Today’s Wall Street Journal Small Business Report offered some excellent social media advice that consultants can apply to marketing their own practices:
- Be genuine. Don’t hire someone to speak for YOU. Although it’s fine to have someone post your updates, the posts should reflect your viewpoint and who you are. People respond to authenticity.
- Stop being a social media bore. Engage your audience by devising social media posts that are NOT all about you. Talk about a recent successful client engagement – without revealing sensitive client information, of course – or discuss timely news and events that are relevant to your consulting specialty.
- Have a few social media strategies. I advise my consulting clients on this all the time and WSJ experts agree: not every prospect or client is on the same social media channel. Your job is to find out which social media tool you can use to capture your target audience’s attention.
- Don’t let social media become your entire plan. Although everyone seems to be talking about using social media, it really is just one of the marketing and advertising tools you need to promote your consulting practice. Your marketing strategy should take into account the members of your target audience who use social media and may look for you there, as well as target audience members who may hear of you in other ways.
- Don’t let social media take over your business schedule. It’s easy to waste time on social media, especially if you’re new to it. Delegation is key! Find someone who can take on the day-to-day tasks, so that you can focus elsewhere. Set a fixed time each week to review your postings so you know what’s being done.
- Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with the social media channels you are most comfortable with, and where you will most likely find your best consulting clients. Once you have mastered that channel, start adding others.
Read more of the WSJ Experts’ advice.
Do you need help integrating social media into your firm’s marketing? Let’s talk! Sign up for a complimentary marketing assessment to get started.
Other posts you might be interested in:
Does Social Media Fit into Your Professional Service Firm’s Marketing Plan?
How Consulting Firms Are Tweeting, Using Social Media
