Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - what worked for you?

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a social media manager. Any experience at all would help. I looked up ranges in Jacksonville and they vary a lot. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.