Free resources every solopreneur needs to manage their own social media pages

In a perfect world, we would delegate every task that wasn’t directly related to the mission of our business. But we don’t always have the privilege of delegation in the beginning as growing business owners. So, what do we do in the interim?

We do what we always do… we make it work!

Social Media Management

It’s not uncommon for business owners to manage their own digital marketing needs in the early phases of their business. Social media marketing can seem like an overwhelming task for those of us who don’t specialize in it, but it’s a necessary component of marketing to keep up with a world glued to our smartphones.

Your ability and willingness to plan ahead is going to be the biggest factor in making sure your social media management doesn’t eat up too much of your time. It’s best if you designate a day each week to plan and schedule content for the upcoming week. The further ahead you’re able to plan, the better.

In order to remain efficient in your social media management, you’re going to need resources that will either automate or simplify parts of the process for you.

I’ve compiled a short list of resources that can help you find content, edit it, and post it to multiple social media platforms in the snap of a finger!

Content Design

Canva

Canva is probably the most popular online graphic design resource out there. It’s drag-and-drop format is simple enough for even the most beginner graphic designer to navigate. The site provides templates for all types of content ranging from printed documents to posts for specific social media sites.

Canva has a brand kit feature that allows users to upload branding content for easy access. In the website’s free version, users are only able to upload brand colors. In the paid Canva Pro version, users can upload brand colors, logos, and typography.

The site supports collaboration by allowing users to share content with other Canva users. They also have additional resources like tutorials and instructions in their Design School.

Stock Photos

Pexels & Pixbay

It can be difficult to document what goes on within your business when you’re a team of one, leaving you short on original content to share. Thankfully, websites like Pexels and Pixbay exist as great resources for free stock photos.

Photos are free to use, don’t require attribution, and can be modify under Pexels’ license. That means you can easily through them into Canva to add text, filters, and more!

Pixbay offers variety for users looking for more than just photo content. Users can also download free illustrations, vectors, videos, and photos.

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Scheduling

Later, Buffer, & Facebook Page Manager

Once you’ve created your content, you’re going to need a plan for publishing. The simplest way to get your content out there is to schedule it ahead of time using scheduling software.

There are plenty of websites that allow users to schedule social media content. Websites like Buffer and Later are popular because of their free plan options and their ability to post directly to Instagram.

Later gives users the ability to schedule content on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Later’s free plan allows users to post photos directly to those platforms, but their individual paid plan described as “for power users and solopreneurs” allows users to schedule more forms of content for $9 a month.

Buffer users can schedule content on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Their free basic plan allows users to connect 3 social accounts and schedule up to 10 posts at a time. Buffer’s paid plans range from $15-$99 a month.

If you have a Facebook Page for your business, you can also schedule posts directly in your Page Manager. All you have to do is type out the status like you would usually do and select the option to publish later.

Again, we know running your business and managing your own social media isn’t ideal. But you don’t have to abandon your entire digital identity because you’re not ready to bring on a social media manager. Planning ahead and taking advantage of the free resources around you are going to keep you in the game until you’re ready to expand your team!