Lonely Planet, a leading travel media company, is seeking a remote freelance Social Media Manager on a part-time 20 hours/week contract through the end of 2025. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with deep knowledge of established and emerging social networks, sharp copywriting skills, and the ability to script and edit social-first, short-form video content. Candidates should also have strong editorial judgement, firm grasp of brand voice and tone across organic and sponsored content, and bring an enthusiasm for travel to their work.
Role Overview:
The freelance Social Media Manager will be responsible for building, scheduling, and publishing social media posts across Lonely Planet’s social handles and its sub-brand, Lonely Planet Journeys. This includes repackaging and cross-posting content to suit the formats and best practices for each channel, plugging into existing templates and social series, identifying emerging social trends, and original content creation as needed.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage Lonely Planet’s social presence in close collaboration with Senior Social Media Manager and Social Media Director, focusing on social-first copywriting: article and video captions, video scripting, editing long-form content into snackable tidbits.
- Respond to community questions and feedback in a timely manner, ensuring that brand tone, voice, and personality are consistent and elevated.
- Work cross functionally with editorial and sponsored content teams to package sold social content.
- Collaborate on social series and design templates that deliver against channel-specific KPIs and ladder up to overall brand strategy and business objectives.
- Identify relevant social and travel industry trends and talent for timely engagement opportunities.
Requirements:
- 3+ years of social media, journalism, community management and/or moderating experience.
- Thorough understanding of the content creation process, including best practices for short-form video and social-first copy, with a portfolio showcasing past work.
- Deep and applied knowledge of social media landscape, particularly trends across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
- Passion for building online communities and engagement across digital platforms.
- Experience with project management software and social media tools (Asana, Canva, CapCut, Adobe Creative Suite preferred).
