Take the Time to Build Your Own Channels

If You Are Going to Bill Yourself as a Social Media Marketer,

Take the Time to Build Your Own Channels

If you are going to bill yourself as an expert in social media marketing, which you are doing if you are asking a company or individual to pay you for these services, take the time to build your own channels and you will be able to put your money where your mouth is.

Understandably I only have just over 3,000 followers on Twitter and only about 600 followers on Instagram, so it might seem silly for me to make this point…but I’m investing the time and effort into my own channels so that when I need to proposition a new client, I can point to my own channels as proof of my ability.   If you have a number of clients with statistics that you can provide, then this might not be as important to you – but I still caution you to take heed.

Think of it this way

Imagine that someone is trying to sell you something.  Before you spend your hard earned cash, you are going to do your research and make sure that they are legitimate right?  Let’s take dog grooming as an example.  My dog is my baby, much the same way an entrepreneur or president’s business is their baby.  I’m going to do research and make sure that the service provider is good at what they do before I entrust them with my dog.  So is the business owner or executive.  In this case, if you are pitching them to pay you to run their Twitter profile, they may come looking for yours, regardless of whether you have given them other examples of your skill or prowess.

I’m no pro, but I’m working on it

In just a year I’ve taken my Twitter profile from a few hundred to a couple thousand, with no ads, just good old sweat equity, a few hashtags, chats and sharing content.  Imagine what I could have done if I had invested money behind the content that I was sharing and reached even more people? That’s what I want a prospect to think when they come to my account.  I want them to see that I am engaged with my audience, sharing relevant posts, thoughts and content.  I want them to see that I understand the nuances of the tool and take the time to do it in my own personal life in order to gain their trust.

This isn’t a Cease and Desist Order

In other words, keep doing what you’re doing, but make it a point to set aside some time to build your own channels.  Keep your twitter account open in an incognito tab and check it every so often.  Snap some great shots on  your phone and add them throughout the day with some great quotes and a solid hashtag or two.  Perform some searches and follow new accounts, engage with them and you’ll increase the chances that they’ll follow you back.  Start some conversations with people and find some twitter chats to participate in.  When I was still working at my last job, I would purposely take my lunch break during a twitter chat in which I wanted to participate.  You can make it happen, if you take the time.