As it stands, social media is invading many aspects of society, and the freelance labor force is of no exception. Prospective clients do not check your social media feeds for negative reviews only. In fact, there is significant impact of such networks on growth and increased exposure of new talent in a crowded labor pool. As businesses continue to look to their smaller counterparts and freelancers as an on-demand workforce, social media usage will only gather speed and redefine how work is done.
Part of the effective usage of social media is connecting with new clients and fellow professionals in your niche. With this in mind, here are the reasons why the impact of social media affects freelancers’ and small business’ success.
The impact of social media to freelancers and small businesses
As a freelancer or a small business owner, working relationships with your clients can help you grow your career or company. Using social media allows you to gain referrals and form lucrative partnerships for future projects. Here are some of the ways freelancers and businesses can benefit from social media:
1. Brand Building
Like marketing in general, if you try to attract anyone and everyone, you will end up attracting no one. Since nearly half of the world’s population are active users of social media platforms, social media is a natural avenue for reaching new and targeted audiences. Small businesses and freelancers need to cultivate a following that is genuinely interested in what they do.
To connect with prospective clients, it is necessary to show the human side of your brand. The best thing about social media is that it allows you to create real human connections. Additionally, social media allows you to establish your businesses as a thought leader, the go-to source for people looking into a topic related to your niche.
2. Growth
For freelancers, working independently is a relatively new concept. People running small businesses, or those who are experienced freelancers, will share positive experiences with other. One of the key benefits of social media is the ability to drive traffic to your website. Sharing content on your blog is also an excellent way to transform readers into clients.
Like with building a brand, it is essential to interact with the right kind of people. Social media offers small businesses a low-commitment way to connect with potential customers. It doesn’t matter what products or services you provide, social media can help you generate leads. Besides, using social media to sell your products and services encourages people to talk about them, thereby driving purchase decisions.
3. Content Creation and Distribution
When you identify your ideal clients, finding things to share on social media that may interest them is a lot easier. Promoting your work on social media is a great way to prove your expertise and grow your audience. As people start liking, commenting, and sharing your content, your business is exposed to new audiences. This exposure is particularly beneficial because it shows an existing connection to your product or service.
For example, if you are offering legal services, you can share smart and well-researched content offering your audience insights into your operations. Like how using Todoist time tracking tools allow you to keep track of the job. You can also showcase how these time tracking tools allow you to record billable time accurately.
4. Communication
Small businesses and freelancers use social media to find a voice for their business. Your customers are already talking about your business or services on social media. With this in mind, you can pick the essential social posts that talk about your products or services that highlight the positive and address the negative. Developing such a brand identity is time-consuming, but it offers your enterprise the advantage of owning its voice.
While people might not be interested in what you had for dinner, using social media allows you to talk with passion and enthusiasm about topics that are related to your niche. Besides, small business owners and freelancers can use social media to encourage their followers to leave reviews that are more likely to draw a big audience. In any case, social media not only offers you the opportunity to interact directly with customers but also a medium for crisis communication.
5. Gaining insights
For freelancers and small businesses, social media can act as a medium for audience engagement, as well as a key source of gaining insights about your brand. You can also gain information about your following to make smarter business decisions. Besides, if you are getting lots of mentions, social media allows you to gauge the sentiments around your business.
Conclusion
The impact of social media is a powerful force for freelancers and small businesses. A skilled freelancer or business manager can use social media to leapfrog already established businesses and professionals who might be more pedestrian on the platforms. Up to 85% of freelancers or small businesses use social media to build better connections and to find work.
If your social media exposure is lacking, your efforts may never meet success or may prolong achieving your short-term goals.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels
Lori Wade is a journalist from Louisville. She is a content writer who has experience in small editions, Lori is now engaged in news and conceptual articles on the topic of business. Time management is critical to career success. That is why she uses the daily tasks report to stay in the lead at all times. If you need more tips on time management, entrepreneurship, or leadership, you can find her on LinkedIn.
