TLDR (Summary)
The best project management software for social media managers is Plutio ($19/month).
Social media managers need project management that organizes content calendars across multiple clients, tracks campaign workflows from brief to publish, connects approval processes to the work, and links time tracked to invoicing. Plutio handles multi-client content scheduling with client portals for approvals, campaign templates for consistent execution, and time-to-invoice automation that shows margin per campaign while work happens-not weeks after posting.
According to industry research, 60% admin-coordination, status updates, and administrative tasks instead of actual content creation. Project management that connects calendars to client communication and billing absorbs that coordination work automatically.
For additional strategies, read our freelance project management guide.
What is project management software for social media managers?
Project management software for social media managers is software that organizes content calendars across multiple clients, tracks campaign workflows from concept to publish, manages approval processes with complete visibility, and connects scheduled posts to time tracking and billing.
The distinction matters: generic project tools organize tasks in isolation. Social media manager-focused project management connects content calendars to client briefs, approval workflows to deliverable tracking, and campaign execution to margin metrics. When a client approves content, the task updates. When a post publishes, time logged flows to invoicing. When a campaign completes, profit margins show immediately.
What social media manager project management actually does
Core functions include organizing content calendars by client and campaign, tracking posts through ideation to publish stages, managing approval workflows where clients review and sign off on content, connecting time tracked per post to campaign budgets, storing content assets and brand guidelines per client, coordinating multi-platform posting schedules, and providing clients with portal access to see upcoming content and approve the work. Advanced platforms add workflow automation where approved content triggers the next production step without manual coordination.
Content calendar tools vs revenue-connected project management
Standalone scheduling apps like Buffer or Hootsuite handle post timing and platform distribution. You schedule content, set publish times, and track basic engagement. But client communication happens in email, approvals require screenshot exchanges, time tracking lives in Toggl, and invoicing sits in FreshBooks or spreadsheets. Five separate logins to manage one client's campaign.
Revenue-connected platforms like Plutio link content calendars to the complete client relationship. When you create a campaign project, the content schedule connects to the proposal scope that defined the work, the contract that specified revision limits, the time tracker that shows hours against budget, and the invoice that bills for completed work. Approval workflows happen through client portals-no email attachments. Asset libraries store brand guidelines and past content. One platform handles the complete workflow from campaign brief to final payment.
What makes social media manager project management different
Social media managers face unique coordination challenges that generic task boards miss. Multiple clients run simultaneously, each with different content calendars, brand voices, approval processes, and posting schedules. Content production involves iterative workflows-concept, draft, revision, approval, final-with multiple touchpoints per post. Campaign margin depends on staying within time budgets while delivering quality that justifies retention.
Generic project tools organize tasks but don't model these workflows. Creating a task called "Instagram carousel for Client A" doesn't connect to that client's brand guidelines, prior content performance, approval history, or time budget. The task shows "done" but doesn't answer whether the work stayed profitable or whether the client approved the final version.
Social media manager project management handles these patterns through client-specific workspaces, content approval workflows with version tracking, time budgets per campaign that show hours consumed vs hours allocated, template campaigns that replicate proven structures, and client portals where clients review upcoming content calendars and approve individual posts without email back-and-forth.
When project management connects to client portals, time tracking, and invoicing, the manual coordination that consumes 8-12 hours weekly disappears. Content calendars update automatically when clients approve work. Time tracked flows to invoices without copying between systems. Campaign margin shows in real time-not after the client questions the bill.
Why social media managers need project management software
Social media managers who grow beyond 3-5 active clients face a compounding coordination problem: every additional client adds content calendars, approval workflows, and delivery tracking that multiply exponentially rather than linearly.
Managing one client's content calendar in spreadsheets works. Three clients means three calendars, three approval processes, and three sets of brand guidelines to reference. Seven clients means 35+ posts per week across multiple platforms, each requiring concept, creation, approval, revision, and publishing coordination. The manual coordination overhead-status updates, approval requests, revision tracking, time logging-scales faster than revenue.
The coordination overhead problem
According to research, 60% admin instead of actual content creation. For social media managers specifically, that manifests as: checking email for client approvals, updating content calendars when posts shift, logging time manually after finishing posts, sending status updates about campaign progress, tracking revisions across email threads, finding brand guidelines when creating new content, and reconciling tracked hours with billed amounts at month-end.
If you bill at $75 per hour and spend 12 hours weekly on this coordination (20% of a 60-hour week), that represents $900 weekly or $3,600 monthly in opportunity cost. That's work you're doing but not billing for-and it increases with every new client added.
The approval workflow bottleneck
Content approval typically requires 2-3 rounds per post. For a client with 20 posts monthly, that's 40-60 approval touchpoints. Via email, each round means: exporting content, attaching to email, waiting for response, interpreting feedback from email text, making revisions, and repeating. Comments like "make it pop more" or "different vibe" require clarifying questions that add more email rounds.
Research shows 80% rework-fixing mistakes or addressing unclear requirements. For social media managers, rework often stems from approval ambiguity. Email-based approval processes lack visual context, version tracking, and structured feedback. Clients approve a concept, then see the final post and request changes because the email preview didn't show what they imagined.
The multi-client calendar collision
Each client thinks their content calendar is the only priority. Client A needs posts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Client B runs campaigns the first week of each month. Client C does seasonal pushes with tight deadlines. Without systematic organization, content creation becomes reactive-you work on whatever client emailed most recently or whichever deadline hits next.
