Monthly Archives: April 2026

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The Value of Networking

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Relationships are the beating heart of humanity and a factor that, for better or worse, impact your fortunes in life. In the professional sector, the process of networking presents opportunities to meet business colleagues with whom you might cultivate (mutually) productive relationships. Your willingness to meet and greet colleagues you encounter in various settings can open the door to relationships that bring tangible benefits to your business or career. Wherever conversations and handshakes can take place, even the sidewalk in front of the Apple store where a crowd of hopefuls waits to buy the next cool device, can be a networking opportunity.

Whether by intention or by chance, you never know how or when you’ll meet someone who will bring a positive impact to your life or business. Networking, wherever it occurs, is a low-risk gamble that can deliver a sizeable pay-off—information or insights that sharpen your business acumen, an introduction to a prospective client—or maybe finding a great tennis partner. Whatever happens during your adventures in networking, the benefits you receive will be better if you prepare in advance for the experience.

Develop objectives

As noted, networking has the potential to have a powerful influence on your business and for this reason, a well-planned marketing strategy will not overlook this resource. Smart Freelancers take networking seriously; you get the ball rolling by first strategically evaluating the potential value of the networking events you might attend. In other words, it’s important to understand why you think it’s a good idea to attend certain events? “To network” is an incomplete answer. What do you want to happen?

Well—maybe you recognize the name of the speaker and you like the topic? You could pick up some useful information and hope to reconnect with an acquaintance or two whom you haven’t seen since the pandemic. You’ll be off to a good start with those two objectives. Now, consider if there is some information or insights your colleagues, if they show up, might share with you? Could it be that you’re thinking of offering a new service, or you’ve been investigating the potential of a niche market and one of your buddies could give you some feedback? Or maybe the program speaker can address your questions with you privately, after the talk? Now you’re on your way!

Networking requires a certain amount of time and money and you owe it to yourself to create a rational business case for your networking “why” by developing objectives that can be tied to tangible business outcomes or support one or more objectives. Networking needs an agenda, like touching base with a colleague or two because your recollection of their experience and relationships makes you suspect that either or both could give you some actionable input.

Be sure to check out the RSVP list, which the event organizer may have posted on the website, and confirm that your buddies—or someone else you’d like to meet—plans to attend. Whether or not you see familiar names on the guest list, there are basic questions that can serve as your networking agenda and almost guarantee a successful outcome, however modest. 1.) Meet a client. 2.) Get a referral. 3.) Get information. More potential agenda items are listed below.

  • Customer acquisition: Are you looking for new clients? Learn how clearly and concisely describe the profile of your ideal customer to colleagues you meet and connect with.
  • Strategic collaborations: Do you need a business partner or investor? Or maybe you’d like to find a Freelance videographer to join you on a project every now and again?
  • Investor: If your company is thriving and scaling in the form of growth or expansion is on your mind, you may be on the lookout for a knowledgeable and trustworthy investor who is willing to help you fund the plans for your enterprise.
  • Research & feedback: Is there a new product or service you’d like to test the waters with? Obtaining direct, first-person feedback from potential customers or industry peers provides useful, actionable, insights.

Attend the right networking events

Not all B2B networking events will be appropriate for your industry or business objectives. The “best” events depend entirely on what you’d like to make happen. You wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to a casual coffee meetup and similarly, you shouldn’t attend an emerging technology summit when you’d like to meet HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) specialists.

When investigating your networking possibilities, consider the event’s audience and how connecting with those who attend will be beneficial for you and therefore worth the time and money you’ll invest. Start with your objectives, then match them to the right event and develop a reasonable agenda that puts you on a path to a worthwhile networking outcome. Don’t forget to check the Small Business Expo’s Event Calendar for upcoming networking opportunities designed for for small business owners in your area.

Pre-meeting prep

Once you’ve chosen your event, devise your onsite strategy, from the initial meeting with colleagues to conversations that can segue into “What brings you here and what do you do?” questions to graciously inviting follow-up, if a post-event conversation appears to be mutually agreeable. If one or more colleagues are on the RSVP list, consider how your target contacts might be able to share info, give feedback, make a referral, or make an introduction on your behalf. You can rehearse how you might adroitly make the ask.

