What a social media manager in Dubai should deliver each month

Why scope matters more than price

Two quotes for "social media management" can look similar and describe completely different jobs. One includes strategy, filming, editing, community management and ads. Another is scheduling posts from photos you supply. Neither is wrong, but you can only compare them, and judge the result later, if the scope is written down. That's the single most useful thing you can do before hiring.

Typical monthly deliverables

What a usable content calendar looks like

The calendar is the document you'll use most, so it should be easy to review. I share it as one view per month with the date, platform, format, the final caption, the visual or a description of it, and a status column for approval. You should be able to read it in ten minutes and approve or comment on each line. If you have to chase files across chats and emails to see what's going out, ask for it in one place.

The first month

A good social media manager doesn't start posting on day one. The first few weeks should set things up properly, otherwise you'll be fixing foundations for months.

What a good monthly report includes

A report should help you make decisions, not just prove that work happened. Ask for a short summary up front and the numbers underneath.

• Results against the main goal: enquiries, bookings, sales or leads.
• Which content performed best, and why they think so.
• What changes next month.
• Supporting numbers: reach, engagement, follower growth. Useful, but secondary.

Response times and DMs

In Dubai, customers expect quick replies, often on WhatsApp as well as Instagram. Decide up front who handles what. Many businesses have the social media manager reply to general comments and simple questions, and hand sales conversations to someone in the business who can quote and book. Write down the hours covered, including weekends, and how handovers work.

What you still need to do

• Send raw photos and videos from daily work.
• Approve content quickly, ideally within an agreed number of working days.
• Share news: new products, events, offers, team changes.
• Tell them about customer questions you hear repeatedly.

Questions to ask before hiring

1. Which of my goals will you report on, and how will you measure them?
2. Who creates the photos and videos, and how often will you visit or film?
3. What does the approval process look like, and how many revision rounds are included?
4. Who replies to comments and DMs, in which hours, and in which languages?
5. Is ad management included, or is it a separate fee and scope?
6. What happens to the content and accounts if we stop working together?

Good answers are specific and written down. Vague answers at this stage usually become disagreements later. A clear marketing brief from your side helps them answer properly.

Red flags when hiring

• Guarantees of a set number of followers or "going viral".
• No written scope, or a scope that only lists the number of posts.
• No access to your own accounts; you should always own the logins and ad accounts.
• Reports that only show reach and likes, never enquiries or sales.

My broader list of marketing freelancer red flags applies here too, and if you're deciding on the pricing model, see retainer vs project pricing.

Signs it's working

If after a few months all you get is follower counts, revisit the goal before you revisit the person. Often the goal was never agreed.

Questions people ask