Best Marketplaces to Hire Social Media Managers: The Smart Buyer’s Guide
Finding the right social media manager can make or break your online presence. Whether you run a small business, manage multiple clients, or lead a growing company, you need someone who understands your brand voice, knows the platforms inside and out, and can deliver measurable results. The challenge is knowing where to look. This guide walks you through eight marketplaces where you can find qualified social media managers, each offering different strengths, pricing models, and vetting processes. By the end, you’ll know exactly which platform matches your budget, timeline, and quality requirements.
- Legiit
Legiit stands out as a marketplace built specifically for digital marketing services, which means you’re searching within a pool of professionals who focus on what you need. Unlike general freelance sites, Legiit attracts social media managers who specialize in growth strategies, content calendars, community management, and paid advertising. The platform uses a straightforward service listing format where providers clearly outline what they offer, their turnaround times, and their pricing.
What makes Legiit particularly useful is the transparency. You can see detailed seller profiles, past client reviews, and exactly what’s included in each package before you commit. Many social media managers on the platform offer tiered pricing, so you can start small and scale up as you see results. The site also includes verified badges for trusted sellers, which helps you quickly identify experienced professionals. If you want a marketplace that understands marketing services and caters to buyers who need real business results, Legiit deserves serious consideration.
- We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely focuses exclusively on remote job listings, making it a strong choice if you want to hire a social media manager for a longer-term contract or full-time position. The platform attracts professionals who are serious about remote work and often have years of experience managing social accounts for established companies. You’ll find candidates who are comfortable working across time zones and who have built their careers around digital communication.
The site charges a flat fee to post a job listing, which means you’re not competing with hundreds of low-budget gigs. This tends to attract higher-quality applicants who are looking for stable, meaningful work rather than quick side projects. If you need someone to take full ownership of your social media strategy and stick around for the long haul, this marketplace gives you access to that talent pool without the noise of general job boards.
- 99designs by Vista
While 99designs started as a design-focused platform, it has expanded to include social media services, particularly for brands that need visual content alongside strategy. If your social media presence relies heavily on custom graphics, Instagram templates, or cohesive visual branding, this marketplace connects you with creative professionals who understand both design and platform requirements.
The contest model on 99designs lets you receive multiple proposals from different creators, which can be helpful if you’re not sure exactly what style or approach you want. For social media work, you can hire designers who also manage posting schedules and engagement, giving you a one-stop solution for visually driven platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. The trade-off is that this platform leans more toward creative execution than analytics or growth strategy, so it works best when aesthetics are your primary concern.
- PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour operates on a project-based model that works well for businesses with specific, short-term social media needs. The platform lets you post a project description and receive proposals from interested freelancers, or you can browse profiles and reach out directly to social media managers whose experience matches your requirements. The hourly rate structure gives you flexibility to test someone’s work before committing to a larger project.
One practical advantage is the escrow payment system, which holds your funds until you approve the completed work. This adds a layer of security for both parties and keeps the process professional. The platform also includes a WorkStream feature that centralizes communication, file sharing, and payments in one place. If you need help with a product launch, a seasonal campaign, or a content refresh, PeoplePerHour gives you access to professionals who can jump in quickly without requiring a long-term commitment.
- Mayple
Mayple takes a different approach by vetting and matching you with pre-screened social media managers based on your industry and goals. Instead of browsing hundreds of profiles, you fill out a questionnaire about your business, budget, and objectives, and Mayple’s team connects you with a few candidates who have proven track records in your niche. This saves considerable time if you don’t want to sift through portfolios or conduct multiple interviews.
The platform focuses on performance marketing, so the social media managers you’ll meet are typically data-focused and comfortable with reporting tools, A/B testing, and ROI tracking. Mayple also provides ongoing support throughout the engagement, which can be helpful if issues arise or if you need to adjust the scope of work. The service comes at a premium compared to open marketplaces, but the curation and support can justify the cost if you value efficiency and reduced risk.
- Hubstaff Talent
Hubstaff Talent offers a completely free marketplace for both clients and freelancers, which makes it an attractive option if you’re working with a tight budget. There are no listing fees, no commission charges, and no middleman taking a cut of payments. You post your job, review applications, conduct interviews, and handle payments directly with the social media manager you choose.
Because the platform doesn’t charge fees, you’ll find a wide range of skill levels and price points. This requires more careful vetting on your end, but it also means you can negotiate rates directly and build a working relationship without platform restrictions. Many of the social media managers on Hubstaff Talent are based in regions with lower costs of living, which can translate to competitive pricing without sacrificing quality. If you’re comfortable managing the hiring process yourself and want to avoid platform fees, this marketplace gives you direct access to a global talent pool.
- Bark
Bark flips the traditional marketplace model by having service providers come to you. After you submit details about your social media needs, the platform sends your request to relevant professionals in your area or niche, and they respond with quotes and information about their services. This saves you the time of searching through profiles and allows you to compare multiple offers side by side.
The platform works well for local businesses that want a social media manager who understands their geographic market or for companies that prefer to work with someone nearby for occasional in-person meetings. Bark covers a wide range of service categories, so you might receive proposals from full-service marketing agencies as well as individual freelancers. The variety lets you compare different working styles and price structures before making a decision. Just be prepared to receive multiple responses, which means you’ll need to spend some time reviewing proposals and asking follow-up questions.
- SimplyHired
SimplyHired aggregates job listings from across the web, including company websites, job boards, and recruiting agencies. This makes it a useful starting point if you want to cast a wide net and see what social media management talent is available in your budget range. The platform includes filters for job type, location, salary, and experience level, which helps you narrow down candidates quickly.
Because SimplyHired pulls from many sources, you’ll see a mix of full-time positions, contract work, and freelance gigs all in one place. This can be helpful if you’re not entirely sure whether you need a permanent hire or a project-based contractor. The downside is that you’ll be redirected to other sites to actually apply or post jobs, so SimplyHired functions more as a search tool than a complete hiring platform. Still, it’s a practical way to get a sense of the market and find opportunities you might miss by sticking to a single marketplace.
- Solid Gigs
Solid Gigs curates freelance opportunities and delivers them directly to members, but it also functions as a resource hub for freelancers who want to improve their skills and find better clients. From a hiring perspective, this means the social media managers you find through this community tend to be proactive, invested in their professional development, and selective about the projects they take on. The platform maintains a members-only directory where you can browse profiles and reach out to freelancers who match your needs.
The membership model keeps the community relatively small and focused, which can work in your favor if you want to avoid the oversaturation of larger marketplaces. Social media managers on Solid Gigs often have diverse portfolios and are comfortable handling everything from content creation to analytics reporting. The platform also provides resources like contract templates and pricing guides, which can help you structure a fair agreement. If you prefer working with freelancers who treat their work as a serious business rather than a side hustle, Solid Gigs connects you with that type of professional.
Each of these marketplaces offers a different path to finding a qualified social media manager. Your best choice depends on whether you need a quick project, a long-term hire, a creative specialist, or someone with deep analytics experience. Consider your budget, timeline, and how much involvement you want in the hiring process. Some platforms handle vetting and matching for you, while others give you full control and direct access to a global talent pool. Start by identifying your top priority, whether that’s cost, speed, quality, or specialization, and then choose the marketplace that aligns with that goal. With the right platform and a clear brief, you’ll find someone who can turn your social media presence into a real business asset.