This reactive approach creates two problems. First, urgent work constantly interrupts planned work, making it impossible to batch similar tasks. You jump from Client A's Instagram carousel to Client B's blog promotion to Client C's product launch announcement-each requiring different brand voice, content guidelines, and approval processes. Second, time tracking becomes retrospective guesswork. At day's end, you try to remember how much time each task consumed, leading to underbilling that quietly erodes profit margins.
The margin visibility gap
Social media managers discover campaign margin only after invoicing. You quote a monthly retainer covering 20 posts, run the campaign, track time sporadically, then calculate hours at month-end. Sometimes the campaign stayed within budget. Sometimes you delivered $2,500 of work for a $1,500 retainer-but only discovered this after the work finished and the client expects the same scope next month.
According to research, 12% wasted. For a social media manager billing $60,000 annually, that's $7,200 in lost profit from campaigns that ran over budget without visibility into the overrun until too late to adjust.
The scaling threshold
Social media managers hit a threshold around 5-7 active clients where manual coordination breaks down. Below this threshold, spreadsheets and email work-barely. Above this threshold, details fall through cracks. Posts miss deadlines because approval got lost in email. Time goes untracked because you forgot to start the timer. Clients email asking about campaign status because you haven't sent an update. Revenue plateaus because taking on more clients means even less time for actual content creation.
Project management software absorbs the coordination work that scales linearly with client count. Content calendars organize automatically by client and date. Approval workflows route through portals with version tracking. Time tracking happens per task and flows to invoices automatically. Plutio handles what previously required manual attention, freeing capacity to add clients without adding coordination overhead.
Project management features social media managers need
Essential project management features for social media managers connect content calendar organization with approval workflows, campaign tracking, time budgeting, and client visibility while handling the multi-client, multi-platform patterns that social media work requires.
Core project management features
- Multi-client content calendars: Organize posts by client, campaign, and platform. View one client's complete calendar or see all clients' upcoming content in combine. Filter by status (draft, pending approval, approved, published) to focus on what needs attention. Calendar view shows posting schedule visually; list view shows task details with descriptions and assigned team members.
- Campaign workflow stages: Define stages that match your production process-typically Concept, Draft, Client Review, Revision, Final Approval, Scheduled, Published. Drag posts between stages as work progresses. Automated notifications trigger when posts advance (client gets notified when content needs review; you get notified when client approves).
- Task templates for recurring content: Create templates for content types you produce repeatedly-Instagram carousels, blog post promotions, product launches, weekly tips. Templates include task checklist, time budget, approval stages, and deliverable format. Apply template to create new posts with one click rather than rebuilding structure each time.
- Time tracking per task: Start timer when creating content. Time logs attach to the specific post and campaign. See time consumed vs time budgeted in real time. If a post allocated 2 hours but consumed 3.5 hours, It's easy to see immediately rather than discovering at month-end during invoicing.
- File storage and asset libraries: Store brand guidelines, logos, color palettes, prior content, and approved assets per client. Access files directly from project view without searching email or separate storage. Version history shows which file version was used for published content.
- Collaborative commenting: Add comments to posts for internal notes or client questions. Tag team members with @mentions to request input. Comment threads stay attached to the post permanently-no searching email to remember why a revision happened.
Social media manager-specific features
- Client approval workflows: Share posts with clients for review through branded portals. Clients see the content, leave feedback directly on the post, and click Approve when satisfied. Approved content advances to next stage automatically. Approval history timestamps who approved what and when-critical when extra work discussions arise. Industry standard shows 80% rework often from unclear approval processes.
- Multi-platform campaign coordination: Group related posts across platforms into campaigns. A product launch campaign might include Instagram carousel, Facebook event post, LinkedIn article, Twitter thread. View campaign progress across all platforms in one place. Track time per platform to understand where effort concentrates.
- Content calendar visibility for clients: Give clients portal access to view their upcoming content calendar. Clients see scheduled posts, drafts in progress, and content awaiting their approval. Self-service access reduces "when is the next post?" emails by 60-70%.
- Recurring campaign automation: Set up campaigns that repeat monthly or weekly-ideal for retainer clients with consistent content cadence. Recurring campaign creates tasks automatically on schedule. Adjust per instance when needed (holiday weeks, special promotions) without affecting the base template.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors, typography. All client-facing portal views show your brand-clients never see the software vendor's name. Professional presentation affects perceived value and justifies premium pricing.
- Unified inbox: All client messages, post comments, approval notifications, and internal @mentions arrive in one inbox. Reply without opening email. Conversation history stays attached to the relevant client or post for permanent context.
- Permissions and team roles: Control who sees what. Contractors see only assigned posts. Clients see their portal, not other clients' content or internal profit margins. Account managers see all clients; specialists see assigned campaigns.
- Time-to-invoice automation: Select completed campaign, click Generate Invoice, and all tracked time converts to line items automatically. Descriptions pull from post titles. Rates apply based on client agreement. No manual copying from time tracker to invoicing tool.
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps provide full functionality on the go. Log time from your phone, approve posts while traveling, reply to client messages between meetings. Mobile access matters for social media managers who often work outside traditional office hours.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without manual intervention. Common social media manager automations: notify client when post ready for review, send reminder if approval pending more than 48 hours, create next month's recurring campaign tasks automatically, alert team when campaign exceeds time budget.
