Template guide

Social media manager contract template

A good social media management contract stops the three arguments every SMM eventually has: who pays for ads, who owns the accounts, and why the follower count didn't double. Here is what to put in yours.

What to include

1. Scope by platform and volume. List each platform and exactly how many posts, stories, reels and replies are included per month. "Manage our Instagram" is not a scope.
2. Monthly retainer, paid in advance. Invoice on the 1st for the month ahead. Work that is paid for in arrears is work you may never be paid for.
3. Ad spend kept separate. The client pays platforms directly with their own card. Never front ad spend on your card; it turns a $1,500 retainer into a $6,000 risk.
4. Account access and ownership. The client owns every account and ad account. You get access through business or team tools, and access is removed when the contract ends.
5. Content approval window. Give the client a fixed window (for example 2 business days) to approve each batch. Silence after that means it can go live, so your calendar never stalls.
6. No guaranteed results. You control the work, not the algorithm. Say plainly that you can't guarantee followers, reach or sales, and that platform changes are outside your control.
7. Community management hours. State when you reply to comments and DMs. Evenings, weekends and crisis response are extra unless listed.
8. Content rights. The client confirms they own anything they send you; you use licensed or original assets for what you create.
9. Notice period. Month-to-month with 30 days' notice protects both sides better than a fixed 12-month term most small clients won't sign.

Mistakes to avoid

• Starting work before the first month is paid
• Putting ads on your own card "just this once"
• Letting "quick changes" pile up with no approval window
• Promising growth numbers in the proposal

Example wording you can adapt

Plain-English wording for the clauses people most often leave vague. Change the bracketed details to fit how you work.

Ad spend. Advertising budgets are separate from the management fee. The Client pays each platform directly using the Client's own payment method. The Manager will not advance ad spend.

Approvals. The Manager will send content for approval by the date in Schedule A. If the Client does not respond within 2 business days, the content may be published as scheduled.

Results. The Manager will use professional care but does not guarantee followers, reach, engagement or sales. Platform changes and outages are outside the Manager's control.

Account ownership. The Client owns all social and ad accounts. The Manager receives access through team or business tools, and that access ends when this agreement ends.

How to price the retainer

Price by output, not by platform. Add up posts, stories, reels, reporting and community time for a typical month, multiply by your hourly target, then round to a package. Writing the volume into Schedule A is what lets you charge more when a client wants more.

If you also run ads, charge a separate management fee, either flat or a percentage with a minimum. Keeping it apart from the organic retainer makes it clear what each one pays for, and lets the client stop ads without renegotiating everything.

Before you send a contract, confirm who approves content and who holds admin access. Most stalled accounts have one of those two questions unanswered, and both take five minutes to settle at the start.

Skip the blank page

Every point above is already written into our template, with highlighted fields to fill in and a PDF copy to send. Edit it in Word, Google Docs or Pages.

Questions

Do social media managers need a contract?

Yes. Even small monthly clients should sign one. It sets the scope, payment date, ad spend rules and account ownership before anything goes wrong.

Should ad spend be included in my retainer?

No. Keep your management fee separate and have the client pay platforms directly. That protects your cash flow and makes your fee clear.

How much notice should a social media contract require?

Most freelancers use 30 days on a month-to-month agreement. It gives you time to replace the income and the client time to hand over.

Can I edit the template in Google Docs?

Yes. The files are Word documents that open in Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice, with PDF copies included.

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Templates are a starting point, not legal advice; laws vary by location. Digital products: all sales are final; faulty file? Email hello@dojo.design and we’ll fix it or refund you.