Snapshot:

• Before you get started, get to know your potential client. What is their unique pain point and how can you help them? What resources are they looking for? What platforms are they on? What’s their favorite color?–– okay maybe not that in-depth, but you get the point.
• So many social media platforms, so little time. The good news: you don’t have to pick all of them right away. Starting out, use the platforms that make the most sense for your business.
• Give the people what they want: accessible information about your business. Profile picture? Check. Business description? Check. Link to your website? Check!
• Don’t sit by and watch all your exciting follower engagement–– be a part of it! Get in on the conversation and get to know your potential clients.
• You can be consistent without being repetitive. How you deliver your message will look different on each platform.‍

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Know Your Audience

Before you charm them, you have to know them. Visuals are an important part of social media, but they’ll only get you so far. Your content should resonate with your followers’ unique perspectives and pain points. Before you start posting or creating content, identify who you’re trying to reach and why they would want to work with you. This kind of brainstorming will help you have a better idea of what you want to share once your profile is up and running.‍

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Identify Your Top Platforms

There is no shortage of social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a few. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by how many outlets there are to share your message on. Try identifying the top platforms that make the most sense for your business. If one of your tactics is to record training videos to share with potential clients, start with YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Once you build up your profile and engagement on those platforms, you can start to strategize how to use other forms of social media.‍

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Build Your Profile

When potential clients visit your social media pages, they shouldn’t have to dig around to find basic information about your business. A good place to start is to create a 2-3 sentence “About” blurb that summarizes who you are what you’re offering. Make sure your profile picture is updated and easily recognizable. If you have a logo, this is a great place to show it off and build brand recognition.

In your bio, include a link to your website. You should make it as easy as possible for potential clients to get in touch.

This is also a good time to start following other businesses or business owners in your industry or community. Not only does this help contextualize your business for prospective clients, but it also helps in forming connections with business owners–– you probably could learn a thing or two from each other.‍

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Start the Conversation

Once your platforms are up and running and you’re gaining new followers, start making connections! If users are commenting or sharing your posts, be sure to engage with them. Keep these interactions conversational. Like any good conversation, when it’s right, it’ll flow naturally. When you’re building connections on social media, this is not the time to send over a pricing guide or push your services on them. Use this opportunity to get to know potential clients and how your services can help with the pain points they’re experiencing.

Sharing is caring! You can cultivate meaningful conversations around subjects other than your business. You like talking about your business because, well, it’s your business! But it’s okay to change up what you’re sharing. When you share educational and helpful content with your followers, you open up an opportunity for conversation to take place about a variety of topics.‍

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Be Consistent, Not Repetitive

Don’t confuse consistency with repetition. It’s important that your voice is consistent across all platforms, but this doesn’t mean you should post the exact same content on all of your pages. While your message should be consistent, how you deliver that message on Facebook and Twitter will look different.‍

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Conclusion

Social media: it’s a part of the thread of most people’s daily lives, which makes it a great tool to use when you want to get in front of potential clients. There’s a good chance they’re already on it, you just need to get in front of them, get to know them and communicate your message. Easy enough, right? Using social media as a business owner has its challenges, but it’s also a unique way to express what your business is all about. If you’re up for strategizing and putting your creative energy to work, social media can be a powerful tool to bring in new clients and build your online brand presence.