The 9 most important sections of every social media management contract explained (plus free templates to get started)

You’ve landed a new client – congrats! While you’re likely excited to start onboarding and get to work, you’ll first need a signed social media management contract. 

Whether you’re making a contract from scratch or working with a social media agreement template, it’s important to know what to include. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with a list of nine sections your social media agency should include in every contract.

What is a social media marketing agency contract?

A social media marketing agency (SMMA) contract is an agreement between two parties that outlines your services, pricing/expenses, timelines, payment terms, ownership of work product, termination clauses, and much more.  

It’s an important contract between social media managers and their clients that ensures a productive working relationship and protection for both parties. 

And it's not the only thing you'll need as a social media agency or freelancer. You'll also need a powerful social media management tool (like HeyOrca, the social media scheduler for teams and agencies!). Every HeyOrca plan comes with unlimited users. You'll only pay for the content calendars you need. So you can reinvest more money into doing things that impact your agency's growth – like whipping up iron-clad contracts!

Now let’s consider each section of a contract for social media management in detail. 

1. The parties of the agreement

This may seem obvious, but every social media marketing contract should state who is part of the agreement. At the beginning, include the names, titles, and possibly addresses of you and your client, along with appropriate dates.  

Here’s an example: 

This social media management agreement (referred to herein as “Agreement”) is made on [include date], between [include your full name and title] who is referred to herein as “Consultant”, and [include your client’s full name and title], referred to herein as “Client”.

2. Scope of work

A social media agreement should also describe the work you will provide and the responsibilities of you and your client. Some important elements to cover include: 

• The number of posts for a given timeframe (i.e. per week or month)
• The platforms being used
• Who is responsible for creating/providing visual assets and copywriting
• A description of the approval process and responsibilities of each party
• Timelines for content creation, approvals, posting, etc. 

This section of a social media agency contract helps manage client expectations and ensures their needs are covered. It also protects you as the service provider by preventing clients from requesting extra work without additional compensation. If your scope of work changes, don’t forget to update your contract (and fees).

3. Fees and expenses

The next section of your social media management contract should outline your fees and payment terms. This includes the cost of your work, when payment is due, and payment types (i.e. credit card, bank transfer, cheque). 

Deposits are also important to cover. Some social media managers request partial or full payment upfront, while others don’t require deposits. You can decide what works before for you and your client, just make sure to include it in your contract. 

Equally as important is to specify what happens when payments are late. For example, you may specify that if a client is two weeks behind on invoices, work stops until you receive payment. 

Finally, outline any extra fees for travel costs, software subscriptions, stock images, payment processing fees, etc. Essentially, any costs related to your social media management fee should be detailed in this section. 

4. Contract timeline and termination clauses

A contract for managing social media should also cover timelines and termination policies. 

Make sure to specify if a contract is open-ended and renews month-to-month, or if it’s a fixed-term contract that ends on a specific date. Generally, whatever works for you and your client is best. However, a benefit of having a fixed-term contract is that it allows you to regularly update your scope of work and fees as your business changes over time. 

Finally, outline any policies for ending a contract. For example, a social media manager may require a minimum of 30 days written notice before termination of an agreement. 

5. Ownership of work

Social media manager contracts should also state who owns any work that’s created under the agreement.

Typically, your client is entitled to ownership of all work produced. But, if you have proprietary methods involved in your social media management work, specify that you retain ownership of these processes. 

Also, if you offer education services, mention that you own any training materials and online courses that you provide. 

6. Confidentiality 

Every social media marketing contract should also cover confidentiality. A simple statement that you’ll keep all client information confidential unless you get written permission does the trick. 

Here’s an example: 

The Consultant will maintain confidentiality of all Client information, including business plans, financial information, analytics, etc. regardless of whether or not the information was designated as "confidential" at the time of disclosure.

7. Dispute resolution and jurisdiction

While this is hopefully something that you won’t have to pursue, it’s also important for social media agency contracts to cover dispute resolution and jurisdiction. 

This section should outline how legal disputes will be resolved (i.e. through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, etc.). And jurisdiction should be specified so it’s clear what country or province’s laws will be followed. 

