- \n
- How to identify your target clients<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Discovering where to reach your audience<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Creating a collection of content<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Being social <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Closing the deal <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nStep 1: Lock-in your Target Clients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Whether you serve a specialized niche or a more generalist pool of clients, it\u2019s paramount that you have a clear target demographic. Without one, you\u2019ll be marketing aimlessly\u2014and aimless marketing is a waste of time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s an extra step but a crucial one. If you know exactly who you\u2019re trying to reach, your decisions moving forward in this process are going to be more informed and ultimately more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-checklist-couch-people.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA good place to start is building a \u201cfollower persona.\u201d Here\u2019s my example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201c21\u201335 year-old C-level professionals from SaaS\/B2B tech startups and digital marketing agencies that don\u2019t have an in-house copywriter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The great thing about this is that you can\u2019t get too specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are just some target demographics for your persona:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Age<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gender<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Occupation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Income level<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Educational level<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Type of industry<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- # of employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Type of business<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- …and more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The more detail you bake into your follower persona, the better.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
From my example, for instance, I know which tone to use in social, which types of content they will connect with, and most importantly, which social media platforms they already spend their time on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which brings me to…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nStep 2: Finding where your Target Audience Hangs Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are more viable platforms than there are fingers on both my hands and feet, and that can often lead to choice paralysis.<\/strong> The cop-out move is to jump headfirst to staple platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. That\u2019s okay, but to save time and resources, I say carve out some time for deeper research and brainstorming as to where your target audience hangs out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"three](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-checklist-group-photo-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom my example, it\u2019s easy to deduce that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- these professionals use LinkedIn most often,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- as well as Facebook and LinkedIn groups that serve as think-tanks, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- they could be hanging out on Twitter as well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
You can rehash this to suit your niche: Is your \u201cfollower persona\u201d a designer? Instagram might be a good place to start. Are they a venture capitalist? Then you might want to check places like Angellist<\/a> or Y Combinator<\/a>. Are you looking for creative agencies to serve? A lot of them are on Dribbble<\/a> or Behance<\/a>\u2014you should take a shot at these platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By having a reference of the kind of person you\u2019re targeting, you\u2019ll easily identify which social platforms are worth pursuing and the types of content that will speak to your target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nStep 3: Filling a Well of Content to Share<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that you have a good grasp of who your target audience is, it\u2019s time to collect, curate, and create content.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A huge perk of taking social seriously is that it gives you the opportunity to poise yourself as an authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do this by sharing relevant content to your serving niche. For me, those are pieces of content that show I know the work and that clients should hire me. Which makes the below tweet a really good example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping a bank of content like this will absolutely help your social game in terms of sharing content that are relevant to your services. I recommend using Google Sheets<\/a> or Airtable<\/a> (or even Trello<\/a>) to manage all your posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating your Own Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create content that ties nicely to the service you offer. If you offer web design services, for example, writing an article or making a video on the web design process are sensible steps forward. Marketers similarly will benefit from posts that demonstrate their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s a good rule of thumb to sink your teeth in: think of social media as an interactive portfolio. Push only the work you\u2019re absolutely proud of to the fore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless if you\u2019re writing an article or recording a video, make it packed with value. Enough so that your prospective readers or viewers will not only convert into followers but into leads as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"balloon](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-checklist-pop.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSome key points to remember: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Make your content relevant to your offered service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- For videos, carve out a few seconds to invite your viewers to find you on your other social platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- For articles, make sure you have easy-to-spot social media sharing icons. You can also use plugins like ClickToTweet<\/a> if you\u2019re using WordPress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Take advantage of all sorts of different medium to add to your article. That can be images, podcast episodes, presentation slides, videos, and more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Repurpose your best-performing content into different forms of content. Turn your most popular blog post and turn it into a video, then upload it to YouTube. You\u2019d be amazed how effective content repurposing can be.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure you’re optimizing your media per platform, like using the best Instagram photo size for your work. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Curating Relevant Content from Others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a lot of value to get from other people\u2019s content, but tread lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much as you\u2019d like to help your followers by feeding them with the best information, you\u2019d want to educate them yourself. So don\u2019t fill your social media posts with only content from other freelancers, blogs, or websites. The 80\/20 rule applies well here. Make sure your content fills the bigger half of that equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that that\u2019s out of the way, let\u2019s curate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"freelancer](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-chekclist-erin.