Now that we have the easy part out of the way, how do you actually become a social media consultant? There are a few things you’ll have to keep in mind when taking the plunge into consulting work (one of them is to develop a thicker skin!).
While it might seem like a good idea to not pigeon yourself into one group, it is helpful to figure out exactly what your niche is so you can build the right strategy for your unique clients. When it comes to working with clients in all different areas, it can be hard to sell yourself and your work if you’re working for people in all different types of markets.
No one was born great at doing social media consulting (at least, I don’t think so…), so taking classes that will help you get from good to great is important when it comes to consulting. There are so many online courses out there (and some free!) that will help you sharpen your craft when it comes to consulting.
This one seems like a no-brainer but it’s easy to push to the side once you get started with consulting. You’re busy, and you tend to forget that you need to keep your own social media up-to-date as well. Keep your social media channels updated regularly so future clients know who you are, and what you’re about, and get an understanding of why they would want to work with you.
Networking is the best and most effective way to get more clients for your social media consulting biz. Start going to industry events. Go to local events in town that have various business owners. Start reaching out to people on social media with whom you want to work. Networking is key when it comes to gaining more experience with clients and actually getting more people through the door for your consulting company.
When it comes to working as a consultant, knowing exactly who your ideal customer is going to be is a pretty important part of the whole, you know, consulting. How are you going to be able to steer your customer to the right ideas if you don’t even know who your customer is?
When you first get started, you might want to say that you can do absolutely everything under the sun, but let’s be real. You can’t. Well, not effectively. Instead, think about the things that you’re the best at. Are you good at creating content? Copyediting? Seeing the bigger picture and assigning people tasks? Nail down everything you’re going to provide and write it all down. If there’s anything on your list that is making you go, “I don’t know if I’m truly skilled at this” take it off the list.
Oof. The hardest thing. How much will you charge for your services? You don’t want to undersell yourself because it might indicate to your future client that you’re not quite as qualified as you claim you are, or it could set a bad example for future clients who will come to expect you to work for pennies on the dollar.
How are people going to know who is what you are if you don’t have a portfolio or website for them to creep on? Let people creep! Even if you’re not skilled at creating websites, something simple that highlights the work you’ve done and the clients you’ve worked with in the past and currently will help future clients better understand how you can help them.
As a social media consultant, it’s so important to get the tools you need to make your work so much simpler and streamlined. Being able to quickly and easily create reports, track analytics and metrics from your client’s accounts, and more are an important part of being a better consultant and growing your clients’ accounts.