The deciding factor for social media managers is integration depth. Project management that connects content calendars to client portals, approval workflows to time tracking, and completed campaigns to automated invoicing eliminates the manual coordination that consumes 8-12 hours weekly. Changes update everywhere automatically. Clients see current status without asking. Invoices reflect actual work without manual reconciliation.
Project management software pricing for social media managers
Project management software for social media managers typically costs $10-50 per month for standalone tools, with integrated platforms that include client portals, time tracking, and invoicing providing complete functionality at the higher end of that range.
What social media managers typically pay for project management tools
- Asana: $10.99-24.99 per user per month (annual billing). Forced 5-seat minimum purchase after initial tier means $55-125 monthly even for small teams. Strong task organization but lacks built-in time tracking and client portals.
- Monday.com: $9-19 per user per month (annual billing) with 3-seat minimum. Visual boards work well for content calendar view. Time tracking requires separate tool. Client portal access available but limited compared to specialized platforms.
- Trello: $5-10 per user per month (annual billing). Simple kanban boards suitable for basic content calendar organization. Limited automation on lower tiers. No built-in time tracking or client approval workflows.
- ClickUp: $7-12 per user per month (annual billing) plus $9 per user for AI features. complete feature set but reviews report slow loading times (3-5 seconds). Everything clicks feature creates complexity for clients.
Standalone project tools require separate subscriptions for time tracking ($9-15/user/month), invoicing ($15-30/month), and client portal access (varies). Total software stack often reaches $40-70 per user monthly when combining tools-plus the coordination overhead of keeping data synchronized between platforms.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited project management, time tracking, invoicing, proposals, contracts, client portals, and file storage. Limited to 9 active clients-suitable for social media managers starting to build client base.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, 30 contributors (team members or contractors), advanced permissions, workflow automations, and AI features. Social media managers with established multi-client businesses operate at this tier.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team members, full white-label (custom domain for client portals), single sign-on, priority support, and advanced reporting. Built for agencies or solo managers serving 15+ clients with team support.
All tiers include every feature-no functionality locked behind higher plans. Price differences reflect client limits and team size, not feature access. Annual billing provides 20% discount.
The ROI calculation for social media managers
- Coordination time recovered: If manual coordination (email approvals, status updates, time logging, invoice reconciliation) consumes 10 hours weekly, automation recovers $3,000-4,500 monthly at $75-90 hourly billing rates. Software cost at $49/month represents 1.5% of recovered billable time.
- Tool consolidation savings: Replacing 4-5 separate subscriptions (project tool $15, time tracker $10, invoicing $20, client portal $15, file storage $10) saves $45-70 monthly while eliminating integration maintenance and data sync issues.
- Margin visibility: Real-time campaign budget tracking prevents the 12% resource waste from campaigns that exceed time budgets without visibility until after delivery. For a manager billing $60,000 annually, preventing this waste preserves $7,200 yearly profit.
- Client retention through professional experience: Branded client portals with content calendar visibility, simplified approval workflows, and consistent communication increase perceived professionalism. Research shows professional presentation directly correlates with client willingness to pay premium rates and renew retainers.
Project management ROI comes through recovered coordination time that converts to billable work. Plutio pays for itself when automation recovers 40 minutes weekly at $75/hour billing rates-and most social media managers recover 8-12 hours weekly once approval workflows, time tracking, and client communication route through connected systems instead of manual coordination.
Why Plutio is the best project management for social media managers
Plutio handles project management as part of a complete platform where content calendars, client approvals, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals work together rather than as separate tools requiring manual data transfer and coordination.
Content calendar organization for multi-client workflows
Create separate workspaces per client with dedicated project boards, content calendars, and asset libraries. Each workspace includes that client's brand guidelines, prior content, approval history, and active campaigns. Switch between clients instantly to see their upcoming content schedule, posts awaiting approval, and time tracked against their retainer budget.
Calendar view displays all clients' content schedules in combine or filtered to one client. Color coding per client shows at a glance which week is heavy for which account. Board view organizes posts by workflow stage (Draft → Client Review → Approved → Published) so you see exactly what needs attention. List view sorts by deadline to prioritize what ships next.
This organization matters for social media managers because mental context switching between clients-each with different brand voices, content guidelines, and approval processes-consumes significant cognitive energy. Plutio's workspace structure provides immediate context when switching clients rather than requiring you to remember or look up which tone works for which brand.
Client approval workflows through branded portals
Share posts with clients for review through portals that display your branding-your domain, your logo, your colors. Clients log in to see their upcoming content calendar, posts awaiting their approval, and content already approved. Click into a specific post to see the content, leave comments, and click Approve when satisfied.
Approval notifications route automatically. When you mark a post Ready for Review, the client receives notification with direct link to the post in their portal. When client approves, you receive notification that work can proceed to next stage. When client requests revision, their comment appears in your inbox with context about which post and campaign it relates to.
This workflow eliminates the email attachment dance that typically consumes 3-5 hours weekly for social media managers handling 5+ clients. No more exporting content to PDF, attaching to email, waiting for response that arrives mixed with other client messages, interpreting text feedback without visual context, making revisions, and repeating. Portal-based approval provides visual context, version history, and structured feedback that dramatically reduces revision cycles.
