Social media manager — Hannah Walker

Hannah studied media, communications, and cultural studies at Newcastle University before starting her own social media management business, amassing 15,000 followers on Instagram

Where did the idea for the business come from?

I work with different brands to run their social media accounts, including putting together strategies, content creation, copywriting, video editing, community management, and more.

What does the business do?

The idea for my business came after I took on my first client as a freelancer. I was struggling to get a job in marketing because I didn't have enough relevant experience, however, a local business posted on Facebook looking for someone to run their social media. I applied and after a meeting took them on as my first client, only to gain some experience to add to my CV. However, I ended up loving working with this client and realised I was good at what I was doing. This gave me the confidence to take on more clients and build a business out of this opportunity.

How long did it take to get the idea off the ground? 

Around a month or so from when I took on my first client. It was important to me that I took the time to think about all the aspects of starting a business and decide whether this was something I wanted to do and invest in, especially as I hadn't considered this option before I worked with my first client.

How did you fund the initial start-up?

Luckily, as a service-based business, I did not have too many initial start-up costs. When I took on my first client, I had to buy a new laptop as my current one was broken and paid for 12 months of insurance and some graphic design software. I was able to fund all of this myself.

Describe a typical working day running your own business. 

I typically start at around 8:30am by getting on top of admin tasks, such as replying to emails and enquiries, sending out invoices and contracts, communicating with clients, and getting my to-do list written.

I will usually spend the rest of the day working on client work, such as putting together strategies and content plans, creating graphics and editing videos for social media, copywriting and scheduling content, having meetings, or sometimes going out on content shoots.

How relevant is your degree?

My degree has been very relevant to my business, although a lot of people do go into the industry without a degree.

During my degree, I learned a lot about advertising and marketing theory, graphic design and video editing, and public relations. These have all been beneficial to me, however developing my research and writing skills through writing lots of essays has also  come in useful when it comes to communicating with clients and researching/copywriting for different campaigns.

What are your career ambitions?

My main ambition when it comes to my business is to build and expand my team. I would love to be able to take on more, high-profile clients and projects - which I'm not always able to do on my own - and work alongside other like-minded creatives.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

My favourite thing about my job is that I am in complete control of everything I do, something I wouldn't necessarily have if I had gone into an agency at entry level. I love being able to choose the clients and industries I work with, the services I offer, and the prices I charge. I'm also a super creative person and I enjoy graphic design and video editing, so I love that this is what I get to do every day.

What are the challenges?

The main challenge I have found with my job is that I work alone, so if I run into a problem or I'm not sure what I should do in a situation, it is all down to me. There isn't anyone to bounce ideas off or discuss problems with, so sometimes it does feel like there is a lot of pressure on me, however, the longer I've worked, the better I have become at dealing with this and have become much more confident in my decision making.

What advice can you give to others?

• Starting a business isn't easy. It takes lots of time, patience, and hard work to get it off the ground, but it is so worth it when you get there, so don't let a slow start stop you, and don't compare your speed to that of another business.
• It is important to have boundaries in place. Make sure you take time off and don't check work accounts when relaxing otherwise work will take over your life which isn't healthy.
• Confidence (whether you fake it or not) is essential. This is, especially true in something like social media management where you work face-to-face with clients. If you aren't confident in yourself and your business, how can you expect anyone else to be?

Find out more

• Discover how to start your own business.
• Explore what you can do with a media studies degree.
• Read our tips on how to get media work experience