Mistakes when hiring a social media freelancer

Key takeaways

The common mistakes when hiring a social media freelancer are no written brief, unclear hours and deliverables, no plan for holidays or illness, shared passwords and no agreement on who owns the content. Freelancers can be excellent value, typically £25–£60 an hour or £400–£1,200 a month as indicative UK ranges. Agree scope, cover and ownership in writing.

• £25–£60 an hour is a typical UK freelance range.
• Write down deliverables, hours and reply times.
• Agree what happens when they are on holiday or ill.
• Give role-based access, not your password.

Why do freelancer arrangements go wrong?

Freelancer arrangements go wrong when they start informally. The freelancer does not know the goal, the business does not know what it is getting for the fee, replies are nobody's job in the evenings, and two weeks of holiday leave the account silent.

• The most common social media marketing mistakes small businesses make
• A bad social media brief: why work misses the mark

What should you agree in writing?

Agree a short written scope covering the goal, platforms, number of posts, who replies and how fast, monthly hours, reporting, holiday cover, content ownership, access and notice period.

• Goal and platforms.
• Posts and replies, with response times.
• Monthly hours and fee.
• Holiday and illness cover.
• Content ownership and access.

• Who owns the content your social media agency makes?

Freelancer or agency?

A freelancer suits a single platform, a clear brief and an owner happy to manage one person. An agency suits several platforms, paid ads, reply cover across the week and businesses that want a team behind the account. Cost per hour is usually lower with a freelancer; cover and range are usually wider with an agency.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK: what SMEs pay

Are there employment status questions?

If a freelancer works set hours, only for you, under your direction, their employment status may be questioned. Off-payroll rules (IR35) apply differently depending on your business size. Check HMRC's employment status guidance if the arrangement looks like a job.

How do you spot gaps in a freelancer arrangement?

Spot gaps by checking what happens on three ordinary days: a Saturday enquiry, the freelancer's holiday and a complaint at 6pm. If nobody can say who replies on each, the arrangement has a cover gap. Also check whose email the logins use and whether a written scope exists.

• No cover at weekends or evenings.
• No holiday cover plan.
• Logins on the freelancer's email.
• No written scope or notice period.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a capable freelancer posting well, but nobody answering messages after 5pm or during their holiday, and logins on the freelancer's own email. A one-page scope with reply cover and business-owned access fixes most of it.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Freelancer checklist

• Write a one-page scope.
• Agree reply times and cover.
• Keep accounts owned by the business.
• Agree content ownership.
• Check employment status if needed.

• Mistakes to avoid when hiring a social media agency
• A bad social media brief: why work misses the mark

Next step

If you already use a freelancer, ask them to agree a one-page scope with you this month.