As a freelance social media manager, staying organised, supported, and up-to-date with the latest industry changes is essential. This guide highlights some tried and tested resources for freelance social media managers (and other freelancers), including options for insurance and financial protection, social media insights, freelance support communities, and essential tools for managing day-to-day operations.
Resources for Freelance Social Media Managers: An Overview
- IPSE: Best for freelancers who need legal, financial, and insurance support. These are tailored to the self-employed, as well as resources for understanding regulations like IR35.
- Monthly Social Media Updates with Luan Wise & Andy Lambert: Best for freelancers who want to stay informed on the latest social media platform changes. As well as industry trends, and data insights to optimise their social media and adapt quickly to shifts.
- Being Freelance by Steve Folland: Best for freelancers who value community support and want access to resources that cover all aspects of freelancing.
- Freelancer Magazine: Best for freelancers who are in creative and B2B fields. Especially those looking for inspiration, business tips, and a community that offers networking, events, virtual coworking, and exclusive freelance resources.
- Toggl Track: Useful for freelancers who manage multiple projects or clients and need an efficient way to track time and organise projects.
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE)
Who is IPSE?
IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) is the UK’s only membership body solely dedicated to supporting the self-employed.
They provide all the advice, support, protection, and connections needed to help you run your business smoothly. Saving you time, stress, and money so you can focus on what you do best.
What Does IPSE Membership Offer?
Financial Protection
- Public Liability Insurance: Protection in case of property damage or injury caused during work.
- Professional Indemnity Insurance: Covering costs if a client claims negligence or errors in your work.
- Sickness and Injury Cover: Financial support during illness or injury, helping reduce income loss.
Legal and Tax Support
- Tax Helpline: Access to experts who can answer questions about tax obligations and self-assessment.
- Legal Helpline: On-call legal advice for issues ranging from contracts to client disputes.
- IR35 Support: Guidance on IR35 regulations and how they affect freelancers, including access to IPSE’s IR35 helpline.
Business Resources
- Contract Reviews: Ensure your contracts are airtight and protect your interests, with reviews from IPSE’s in-house legal experts.
- Business Templates: A library of templates covering invoicing, contracts, and proposals
- IR35 Contract Reviews: Dedicated reviews to assess your contracts for compliance with IR35.
Financial Savings and Discounts
- Discounted Training Courses: Access to discounted online courses and certifications to help expand your skills.
- Business Software Discounts: Savings on essential software for freelancers, including cloud storage, project management, and accounting tools.
- Travel and Lifestyle Discounts: Savings on travel, gyms, and lifestyle products. Tailored to self-employed professionals who travel for work or value flexible working perks.
Networking and Events
IPSE regularly hosts networking events, webinars, and workshops that connect freelancers with industry experts and fellow professionals. These events provide valuable opportunities to learn, share experiences, and grow your client base.
How to Join:
Visit IPSE‘s website and go to the Join Online page. Fill in the form and use the promo code IA-LW to receive a 12.5% annual discount.
This offer can be applied to any IPSE membership package.
Monthly Social Media Updates with Luan & Andy
Stay ahead of industry trends with Luan Wise and Andy Lambert’s monthly social media updates.
What to Expect from the Social Media Update Sessions
Each month, Luan and Andy host a webinar via LinkedIn Live, sharing essential insights on the latest social media changes, platform updates, and emerging trends. Their updates cover:
- Platform Changes: Breaking down new features or algorithm updates from major platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok.
- Data Insights: Luan and Andy discuss recent data insights, sharing metrics that reveal how user behaviour is shifting across platforms.
Register here for Luan and Andy’s Monthly Social Media Updates
Being Freelance by Steve Folland
Being Freelance, founded by Steve Folland, is more than just a podcast. It’s an award-winning resource hub and community tailored for freelancers at all stages of their journey.
Born from Steve’s desire to share the realities of freelance life, Being Freelance combines an inspiring podcast, an inclusive online community, a practical course, and a wealth of resources to help freelancers succeed while finding balance and enjoyment in their work.
At its core, Being Freelance is about connection, growth, and shared experience. The platform offers a wide range of resources for freelance social media managers. It is designed to tackle the unique challenges freelancers face, including:
The Being Freelance Podcast
A highly popular podcast where Steve interviews freelancers from various fields, offering relatable insights and practical advice on everything from client management to work-life balance.