  • Research attendees: Most nationally known professional associations, industry expos and skills-building conferences post attendee lists on the program website; meeting organizers recognize the selling power of knowing who is on the RSVP list.
  • Upgrade elevator pitch: Meeting colleagues while networking is similar to an interview with a prospective client. In both instances, you must concisely and powerfully articulate your value proposition; as you describe your solution will help your a prospect to resolve a pain point or achieve an important goal. Distill your pitch until you can effectively deliver it in 20-30 seconds.
  • Note-taking app: Immediately after a conversation with a colleague, make it fast and easy to document key details of the conversation and future actions. A note-taking app will allow you to efficiently capture and organize your thoughts expressed as notes, drawings, images, or URL links and store it in the cloud for you to access on your devices. Expedite personalized follow-up by recording names, company, industry or expertise, discussion topic and agreed-upon future actions. Adding details (e.g., “mentioned s/he swims regularly”) will enable you to personalize follow-up communication and enhance the quality of your CRM data.

Positive first impression

The goal while meeting and greeting colleagues and facilitating potential relationship-building opportunities that might lead to a business collaboration or partnership of some kind is authenticity, so be your personal best self. Extend your hand and greet others with friendly eye contact, a warm smile and a firm handshake. On the no-fly list are: Card spamming—avoid the promiscuous distribution of your business cards, which is very annoying. Instead, exchange cards after a meaningful conversation. Monologues—networking and all conversations are a two-way street. Ask questions and listen more than you talk to obtain useful info and insights. Hard sell—no one wants to be sold to immediately. Focus instead on building rapport and understanding needs first, so you’ll learn where, how, or if your solution can address the contact’s goal or pain point. See below for behaviors that will enhance and optimize your networking fortunes.

  • Active listening: This is your superpower. Ask thoughtful questions and truly listen to the answers. People remember how you make them feel, not just what you say. This helps you gather “insights” into their needs.
  • The “Give before you get” principle: Offer value upfront. Can you share a relevant industry insight? Make an introduction? Recommend a helpful resource? These actions build trust and reciprocity and promote strong relationships.
  • Quality over quantity: Focus on having a few meaningful conversations that may lead to business opportunities or actionable insights, rather than dozens of superficial gab fests.
  • Open body language: Smile, maintain eye contact and avoid crossed arms. Approachability is paramount.
  • Graceful exits: When a conversation reaches a natural end, have a polite way to disengage. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, I see someone I need to catch before s/he leaves,” or “I’d love to follow-up on this topic later. Enjoy the rest of the event!”

After the handshake: nurturing business relationships

The business cards handed to you won’t bring a client or generate revenue on their own. The post-event phase is critical for moving new contacts from casual acquaintances to valuable allies who may be willing and able to directly impact your client list and annual revenue.

Nurturing your valuable relationships, whether new or long-standing, is a continuous process. Step up and offer info, insights, an introduction, or other help you can give to those with whom you are already acquainted, from an event speaker to others whom you meet during your networking adventure. You may be able to help in the moment but if necessary, consider inviting follow-up that will carry relationship-building into the future. When you hand your card to someone, make it clear that your style of networking is a two-way street.

  • CRM for contact management: Do not neglect to add new contacts to your database, with detailed notes that memorialize in your customer relations management tool the conversations you were so lucky to have. Now you’ll be able to smoothly pick up the thread when conversations continue. Schedule reminders to invite follow-up.
  • Social media engagement: Don’t just connect on LinkedIn; engage with their content. Comment thoughtfully on their posts, share relevant articles and diplomatically keep yourself at top-of-mind.
  • Share valuable content: If you discover an article, report, or event that you suspect would interest a contact, share it with them. Be selective with what you share as you position yourself as a helpful resource.
  • Make strategic introductions: If you know two people who could benefit from connecting, offer to introduce them. A good introduction is a powerful way to add value to your network.

The 48-hour follow-up formula

The real work begins after the networking event. The clock starts ticking as you leave the room.. The business cards handed to you won’t bring any clients nor will they generate any revenue until you get busy and keep the momentum going. The post-event phase is critical for moving contacts from casual acquaintances to valuable allies who may be positioned to directly impact your client list and annual revenue. Speed and a welcoming, personalized follow-up approach are your action items.

Your post-networking activity is to continue the conversation; furthermore, you must avoid stumbling into a sales pitch and also kill any signs of desperation. Your follow-up contact will be most effective when your tone is friendly and relaxed, but also purposeful—you have an objective and moving things forward is imperative. If it is you who will help a colleague further his/her objective, follow-through with whatever you committed to in a timely fashion. You can reach out by telephone, but a videoconference will be more effective and, if geography and schedules allow, a face2face meeting is better still.