Campaign templates for consistent execution
Build campaign templates that include task checklists, workflow stages, time budgets per task, deliverable formats, and approval processes. A product launch template might include: brief review (30 min), concept development (2 hours), client concept approval, content creation across 5 platforms (8 hours total), client content approval, revisions (2 hours allocated), final approval, scheduling, and post-publish reporting.
When a client books a product launch campaign, apply the template to generate all tasks automatically with time budgets, due dates calculated backward from launch date, and approval stages configured. Customize per campaign as needed-some launches need more platforms or tighter timelines-but starting from proven template saves 45-60 minutes of project setup per campaign.
For retainer clients with recurring content needs, set campaigns to repeat automatically monthly or weekly. Recurring campaign creates next month's tasks on schedule without manual setup. Adjust specific instances when needed (holiday weeks require different cadence) without affecting the base template.
Time tracking with real-time budget visibility
Start timer when creating content. Time logs attach to the specific post and rolls up to campaign totals. See time consumed vs time budgeted in real time. Campaign dashboard shows: Brief (30 min budgeted / 35 min actual), Concept (2 hours budgeted / 1.5 hours actual), Instagram carousel (3 hours budgeted / 4.2 hours actual). Running total shows campaign at 15.7 hours consumed against 18 hours budgeted-you're 87% through time budget with 70% of the work complete.
This real-time visibility prevents the margin discovery that happens at month-end when you realize a campaign quoted at $1,500 consumed 28 hours of work at your $75 hourly internal cost-delivered $2,100 of value for $1,500 revenue. With real-time budget tracking, It's easy to see by mid-campaign when scope is expanding and can adjust (request additional budget, reduce deliverable scope, or accept reduced margin as investment in client relationship) rather than discovering the problem after work completes.
Automated invoicing from tracked time
Campaign completes. Click Generate Invoice. All tracked time for that campaign converts to invoice line items automatically. Descriptions pull from post titles ("Instagram carousel - Summer Product Launch", "Facebook ad copy - May promotion"). Rates apply based on client agreement (hourly billing uses tracked time × rate; project billing uses agreed campaign fee). Review for accuracy, adjust if needed, send to client.
The invoice arrives in the client's portal where they've already been viewing campaign progress and approving content throughout the month. Payment button processes through Stripe or PayPal (connected during setup). Client pays, payment confirmation appears in your inbox, accounting software receives transaction data automatically through integration.
This automated flow eliminates the 2-3 hours monthly that social media managers typically spend reconciling time tracking notes with invoice line items, remembering which work belongs to which client, and manually creating invoices in separate billing software. Work flows directly to payment without manual data transfer.
Asset libraries and brand guideline storage
Each client workspace includes file storage for brand assets. Upload logos, color palettes, typography specifications, brand voice guidelines, prior content that performed well, competitor content for reference, stock photo collections. Organize into folders (Brand Assets, Past Content, Guidelines, Campaign Materials). Access files directly from project view when creating new content-no switching to separate storage or searching email for that attachment from 4 months ago.
Version control tracks file updates. When a client provides updated logo, upload new version and Plutio maintains history showing previous versions with dates. If confusion arises about which logo version was current during a specific campaign, file history provides clarity.
White-label everything for professional presentation
Use your own domain (clients.youragency.com instead of plutio.com/username). Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your brand: proposals, contracts, invoices, client portals, approval workflows, automated emails, payment receipts. Clients never see "Plutio" or any indication you're using third-party software.
Professional presentation matters for social media managers because you're selling brand expertise and content quality. Client portal that displays your professional branding reinforces your positioning. Generic third-party portals with vendor branding undermine the premium positioning that justifies $3,000-8,000 monthly retainers.
Unified inbox for all client communication
When a client messages about a campaign, comments on a post awaiting approval, asks about their invoice, or responds to your proposal, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without opening email. Conversation history stays attached to the relevant client record, so six months later when they return, you have complete context about prior discussions, approved content, and campaign performance.
This unified communication eliminates the email archaeology that typically happens when a client asks a question: Was that discussed in email? Slack? The Google Doc comment thread? Text message? With Plutio, client communication routes through one channel with permanent context attached to the relevant project, post, or campaign.
Granular permissions for team collaboration
Control exactly who sees what at the level that makes sense for your business structure. Content creators see assigned posts and relevant brand guidelines but not client billing or profit margins. Account managers see their assigned clients' complete workspaces. Contractors see only the specific campaigns they're supporting. Clients see their portal with content calendar and approval workflows but not internal team discussions or other clients' content.
Permissions matter when scaling beyond solo operation. Bringing on a content creator to handle increased volume requires giving them access to do their work without exposing sensitive information like hourly rates, profit margins, or other clients' confidential content.
No-code automations that eliminate routine coordination
Create rules that trigger actions without manual intervention. Common social media manager automations include: send client notification when post ready for review, send reminder if approval pending more than 48 hours, create next month's recurring campaign tasks automatically 7 days before month starts, send alert when campaign exceeds 80% of time budget, automatically move post to Published stage when scheduling confirmed, generate monthly status report and email to client on the 1st of each month.
Set up automations once during initial configuration. They run continuously without attention. What previously required daily checking-which posts need client follow-up, which campaigns need next month's setup, which time budgets are approaching limits-happens automatically with notifications when action needed.
