Professional service firms may struggle with their place on social media. Since much of what you do is business-to-business, you might wonder if there is any value in participating in a highly social, often informal, online community.
Your clients may be corporations but never forget the people behind those corporations; those people want to do business with other people, not businesses. Social media presents you with a unique opportunity to communicate your culture and values in a less formal medium than a website or promotional materials. Look at social media as another tool in you reputation-building toolbox.
Social media can be a powerful tool to help you:
- Build your reputation
- Educate
- Drive traffic to your website
- Attract new talent
- Generate leads
Where should you concentrate your efforts?
Take a look at the top companies in your industry to see which social media platforms they use. Follow them and see what types of content they are posting and sharing. Do the same for your potential clients. You can also check out social media demographics to find out where your audience spends time online.
Keep in mind that your clients may use more than one social media platform. Conversely, not all social media platforms may be appropriate for your industry. It is better to concentrate your efforts on one or two platforms and do it well.
Create content which is useful to your audience
There is no short cut to building a loyal social media following. Providing useful and engaging content to your audience will keep them coming back.
To get an idea of the type of content to share, research which industry-related hashtags are trending, LinkedIn or Facebook posts with the most page views/likes and tailor these ideas to your audience.
Make your social media about your audience, not about your business. Create content that tells stories, appeals to emotions, and sparks a conversation.
Encourage sharing and engagement
It might sound obvious but social media is social, meaning that it involves back-and-forth communication.
Engagement adds a human element to your business. With this in mind, structure the information you share as a question or ask an opinion. Then, when someone comments on your post or shares it, acknowledge it by liking their comment or replying.
Follow your clients on social media and comment on or re-share their posts. Strive to start a conversation and contribute in a meaningful way.
By choosing your social media platform well, creating meaningful content, and engaging with your audience, you can leverage the power of social media to communicate your values, build brand presence, and connect to decision makers in a whole new way.
