How can you create a successful social media strategy for your consulting business?

No wind will favour someone who doesn't know which port they are heading for. The same is in sales and marketing. There can be a lot of targets in one post, which can change the whole content. It could be follower acquisition, brand building, website outreach, etc. We use a content matrix to create 52 pieces of content for our clients a year in advance. Here we first sell the idea, then the company, then the problem and only then the solution.

Creating a successful social media strategy for a consulting business involves defining goals and audience, selecting relevant platforms, planning diverse content, maintaining consistent branding, engaging actively, using multimedia, analyzing performance, considering paid advertising, fostering relationships, and adapting strategies to industry trends. This approach builds a strong online presence and attracts the appropriate audience for the consulting business.

By first defining your target audience and platforms where they engage. I will share valuable insights to position myself as an industry thought leader. I will utilize a mix of content formats from articles to engaging visuals and maintain consistency in posting. I will actively engage with my audience, will respond promptly, and leverage analytics to refine my approach.

It's important to remember that much social media content exists on a sliding scale from 'actionable' to 'engagement bait'. Brands and individuals need to ask themselves: am I trying to encourage potential clients to take some form of action, or am I just farming for likes?

What you do and who you do it for is very important to your business. You wouldn't approach a plumbing company with software geared towards manufacturing. The same goes for selling yourself on social media. A big audience may yield less of a return than a narrow audience with interest in what you offer. Tailor your content to your audience and don't try to broaden your topics to encompass more people. It can be difficult to remain focused, but it is crucial to define your audience and remain dedicated to producing content that they can and will engage with.

The best advertising is when you echo the customer's own thoughts. You don't need a better catchphrase than that. That's why we market to existing customers. We look at 3 aspects: 1. what was the benefit of choosing us 2. what was the difficulty our product or service solved 3. what was the risk they had to overcome before they trusted us. Once you have these "you just need to communicate it." :)

There are so many platforms out there and it is tempting to put your efforts into posting everywhere. The problem that quickly arises is that it is very hard to produce the volume of content at the frequency necessary to post everywhere successfully. It makes the most sense to identify where your offering fits best with the audience of users. Once you know where you play best, focus your energy on that platform. For a consulting business, hands down, LinkedIn should be the major focus. You can still post on other channels but focusing on two to three platforms and having one be dominant, is often the best way to get started, especially if you are doing it yourself.

You don't have to be present on all channels, although more communication is always better than less. However, if you are selling in the B2B sector, for example, then a LinkedIn presence is a clear advantage. Of course, part of B2B marketing is still the newsletter (which is already on LinkedIn of course and works very well), Google Ads and even TikTok in some aspects.

You should first research when and how to post most successfully based on the platforms you are using. This may involve some testing of posting on different days and at different times to see your results. However, once you identify a system, you may benefit from creating a calendar of what and when you will be posting. This will help you stay organized and allow you to plan your content well in advance. There are several products online that can help organize, calendarize, and even schedule posts for you. It is best to streamline as much of this process as possible. Remember, your business is consulting, not social media posting. You want to create and post content as easily as possible so you can focus on your business.

Engage your consulting biz on social with: Snackable insights: Share quick wins, industry trends, or "aha!" moments that make followers think. No jargon, just actionable gold. Show, don't tell: Ditch the stock photos! Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, client testimonials, or team moments. Make your brand human and relatable. Celebrate wins (big & small): Did you land a dream client? Crack a complex problem? Share it! Showcasing success inspires and builds confidence. Calls to action: Don't just post, invite! Ask for feedback, offer free resources, or encourage website visits. Make your social presence a lead magnet. Remember, social media is a conversation, not a commercial. Be helpful, be authentic, and be consistent.

Will collaborate with influencers and industry peers to broaden my reach. Ultimately, authenticity and value should be at the core of every interaction to build trust and credibility in the consulting space.

Analytics can tell you a lot about what you are posting and how it is performing. Posting the same type of content with poor results is not a productive way to grow your business. Looking at reach, engagement, and link clicks can help you determine what types of content you should produce more of. Tweaking those to optimize will be key for building more engagement from your audience. Think about what your goal is before measuring the effectiveness of your content. If you are looking to gain leads, it may require different content than if you are looking to build an audience of followers. Knowing which content produces which result will be key in refining your efforts.

We only market to our customers based on analytics. For example, LinkedIn analytics is very useful for customer acquisition. You can build a complete digital sales funnel around it.

It is important to consider your brand when you begin to build your social media presence. Knowing who you are and how you want to represent yourself to others will ultimately help tell others who you are and what you represent. Social media provides you with a huge audience, however, gaining any attention from that audience is extremely difficult. Having a clear, identifiable brand will help you stand out in the crowd.