Native integrations for specialized tools
Connect Stripe and PayPal for payment processing. Sync Google Calendar or Outlook for scheduling. Push financial data to QuickBooks or Xero for accounting. Add Zoom links to client meetings automatically. Use Zapier to connect 3,000+ additional apps-popular social media manager connections include Buffer for post scheduling, Canva for design handoff, Google Drive for additional storage, Slack for team communication.
Plutio handles the core workflow (client management, content calendars, approvals, time tracking, invoicing, portals) while integrating with specialized tools where deeper functionality exists. You're not abandoning tools that work-you're connecting them into cohesive workflow instead of manually copying data between disconnected systems.
Everything runs from one platform with your branding, your content workflows, and your approval processes. Instead of switching between content calendar tool, approval email threads, time tracking app, invoicing software, and client portal-five logins to manage one client-you operate from unified platform designed to handle complete social media manager workflow from campaign brief to final payment.
How to set up project management in Plutio
Setting up project management in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-10 minutes per new client once your campaign templates, workflow stages, and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default hourly rate for time tracking (your internal cost rate for margin calculation, not necessarily your client-facing rate), standard workflow stages that match your content production process (recommended starting point: Brief → Concept → Draft → Client Review → Revision → Approved → Scheduled → Published), and preferred currency and timezone.
Define your standard project statuses beyond the workflow stages-Active, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled. Configure notification preferences: which events trigger notifications (client approves content, post overdue, time budget exceeded) and how you receive them (email, mobile push, in-app only).
Step 2: Create campaign templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 campaign templates covering your most common content types. For social media managers, recommended templates include:
- Monthly retainer campaign: Recurring template for clients with ongoing content needs. Tasks include: brief review (30 min), content calendar planning (1 hour), content creation for 20 posts across platforms (16 hours allocated with breakdown per platform), client batch approval midway through month (30 min client time), revisions (3 hours allocated), final review, scheduling. Set to repeat monthly automatically.
- Product launch campaign: One-time campaign template for client product launches. Tasks include: launch brief review and strategy (1 hour), platform research and competitor analysis (2 hours), concept development for 8-10 announcement posts across platforms (3 hours), client concept approval, content creation with imagery and copy (8 hours), client content approval, revision round (2 hours allocated), final approval, coordinated scheduling across platforms, post-launch performance review (1 hour).
- Seasonal campaign: Template for holiday promotions, seasonal sales, or recurring annual events. Similar structure to product launch but modified timing (setup starts 6-8 weeks before event vs 2-3 weeks for standard launches) and typically includes more content volume (15-20 posts vs 8-10).
- Content refresh campaign: Template for updating existing evergreen content. Tasks include: audit existing content (2 hours), identify refresh priorities, update copy and imagery (6 hours), client approval, rescheduling to fill calendar gaps. Useful for filling slower months with optimized versions of prior high-performing content.
Each template includes task checklist with time estimates, workflow stages, deliverable descriptions, and approval gates. Build detailed templates initially-easier to delete unnecessary tasks than remember to add required ones.
Step 3: Connect integrations (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal for payment processing if you plan to invoice through Plutio (highly recommended-unified invoicing with portal access increases payment speed by 35-40% compared to emailed PDFs). Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for client meeting scheduling. Test each integration by creating sample transaction to confirm data flows correctly.
If you use accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero), connect during this step so invoice and payment data syncs automatically for tax preparation and financial reporting. If you use specialized social media scheduling tools (Buffer, Hootsuite), explore Zapier connections to automate handoffs.
Step 4: Set up client workspaces (30 mins)
Create workspace for one existing client as test case. Add client contact information, upload their brand guidelines and assets to file library, create active campaign using appropriate template, add actual content posts to campaign with real deadlines and time tracking. Walk through complete workflow: create draft post, move to Client Review stage, share with client portal access, have client (or yourself simulating client) leave approval comment, move to Approved stage, log time, generate invoice.
This real-world test reveals friction that abstract setup misses. You'll discover which workflow stages need clearer names, which campaign template tasks are unnecessary, where additional automation would help, and how client portal experience actually feels.
Step 5: Import existing clients (30 mins)
Create workspaces for your current active clients. Add their contact details, upload essential brand assets, create active campaigns for work currently in progress (optional-you might choose to finish current work in existing tools and use Plutio only for new campaigns starting after setup).
For historical data (past content, old campaigns), decide how much to migrate vs archive. Recommendation: migrate only the last 3-6 months of content that might serve as reference for future campaigns. Older historical content can remain in current storage as archive-unlikely to need frequent access.
Step 6: Configure automations (20 mins)
Set up automations that eliminate routine coordination tasks. Essential social media manager automations to configure during setup:
- Client approval notification: When post moves to Client Review stage, send client notification with direct portal link to review and approve.
- Approval reminder: If post remains in Client Review stage for more than 48 hours, send gentle reminder to client.
- Budget alert: When campaign reaches 80% of allocated time budget, send alert to review scope and adjust if needed.
- Recurring campaign creation: For retainer clients, automatically create next month's campaign tasks 7 days before month starts.
- Invoice send automation: When campaign marked Complete, generate invoice and send to client automatically (review before letting this-some prefer manual invoice review).
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing before use: Start with simple templates and workflow stages. Refine based on actual use over first 2-3 campaigns rather than trying to imagine every possible scenario upfront. You don't yet know which customizations matter until you've used Plutio.
- Ignoring mobile setup: Download iOS/Android apps during initial setup and log in. Test creating a post, logging time, and replying to client message from mobile. Social media managers often work outside traditional office hours-mobile access matters.
