Lead With Value on Social Media
“If you get bored with social media, it’s because you are trying to get more value than you create.” - Fast Company
It’s easy for you as a consultant to think that giving away your precious IP is counterintuitive because you think sharing “how the sausage gets made” will turn into fewer inbound leads. I mean, why wouldn’t you feel like that?
Before social media, it was very easy to get paid a lot of money to have concrete lessons and hard-earned experiences. That was because the information was not commoditized, which all changed with the introduction of the internet.
The days of gatekeeping information are long gone. Because the internet has democratized information, your “secret sauce” is readily available to anyone with an internet connection.
The differentiator, today, is the actual consultant. When you work with a consultant, you’re working with someone who leads with value—the value that is applicable to you and your business.
Just because a client has all the information in the world, doesn’t mean it’s contextually relevant to them or their customers. Consultants showcase, through the value they provide, a more personalized and relevant approach to the problems and opportunities at hand.
For example, you might be hesitant to share the tools that you use because you feel that if you share it, other consultants or possible clients might just use them and not hire you. Let me preface this by saying that this can happen. However, if that person were to use that information instead of hiring you, they probably weren’t going to hire you in the first place and probably weren’t your ideal customer.
However, by sharing your process, two things will happen:
- You build trust with your audience
- You showcase your expertise
We like to buy from people that we like, trust, and find credible. By showcasing industry resources with your audience, you are providing value to them. This value makes you a “thought leader” to your audience, meaning they are much more likely to trust the products and services that you recommend - including your own.
Your clients want to know that you’ve helped businesses just like them. Showcasing your expertise on social media lessens the upfront risk for potential clients, as they feel more comfortable that you can help them successfully navigate through their unique problems.
Granted, popping the hood is not the same as taking the car apart. Giving strategic glimpses will help move leads who are on the fence to inquire about your services.
The first step is putting pen to paper and outlining a strategy that you could put into practice today. (Shameless plug - we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you, outlining every step you need to be successful in this step. See the Digital Marketing Pro workbook and course here. And we have a simplified version for everyone who doesn’t have time to go super in-depth. See the Digital Marketing Basic workbook and course here.)
Next, look at your industry’s most frequently asked questions, and select the top three that you have the authority or expertise to provide value to.
Question 1: Make a video, relay personal experiences you’ve had regarding this.
Question 2: Write a blog post or an article about the problem and how you would advise your clients to solve it.
Question 3: Short text (fits in a tweet) that outlines your quick take on the topic.
Don’t be afraid to lead with value when seeking new clients. It will be the main reason they choose you over the other guy. By providing the most value to your audience, wherever they are, you will command attention in your industry.
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