If you’re trying to grow a solopreneur business with primarily social media, thinking that’s THE way to do it, I believe you will be sadly disappointed. Too many solopreneurs think social media should be the center of their marketing and that’s a mistake for your energy and why you’re here.
It’s not a failure of your services if it doesn’t bring in enough business despite all the effort. It’s just reality.
Luckily there is a more effective way and I think you’ll like it much better too.
Perhaps this will come as a relief to those who dislike social media, especially my people (HSPs and introverts).
So then what?
A better way, with social media on the side.
In the early days of a solopreneur service-based business, and anytime, the core is about relationships of trust. For instance: getting referrals, or being visible to someone else’s audience (e.g., guest speaker, interview, newsletter feature, co-led workshop).
You might meet those support people on social media but then it has to go deeper than that with real-time connection. In the beginning, your main relationships of trust will be people you already know, not just from social media.
To be clear, growing an audience as a solopreneur is NOT this formula:
Post a lot on social media and then followers buy your offer from there. Nope.
At most, this might work on social media:
Grow followers on social media by building trust from valuable custom content. And grow faster by buying ads on social media to share valuable content. Over time people follow and might subscribe and might buy something eventually. The percent is small, so it takes a lot. It all takes time.
Faster and better than lots of social media posting is to be visible to someone else’s audience. The someone else is people who already trust you. It still takes time and effort but in a different way, and likely more aligned with how you want to spend your time anyway.
I believe social media is not required for solopreneurs, but it’s worth a look for supplement reasons.
People who trust me?
What I’ve said so far about turning toward people who already trust you might still sound hard on the surface, but the good news is that you already know people who trust you. And they might want to help!
Who? It could be your business coach, a colleague, former co-worker, a nichemate, a friend, or Aunt Sue. A nichemate is someone with a similar audience who might provide similar or tangential services. These relationships are gold!
Start with a simple 1:1 conversation with a few of them. Notice what happens. (More on what to do here.)
Not sure who or if you’re ready?
If you feel like no one knows your work well enough to endorse you in some way, it’s time to offer free sample consults, free talks, or some sampling of your services and knowledge.
Not feeling confident to reach out or to offer free consults or sessions? It could be time to back up the bus and make sure your work is aligned with your best strengths and values. Confidence starts there at the roots. Clarity and confidence is part of what a holistic business coach, like me, helps with.
One way you might develop a trusted network of kindred spirits is to be part of a solopreneur group or community for introverts and HSPs, like the ones I host. Look for something that’s led well and built for meaningful connection and mutual support.
My Experience with Social Media for My Business
I have been active all along on social media because it was comfortable for me. Luckily I never expected it to be a core of my marketing.
I have mainly used it to stay connected to people I know and to share information I’ve learned. And I learn from others’ shares. I drop the parts I don’t enjoy and keep what I like. These days what I like is mostly LinkedIn.
Wrapping Up
To be clear, there is no one-size-fits-all in business and marketing (or anywhere in life). I’m talking about underlying principles and possibilities for solopreneurs.
Bottom line: Don’t put all your eggs (your time and energy) in the social media basket, no matter how much it seems like it should be the central piece.
What do you think? What hesitance comes up? Experiences to share? Thanks!
