How to Get Clients for Your Social Media Agency

Spending months trying to attract clients on your own – and sometimes even paying to do it? So much blood, sweat and tears. Then you spend hours and hours having the same conversation repeatedly. How can you make your social media work for your business?
A reputable social-like provider with extensive experience in social media marketing will identify your ideal prospect. Then determine who they know, what they are interested in, and who else needs help with social media marketing that they don’t want to do themselves. Read to learn how getting clients for a social media agency is easy.
Business Referrals
To get business referrals, you need to be a good listener. Be a person who listens more than talks, asks questions rather than talks about yourself, and shows genuine interest in what the other person says. It’s not easy being good at listening—it takes practice.
Once you’ve built up a strong reputation in your local area, word will spread about the service you offer and the value you provide. If someone needs help with social media, they’ll feel comfortable reaching out to you because they know you’ll give them what they need.
You might be thinking: “But how can I get business referrals if I don’t have any clients yet?” Here are two ways to start getting business referrals:
- Do work for free for people you know well and build relationships with them until they trust you enough that they’ll refer their friends and colleagues when they need social media services.
- Offer discounts or freebies (like webinars or guest posts on your blog) for people who share your content on social media or recommend your services to others.
Cold Calling
Before you pick up the phone, ensure you’ve done your research. Ask yourself: who are the people I want to work with? What do they care about? What makes them tick? What problems do they have that they want to solve? How can I help them?
After having a clear picture of your client, it’s time to start making calls. If you don’t have contacts, try searching LinkedIn or other professional networking sites for people interested in hiring someone like you. You may even look up some companies where those people work.
Remember: don’t go into the call thinking, “I just need to get past this gatekeeper so that I can talk to someone more important.” Focus on connecting with the person on the other end and get them excited about what you offer.
Cold calling is something many avoid because it feels too pushy and intimidating, but it’s simple. The trick is not to sound like a salesperson when cold calling; instead, to sound like a helpful friend or colleague who wants to share some information with them.
Advertising
Advertising your social media agency is the best way to get clients. It’s a good idea to advertise with other methods, like networking and referrals, but advertising is still an essential part of your strategy.
There are types of ads you can use. The first option is to pay for an ad on a social media platform or website that caters to businesses in your industry (for example, LinkedIn). It is an easy option because you can target specific people who are likely to be looking for what you offer. However, this will cost money; if that’s not something you can afford right now, consider another type of ad.
The next option is a classified ad on Craigslist or another local classifieds website. People who want to hire social media agencies are often looking for new options and may not know where else to look—a classified ad could be just the thing they need!
Include all pertinent information about your agency in the ad: what services you offer, what kind of clients you work with best (companies or individuals), and any other details that might be relevant (such as discounts for first-time clients). You should also include a phone number or email so potential clients can contact you directly with questions or requests for more information about working together.
Create a Unique Product or Service
If your agency offers the same thing as other agencies, it will be hard for you to stand out in their minds. If you create something only you can provide, there will be no competition—and clients will flood.
To create something new, you must understand your industry. What are its trends? What are its problems? What kinds of solutions do other agencies offer? You’ll want to ensure your product or service addresses those problems while offering something unique that isn’t available elsewhere.
When creating an agency, choose a niche and know it inside out. By focusing on one area, you can offer a superb service far beyond the competition, which will draw in clients looking for a specialist. Your social media service will be your calling card, so make it stand out.