Here’s an example: 

Any disputes or controversies relating to or arising out of this agreement's formation, performance, and termination will be promptly resolved by the parties involved. In the event of failure to reach an amicable settlement, the dispute will then be submitted to [enter preferred dispute resolution method].

The laws of [enter preferred jurisdiction] will dictate the resolution of any disputes related to this Agreement.  

8. Clarify expectations

While you’re undoubtedly a stellar social media manager, it’s also a great idea to include a section in your contract to explain that you cannot promise specific results. 

Many factors can affect the performance of social media initiatives, including the client’s website, products, sales funnel, prior brand reputation, and much more. Having a statement to manage expectations and clarify that the execution of your work and/or suggestions doesn’t guarantee desired results is a smart move.  

9. Date and signature

At the bottom of your social media management contract, leave room where both parties can sign and date the agreement. 

If your contract is multiple pages, include the total number of pages with the page number in the document’s header or footer (i.e. “1/3" instead of just “1”). This shows the length of the agreement. For longer contracts, think about leaving space for clients to initial each page or important terms. 

Finally, consider using an online signature tool like Signaturely or DocuSign for digital contracts. 

Social media management contract templates

As you create your own contract, here are some social media marketing contract templates to help you get started: 

1. Wonder.Legal 

Wonder.Legal has a simple social media management template with easy-to-understand language that’s free to download. 

2. Template.net

Template.net has a variety of free social media management contract templates that you can work with for certain social media platforms and countries. It also has a freelance social media manager contract and agreements for other specific circumstances. 

‍3. Rocket Lawyer

‍Rocket Lawer offers another free sample social media management contract and covers related FAQs. 

‍4. Social Studio Co. 

Finally, Social Studio Co. has a few different social media marketing contract templates that you can purchase for about $25 each. 

Other contracts for social media managers

If you’re a freelance social media manager, you may collaborate with others as you grow your business. In that case, a couple of other contracts could be helpful. 

Independent contractor contract

An independent contractor agreement outlines your working relationship with other consultants. 

Contents are similar to a social media management contract and should include: 

• The services each of you will provide
• A payment plan with suggested dates
• A confidentiality clause that protects your trade secrets
• Intellectual property ownership
• A disclaimer and release

If you choose to collaborate with other social media marketers or content creators, having them sign this contract helps cover you and your business assets.

NDA (non-disclosure agreement) 

An NDA for social media management comes in handy when you hire independent contractors such as videographers, graphic designers, writers, etc. It’s intended to protect your ideas, work products, processes, and other confidential or proprietary information related to you or your client. Essentially, both parties form a mutual agreement to never share the details of their work. 

Social media contract FAQs

In case you still have questions, here are some common ones about how to make a social media manager contract. 

Do you need a contract for social media management?

While it’s possible to do social media contract work without a formal agreement, it’s not ideal. A social media management contract protects you and your business, clarifies expectations and responsibilities, and helps prevent disagreements. Having a contract is a smart move to ensure your new client relationship runs smoothly. 

How do you create a social media management contract?

You can create a contract yourself from scratch, use existing social media management contract examples, or consult a legal professional. Your process will depend on your budget, experience, and the scope of your work. 

Our list of the nine most important sections of a contract is also a great starting point by making sure you cover: The parties of the agreement, the scope of work, fee and expense details, contract timelines and termination clauses, ownership of work, confidentially, dispute resolution and jurisdiction, responsibilities and expectations, and signatures. 

How long should a social media contract be?

There is no set length that a social media management agreement has to be. It’s just important to include all of the necessary elements to protect you and your new client relationship. All contracts should outline the parties of the contract, the scope of work, payment details, confidentiality, IP ownership, dispute resolution, timelines, and responsibilities/expectations.  

Social media management agreements explained

Social media managers should always protect themselves and their clients by having a formal agreement in place. We hope you’ve found our list of the nine most important sections of every social media management contract useful in creating an agreement of your very own. With that out of the way, you’re free to start onboarding your new client and setting up your client accounts in your agency's go-to social media scheduler.

Note: Our guide and suggestions are not intended as legal advice and should not be used in place of consulting a legal professional.

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