logging into their accounts and not doing any planning for the month ahead. Not good! 

You'd want to send an email or questionnaire ahead of time to gather all of the login information or give instructions before your first call for them to grant you access to everything you need. That way when you jump on that first strategy call, you're all ready to talk about their plan! 

#2. A website or portfolio showing your work

Now some people get caught up on this and that's totally fine. If you're a new social media manager, how can you show what you've done in the past? Easy. 

You can always barter services with another business owner to gain experience, thus beefing up your portfolio. 

You can offer free services for a month for a review from that business owner. (I'm not a huge fan of this option, but it works!)

You can also use your own business social media profiles to show your work and what you can do. 

 It's important to show something to your clients. Once you do get experience, you can start creating case studies of your work to show as well. 

If you don't have a website or portfolio, here is a free template that you can use from Canva.

#3. You like to stay up to date on social media platforms, trends, analytics tools, etc.

Staying up to date on the ever-changing trends of social media is crucial for several reasons.

Firstly, understanding the intricacies of each platform allows you to optimize content accordingly, ensuring it reaches the maximum possible audience.

Secondly, keeping a close eye on the ever-changing algorithms helps maintain the competitiveness of your content, as you can adapt to any changes in how content is prioritized and displayed.

Lastly, proficiency in analytics tools is vital in measuring the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

These tools offer insights into engagement, audience demographics, and performance metrics, which are invaluable in refining your strategies and achieving your social media targets.

In addition to this list, I also created a quick Mini-Course to help you get clear on whether starting a social media management business is for you.

Standing in between you and business: The Doubt Edition

Usually, the biggest thing standing in the way of your wildest dreams isn’t something external. It’s actually self-doubt.

Some common concerns I hear from my people are:

• I don't know if my clients will take me seriously.
• I don’t want to disappoint my family if I fail.
• What if I decide to change my mind after it's too late?

Does any of that sound familiar?

The best way to clear those concerns up is to don’t try to force your decision and get clear on your “why”. Why do you want to be a social media manager in the first place?

That’s a wrap!

I hope this blog has helped clarify whether you're ready to take your business to the next level.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, remember that when I first started my business, everyone told me to "be careful", and "be realistic" - and I didn't listen. I went with my gut and it's paid off tenfold! 

Now look at me, owner of a thrilling social media management business, interviewed on podcasts, and building a client list that I'm proud of. I've paid off my car, taken my dream vacation, and have a savings account I never, ever thought I'd have and most importantly, your new best business pal.

Seriously, if you need a push, don't hesitate to reach out! I'm a great cheerleader!