Are you a small business owner trying to decide if you should hire a social media manager or social media marketing services for your small business?
You’ve come to the right place! But… the first thing you need to hear is that social media isn’t just posting aesthetic pictures on whatever platform is hot anymore. It’s about connecting with local customers, ranking higher in searches, and turning platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and more into revenue channels. This takes strategic expertise.
My nephew is on his phone all the time, and he has 10k followers. I’ll just have him do it for free!
When you hire a social media manager you’re investing in someone who can build and execute a social media strategy tailored to your business goals. The best managers bring professional experience and often marketing educational backgrounds that help them interpret analytics, understand your audience, and craft content that drives results. Going beyond posting content, they plan campaigns, create audience-focused messaging, manage community engagement, and optimize posts to boost search visibility.
So what should you look for? Look for candidates who understand social media strategy, content calendars, analytics, audience buying and social media behaviors, and brand voice development. Folks with formal marketing training and experience managing business accounts can translate your business goals into measurable social media strategies, no matter your industry. Their expertise in SEO, audience research, and trend adaptation is what separates quality strategy from aimless posting. And trust us – almost everyone with a phone thinks they can manage social media. But at the end of the day, without professional marketing experience and education, all they really know how to do is take pretty pictures or follow viral trends. What they lack is an understanding of tried and true business marketing techniques.
But social media managers are so expensive!
Let’s double down! We also know that social media managers can be EXPENSIVE. The going rate for full-time social media managers in the United States is about $60-70k a year. And at the end of the day, your small business truly doesn’t need someone to work for you 40 hours a week to execute a successful social media marketing plan.
Instead, consider hiring a deliverables-driven freelance social media manager. Hiring a freelance social media manager can save you thousands compared to hiring a full-time employee or trying to DIY your social presence. Freelancers give you flexibility, access to specialized skills when you need them, and often a lower overall investment than bringing someone in-house. That means better quality social media strategy without straining your budget.
We hate to brag, but we’re GOOD at this sh*t.
At Loaf Social, we bring all of the above to the table. Education, experience, a no-jargon process, and a collaborator that you can trust to put your business first. We work one-on-one with small businesses owners to build and execute smart, tailored social media strategies that drive engagement and conversions. All while making your social media pages safe and fun spaces that customers WANT to visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Think of us as The Office of social media management. Except without all of the chaos and nonsense. Well, maybe not entirely – we do love to enjoy our time working with clients in a fun and friendly no BS manner. But you won’t find a middle man here. You won’t meet with a fancy CEO who then delegates your account down to an unpaid, undertrained intern with a price tag markup of a seasoned pro. Ready to take the professional social media management plunge? Visit our packages and pricing page to learn more about how we can support your social growth in 2026 and beyond.