How to Become a Successful Social Media Consultant
Learn everything you need to know on how to become a successful social media consultant.
Posted last year
Written by
Mackenzie TaylorPosted last year
So you’ve decided you want to become a social media consultant, huh? You’ve been working in and around social media for years and now you’re ready to jump right in and get started on consulting on the social of the businesses and brands you love. We get it! We’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and officially wear it to bed. Social media consulting can be a hard door to get into if you don’t know where or how to get started which is why we’re here! Here is how to become a successful social media consultant.
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Why do you need a social media consultant?
There are a number of reasons why your brand or business might need a social media consultant:
- They know social media inside out. You want an expert running your social media to get you higher engagement and reach.
- They help you achieve your marketing goals. What goals do you have for your marketing? Consultants will know how to achieve them for you.
- Help you understand the metrics of your marketing. Not sure what the analytics are saying? A social media consultant will easily break it down for you and help you pinpoint the metrics you want to increase.
How to be a social media consultant
Now that we have the easy part out of the way, how do you actually become a social media consultant? There are a few things you’ll have to keep in mind when taking the plunge into consulting work (one of them is to develop a thicker skin!).
1. Choose your niche
While it might seem like a good idea to not pigeon yourself into one group, it is helpful to figure out exactly what your niche is so you can build the right strategy for your unique clients. When it comes to working with clients in all different areas, it can be hard to sell yourself and your work if you’re working for people in all different types of markets.
Figure out what niche you’re more interested in and start seeking out work in that area. Once you have a few clients under your belt in that market, others will come more easily for you to fill up your client roster. And if you provide strategy consulting, ensure that your expertise aligns with the specific needs of that niche to maximize your impact and effectiveness.
2. Take online courses
No one was born great at doing social media consulting (at least, I don’t think so…), so taking classes that will help you get from good to great is important when it comes to consulting. There are so many online courses out there (and some free!) that will help you sharpen your craft when it comes to consulting.
Click here to discover online courses for social media management.
3. Use social media a lot
This one seems like a no-brainer but it’s easy to push to the side once you get started with consulting. You’re busy, and you tend to forget that you need to keep your own social media up-to-date as well. Keep your social media channels updated regularly so future clients know who you are, and what you’re about, and get an understanding of why they would want to work with you.
4. Network
Networking is the best and most effective way to get more clients for your social media consulting biz. Start going to industry events. Go to local events in town that have various business owners. Start reaching out to people on social media with whom you want to work. Networking is key when it comes to gaining more experience with clients and actually getting more people through the door for your consulting company.
5. Learn about your customers
When it comes to working as a consultant, knowing exactly who your ideal customer is going to be is a pretty important part of the whole, you know, consulting. How are you going to be able to steer your customer to the right ideas if you don’t even know who your customer is?
Hint: You can’t.
Take the time to really sit down and understand who your audience is, their pain points, and their needs, and figure out the solutions to those issues. Furthermore, use CRM for consultants to gather and analyze client data effectively and tailor your services to meet their needs.
6. What services will you provide
When you first get started, you might want to say that you can do absolutely everything under the sun, but let’s be real. You can’t. Well, not effectively. Instead, think about the things that you’re the best at. Are you good at creating content? Copyediting? Seeing the bigger picture and assigning people tasks? Nail down everything you’re going to provide and write it all down. If there’s anything on your list that is making you go, “I don’t know if I’m truly skilled at this” take it off the list.
7. How much will you charge?
Oof. The hardest thing. How much will you charge for your services? You don’t want to undersell yourself because it might indicate to your future client that you’re not quite as qualified as you claim you are, or it could set a bad example for future clients who will come to expect you to work for pennies on the dollar.
The same can be said about overselling yourself. You don’t want to get a reputation for being too $$$. So what’s the happy medium? What’s the Goldilocks number? Go to Glassdoor and start looking around at the average amount for your job role and your experience. Figure out what people in your area are making and start building out your fees from there, using invoicing software for accurate billing and tracking.
8. Build a portfolio
How are people going to know who you are if you don’t have a portfolio or website for them to creep on? Let people creep! Even if you’re not skilled at creating websites, something simple that highlights the work you’ve done and the clients you’ve worked with in the past and currently will help future clients better understand how you can help them. Having compelling portfolio examples is essential for showcasing your work and attracting potential clients.
9. Get the tools you need
As a social media consultant, it’s so important to get the tools you need to make your work so much simpler and streamlined. Being able to quickly and easily create reports, track analytics and metrics from your client’s accounts, and more are an important part of being a better consultant and growing your clients’ accounts.
When you use Flick, you can link all of your clients’ accounts into one workspace (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok!) so you can track the progress of their content. Get a deeper understanding of the best times to post, what hashtags work, how the content stacks up against the competition, and more. Want to experience Flick for yourself? Sign up for a free 7-day trial.
Salary of a social media consultant
The rates for a social media consultant are all over the place, depending on experience and expertise. Someone just starting off in consulting can charge $15-50, while someone more experienced can charge up to $100 (and more!) per hour.
Not sure if social media consulting is for you but want to work in social media? Being a social media manager can help you get the experience you want and need. Click here to find out how to be a social media manager and click here to see our favorite social media marketing books to help you. Want to get the latest on all the best social media news? Subscribe to our newsletter today.
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