In an increasingly connected world, online presence has become a major issue for companies. To optimize their visibility on social networks, many call on the services of a community manager. But, how do you find a trusted freelance community manager? In this article, we’ll give you some pointers on how to find the digital communications expert who’ll boost your online presence.
Understanding the role of the community manager
The community manager is a digital communications professional whose role is to manage a company’s or organization’s online presence on social networks and other digital platforms. His/her main missions are to:
- Create and publish content on social networks: texts, images, videos, etc.
- Animate the community by responding to user comments and messages.
- Oversee the company’s online reputation and manage any communication problems.
- Analyze the results of actions carried out on social networks to optimize the digital communication strategy.
The importance of working with a freelance community manager
Working with a freelance community manager can benefit your business in many ways.
Expertise
First of all, the expertise of this digital communications professional can help you develop an effective online presence consistent with your brand image. The community manager will know how to implement a communications strategy tailored to your company and your target audience, by choosing the most relevant social networks and creating attractive, engaging content.
Save time and money
In addition, a freelance community manager can save you time and money. By outsourcing this function, you avoid the costs associated with hiring an employee, as well as the associated social security and tax charges. Plus, you don’t have to worry about training and managing your community manager, who will be responsible for his or her own work.
Flexibility
Finally, hiring a freelance community manager can offer you greater flexibility in managing your online presence. You can choose to work with him or her full-time or part-time, depending on your needs and budget. You can also adjust the workload according to the evolution of your business or your communication strategy.
Identifying your community management needs
To identify your community management needs, it’s important to consider several key elements:
Determine your online objectives
Before looking for a community manager, it’s essential to know what you want to achieve on social networks. This could be to increase your online visibility, acquire new customers, build loyalty with an existing community, improve your brand image, or even increase traffic to your website.
Choose the right social networks
Once the objectives have been clearly defined, it’s time to choose the most relevant social networks to achieve them. Not all social networks are suitable for all objectives: for example, Instagram may be a wise choice for promoting visually appealing products, while LinkedIn will be better suited to connecting with professionals in the same industry.
Estimate workload
Depending on your objectives and the social networks you choose, you need to estimate the workload required to effectively manage your online presence. This can include creating content, planning publications, managing interactions with the community, or measuring the impact of actions taken.
The different ways to find a freelance community manager
Freelance platforms
Online platforms such as BeFreelancr, Upwork, Freelancer, Malt, or Fiverr make it easy to find freelance community managers. All you have to do is post an ad, specifying the assignments to be carried out and the skills required, then select the freelancer who is best suited.
Professional social networks
LinkedIn can also be a good way to find a freelance community manager, by performing a keyword search or posting an advert on their profile. It’s also possible to join groups dedicated to freelancers to find qualified profiles.
Recommendations
Asking for recommendations from your professional network or colleagues can be an effective way of finding a freelance community manager. You can also consult reviews and recommendations published on online platforms to get an idea of the quality of the services on offer.
Selection criteria for finding the right freelance community manager
To find the right freelance community manager, it’s important to consider various selection criteria, such as:
Technical skills
The freelance community manager must have a mastery of the tools and techniques involved in managing an online presence (social networks, publishing tools, analytics, etc.). It’s also important that he’s able to create attractive, engaging content for the community.
Personality and creativity
A good freelance community manager needs to have a creative and original personality to come up with innovative and relevant ideas for the brand or company he’s representing. He/she must also be able to adapt quickly to changes in online trends and behaviors.
The quality of communication and collaboration
The freelance community manager must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with his client, adapting to his preferences and meeting deadlines. He/she must also be able to work closely with other members of the communications or marketing team.
By the way, check the freelance community manager’s references and experience, verifying previous achievements, language skills and knowledge of the target market. It’s also a good idea to discuss his or her work processes, rates and invoicing methods with him or her, to make sure that he or she is a good match for the company’s expectations.
Freelance community managers are a great asset to your company.