- Skipping client portal test: Create test client account and log in as if you were your client. Experience the portal from their perspective. Is navigation easy-to-use? Do they see what they need? Can they find past content and upcoming calendar? Client portal experience directly affects their perception of your professionalism.
- Not inviting clients during transition: When switching from email approvals to portal-based workflow, some managers start using the portal and expect clients to adapt. Instead, send brief explanation ("I'm improving our approval workflow-you'll now review content through a branded portal where you can see your complete content calendar and approve posts with one click") with login instructions. Frame as improvement for them, not just system change for you.
Focus setup time on campaign templates that cover 80% of your work volume. Handle the other 20% (one-off unusual projects) by customizing the closest template rather than building templates for every possible scenario. Over-templating creates decision paralysis; under-templating means excessive manual setup per campaign. Three solid templates covering retainer content, launches, and seasonal campaigns handle most social media manager work.
Project management organization for social media managers
Organizing project management creates clarity across multiple clients and enables efficient content production without mental overhead remembering which client needs what when.
Client workspace organization for social media managers
- One workspace per client: Each client gets dedicated workspace containing their campaigns, content calendar, brand assets, approval workflows, and communication history. Workspace separation provides immediate context when switching between clients-you see only their brand guidelines, their content, their calendar when focused on their work.
- Campaign organization within workspace: Group related content into campaigns rather than treating every post as independent task. Monthly retainer becomes "January Retainer - Client Name" campaign containing all that month's posts. Product launch becomes "Spring Collection Launch" campaign containing announcement content across platforms. Campaigns provide rollup view of time tracked, budget consumed, and progress toward completion.
- Content calendar views: Calendar view for timeline-based planning ("what posts when"), board view for workflow stage tracking ("what needs approval vs what's drafted"), list view for deadline prioritization ("what ships next"). Switch views based on current need-planning uses calendar, execution uses board, urgency triage uses list.
Workflow stages that match production process
- Brief / Concept: Initial client request or campaign concept before content creation starts. Clarify scope, platform mix, and approval expectations during this stage.
- Draft: Content creation in progress. Copy being written, imagery being designed, posts being built. Internal work not yet ready for client review.
- Client Review: Content complete and ready for client approval. Automatically triggers client notification when post enters this stage. Content sits here awaiting client response.
- Revision: Client requested changes. Content returns to production for modifications based on feedback. Track revision time separately to understand if revision allocation (typically 20-30% of creation time) proves accurate.
- Approved: Client signed off. Content ready for scheduling. Some managers add "Scheduled" as separate stage to distinguish approved-but-not-scheduled from actually-scheduled content.
- Published: Content live on platforms. The Published stage marks campaign progress and triggers any post-publish processes (performance tracking, client reporting).
Information to track per post and campaign
- Post level: Platform (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), content type (carousel, single image, video, article), time tracked (creation time, revision time), approval status and timestamp, scheduled publish date, actual publish date if different, performance notes after publish (engagement, reach, client feedback).
- Campaign level: Total time budgeted vs actual time consumed, time breakdown by task type (concept 10%, creation 60%, revision 20%, coordination 10%), client approval average response time (identifies slow responders who need earlier deadlines), campaign margin (time cost vs revenue allocated), deliverables completed vs deliverables scoped (catches extra work).
- Client level: Monthly retainer amount, time budget per month, time consumed month-to-date (shows if trending toward overdelivery), average approval turnaround time, revision rate (posts requiring revision / total posts), retention length (client since date), total lifetime revenue.
Proven methods for multi-client management
- Color coding by client: Assign distinct colors per client so calendar view provides instant visual recognition. Prevents accidentally working on Client A content while mentally focused on Client B.
- Consistent naming conventions: Use format "[Month] [Campaign Type] - [Client Name]" for campaigns ("February Retainer - Acme Corp", "Spring Launch - Beta Co"). Use format "[Platform] [Content Type]: [Brief Description]" for posts ("Instagram Carousel: Product Benefits", "LinkedIn Article: Industry Trends"). Consistency enables quick scanning and searching.
- Weekly planning ritual: Schedule 30-60 minutes each Monday to review week's priorities across all clients. Identify approval bottlenecks (content sitting in Client Review more than 48 hours), deadline risks (posts due this week still in Draft stage), and time budget alerts (campaigns exceeding allocation). Proactive triage prevents reactive firefighting.
- Batch similar work: When possible, group similar tasks across clients rather than jumping between clients continuously. Dedicate Tuesday mornings to Instagram carousel creation across all clients. Wednesday afternoons focus on client approvals and revisions. Thursday handles copywriting. Batching reduces context switching overhead.
- Template everything repeatable: If you create similar content more than twice, build template. Common social media manager templates include standard carousel structure, blog promotion post formula, product announcement format, testimonial showcase pattern. Templates aren't about limiting creativity-they're about not rebuilding structure from scratch when proven format already exists.
Organization enables delegation and scaling. Clear workspace structure, consistent naming, and documented workflows allow bringing on contractors or junior team members without extensive training. They can navigate client workspaces, follow established stage progression, and run campaign templates without requiring constant direction. Structure serves growth.
Client portals for social media managers: content visibility
Client portals provide social media manager clients with branded access to view their content calendar, approve posts awaiting review, access brand assets and past content, pay invoices, and communicate-without emailing for every status update or approval.