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMy content curation of choice is Buffer<\/a>, which has a content curation tool baked in. Feedly<\/a> is great too, as well as Pocket<\/a> and Pinterest<\/a>. The idea here is that you should be able to cherry pick the most valuable posts and load them up in your queue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve selected all the posts to share, it\u2019s time to make sure those posts will serve you the most, ultimately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep these pointers in mind:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- When sharing the post, make sure to cite that it\u2019s not your work, then…<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add valuable insight in your caption when sharing it<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reach out to the author of that content, and let them know that you love their work. Don\u2019t hesitate plugging your own content and tell them you\u2019d appreciate it if they considered posting your content on their social media as well. Win-win!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Collecting all Pieces of Content in One Place<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So you now have content from both your own pool and others\u2019. It\u2019s time to keep them in one place so you don\u2019t always scramble every time when it\u2019s time to post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The easiest (and cheapest) way to do this is by keeping them all in a Google Sheet<\/a>. That worked for me for a good while, but if you want something more dynamic, you can look at more flexible workspaces like Trello<\/a> and Notion<\/a>. But consider Buffer<\/a> (freemium) and Edgar<\/a> (paid) as well; they are social media marketing tools with post schedulers baked in natively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Committing to a Posting Schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let me take a pause and congratulate you for making it here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re now ready to post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-checklist-schedule-time.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOkay, but when should you post? Sadly, that\u2019s entirely predicated on demographics, which vary for everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are (paid) third-party tools out there that use A.I. to determine which times of the day you should post your content, but I find that the following posting frequency works generally for everyone: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Facebook<\/a>: 1-2 posts per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Twitter<\/a>: 15-30 tweets per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LinkedIn<\/a>: 1 post per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pinterest<\/a>: 11-25 pins per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Instagram<\/a>: 1-3 posts per day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As for the scheduling itself, that\u2019s something you can sort out along the process. But if you want to use some of the paid tools I\u2019ve mentioned, there\u2019s Buffer<\/a>, CoSchedule<\/a>, Sprout<\/a>, and Edgar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nStep 4: Being Social<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You have the content part nailed down. Good. Here comes what seems to be the hard part to a lot of people\u2014being social.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The point of this step is to warm up leads that are already in your network, and nurture ones you\u2019ve already made contact with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds simple, right? Well, it is. Staying on top of it can grow a bit overwhelming, but not if you have a properly laid out checklist, which is what I have for you below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instagram<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Follow prospects and other freelancers when the opportunity arises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) picture every day about your life as a freelancer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) behind-the-scenes moment on your Instagram stories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do a feed\/stories takeover with a fellow freelancer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ask freelancer friends on Instagram to appear on each other\u2019s accounts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use relevant hashtags.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comment on prospects and fellow freelancers\u2019 posts and stories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Update your \u201cHighlights\u201d stories once every two weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Facebook<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Consider advertising on Facebook\u2019s Ad platform.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comment on relevant group discussions in Facebook Groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add prospects and other freelancers as friends when the opportunity arises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) blog post every day on your profile and Facebook Page (if you have one; you should!).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) blog post every week in relevant groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ask friends\/fans to change their feed settings to see your posts first. They can change it by clicking the \u201cFollowing\u201d button and changing it to \u201cSee First.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comment on prospects and fellow freelancers\u2019 status updates, posts, and videos.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Snap behind-the-scenes moments of your freelancing and post them to your profile or page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Twitter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Post an abundant number of tweets every day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure the tweets are relevant to the clients you\u2019re trying to serve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Let your personality shine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Retweet relevant posts from influencers and followers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Follow an abundant number of new people every week.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Respond to mentions and DMs every day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Pinterest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Make pins for your top performing blog posts, and then post them to Pinterest, linking to your article.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You can easily make pins using free web software like Canva.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create boards based around specific aspects of your services. In my case, that would be \u201cContent Creation Resources\u201d or \u201cCopywriting Tips.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add your pins to your boards whenever you post a new blog post.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add new pins to your boards at least once a week.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Find a considerable number of relevant pins from others and repin them to your boards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
LinkedIn<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Comment on relevant group discussions in LinkedIn Groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In the discussions, connect with prospects and other freelancers when the opportunity arises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) blog post every week on your profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post at least one (1) blog post every week in relevant groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comment on prospects and fellow freelancers\u2019 status updates, posts, and videos.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Share behind-the-scenes moments of your freelancing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Slideshare<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- Twitter<\/a>: 15-30 tweets per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Facebook<\/a>: 1-2 posts per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Discovering where to reach your audience<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/08\/social-media-checklist-closeup-tech-screens.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n