Just a few years ago, social media marketing was a guerilla marketing tactic for people and businesses to spread the good word on a barely-existent budget. These days, it’s one of the fastest-growing and lucrative methods of advertising, and it’s not slowing down any time soon.
That’s whyif you’re interested in the field, now is an excellent time to start your ownsocial media agency. But because it’s so popular, it can be tough to make animpact in your local market. And no one ever said starting your own business iseasy—even one with the low overhead costs of a start-up marketing agency.
Starting your own social media agency can be overwhelming and intimidating, but it’s not impossible. If you have the skills, the drive, and a little luck, you can start your own lucrative, rewarding social agency from your couch.
Things You Need to Know About Starting a Social Media Management Agency
What is social media management?
If you want to start a social agency, it’s probably a goodidea to have a clear picture of what your job will entail. Depending on theservices you plan to offer, your clients might expect you to:
Craft custom marketing plans with KPIs thatdepend on your client’s goals and industry.
Set-up and optimize social profiles.
Create, schedule, and post fresh, uniquecontent.
Maintain a social presence across all applicableplatforms. This includes following, liking, and commenting on posts and pagesthat relate to your client’s business.
Design eye-catching graphics to post.
Stay up-to-date on trends and news relating toyour client’s industry.
Boost follower-count and engagement rates.
Provide clear, easy-to-understand analytics.
How do I stand out and make money in such a rapidly-growing field?
If your business isn’t taking on clients and making money, it’s probably not going to be a business for very long. That’s why it’s so important to stand out from the crowd. The best way to do this is to find your niche—the something special that makes your services unique and desirable. Many agencies will specialize in a few particular fields and industries and prefer to take on clients who align with these. Some media managers prefer to specialize in a platform or two instead, like Instagram or LinkedIn.
Of course, if you do choose to an industry to focus on, it’simportant not to work with two companies that are direct competitors because itcan create a conflict of interest. But as a social media agency, you’llprobably have mostly remote clients from all over the nation, or even theglobe, so this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
In the agency world, it’s not always better to be a jack ofall trades and master of none. Sometimes you need to pick a place to reallyshine. This will help you get your foot in the door and establish yourbusiness.
Pro-tip: Pick some lucrative industries to specialize in if you want clients who can pay your fees.
How do I decide on pricing?
Pickingpricing and creating packages is no easy task, especially when you’re just startingout. You have to charge enough to pay the bills, but not too much that yourfirst few clients will be afraid to take a risk on a new agency.
The bestway to navigate this is to create packages with different pricing levels. Basicpackages can include run-of-the mill social posting and analytics, whilepremium plans will be full-service offerings for your VIP clients who arewilling to pay more for amazing work. You can also include add-ons, like paidadvertising or custom infographics for one-time fees.
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How do I get my first clients?
It’s tough,but when you’re just starting out, you may need to be willing to charge lessfor your services. Consider offering a discount to your first few clients, andthen amaze them with your skills and professionalism. This will begin to buildyour reputation—one of the most valuable things to a start-up agency. Once youhave a killer rep, you can charge more for your exceptional services.
You canalso offer tantalizing freebies, like a complimentary social media analysis.Give businesses a rundown of the health of their social media accounts andpresence and give them a high-level overview of how they can improve. Once theyunderstand how valuable your services are, they’ll be hooked on you!
What about my own social presence?
Having yourown following on social media is crucial when striking out on your own. Youneed to show that you have influence on social media and that you’re intimatelyfamiliar with the inner workings of the different platforms.
This isn’tjust about racking up followers. It’s about creating an engaged community. Postamazing content and interact with people in the industry to show that you’re amover and shaker in SMM.
Yourpotential clients will check out your social media accounts when they’relooking into you and your business. Give them a taste of what it’s like to workwith you and prove that you know what you’re doing when it comes to postingamazing content and engaging followers. After all, the proof is in the pudding!
Should I do this all alone?
When you’re starting your own social media management agency, you can feel very alone. But in business, networking and partnerships are everything. That’s why you should consider partnering up with other agencies to offer your services. Reach out to digital marketing, SEO, or web design companies and see if any of their clients need your services, and offer them your services under their banner.
Ready to launch your own amazing social media agency? Join my email list to get exclusive access to invaluable content, like my new Social Media Manager Profitable Toolkit, which will walk you through everything you need to know to launch a profitable, successful social agency.
