Upgrade your media presence with Tom Smith
On the subject of social media, Tom’s approach is phlegmatic. As a freelancer, with a salon clientele as well as a topflight role as evo international creative colour director, Tom’s view is a global one. And wherever you are in the world, social media is a must. Like it or not, creating content and regularly appearing on social media is part of your job. Posting your work, interacting with other accounts and attracting attention brings its rewards: New clients.
Tom tells us social media is not only your online portfolio, but your direct line to your potential clients. “Social media is your strongest (free) advertising and marketing tool. It can enable you to live out a career without a ceiling and give you access to an international hairdressing community and endless opportunities.”
Who’s watching?
With all media you put out there, it’s important to determine who your audience is – clients or industry. Tom explains: “I always advise choosing one – I don’t believe you can effectively appeal to your peers and your customers in the same messaging.
“Think about your career goals and choose your niche; accordingly, if your goal is becoming fully booked then focus more on client friendly language and your local community. If you want to educate and travel with a brand, building your profile as an expert and sharing insight with your peers will rapidly put you on the radar for potential opportunities. Remember your goal can change and it’s OK to rethink your strategy over time.”
Tom’s top tips
… take your social media to the next level
1 Ascertain your ‘why’. When you’re totally clear on why you’re participating in professional social media you can make more intentional choices. Use this to determine one key profile/character all your content is addressing (sometimes it’s helpful to literally imagine a single ideal client of business contact and imagine all your content is designed to please them).
2 Decide whether you want a beautifully curated landing page or whether you really want to grow a following and build a profile, this will determine really how much you need to invest in the build.
3 Schedule time to create and post content, and make sure it’s consistent, whatever frequency you choose. Collaborate with peers who you admire where possible. You’ll gain new experiences and gain access to each other’s existing audience which can boost growth rapidly.
4 Ask your brand partner what content they look for and if it aligns with your own then create content in line with that. They will hopefully repost and that will get you out to a larger audience. If you do this successfully, many brands with put budget towards UGC which means once you’ve proven yourself, you may even be eligible to be paid for creating content for them.
Get to it
Thanks for sharing Tom. It’s never too late to make a start on elevating your social media presence. The thing is to get going – don’t overthink – then strategise. Following the 4 points above is going to make it easier.
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