Social media has become the go-to place for most people searching for goods and services. Businesses that understand the massive audience in this space are using the different platforms available to target clients from all over the world. By far, social media is one of the most effective places to build connections that lead to conversions. Likewise, social media can work well for you as a designer in getting clients at the start of your career and as you grow to other levels.
However, if you are just starting out, you might lack the skills needed to explore social media in a way that drives attention and traffic. Read on to learn how best to leverage this powerful tool to gain clients for your design business.
1. Position yourself as an authority/ offer value
While you are just starting out on social media, many other designers already got there before you. By signing up, you are entering a competitive platform. Your target customers are already bombarded with sales promotions, marketing messages, and other content from your competitors. The only way you are going to stand out from the noise is by projecting yourself as an authority in the industry and offering value to your target customers.
To do that, ensure that you create content that addresses your target clients’ pain points. For instance, you can make Facebook posts that answer most asked questions in the industry. Offer your expert advice in an authoritative tone that shows that you know what you are doing. Another way to do this is to join groups dedicated to design issues on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Use your presence there to share your expert opinion on matters regarding design work and the industry. Comment on users’ questions, give guidance and advice, and sometimes share on trending topics in design.
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2. Share videos to highlight your work and skills
Most people prefer watching a video to reading the same content. You can leverage this preference by posting videos to different platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Ensure that your videos carry your brand message and show your expertise in the field.
As many people embrace DIY projects, how-to videos are more engaging and can attract a huge following in a short time. Create such videos showing your clients how to go about designing their living rooms or bedrooms. Throw in some entertainment by giving them a little glimpse of the behind-the-scenes of your projects. Besides being fun, they add a personal touch to your brand.
A growing trend in video marketing is live streaming. These are good for your brand since they let you engage with your clients in real-time, creating lasting connections. You can use live streaming abilities in Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to showcase your skills. Hold a Q&A session where your audiences send in questions and you offer your expert opinion. You can also hold tutorials and engage your audience step by step in design projects.
3. Connect with other related businesses online
As a designer, you work together with other professionals on the ground. By taking that relationship to social media, you are likely to benefit from the following that the other professionals have gathered. Likewise, they will be benefiting from your following as well. You can promote each other’s business by tagging the brands that you work with and then reciprocating the same.
For instance, if you are working on a siding design, you need a siding contractor to bring your concept to life. You can take pictures of the final work and share them online, tagging the professional that you worked with. You can also create stories around the process and share them on Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories. This way, as clients search for a siding contractor who has tagged you in his or her posts, there are high chances that they might like your design work and contact you.
4. Target local clients
Social media is a great platform when it comes to connecting with a global audience. Such exposure is essential for your career growth. However, you may be missing local clients who are important in building up your business especially when you are starting out or haven’t gone very far.
To make sure that the local clients find you on social media, make sure that you tag your location in your social media posts. Geotagging your location goes a long way in improving your SEO rankings to make it easy for people to find you when they search for designers in your area. In addition, ensure that your contact information and address are clearly displayed on your profiles across the different platforms that you use. Another great way to target local clients is by using geo-targeted ads on social media. You can use Facebook Ads targeting the locations that your design services are available.
5. Be consistent
When you think of social media, you probably think of just sharing content. However, for you to establish a solid presence here, you need to think of consistency and frequency of posting. After all, your goal shouldn’t be just attracting customers to your business, but should also target your brand being at the top of their minds at all times.
This is to say that you need to allocate enough time for your social media strategy. Post content regularly to build your brand awareness. However, be careful not to flood your clients’ timelines and come out as offensive. Look carefully at the numbers and let your audience guide you on what they want to see from you. On top of being consistent in your posting, you also need to be consistent with your content. Avoid posting unrelated content and stick to your brand message through and through across all the platforms.
Conclusion
There are many ways that you can use social media to attract clients to your business. Most important, however, is to use the platform to project yourself as an expert in the design industry by posting expertise and valuable content. Go ahead, share videos showing your design skills, and remember to connect with other industry players to promote your business. In addition, don’t ignore the local clients and be consistent in terms of posting frequency and content.