The Being Freelance Community
A private, welcoming online space where freelancers can connect, share, and learn from each other. The best part? All of this without the distraction of sales pitches or excessive self-promotion. Regular meet-ups and events make it a lively and supportive space for freelancers to bond, swap tips, and build meaningful networks.
Freelance Course: How to Get Started Being Freelance
Created from Steve’s years of freelancing experience and insights from hundreds of podcast guests, this course covers the essentials of freelance life in six modules. Through 52 concise videos, Steve shares what he’s learned about setting up a freelance business, handling clients, and avoiding common pitfalls.
With a mix of friendly support, expert insights, and no-nonsense guidance, Being Freelance brings together freelancers looking for more than just business advice – it’s a place to grow, connect, and feel genuinely empowered.
Freelancer Magazine
“More than just a publication”, Freelancer Magazine is a thriving community designed to support B2B and creative freelancers across the UK and Ireland.
Tailored specifically for freelance writers, designers, coaches, marketers, accountants, virtual assistants, content creators, and storytellers, Freelancer Magazine is packed with tools, tips, and insights for those in the freelance world.
Each quarterly issue provides fresh perspectives, industry advice, and resources to help freelance social media managers grow their businesses and thrive independently.
Subscribers can choose between a print or digital subscription or get the best of both with a combined subscription for just £17, ensuring every issue is at their fingertips.
Freelancer Magazine Membership: What’s Inside
Exclusive Freelance Community
Freelancer Magazine brings freelancers together, creating a supportive environment where they can connect, collaborate, and learn from one another. This B2B-focused community goes beyond the magazine, offering resources that address the unique needs of freelancers across industries, from content creation to accounting.
The Dunker Newsletter
Subscribers to Freelancer Magazine can also access The Dunker, a popular weekly newsletter reaching over 5,000 freelancers. Each issue is packed with business and creativity tips, plus tools and insights to inspire new ideas and refine skills.
Freelance Events
Freelancer Magazine also curates a list of essential freelance events, from workshops and webinars to conferences across the UK, Ireland, and online. This events list keeps members up-to-date on valuable networking and learning opportunities.
Freelance Virtual Coworking
For freelancers craving the productivity boost of a shared workspace, Freelancer Magazine offers virtual coworking sessions. These structured sessions create an opportunity to focus on a project for a couple of hours, with a friendly “hello” to start, a mid-session chat, and a final check-in.
Toggl Track
Toggl Track is a robust time-tracking tool that’s especially popular among freelancers managing multiple clients and projects.
With an intuitive design and powerful reporting features, it’s ideal for freelancers looking to gain a clearer picture of how they spend their time and where productivity can be improved.
Key Features Include:
Simple Time Tracking
Start and stop tracking with just a click, making it easy to log time spent on various projects without interrupting workflow. Toggl Track also offers a manual time entry option, allowing you to log hours worked if you forgot to start the timer.
Project and Client Organisation
Toggl Track lets you categorise time entries by project or client, so you can keep everything organised and easily see how much time you’re dedicating to each job. This is particularly useful for freelancers with multiple clients or those billing hourly.
Reports and Analytics
Generate detailed reports that break down time spent on specific tasks, clients, or projects. The reports can be customised and exported, making invoicing more transparent and allowing you to identify patterns in how you allocate your time.
Integrations
Toggl Track integrates seamlessly with tools like Asana, Trello, Slack, and Google Calendar, allowing you to incorporate time tracking into your existing workflow. You can also use the Toggl Track browser extension to log time directly from various web-based applications.
Idle Detection and Reminders
The idle detection feature alerts you if you’ve forgotten to stop the timer, reducing inaccuracies in your time tracking. Toggl Track can also remind you to start tracking if it detects you’ve been working without the timer running.
Mobile and Desktop Apps
With apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, you can track time on the go or from your desktop, making it highly accessible no matter where you’re working.
Find Out More About Toggl Track
That’s a Wrap on Resources for Freelance Social Media Managers
Being a freelancer comes with its unique set of challenges and rewards. With the right resources, you can build a successful freelance social media business that stays organised, financially secure, and connected.
These resources equip you to manage your business, stay informed, and build connections with fellow freelancers who understand the journey.
Happy Freelancing!
