Guides for freelance social media managers
Tools and pricing, content planning, client approvals, shoot days and reporting, from the team behind Koda.
The starter tool stack for a new freelance social media manager
The tools a new freelance social media manager actually needs, what to pay for first, and what can wait. A lean starter stack for your first clients.
Read the postMore posts
6 postsThe starter tool stack for a new freelance social media manager
The tools a new freelance social media manager actually needs, what to pay for first, and what can wait. A lean starter stack for your first clients.
Instagram's built-in scheduler vs a scheduling tool
Instagram now lets you schedule posts and Reels in the app. Do social media managers still need a scheduling tool? Here's what the built-in scheduler can and can't do.
How to get clients to approve social media posts without email chains
Clients slow to approve posts? Here's a simple social media approval workflow for freelancers: one link, a clear deadline, and no more email chains.
How to build a social media content calendar for clients
A step-by-step guide to building a social media content calendar for clients, with a simple template, status labels and approval deadlines that actually get met.
Cheaper Hootsuite alternatives for freelance social media managers
Hootsuite starts at $99 a user per month. Here are cheaper Hootsuite alternatives that suit a freelance social media manager with a handful of clients.
Later alternatives for solo social media managers
Outgrown Later's Starter plan? Here are four Later alternatives for solo social media managers, with real prices for running three clients.
The best cheap social media scheduling tools for freelancers in 2026
We priced Buffer, Metricool, Planoly, Later, Hootsuite and Koda for a freelancer running three clients. Here's what each one really costs in 2026.