What Is a Social Media Management Contract?
A social media management contract is a legally binding agreement between a social media professional and their client. It describes exactly what social media services will be provided and protects the rights and interests of both parties.
Many social media marketers and managers will work as independent contractors or freelancers for a business. This means that your contract will also describe the nature of your employment, as well as all the requirements and responsibilities that come with it. A social media contract template is a little different. Basically, this is an easily editable draft version of a contract. It’s preloaded with the usual social media services you provide, as well as all your required terms and conditions for taking on every new job. It comes right after your proposal has been agreed to.
Note: Sign-up now to start creating your social media contract. We’ll guide you through the process step-by-step, so you’ll have a legally vetted contract in minutes.
Why You Need an Agreement for Social Media Management and Marketing
The digital world is constantly growing and social media has distinguished itself as an important job in the field of marketing. And every important job needs a contract.
Managing social media platforms, running campaigns, and establishing an online presence are just some of the challenging work you’ll do as a social media manager or marketer. Because of this, a contract is an assurance towards two main things:
- The client recognizes the work you’re doing for them
- They’ve agreed to your payment terms
Of course, there is a lot more a social media contract will do for you. Those two points are generally considered the most important for many creative entrepreneurs.
What Should Be Included in a Social Media Management Contract?
If you offer social media management services to a client or a company, you need a solid contract in place. After all, in a world where one ill-judged hashtag could spell disaster, it pays to be protected!
It also helps to make sure that both parties are on the same page when it comes to goals, objectives, and expectations.
So, to keep everyone happy and your campaign on track, here’s what you need to include in your next social media agreement:
Detailed descriptions of the work
This section is for establishing who you are and what you’re going to do for the client. With the help of a brief template, you need to be clear about what it is you’re aiming to achieve. It’s not enough to just state that you’ll be connecting with the target audience and establishing brand loyalty on certain social media platforms—be detailed and specific about your responsibilities.
For example, if the goal is to increase follower numbers, post engagement, organic mentions, or even to host a breaching party, you should explicitly state each of these responsibilities.
A must-have for every social media marketing agreement or contract is a list of the resources and information you require to successfully launch and run your social media and digital marketing campaign. You should also name who’s responsible for delivering this info and when you’ll need it. If this is your main contact within the company, they may be the person to provide you with performance feedback too.
Timeline for deliverables
Next, you’ll need to outline the scope of the project and when you’ll be expected to meet certain goals.
Remember, don’t be vague. Use numbers and dates when talking about timeframes, posting frequency, and your availability within the scope of the project.
Next, you’ll want to outline the key milestones, dates, and deadlines associated with the project. Be clear around when something is due and what might affect this.
For example, if your client is late in delivering login access, this could alter your timelines and impact your ability to achieve your stated goals.
Payment details
The best social media marketers and managers won’t write a single tweet until the payment terms are discussed and agreed to.
The amount you charge and the method of payment are entirely up to you, but if you charge a monthly fee, you may want to include performance-related payments as an added incentive. What you should definitely include is an upfront deposit, which you’ll want to invoice and have paid before the work begins.
It’s also a good idea to outline how long a client can take to pay your invoices and any fees that may occur from late payments.
Copyright and IP (intellectual property)
If you’re producing content for social media posts or responding to tweets, you should state who owns this type of content and when ownership is transferred. It may seem arbitrary, but consider that this is the client’s final product and their intellectual property. It’s important to outline ownership and usage permission for legal reasons.
Confidentiality
Next, you’ll want to go into detail about confidential information, including a confidentiality clause, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)*, or a non-compete clause.
An NDA will benefit both you and the other party by protecting trade secrets and any shared personal information.
Having a non-compete clause usually means you agree to not work with any of the client’s competitors for the duration of the contract (and sometimes for a certain period after the contract ends).
Termination of contract
All legal documents need a termination clause. This could be on a specific date, once a project is finished, or after the final payment. Also mention criteria for ending a contract early.
Other factors
Outline a clause around access to your client’s tools. This could be the logins to their respective social platforms, their Google Analytics account to track KPIs, and any other third-party software they may use.
It’s also recommended for social media marketers and managers to include a clause around the liability of responses on the platforms you’re posting on.
Social Media Management Contract Sample
Sign up to Bonsai now, it's free and you can access a whole range of contract templates including a fully vetted social media management contract. Once you're there, you can see everything that needs to be included and be able to make changes where you see fit, whether you're a social media marketer or manager.
What’s the Benefit of Using Bonsai, Instead of Editing a Template Yourself?
Would you rather be spearheading a social media campaign or creating and editing a contract template from scratch? I think you know the answer.
Bonsai takes all the effort out of drafting up and polishing a template all by yourself. You can simply download a free social media contract template and edit clauses and details where you see fit.
Below, you can follow our instructions on how to create your own contract.
How to Create a Social Media Management Contract With Bonsai?
Follow our five easy steps below to create your very own social media contract template:
- Select your template
- Add your basic info
- Add your scope of work
- Add your payment details
- Review and sign
Once you've reviewed and signed your contract, you can then send it to your client and even make it automated for future renewal. If you want to make any edits to the template, you can do so at any stage before sending it off to your client.
And there you have it, your fully fleshed-out and vetted freelance social media contract ready to use.
Social Media Management Contract FAQ
How much should a freelance social media management charge?
As of 2021 in the U.S, a freelance social media manager will typically charge between $25-$125+ per hour. This will typically depend on your expertise, the scope of a project, what state or country you're in, and the client or company involved.
Keep in mind, you may need to adjust your rates over the next few years. The market growth for social media management is expected to rise 23.6% until 2026—and your rates should represent this growth too.
Do I need a contract for a freelance social media manager?
Every freelance social media marketer manager should have a contract—it just makes sense, right? You should always have a legal document that protects your rights and interests when it comes to any project or job, be that social media, digital marketing, or any other profession.
What is a social media partnership agreement?
A partnership agreement in social media means that the client or the business becomes a verified “partner” of the social media platform. This is usually because they’re recognized as a top-quality content producer for that particular platform.
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