Portal as content command center
Clients log into branded portal (your domain, your design) to access their complete content hub. Main dashboard shows: upcoming content calendar with scheduled posts, posts awaiting their approval with preview and "Approve" button, recently published content with links to live posts, active campaign progress, outstanding invoices with payment options, shared files including brand guidelines and deliverables, and message inbox for direct communication.
Centralized portal access matters because social media manager clients often ask: "When's the next post?", "Did you get my feedback on that carousel?", "Can you resend the approved content from last week?", "What's the status of this month's campaign?". Portal provides self-service answers to these questions without requiring your time to respond.
Content approval workflow through portals
When you move a post to Client Review stage, client receives notification with direct link to their portal. They click through, see the content with full context (which campaign it belongs to, which platform it's for, scheduled publish date), review the copy and imagery, leave comments if changes needed or click Approve button if satisfied.
Approval timestamp records who approved and when-critical documentation when scope discussions arise. If a client later claims they didn't approve something, approval history provides clarity. If content performs poorly and client questions the approach, approval trail shows they signed off on the concept before execution.
Comments and feedback stay attached to the specific post permanently. Six months later when refreshing successful content, you can review client's original feedback to understand what resonated. No searching email threads to remember why a revision happened.
Content calendar visibility for proactive clients
Portal calendar view shows client's upcoming content schedule for next 30-60 days. Clients see: scheduled publish dates, content type and platform, brief preview or headline, current status (draft in progress, awaiting their approval, approved and scheduled). Board visibility reduces status update requests by 60-70% because clients can check progress themselves rather than emailing to ask.
Some clients prefer high involvement-they check their portal daily to see content progress. Others prefer hands-off approach-they respond to approval notifications but don't proactively check calendar. Portal accommodates both preferences without requiring different workflows from you. Involved clients get transparency they want; hands-off clients can ignore portal except when approval needed.
Asset library access for brand consistency
Portal file library provides clients with access to their brand assets, approved content templates, style guides, and past high-performing content. Useful when clients want to share assets with other vendors ("our social media manager has our brand guidelines-here's portal access to download them") or when reviewing past content to identify what to refresh or update.
Version control tracks when files were updated. If client uploads new logo or updated brand colors, portal maintains history showing previous versions with dates. Prevents confusion about which asset version was current during specific campaign.
Controlling client visibility per relationship
Configure exactly what clients see at global or per-client level:
- Full transparency: Show everything including time tracked per task, internal project notes, complete file library, all communication history. Appropriate for clients who value operational visibility and want to understand effort invested.
- Balanced transparency: Show content calendar, approval workflows, deliverables, invoices, and shared files. Hide time tracking and internal planning notes. The balance works for most social media manager-client relationships-clients see what affects them without operational detail.
- Minimal transparency: Show only deliverables awaiting approval and invoices requiring payment. Hide campaign structure, time tracking, and planning calendar. Rare but occasionally appropriate for clients who prefer hands-off relationship and only want involvement at approval gates.
Different clients warrant different visibility. Long-term retainer client with deep collaboration might see full transparency. New client in trial phase might see balanced transparency until relationship establishes. Client who specifically requested minimal involvement ("just send me what needs approval") gets minimal visibility configured.
Portal branding affects perceived value
Portal displays your brand exclusively-your domain (clients.youragency.com), your logo, your colors, your typography. Clients never see "Powered by Plutio" or any indication you're using third-party software. Branding matters because social media managers sell brand expertise and professional execution. Portal experience reinforces or undermines that positioning.
Generic portal with third-party branding signals you're using consumer-grade tools. Professionally branded portal that matches your website and proposal design signals established business with sophisticated operations. Perception affects willingness to pay premium rates ($3,000-8,000 monthly retainers vs $800-1,500 budget-tier retainers) and client retention.
Two-way communication through portal inbox
When client messages you through portal about campaign question, approval feedback, or general inquiry, message appears in your Plutio inbox. Reply directly and response appears in their portal inbox. Conversation thread stays attached to the relevant client record permanently-complete context available when reference needed months later.
This unified communication eliminates the "where was that discussed?" problem. No more searching across email, Slack, text messages, Google Doc comments, and Instagram DMs to find where a client requested specific change. Communication routes through one channel with permanent record attached to appropriate context (which client, which campaign, which post).
Invoice payment through portal increases payment speed
Invoice appears in client portal with "Pay Now" button connected to Stripe or PayPal. Client reviews invoice in same portal where they've been approving content all month-context already established about work delivered. Click payment button, transaction processes, payment confirmation appears in your inbox, accounting software receives data automatically.
Payment speed improves 35-40% compared to emailed PDF invoices because friction reduces dramatically. No downloading PDF, no remembering login for separate payment portal, no copying invoice details into bank transfer. Research shows 50-70% late, with average invoice paid 20 days. Reducing payment friction improves cash flow consistency.
Portals transform client relationships from reactive coordination (you responding to requests) to proactive transparency (clients accessing what they need). Status updates happen through self-service instead of email. Approvals route through structured workflow instead of attachment exchanges. Communication maintains permanent context instead of scattered across channels. The operational efficiency gain recovers 4-6 hours weekly for social media managers handling 5-8 active clients.
