There are so many ways to find clients. While most of you will likely pitch—that’s my preferred way—some of you may look towards social media. I’ll admit that I’ve had success in using social media to find clients, although it’s not been my most beneficial option. There’s nothing wrong with giving it a try. If you are running already a business and you want to start with small side business check this advises of how to look for other side hustles.

I find Twitter the best for finding clients but have had some success with Facebook groups. WAHM Facebook groups have, admittedly, proven to be the best out of all types of groups.

But before you jump straight in, you need to think about your social media accounts to promote your startup. While social media will help you find clients, these steps are necessary.

Creating a brand across all platforms

Make sure each of your social media platforms is branded and consistent. You want to do this with your Twitter handle as much as possible, although I know it’s not always possible. Just make sure your name on your account is the same as the rest of your accounts. And make all the accounts the same as your business.

Branding is an essential part of getting clients. You’ll become memorable and easy to find. Just think about what branding has done for the likes of Nike, KFC and Bell. When you see their logo, you know exactly who they are.

But branding is more than just a name and logo. Think about the images you use, the way you post and the type of content you share. While you want the content posted to be relevant for the social platform, it also needs to be relevant to your brand.

So, that’s the first stage. Getting consistent across the platforms.

Creating a persona across the platforms

Your social media is your voice. If you’re going to attract clients, you need to make sure the persona matches everything the clients expect. This needs to be the same persona you have on your website. It’s similar to branding but goes one step further.

This is all about the tweets, Facebook status, Instagram posts, and LinkedIn updates you send. Whether you like it or not, an abundance of followers equals credibility on social media platforms, especially Instagram. Luckily, there’s plenty of companies like Upleap that can help you get more Instagram followers.

While you’ll want to put personality into your updates, you’ll want to keep the heavy personal stuff separate. There’s no need to share your political opinions, your religion or your stance on abortions with your followers. Well, unless your business is in politics, religion, etc.

Your clients aren’t there for your political views or to feel they’ll be preached at. It’s not part of your persona, so doesn’t belong there.

Stick to business updates and sharing how you’re beneficial to your clients.

More: 5 ways to accomplish more in less time

Getting in front of the right people

Now you’ll need to find out what type of hashtags your ideal client is using. Where are they searching for information and content? Who do they follow and where will they take inspiration and advice from? You want to be in all the places your target audience is going to be.

This will mean research and it’s going to be boring as hell! Well, if you love to write, the research is going to be boring. I’d recommend outsourcing it if you get a chance. In fact, I outsource the majority of my social media, because it’s just not what I’m good at! I have someone who gets me in front of the right people.

Social media is an art and it takes time to get used to it. If you’re not willing to start the research and do the work, social media won’t help you get clients.

Looking out for the hashtags will also help you find individuals looking for writers or bloggers. This will help you find someone who is already asking for help, so you can swoop in to save the day.

Get social with people

The clue should be in the name. Social media is about being social. You want to start chatting to people. This helps get your name out there and will help to build awareness of your brand. This is also the best way to turn cold pitches into warm sales. For Youtube related information, check out YouTube Likes kaufen  to get the initial boost for your channel.

Never just pitch directly without striking up some sort of relationship first. Social media just doesn’t work in the way that email pitches do. It can take months of effort to get a client through social media, depending on how active you are.

Eventually, you’ll be able to take the conversations to direct or private messaging. However, you’ll want to direct to your email instead to make it easier to track the conversation.

Network in the social media groups

This applies more to Facebook than anything else. Get yourself into business groups. I’m a member of a range and not just to promote my services. I like them for networking.

You don’t have to be in groups with other writers. In fact, I recommend that you limit the writers-only groups and look for those in other lines of work. Networking with people in other areas of business will help you find clients. You may find photographers who need help with their blogging or virtual assistants with clients looking for a blogger. Then there are project managers who need to find someone to help and those starting up who need help with their website.

When you network, your name starts to spread. You’ll find other people recommend you, limiting your need to constantly spread the word.

Social media is a way to get clients. It can be a powerful tool, as long as you’re willing to use it correctly.

More: Why you need a schedule as a WAHM

Do you use social media to get writing clients? What are you doing to help improve your efforts? Share your tips in the comments below.

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