(Mostly) gone are the days of handing out paper flyers and advertisements. With so many things going digital, is it really any wonder that creating and maintaining an online presence is as important as it is?
I’ve been working with coaches since 2016, and while very few of them actually ENJOY interacting online, they all recognize the value of building and maintaining an online presence.
A word of caution, though – this isn’t a one-size-fits-all guide. While I have learned a lot over the years, I also recognize and respect that each person’s tastes and preferences are different. However, if you’re interested in my recommendations, please read on:
Choose your online presence platforms wisely
One piece of advice that I give to all of my clients is this: be where your clients are.
If your ideal clients are on Facebook, you’re not going to draw them in on LinkedIn, or Twitter. Likewise, if your clients are on Instagram, sharing content on Facebook is only a waste of time.
Generally speaking, pick 2 or 3 platforms where your ideal clients usually hang out, and stick with those religiously. Once your audience (and potential clients) know where to find you, they’ll keep coming back.
Another word of caution here, too – try to stay away from the brand-spanking new, or obscure platforms that almost no one has heard about. If it’s not well-known, it’s going to be a hundred times harder to build an audience there.
Don’t be on every platform
Just as it’s important to be where your clients are, it’s also as important to focus on those specific platforms, rather than spread yourself too thin by being everywhere.
And I really do mean that – it takes time and effort to write content and design images or carousels, especially if you need to resize for each platform. Save yourself the time (and if using a VA to do this for you, MONEY!) and stick to 2 or 3 and only those.
Post frequently
The rules are always changing as to how often you should post on social media – a general rule of thumb for Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram is 2-4x/week. Twitter should be daily.
The time of day is also something is ever-changing. With so many varied schools of thought, it’s hard to keep up!
Generally speaking, look at when YOU, yourself, go online to check your platforms. Usually before work, midday and evenings, right? Those are usually good times to post because others are doing the same.
Don’t post and run
Social presence. Meaning being present socially, online.
Showing your audience your expertise is so important – it builds that KLT (know, like trust) factor which will bring you new clients. But don’t think that you can just share your content and leave it – you also need to interact (which is another good reason to NOT be on every platform – who has time to check all of those channels?)
You will need to reply to DMs, Messenger and comments – and let’s not forget – you should also be commenting and liking other people’s content too.
I get it – it can sound like a lot of effort – but it doesn’t have to be, I promise! Set a timer for 15 minutes at a quiet time in your and do all your messaging and liking during that time slot. Then step away.
Share valuable content
As mentioned above, people want to learn about you, and they want to know they can trust you before they buy your *whatever service or thing you’re selling*.
Social media is a great way to demonstrate your expertise – sharing tidbits, hints, tips and tricks for those ‘quick wins’ is one great way to do that. Here are some other ideas:
- Hold a weekly ‘live’ on Facebook or Instagram
- Share case studies
- Have a monthly q&a session (tie it into your ‘live’ and advertise it in advance!)
- Share photos of behind-the-scenes
- Share photos of yourself
- Give people a peek of your personal life
- Share your triumphs
- Post about your disappointments
- Be yourself!
If you don’t feel confident that you can give your online presence 100% of the attention it requires, enlist the help of a virtual assistant. They (or I) can set up a scheduler to keep content going out, draft written posts, design/edit images and generally help with content creation.
How can a virtual assistant help you with your business? Book a free consultation call with me and let’s find out!