How to migrate project management to Plutio
Migration from another project management tool typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between major campaigns rather than mid-campaign when multiple clients have content in approval stages.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
You management software provides CSV export for tasks, projects, and client data. Here's what to export from common tools:
- Asana: Export projects from Settings > Export > CSV. Download includes task names, due dates, assignments, and descriptions. Does not include comments or file attachments-download those manually for critical projects.
- Monday.com: Export boards from Board menu > More Actions > Export to Excel. Creates spreadsheet with items, status, dates, and custom fields. File attachments remain in Monday-decide which to download for reference.
- Trello: Export boards from Board menu > More > Print and Export > Export as JSON. JSON format preserves card structure but requires conversion to CSV for import to Plutio-use online JSON-to-CSV converter.
- ClickUp: Export data from Space settings > Export. Provides task list with details. Comments and attachments export separately-download for active projects only.
For time tracking data (if using separate tool like Toggl or Harvest), export time entries with client, project, and task associations. Historical tracking data informs time budget estimates for Plutio campaign templates.
Step 2: Build campaign templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use exported project data as reference to identify your most common campaign patterns. Look for projects that repeat monthly (retainer content), projects with similar structure (product launches all follow same workflow), and task sequences that appear across multiple projects (every campaign includes brief review → concept → approval → production → client review → revision → publish).
Build 3-5 templates covering your highest-volume work types. Start with monthly retainer template since this represents most social media managers' core revenue. Add product launch template and seasonal campaign template. Resist building templates for every possible scenario initially-better to have solid templates for common work and customize for unusual projects than to have 15 templates and decision paralysis choosing between them.
Use historical time data to set realistic time budgets per task in templates. If Instagram carousels historically consume 2.5-3.5 hours, allocate 3 hours in template. Budget accuracy matters for margin tracking.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe and/or PayPal) if you plan to invoice through Plutio. Test with $1 transaction to confirm data flows correctly. Connect calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for scheduling client meetings and deadline sync. Connect accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero) so invoice and payment data syncs for tax preparation and financial reporting.
If you use specialized scheduling tools (Buffer, Hootsuite) for actual post publishing, explore Zapier connections to automate handoff from Plutio (where content gets created and approved) to scheduling tool (where posts get queued for publish). Optional but reduces manual copying between systems.
Step 4: Import client data (30 mins)
Upload client contact information via CSV. Map fields appropriately: client name, email, company, phone, address, and any custom fields you track (retainer amount, contract end date, monthly time budget). For active clients with campaigns in progress, create their workspace and add current campaign as active project.
Decision point: migrate historical campaigns or not? Recommendation: create current active campaigns in Plutio but leave historical completed campaigns in old system as archive. You rarely need detailed task history from 6 months ago-and migrating everything creates clutter in new system. Export final archives from old tool before canceling subscription.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new campaigns starting after setup while keeping old system active for campaigns already in progress. The parallel approach avoids the complexity and risk of migrating mid-campaign work. Client approvals already happening through old workflow can continue there-switching approval method mid-campaign creates confusion.
New campaigns starting after setup begin in Plutio with fresh workflow. Clients receive introduction to portal ("I'm improving our approval process-you'll now review content through a branded portal where you can see your complete calendar and approve with one click"). As active campaigns in old system complete over next 30-45 days, those clients transition fully to Plutio for all future work.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active campaigns complete in old system (typically 30-60 days after starting Plutio), cancel that subscription. Before canceling, export final archives: completed project list, file attachments from critical campaigns, time tracking reports for tax records. Store these archives in Google Drive or Dropbox as reference-unlikely to need frequently but important to maintain for contract disputes or tax audits.
Some tools offer read-only access after cancellation or allow exporting complete account history. Take advantage of these options to maintain records without paying ongoing subscription.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: You don't need every completed campaign from the past 2 years in your new system. Focus on active work and reference materials (brand guidelines, successful content examples). Historical task lists from old campaigns rarely get referenced-and cluttering new system with them creates noise that obscures current priorities.
- Switching mid-campaign: Migrating a campaign that's halfway through production, already has client approvals in old system, and has established workflow creates unnecessary complexity and risk. Finish in-progress campaigns where they started. Use Plutio for new campaigns only.
- Not testing integrations before relying on them: Payment processing that fails during first real client transaction creates professional embarrassment and delays payment. Test Stripe connection with $1 test transaction. Verify calendar sync by creating sample event. Confirm accounting sync by generating test invoice and checking that it appears in QuickBooks/Xero.
- Skipping client communication about portal transition: Some managers start using client portals and expect clients to adapt without explanation. Better approach: send brief introduction explaining the improvement ("I'm upgrading our approval workflow to give you better visibility into your content calendar and simplify approvals"), provide login instructions, and offer to walk through portal on next call. Frame as improvement for client benefit, not just system change for your convenience.
- Over-configuring before use: You don't yet know which custom fields matter, which automations help, or which views you'll use most until you've run 3-5 campaigns through Plutio. Start minimal. Let actual use reveal which customizations add value. Easy to add complexity later; hard to remove it once embedded in workflow.
Migration investment pays back through time saved on every future campaign, approval, and client interaction. Social media managers report recovering 6-10 hours weekly after switching to integrated project management that connects content calendars to client portals, approval workflows, time tracking, and invoicing. Plan for one weekend of focused setup, 2-3 weeks of adjustment learning Plutio, then ongoing efficiency gains that compound as more clients transition to portal-based workflow.
