Social media tips for businesses and freelancers in Australia
As a freelancer or a business owner, it is advisable to use different methods of finding clients or employees. One method for this is social media. Therefore, in this article, we are going to show you how to do it and how important social media is in our country.
Social media has become an inevitable part of our lives. According to Statista, in 2017, daily social media usage of global internet users amounted to 135 minutes per day, up from 126 in the previous year. So overall people spend over two hours per day of their lives on social media. Knowing its huge impact on users makes more and more professionals joining these platforms.
As it is a time-consuming process and there are many social media platforms, it is hard to know what social media platform you should use as a freelancer and a business owner. So, which social media platform should you choose?
According to Statista, these are the most used social media platforms in our region:
1) YouTube with 74%
2) Facebook with 73%
3) Instagram with 35%
4) Pinterest with 27%
5) LinkedIn with 22%
6) Twitter with 21%
Although YouTube is most used, Facebook and LinkedIn are the social media platforms which most freelancers and their clients utilise (for B2B) according to Payoneer’s report. That is why we suggest to be active on Facebook and LinkedIn professionally.
I. Social media suggestions for freelancers
1) Groups: There are specific groups created for specific types of people on social media platforms. There are groups which are created only for freelancers. In these groups, there are not only freelancers but also clients who are looking for contractors. Become a member of these groups to increase the chances of finding a client.
2) Create content: You have to use your social media page effectively and professionally. Being part of groups is not always enough to find clients. Therefore, you have to show your experience by creating content and sharing them on your page as a freelancer. Before you start, think about these questions:
a) What kind of content will you share?
b) How and how often will you share content?
c) What will be your target segment for each piece of content?
3) Invest in advertisements: Although many people see advertising on social media as redundant, it is an easy way to reach your target group. You can increase your number of clients by directing them to a page where they can get information about your services or you get the right freelancer to apply for your job advertisement.
4) Review your clients’ and competitors’ accounts: One of the reasons you are on social media might be that both your clients and your competitors are actively using these platforms. Consider both your clients’ and your competitors’ business accounts when creating your social media marketing plan. It is a crucial indicator to know what kind of shares your competitors receive and what kind of posts your clients prefer. This way, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors while offering products and services to meet your clients’ expectations.
II. Social media suggestions for business owners
1) Set your social media goals and objectives: Setting your goals and objectives for social media using the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.
2) Try to learn from your competitors: What do your competitors do? Learn from what others have done successfully in the past. Try to evaluate your competitors strengths and weaknesses relative to your own. A competitor analysis can give you insights about what is working and what is not working for similar businesses.
3) Decide which platforms are right for you: You can use the data above to decide about the right platform for your business but remember, these statistics are just an overview. It’s important to understand how to reach your specific audience. For this you have to know your audience better than anyone.
4) Reach your target group by asking specific questions about them, e. g.:
a) Which age groups do you reach?
b) What are their common values?
c) What are their common pain points?
d) What are their solutions?
e) Which type of content works best?
5) Create a calendar: Plan your social media activities monthly for solid results. Create strategies in order to get better results with less time and effort.
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This article was published in the Australia Freelance Market News 80.