Many of my clients, especially people who are in a service-based business, are baffled by how to get clients on social media. They feel like they're either being too pushy or it's crickets. It feels like a waste of time to them and they just can't see how being on social media will produce any results. 

Now, of course there are LOTS of ways to utilize social media to build your business, but to keep it simple, I'm just going to cover one strategy in this post. It's a strategy that has brought in lots of clients and continues to build my email list. 

Here's the scoop and what it actually looks like in action. 

The strategy I'm talking about is "being of service" in Facebook Groups. I learned this from my awesome coach, Jenny Shih, and it's produced great results for me...but I have to admit that it's easy to misinterpret this concept at first. 

The idea is that you spend some time being helpful in Facebook groups where your ideal clients might hang out. Just show up, be kind, answer questions, and engage in the community. You have conversations and create relationships so that people start to know and trust you as a helpful and reliable resource. 

Common Mistakes

While this is simple in theory, there are a few mistakes people make along the way that leaves them discouraged and annoyed by this strategy. Let's get clear on what not to do.

1. Just pitching. Sometimes folks think that they'll join a bunch of Facebook groups and just show up in threads to drop links and pitch their stuff. Surely if someone knows about their awesome program they'll surely just BUY NOW, right? Nope. This is all about creating a presence and continually being helpful. Eventually when the opportunity presents itself, then you can tell people what you do and how to hire you. 

2. Being preachy. On the other hand, some folks just answer threads without really asking for more context. They just grab the proverbial mic and start preaching. There's no conversation, no back and forth, no listening involved. Sometimes they have useful information to share, but the way in which they do it doesn't foster conversation or connection. 

3. Not being consistent. Just like the gym analogy, you can't expect to show up once a month and get killer results. It takes showing up and continually being engaged. Now, this doesn't mean you have to spend hours a day, but being present a couple of times a week, even for 30 minutes will start to make a difference. 

Make sense? Think of it as being at a BBQ with a bunch of people you don't know. You don't want to be the person who just talks about what they do and walks away (pitching), or talking at you instead of engaging in conversation (preaching). But the more often you see a good human being helpful to others (consistency), the more you take notice.

The Approach 

At first "being of service" felt kind of off to me.

So I'm supposed to hang out in groups and talk with people and hope that they eventually hire me? Hmmm, seems like a waste of time. 

The shift for me happened when I came across this quote: 

Ahhh, yes! That perspective made it click for me. 

I knew immediately that this would guide how I did my "being of service" outreach. I wanted to make people feel encouraged and empowered. So, I'd congratulate people on their wins, I'd pass along helpful links when a resource might answer someone's question, and I'd ask a LOT of questions. 

More on that here, but to see what this looks like, let's take an example of a recent conversation.

Being of Service in Action 

When I started out, I joined a LOT of groups where I thought my clients would hang out, and then I spent a week or two getting a feel for the "vibe" of a group. Some groups are really annoying and disjointed, but others have great energy and engaged members. After spending time in a lot of groups, I narrowed it down to just a few (about 5 for me right now), and left the others. 

Here's a conversation from a great group I'm in.  This just started from someone asking if there was anyone else in Montana in the group, and I chimed in, saying "Yep! I'm in Whitefish."

No pitch, no nothing. Just "hey! I'm here!"

Then this happened: 

Break It Down

Okay, so let's talk about what's going on here. 

First, this doesn't always happen, but for whatever reason she clicked on my profile to see what I do and was curious. Easy in! 

But notice I didn't jump in with a pitch the instant she showed interest in business coaching. That'd feel pushy to me, so I just expressed some enthusiasm. If she's not actually looking for a coach, I don't want to push and since this is a thread others can read, I just want to convey that I love the work I do (a good approach for the long run). 

Next, she actually says "I've been thinking about getting a business coach." Great! This is exciting! 

Buuuuut, again I don't want to just jump in with a pitch. That's not what I'd do "in real life" so I won't do it here. Instead, I'm going to get excited for her and ask how I can help. I don't say "here's a link to my blog post about how to start a business" or "book a call now." I just open the door for her and invite her to walk through if she wants. 

Okay, now you'll notice that her next reply is a day later. When you ask people questions that make them think, sometimes it takes them a while to digest it....so instead of badgering her, I just let it be. 

When she comes back, she admits that she's a little bit stuck and overwhelmed. So, instead of "telling" her what she should do, I come back to that quote about "people remember how you make them feel." So I break it down by like this: 

• I start with congratulations and enthusiasm
• Then I offer some understanding and let her know I get that it can be overwhelming.
• After that, I give a little bit of advice followed with an analogy (because that's how I learn best).
• Finally, I offer more help if she wants it. Still not an official pitch, but just an invitation to keep the conversation going.  

Just for another example, I could have instead said something in that last sentence like "this is the kind of work that I love to do with my clients. If that sounds like something you're interested in, let me know. I'd be glad to tell you more."

Okay, but did it work? 

This, of course is the real test!

To be totally transparent, this person hasn't hired me yet, and may not. And that's fine. But I did get 3 new people to sign up for my email list the day this happened, which is a small win. Not sure if it was because of this thread, but maybe? 

The BIG win however, is that someone else in the group sent me a private message saying "I saw your conversation in X Facebook group, and I'd love to know more."

She set up a consult and hired me! WOOHOO!

That is the genius of being of service. When people see that you're being kind and helpful without an agenda (or at least not one I'm pushing down someone's throat) THEY NOTICE. This creates trust and visibility...which is what you need to get more clients. 

But what about...

You may be wondering how this sort of thing works for product based businesses. Or businesses that rely on local clients (as opposed to online relationships). The good news is that the same principles apply, really. Find places your ideal clients might hang out, then be a kind and helpful human. Whether you end up connecting with your client directly, you might just create a lot of fans who want to share your work with others. 

Remember, behave the way you would at a BBQ or a cocktail party.  Engage. Ask questions. Listen. Be helpful. Create connection. 

This is how it happens. 

Give it a try and let me know how it goes. 

Photos by jens johnsson on Unsplash