Social Media Manager (Beauty)

A leading global beauty and skincare brand is seeking a Freelance Social Media Manager to own end-to-end social content development, execution, and optimization across platforms including (but not limited to) Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. This role focuses on producing high-quality, strategic content grounded in performance insights, cultural trends, and community feedback. You will play a key part in maintaining the brand’s social presence by delivering consistent, on-brand storytelling that drives engagement, strengthens community relationships, and supports growth.

As the Social Media Manager, you will collaborate closely with senior marketing and brand leaders to activate platform-specific strategies, manage content pipelines, and oversee day-to-day execution from concept and production through publishing and reporting. You’ll help maintain workflow efficiency, support cross-functional alignment, and ensure every asset is intentional, optimized, and data-informed.

You will lead content creation across evergreen storytelling, new product launches, and priority campaign moments—ideating, producing, shooting, designing, and editing social-first assets that reflect a distinctive brand voice and visual identity. Your work will be informed by performance metrics, social listening, and real-time trend analysis, ensuring content remains relevant, compelling, and competitive within the beauty space.

Responsibilities:
Content Strategy & Creative Development

• Own and support the planning, development, and execution of the social content calendar in partnership with senior social and marketing stakeholders.
• Translate brand objectives, community insights, and cultural signals into clear, compelling content ideas and narratives.
• Concept, plan, and produce always-on content, campaign storytelling, product launches, and timely trend-driven moments tailored to beauty consumers.
• Write engaging, on-brand social copy and captions customized for each platform’s tone, audience, and format.
• Execute light design and video editing to deliver agile, optimized content assets for short-form and static formats.
• Develop clear, actionable creative briefs for creators, UGC partners, editors, and internal teams to ensure alignment on direction and deliverables.
• Partner with brand and community teams to develop content informed by sentiment, brand mentions, and emerging social conversations.
• Support VIP, talent, and creator-related content, including briefing, asset coordination, and messaging needs.
• Identify and test new content formats, visual styles, and platform tools that keep the brand innovative and culturally relevant.
• Maintain an organized content and asset library so files are accessible, properly tagged, and optimized for efficient workflows.

Community Engagement & Platform Management

• Maintain a consistent, engaging brand voice across captions, comments, and 1:1 or 1:many community interactions.
• Monitor trending conversations, creator moments, and cultural shifts, recommending timely opportunities for brand participation.
• Provide community management support, including monitoring, responding, and escalating when needed, with flexibility for occasional weekend/holiday coverage.

Strategic Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Participate in creative brainstorms, campaign planning sessions, and cross-functional marketing meetings to align messaging and content strategy.
• Collaborate with regional and global partners to support localized content moments and highlight in-person brand activations.
• Assist with campaign frameworks, content mapping, and longer-range calendar development to stay aligned with leadership priorities and product roadmaps.
• Share bi-weekly and monthly content calendars, priorities, and performance highlights with cross-functional partners to maintain transparency and coordination.
• Use strong organizational skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet fast-paced production timelines.

Performance, Reporting & Optimization

• Lead or contribute to monthly, bi-weekly, and post-campaign reporting, synthesizing performance data into clear insights and recommendations.
• Leverage data-driven learnings—especially around copy, hooks, watch time, and creative performance—to refine storytelling and optimize formats.
• Conduct recurring content audits, competitive reviews, and trend analyses to identify white space and keep the brand ahead of the curve.
• Identify high-value keywords, hashtags, and platform search opportunities to improve discoverability and organic reach.
• Contribute to updating and refining the brand’s social guidelines and playbook, documenting best practices and learnings.
• Stay current on platform changes, emerging tools, and algorithm updates, serving as a proactive advisor to the broader team.

Qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience creating social-first content, with a strong portfolio of short-form, platform-native, trend-responsive work.
• Deep fluency in beauty, culture, creators, and social trends, with an instinct for what resonates with skincare and makeup communities.
• Strong skills in copywriting, community management, and content editing across multiple platforms.
• Proficiency in graphic design and video editing using tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Canva, and CapCut (or similar).
• Expert-level understanding of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, including algorithms, best practices, and emerging features.
• Proven ability to translate brand and business objectives into high-performing content and social-led campaigns.
• Strong project management skills, with experience owning content calendars and delivering on tight, fast-paced deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience briefing creators, pitching ideas, and partnering effectively across teams.
• Experience supporting or leading social content shoots, including on-set direction and coordination.
• Familiarity with social and community tools such as Dash Hudson, Meta Business Manager, and other analytics or moderation platforms is a plus.
• Experience managing social or creator budgets and tracking deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with marketing, creative, e-commerce, and regional partners.
• Highly proactive, organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable in a dynamic, fast-moving environment.
• Naturally plugged into beauty, pop culture, and digital storytelling, with a passion for experimentation.
• Solutions-oriented mindset, with a strong commitment to brand safety, content quality, and positive community interactions.
• Willingness to support weekend and holiday community engagement as needed.