So you've finally decided to take the plunge and hire a social media manager. Congrats!
Your feed is about to get fabulous and your time is about to free up dramatically.
But before you hand over the Instagram keys and disappear to focus on other parts of your business, let's chat about how to make this relationship absolutely dreamy from day one.
We've seen it all, and we're here to save you from those awkward first-week fumbles.
Here's your ultimate prep guide!
Step 1: Have Your Burning Questions at the Ready
Imagine you're on your kickoff call, your shiny new social media manager asks what you're hoping to achieve, and suddenly your mind goes blank. All those brilliant questions you had last week? Poof! Gone!
Instead of the dreaded "umm, whatever you think?" response, take 15 minutes before your first meeting to jot down:
❤️ What platforms matter most to you and why
📸 Content types you love (and those you absolutely don't)
👀 Competitor accounts that make you green with envy
❤️🩹 Your biggest social media struggles so far
🤪 That wild dream goal you're almost too scared to say out loud
Step 2: Set Realistic Expectations
We hate to break it to you, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Molly Mae's Instagram following. The most successful client-SMM relationships start with honest conversations about:
⏳ Timeline expectations (good results usually take 3-6 months to really show)
⭐️ What success actually means for YOUR specific brand (it's not always about follower count!)
💸 Your budget for any paid promotion
⏱How much time you can realistically commit to feedback and approvals
📈 The metrics that will help you sleep at night knowing your investment is working
When both sides are clear on the destination, the journey gets so much smoother!
Step 3: Put All Your Photos and Videos in One Place
And whilst you’re at it, double check they’re all appropriate for social media! This simple step can literally shave weeks off your content calendar development. It helps avoid that awkward "so... we can't actually post that" conversation later.
Save everyone some stress by:
📁 Creating a dedicated folder of approved images and videos
🎁 Organising by product/theme/season if you're feeling extra helpful
📸 Including some behind-the-scenes content that shows your brand personality
📱 Making sure file quality is social-media ready
Step 4: Get Your Fonts, Hex Codes & Elements Together
That's hex codes and elements as in your branding kit, not witchcraft FYI (though sometimes good social media does feel like magic).
Your social media manager needs:
🎨 Your brand's exact color codes (those HEX numbers like #FF5733)
✍🏼 Font files or names of the fonts you use
📁 Your logo in various formats (PNG with transparent background is gold!)
👀 Any recurring graphic elements that make your brand recognisable
📱 Examples of the visual vibe you're going for
Even if you think your branding is pretty simple, these details make a massive difference in creating cohesive content that feels unmistakably YOU, and can help to increase brand recognition by 80%. So, it’s more than worth doing!
Step 5: Add Them to ALL. THE. THINGS.
There's nothing worse than playing digital detective, trying to piece together access to all your tools. Save time by adding your SMM to:
🎨 Canva (as a team member, not just through shared links)
✍🏼 Notion, Trello, Asana, or whatever project management system you’re on
📁 Google Drive or Dropbox folders with relevant assets
✉️ Your email marketing platform (if they'll be coordinating content)
📱 Any scheduling tools you already use
Pro tip: Do this BEFORE your kickoff call so you can use that precious time for strategy, not admin!
Step 6: Hand Over the Passwords!
The final (and perhaps most crucial) step: sort those pesky login details for all platforms.
We're talking:
📸 Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest - whatever you're using!
🔑 Admin access to Facebook Business Manager (not just page access!)
🔒 Two-factor authentication workarounds if needed
📝 Notes about any previous agencies or team members who might still have access
Avoid the dreaded "can you resend that password?" email chain on day one by having this information organised and ready to go.
And voilà!
You're officially prepped and ready to begin what we hope will be a beautiful, engagement-boosting relationship with your social media manager. With these six steps complete, you'll be the client of their dreams, and they'll be able to hit the ground running to make your social presence absolutely fabulous.
Have questions about working with a social media manager? Or perhaps, need one? You can check out our pricing here, and get in touch with us here! We're always here to help make your social journey smoother.
Keep on reading whilst you're here!