by Rachel Smith
03 March 2017
So, you’re constantly being asked if you do social media. And you’re starting to wonder if maybe you should offer it as a service to your existing clients.
I know many who struggle with this, or think social media is work that should be farmed out to a ‘junior’. I don’t agree. There’s an art to crafting a post that engages or converts – whether it’s a 140-character tweet, a pithy Facebook teaser to promote a client’s most recent blog update, or an Instagram post that really sells an amazing product. Copywriting skills plus the dedication to staying ahead of the game in regards to ever-changing algorithms and rules is essential.
Down with that? Coolio. Here are some tips on how to land social media clients.
It helps grow your traffic on those platforms (always a good thing when you’re looking for clients), and it helps push your profiles to the top in Google. Clients who Google you and see how clever and social-media savvy you are may just think about hiring you to take their social media profiles to new heights. On that note, SEO the hell out of your online portfolio, which also pushes you higher in Google, and sends more traffic (and potential clients) your way. Write posts about what you do and pepper them with keywords. Promote them heavily.
Email your existing clients and let them know you’ve added social media to the list of services you offer. Include an updated rate card with your rates (hourly and by the word, and even packages that are priced for, say, 20 posts per month per platform). Say you’re more than happy to chat if they need your services in this area or know another brand which might. I’d also highlight it on your personal networks – Twitter, your FB business page, LinkedIn, your online portfolio – that you’re now offering social media services and would love to hear from anyone who needs it.
A penny-pinching client who simply wants to hire you to do five tweets a month is not going to see any return and is not worth the time, money or angst. Ditto clients who are disorganised and don’t have a plan – expecting you to do social media on the fly. The clients you want should be forward-thinking, have a strategy or be open to creating one, and be keen to commission you blocks of work for weeks or months at a time.
How to charge? I’ve charged word rates for large blocks of social media posts, but you might prefer to figure it out in terms of hours, taking into account research / writing / hashtags etc, and charging a project fee for the package. Of course, if they want you to schedule posts on their channels, moderate comments and do pic research, you’ll need to build that into your quote. According to our most recent Show Me The Money survey, social media consultants earn between $25-50/hour. If you’re a brilliant writer with great social media skills and you know you can make a difference to a client’s brand awareness, you should be charging at the upper limit of that or beyond it.
The sky’s the limit here. Think brands you follow who don’t seem to have much of a strategy (or lacklustre social media posts). Really amazing stores you love that could benefit from a wicked Pinterest page or Instagram account. Cool restaurants or bars who just don’t have time for social media but could really benefit from it. Reach out to your private networks. Ask people to pass the word on. Make a list and work through it systematically.
It’s always good to give clients a little sneak peek into the crazy world of social media and how you can smoothly and seamlessly guide them through it! You could mention how great their brand is, but maybe their Facebook logo could do with a proper resizing. Or that scheduling posts for certain times (especially in hospitality) can be key in getting more people through the door. Could their brand benefit from trying Live Video or boosting key posts to target the customers they want to sell to? Or are there specific platforms you think they should focus on for maximum brand awareness? Basically, you want to a) convince them they need it, because they do; b) convince them you’re the person for the job and c) land the gig!
Do you do social media for clients? What are your tips?
