HOW I BECAME A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
So, how do I earn an income whilst traveling at the same time? The question I get asked most! Stay tuned as I talk you through how I became a Social Media Manager which enables me to earn money remotely, and therefore work from anywhere if I want.
Working remotely from places like Sri Lanka
If you are new here you might not know that after a few years of living and working a 9-5 marketing job in London, I became burnt out and unhappy with my lifestyle. Living in London - one of the best cities in the world - had been lots of fun, and I had secured myself decent jobs in marketing agencies and in house for companies. But I was spending my weeks in the same office, wasting precious time commuting, and spending my weekends drinking my way through the pubs of SW London to escape the mundane nature of life. I wasn’t happy and decided to make a change.
Travel had always been a huge part of my life, and is always the thing that sparks creativity and inspiration for me, which was exactly what I needed, so I decided to quit my job, sell my possessions, pack a bag and get a flight out to the first place that took my fancy.
I had saved up a few thousands pounds to tie me over for a few months of not earning, but I knew I needed to fund my travels soon. This is where I discovered Workaway - a website where you can offer your services in exchange for free accommodation. I spent a few months in Central America using the skills I had learnt working in the marketing industry in London to help hostels and yoga/surf retreats with their online presence, in exchange for free board and food. This experience was amazing, but I knew it would not keep me financially stable forever.
After about a year of travels [and living very frugally] I ended up in Bali - and was blown away by the expat community living here. Everyone was working from laptops in cute cafes, and I knew I needed to make this my reality. I networked in the community where I was staying, using word of mouth and Facebook groups, and eventually landed my first remote working job in digital marketing as a Travel Content Editor of an online magazine. This was my first taste of earning money remotely and working flexibly, and I completely fell in love with it!
I ended up staying in Bali long term, and during this time decided I had to make this remote working life my future. I knew I would eventually go back and live in England, and that remote working was harder to find there as there was a stigma about ‘working from home’ and whether it was productive or not, but I was passionate about the work life balance I had experienced and knew I wanted it to continue.
Whilst in Bali, I started building up my UK client base by applying for digital marketing and social media jobs using websites like Fiverr, Upwork and even Gumtree Jobs. These sites were a great place to start and build up experience, but the popularity of these sites meant that often I was undercharging myself as there was so much competition for work. So I also decided to create my own website and personal brand, which meant I could then find clients through my own means of marketing.
I spent a few months building my own website, which became my online portfolio to showcase my skills and what I can offer clients. I managed to pick up some clients whilst still in Bali, and then when I was settled back in the UK I landed myself a long contract position with the BBC working on their digital strategies for a few CBeebies brands, BBC Earth and TopGear. Although this was in an office I was happy to endure it for the contract as it was fantastic experience working on huge brands and I was able to network in London.
I ended up going freelance for the BBC, and this opened up space in my diary to take on different clients, and soon enough I was working for various brands on their social media and online presence, hence becoming a Social Media Manager.
A SMM requires you to have a laptop and a wifi connection, hence why it is the perfect job to do remotely. I soon realised that it didn’t matter where I was, as long as I could manage client calls and the delivery of the work I was contracted to do. I have since worked from the UK, from Sri Lanka, Bali, and all over Europe whilst travelling in my van, and more recently from my base in Cornwall. Being able to be so free and still earn a living has given me so much happiness. And this could be you!
Want to know what I do day to day as a Social Media Manager? Click here to find out.
the social media manager start up pack
Includes a Social Media Manager Contract, Client Briefing Form and Strategy Template Deck.