67 Social Media Manager jobs in Chicago

We Don't Need Another Social Media Manager.

We need the person everyone else copies six months later.

The person who sees a two-minute conversation and instantly knows how to turn it into twenty pieces of content.

The person who notices stories everyone else walks past.

The person who can film, write, edit, publish and build an audience that actually cares.

If your biggest accomplishment is posting three times a week...

This probably isn't your job.

If you've built an audience from nothing...

Keep reading.

What You'll Build

Mainland isn't one company.

We're building an ecosystem of brands, publications, technology and businesses that reach entrepreneurs across the country.

You'll help build content for:

• Mainland
• 1851 Franchise
• Estate Envy
• Room1903
• StacheCow

You'll also work directly with founders, franchise CEOs, entrepreneurs and business leaders who have incredible stories—but don't know how to tell them.

That's your job.

What You'll Actually Do

Forget "manage the social calendar."

You'll create.

Every day.

You'll...

• Follow founders with a camera.
• Film behind-the-scenes moments.
• Capture conversations worth sharing.
• Interview entrepreneurs.
• Write hooks that stop scrolling.
• Edit short-form videos.
• Design carousels.
• Write captions that sound human.
• Turn podcasts into clips.
• Turn interviews into articles.
• Turn one idea into twenty assets.
• Publish.
• Learn.
• Repeat.

Every week you'll create enough content that our audience feels like they're following a media company—not an agency.

Who You Are

You don't wait for inspiration.

You create.

You're constantly studying creators.

You know why one Reel gets 500 views and another gets 500,000.

You stop scrolling to analyze why something worked.

You already create content because you enjoy it.

You probably have side projects.

Maybe a YouTube channel.

Maybe TikTok.

Maybe LinkedIn.

Maybe Instagram.

Maybe none of them are huge.

That's okay.

What matters is that you're obsessed with getting better.

What We're Looking For

You don't need an agency background.

You don't need a marketing degree.

You don't need permission to create.

You do need to know how to make people stop scrolling.

Bonus points if you can:

• Shoot beautiful iPhone video.
• Edit in Premiere Pro or CapCut.
• Design in Canva or Figma.
• Write compelling copy.
• Interview people naturally.
• Think visually.
• Move quickly without sacrificing quality.
• Use AI to create faster—but never let it replace your originality.

Success Looks Like This

Six months from now...

People know Mainland because they see us everywhere.

Our founders become recognizable.

Our videos get shared.

Our stories start conversations.

Clients begin asking...

"Who's making your content?"

And our competitors begin looking suspiciously familiar.

This Job Is NOT For You If...

You need someone to tell you exactly what to post.

You think content is scheduling software.

You only care about likes.

You don't like feedback.

You aren't willing to experiment.

Or you believe "going viral" is luck.

This Job IS For You If...

You wake up with content ideas.

You notice stories nobody else sees.

You watch creators to learn—not to be entertained.

You carry your phone because you never know when something worth capturing will happen.

You believe every founder has a story.

And you know how to help the world see it.

Why Mainland?

We're building something much bigger than an agency.

We're creating the leading media and growth platform for entrepreneurship and franchising.

You'll have the freedom to create.

The resources to experiment.

The opportunity to work alongside founders.

And the chance to build a portfolio most creators spend a decade trying to assemble.

We're not looking for someone to post content.

We're looking for someone who will help define how our company is seen.

One Last Thing

Don't send us a résumé first.

Send us something you've made that you're proud of.

A video.

A post.

A campaign.

A story.

Show us how you think.

• Because portfolios tell us far more than bullet points ever will.