Selling a service in the visual age of social media is not easy. People have to trust you and your expertise before they sign up or hire you. They are not given the benefit of seeing a product and experimenting with it, they cannot see the work in progress – because that would mean revealing your specific business processes.
But it is possible for companies and independent entrepreneurs who sell services to have a strong and profitable social media presence. What you lack in terms of a physical product to display, you make up for by creatively promoting your talent, skills, and end results. In the world where seeing is believing, service providers have found many ways of attracting new customers and maintaining the current ones loyal.
We don’t believe in holding the absolute truth, but we have already worked with many customers whose business is service based. And we have a few actionable and simple tips to share with you, to help you create a successful and effective social media plan.
- Select the Platforms Which Work Best for Your Service
If you are a nail artist or a hair stylist, visual social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram are the best mediums to share your posts. However, if you offer services such as accounting, computer repair and maintenance, your work does not have such a visual appeal. However, you can attract your customers with quick tips and “did you know” type of posts – therefore, the platforms you should focus on are Facebook™ and Twitter.
A good and effective social media plan means investing time and money in platforms where you can reach the largest possible number of potential customers in an effective manner. Do not waste your resources on platforms which clearly do not give you the same results as others.
- Social Media as a Customer Service Agent
Service-based companies need to be very prompt in solving their clients’ claims and inquiries. While large companies can afford to keep a well-staffed department, available by phone 24/7, smaller companies can trust social media platforms, especially Twitter and Facebook™ Messenger.
Customers have started this trend of sharing their questions and complaints on the official social media pages, and now it has become the norm. As a part of your social media plan, you should consider creating a dedicated account (where you are allowed by the terms of service) for customer support only.
- Show off Your Skills in How-To Videos
Video tutorials are the number one promotional tool for service-based businesses. Instead of telling prospects how good they are at solving problems, they share videos showing their staff in action. People can draw their own conclusions, and these are usually positive.
Apart from recorded videos, you can now use Facebook™ to share live video sessions that are even more effective and believable. People can no longer doubt your skills when they show you at work in real time, right under their eyes.
- Automate and Save Time
Any solid social media plan has a clear timetable for each item – name of platform, date, and hour of posting. Many small business owners find it a daunting task; instead of supplying services to clients and making money, they have to sit in front of a computer and post on their social media accounts.
Fortunately, you can automate a great part of your social media plan, including collecting and sharing customer reviews and testimonials. All you have to do is to set aside an hour per week and schedule your entire social media posts for the next 7-10 days.
- Don’t Sell a Service, Sell a Solution to People’s Problems
Make your social media plan about the problem your services solve, not the services themselves. Share inspirational stories, client cases, behind the scenes, and any other posts which help people understand how you can help them.
Most companies focus less on the nitty-gritty of the service itself, and place happy customers under the spotlight. In this manner, even the most abstract and basic type of service gains human interest and the power of creating a community of loyal followers.