Where Do You And Your Clients Hang Out?

Hey, where do your ideal clients hang out? Are they social media people? And if so, which platform?

This is part of one of 3 fundamental marketing questions that you should know so that you can be intentional and directional with your marketing? (What, Who, Why)

If your ideal clients are tradies then they're probably not on LinkedIn. Some might be there but more likely they're on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. If your ideal clients are creatives then they're probably on Instagram and TikTok. If they're coaches and consultants then they'll probably be on LinkedIn as well as other platforms.

If you don't know where they're hanging out, ask them.

Accountants and bookkeepers are also on LinkedIn and savvy ones are also where their ideal clients hang out. There are plenty of bookkeepers doing their thing over on Instagram and TikTok. Are you one of them? If so follow me and I'll definitely follow you back and cheer you on. If not, follow the ones that are for inspiration.

If you've been wanting to improve your social media profile but don't know where to start, you could do what I've done and check out profiles of people who claim to be experts on that particular platform, as well as those who have a large social following and maybe even a marketing team, for inspiration and ideas. 

LinkedIn

I've been spending an increasing amount of time on LinkedIn in the past month and as a professional bookkeeper and business coach I do feel like I've found my people in some respects. If you're on LinkedIn and we're not connected then definitely send me a connection request.

If you're not on LinkedIn I think it's worth being there even if your ideal clients are not. Why? Well, for community and connection with other accountants and bookkeepers if nothing else. Accountants and other bookkeepers can be great sources of referrals.

I've had a little bit of help with LinkedIn in the past month and here are 5 things that I have learned that you will find useful too. Feel free to use my profile as inspiration to improve your own if you feel it needs some love.

1. Featured Section

This is where you can "pin" articles, posts and links. Helpful when someone looks at your profile for them to get a better sense of who you are and who you serve.

Top tip I got was that articles, posts and links all show up differently in this section. As in, their sizing isn't uniform. It's one of those once you've seen it you can't unsee it things, so I've chosen to pin LinkedIn articles to this section so that it looks beautifully consistent. Three are immediately visible if you look at a profile on a computer.

Like this 👇

2. Headline

What people see when you post or comment is just the first sentence of your headline so make it count. This is your opportunity to be succinct, to articulate what you do and who you serve in as few words as possible.
This bit here 👇 

3. Personal Profile vs. Business Profile

LinkedIn is all about personal brand and so anything you do or say is as you, from your personal profile. That said, it's still useful to have business pages and to keep them updated, and this is where I have been going wrong to be honest. My LinkedIn business page has not seen much love over the years and that's about to change.

The advice I've been given, from Daniel Priestley, is that your business page is a signpost. It's where people will go if they want to know more about your business, after they've been to your personal profile. Use it like a signpost to direct people to your website, contact pages etc. It's important to update it from time to time.

4. Pick one

It can be overwhelming to keep up with creating content for social media but it's doable. I recommend that you pick one and focus on just that until you have a decent presence there and have developed some good habits so that you can maintain it relatively easily. Then turn your focus to a second one.

That's not to say that you can't have more than one profile at a time. I think you should have at least a minimal presence on, say 3, platforms. But each one is a learning process so pick one where you think you will have the greatest impact and really focus on that one.  

5. Is it worth paying for Premium?

I've currently got a free trial of Premium but that's the first time ever that I have, and I don't think I'll continue with it after the trial. You get a lot of functionality with the free version that I think will suffice for most bookkeepers. Others may have differing opinions but my opinion is that as a business owner you don't need it. As a job applicant or recruiter, then yes it could be useful, but as a bookkeeper... hmm don't think so. 🤔 

Happy to have my mind changed on this if you you do believe it's worth the price. Reply to this email and let me know if you do.  

Let's stay connected 

All of the above is actually the same advice I've been saying for years about your Facebook profiles and it also applies to Instagram. So if your jam is those platforms then the same advice holds. 

I hope you've found these tips useful for improving your social media presence and connecting with your ideal clients. Your social media profiles can be a powerful resource to showcase your expertise and credibility, and establish great relationships. 

Let's stay connected and support each other on this journey. Connect with me here for LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook and I'll be sure to follow you back and cheer you on.

Warmest regards,