Freelance Community Manager or Agency: Which to Choose?

Two Different Models

Choosing between a freelance community manager or agency mostly depends on the scale of your needs and the level of service you're after at this stage of your business. An agency generally has a full team, with specialised skills for each task like writing, design, or video production, but at a higher cost and sometimes with a more distant point of contact than a single dedicated freelancer.

The Advantages of a Freelancer

A freelancer generally offers a more direct, more flexible relationship, with a rate that's often more accessible for an SMB working with a tighter marketing budget. They know your business personally and can adapt quickly to shifts in your strategy, without the approval delays typical of a larger structure with more layers to go through. Their versatility has a limit, though: a single freelancer can't always cover every skill an agency brings together under one roof.

Making the Right Choice for Your Needs

For day-to-day social media management, a freelance community manager is generally more than enough for most SMBs. An agency becomes more relevant for broader needs, such as complex ad campaigns running alongside organic content or regular video production at scale. To go further, check out our complete social media management guide or the dedicated blog section.

A Possible Hybrid Solution

Some SMBs choose to work with several complementary freelancers, one for strategy and copywriting, another for design, rather than going through a single agency for everything. This approach requires a bit more coordination on your part but often lets you keep the flexibility and accessible pricing of freelancing while still covering a broader range of skills than one person alone could offer.