Guide to creating a stand out social media profile
Many people turn to social media when it comes to choosing professional service providers. They look to social media to learn more about you, who you help, how knowledgeable you are, and what other people say about you.
Your social media profile enables you to build authentic relationships with your clients, expand awareness about your practice, and engage with your target clients.
That’s why it’s vital you have a social media profile that stands out, and attracts your ideal clients. Whether you’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other social media, there are a few steps you can take to make your social media stand out.
Focus on your clients
Too many businesses focus only on themselves on social media, not on their clients. People want to know how you could help them. A list of your credentials proves you have knowledge, but lots of people have credentials–and they don’t really tell clients how you help people like them.
Instead of writing a profile based on where you went to school, how long you’ve been in business, and how your firm has grown, write about how you’ve helped your clients. Doing so gives your clients a better understanding of your expertise as well as the potential outcomes they could gain from working with you.
The key here is to show your clients how you help, don’t tell them.
For example, “We helped our client, Sarah, save more than $7,000 on her income tax last year by restructuring her healthcare business and taking advantage of tax credits.”
This sentence tells readers that you’re experts in income tax, that you help healthcare businesses, and that you can save them money. It’s also unique because not every firm out there can share the same story, so by sharing your client’s story you stand out.
Just make sure you get your client’s permission to share their story.
You could also ask questions of your readers. Instead of saying, “We save you hours each week by taking care of your bookkeeping” ask “What would you do with the extra 4 hours you get each week, once we’ve taken over your bookkeeping?” It gets your reader thinking about how you impact them, and how much better their life will be when they decide to work with you.
More tips for writing your profile:
- Include keywords that are specific to your audience, so they can easily search for you and find you.
- Avoid overused words like innovative. Instead, show how you’re innovative. You could write, “After our client switched to cloud accounting software, she found she had 10 extra hours a week to focus on her business.”
- Inject some personality into your profile. If you have a great sense of humour, use it here. Include a funny line or two, or a joke about finances. Let people see your personality.
- Answer questions you think your clients would have (or answer questions your clients always ask you). For example, if your clients regularly ask what the best way to contact you is, include that here. If they ask what hours you’re available, include that information as well.
- Use a call to action to encourage people to visit your website, follow your social media profile, or reach out to you for more information.
Write an impactful headline for LinkedIn
If you’re building a profile on LinkedIn, write a short headline that tells people who you are and what you do. Keep it to no more than two sentences, but include relevant information about you and your target audience.
“Accountant who helps real estate agents structure their business and save money on their income tax.”
“Offering CFO-level services to medium-sized businesses in Sydney.”
“Virtual bookkeeper with a focus on sole proprietorships.”
Have a recent profile picture
People want to work with people, not companies. They want to see the humans behind the accounting or bookkeeping firm. Rather than using a picture of a calculator or a building, use your photo or a photo of your team in your profile.
Additionally, your photo should be original. So don’t use a stock photo, or any images that other brands are already using.
Make sure you use a professional-looking profile photo. It doesn’t have to be a professional headshot–you can take a decent photo with your smartphone if you like. But make sure faces are clearly visible, including people’s eyes.
If you have multiple social media profiles, use the same photo across all profiles, so people easily recognize you and become more familiar with you.
Use a cover image, if possible
It’s tempting to not use the cover photo section, but that portion of your social media profile is another opportunity to post a visually stunning photo that attracts your audience. If you have a logo or an emblem, use it here so long as it isn’t text-heavy.
As with your profile photo, this image should be 100% original and should reflect your business, or your brand.
Add your link to the profile page
Your social media profile is a great way to get people to connect with your website for more information. Make sure all your social media has easy-to-find and accurate links to your company’s website.
If there’s space, include a few links. For example, you could include a link to your home page in the social media URL spot, then include a link to your About Us page when you write about your team.
Remember testimonials
Some social media allows you to post reviews, recommendations, and testimonials on your profile. If you have this opportunity, use it. After all, people are checking you out on social media to read what other people are saying about you. If you have people saying great things, post them publicly. Use our pre-written email templates to save you time when asking clients for testimonials.
Be thorough
In whatever social media you use, make sure you answer all the questions and fill out all sections thoroughly and accurately. If there’s a spot to include your experiences, do so. If there’s a place for putting in your firm’s contact information, include it. If you have the opportunity for both long and short descriptions, write a short and a long description.
The more information you can give, the more engaging your profile will be–and the easier it will be for people to find you online in a search. Use every opportunity to include relevant keywords
Get posting
Now that you’ve got a social media profile that stands out, it’s time to start posting. Set up a schedule for posting to your social media, start engaging readers and sharing our expertise.
Make a plan to review your social media regularly. That way you can ensure the information in your profile is accurate and relevant.