Whether you’re growing your first business or starting your tenth venture from scratch, there is one common denominator in everything you do: you.
As you begin building your business, the initial marketing package is going to be you. It’s all about positioning yourself as an expert and ensuring that you bring in those premier clients.
And, just like it was in the old-fashioned days of sales, the way you present – how you dress, look and act on your public-facing social media accounts – plays a big role in what you’ll be able to market, and who you’ll be able to market to.
This could mean anything and everything, depending on your business: a polished Instagram Stories video, a beautiful spread of photographs on Facebook, or pitch-perfect branding across your web presence. I’m not saying you have to be a social media guru, but you do have to walk the talk.
If you’re a fitness coach, you should be in shape. If you work in marketing, your online copy should demonstrate your lead generation prowess. When I post my content, I want it to show me as a one-percenter to represent the audience I want to guide.
This might sound super daunting to social media novices or those uneducated in the wiles of social media marketing, but it’s actually super simple if you know the tips and tools of the trade. These are my top four ways to create focused social content that will position you in the spaces you need to be in – and get you the clients you deserve.
Look the Part
No matter what industry you’re in, you should look polished and professional on social media – whatever that standard is for the space you occupy. You might not wear the same thing to sell a high-end, exclusive motorcycle that you would work as a fiduciary, but no matter what industry you’re in, your attire and appearance should be as clean and polished as your Sunday best.
Prioritize Background and Lighting
When it comes to producing high-performing video content to bring clients right to your door, few things are more important than a good background. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen content with a messy background. It doesn’t make you look on top of your game; it just makes you look cheap. And if the lighting is so bad prospective clients can’t see your face? That’s a no-go.
The simple solution is to hang a sheet behind you to get that clean white background and pick up a simple ring light from Amazon or Best Buy to ensure viewers can see your face. Ideally, your background should somehow speak to your clientele or your industry, but sometimes beggars can’t be choosers. The priority is to create a nice, neat backdrop and ensure everyone can see your face.
Prioritize Authenticity
It might be tempting to rent Lamborghinis and jets to give the illusion of a millionaire’s lifestyle or go all out with the posed vacation photography to show off your wealth. While it’s important to demonstrate that you live the lifestyle your potential clients aspire to, it is equally important to be genuine and authentic in how you live your life online.
Show how you got to where you are today, and then show how other people can climb the mountain with your help. Speak directly to your clients from a heartfelt place of honesty, and post all your social media content with that same mindset. Trust me, people can pick up on that authenticity, and it can only endear you more to your target audience.
Posture Properly
When it comes time to take your client interactions offline, there’s an art to interpersonal interaction that I think a lot of us have forgotten. And who can blame us? We’ve been stuck in home offices and Zoom meetings – those little nuances were bound to slip our minds eventually!
You should be just as focused on presenting the correct image offline as you are online. Dress properly for the venue and the meeting, don’t overdo it on the cologne or the makeup and be prepared with small talk topics (or better yet, some real questions to ask the real person who will be sitting opposite you). When you take the conversation offline, you have the chance to make a real and powerful connection. Don’t waste it.
When it comes to marketing your product, you are the package that will either make or break the sale. By prioritizing your online and offline appearance and making sure you look at the part you want to play in your clients’ lives, you’ll position yourself to not only sell more but to touch and impact more lives. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
John Swanson is the CEO of Wendell, a coaching company that focuses on the area of Mindset and Health for Entrepreneurs. Previously, John was a professional athlete and the former CEO of Granite Games, Fast Factory Fitness and Factory Forged. He has partnered with companies like Nike and Reebok and has recently been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Entrepreneur, SmallBizClub, Young Upstarts and many others. Find out more here: wendellco.com.
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