  1. Personalized message: You’ll demonstrate your appreciation and authenticity to those colleagues you’ve agreed to follow-up with when you reference specific details from the conversation. A good way to personalize your outreach is to say something along the lines of “It was great discussing (the topic) with you at (event name) yesterday. Your insights on (the worthwhile wisdom) were particularly interesting.”
  2. Provide immediate value: If you referenced an article that your new contact found interesting, attach it to your follow-up message. If you made a strategic introduction on behalf of your new contact, mention that you were delighted to connect the two of them. If you gave feedback on an initiative or some other business question that your contact has been exploring, reference the interaction and invite him/her to reach out if there is another question or clarification that would be helpful. Providing value reinforces “give before you get” relationship-building behavior that builds trust and increases the likelihood that your favor will be appreciated and returned.
  3. Propose next steps: So you have an objective or two in mind and an action plan is needed to move things forward? In your message, suggest an in-person coffee meeting if geography allows or a follow-up videoconference call. “I’d love to continue our conversation about (proposed follow-up topic). Would you be open to a 30-minute face2face or video call next week?”
  4. Multi-channel outreach: Your first outreach method should be either email or text, whichever seems most appropriate for your new colleague. Next, since it usually doesn’t seem too pushy to invite new contacts to connect on LinkedIn send a request. Keep personalization going by composing a short invitation note that references where you met, as opposed to merely clicking on the prefab LinkedIn invite. Moreover, if your new colleague posts interesting content on the platform become a follower and, when you have something relevant to add, respond with a comment and not just a like, to demonstrate that you’re paying attention and understand the new contact’s value as well.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © NurnbergMesse Group

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Workflow Management: Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

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You chose to make your living as a Freelance professional and operate a single person entity that requires you to identify and compete for paying clients and provide for those who hire you solutions that will produce the preferred outcome—resolve a problem, achieve a goal, side-step an obstacle, or access an opportunity. By nature, you are proactive and ambitious, disciplined and forward-thinking. You know how to get things done. You also know that because you primarily work alone, it is essential that you optimize the allocation of your time. You are aware that failure to effectively manage your time can bring negative consequences, such as compromising the quality of your work or elevating your stress level.

The ultimate goal of a Freelancer is to please the client. That means you’ll follow the recipe for a happy client by delivering high quality work and honoring deadlines, so you’ll meet, or ideally, exceed, client expectations. Moreover, along with the wonderful feeling you experience when you know that the client appreciates what you’ve produced on behalf of his/her organization, a happy client is likely to give you repeat business and maybe also send referrals your way. In other words, clients who had a good experience working with you may contribute to your ability to reach your target revenue and profit projections.

The essence of optimal time, and project, management is to map out and streamline your workflow so that you’ll maximize your productivity and simultaneously promote the excellence and timely completion of your work. Oh, and both you and your client will experience a happy feeling. Hiring you will make your client look good to the higher-ups. What could be better than that?

So you open the door to an excellent work experience by instituting workflow management processes—a strategic to-do list that documents and ranks the tasks, i.e. the building blocks, needed to bring about the successful and timely completion of your project. Workflow management ensures that you’ll maximize your productivity and efficiency by organizing and systemizing the sequence of tasks performed as part of project work—that is, the workflow.

If your project is complex, it’s especially urgent that you identify and prioritize the core elements of the work. Implementing project management practices will help you manage multiple workflows that are associated with a big job that has many moving parts. Project management is workflow management writ large; it helps you to take on a big picture perspective that guides your focus as you plan, execute and monitor the project. You’ll rely on project management competencies to successfully oversee complex assignments, when you must simultaneously manage tasks, track outcomes and progress and adhere to the timeline. You may have figured out that time management and workflow or project management are brand builders and you don’t want to drop the ball. As one of my former sales managers often said, “Plan your work and work your plan.”

Define the deliverables

When you’re interviewing with the project hiring committee, you’ll learn what your hoped-for client needs and how you can successfully address the wish list. If you receive the offer (of course you will!), the project specs might be detailed in the offer letter and will certainly be detailed in the contract. It’s still a good idea for you to confirm expectations during the onboarding process by suggesting that you and the client contact meet before you commence work. In that meeting, you can inquire about factors that may not be in writing—like what aspect of the project deliverable is the highest priority, so you’ll understand what really matters. Because you want to ensure that you will meet or exceed client expectations, you’ll need to know where to make your work shine.

Create a timeline to ensure that milestones and deadlines are honored

Keep at top-of-mind that although it’s the client’s project, it is the Freelancer’s job to keep the project work on schedule. You must be in control, diplomatically and quietly efficient, and ensure that all project workflows are organized and that you and the client are on the same page. As you map the project workflow tasks, prioritize the core components and assign realistic completion dates so you’ll build an achievable timeline.

Remember to factor in time needed for client review and feedback of your work, as well as time to incorporate revisions that may be requested. Keep both hands on the steering wheel and make sure that you’re heading in the right direction, You’ll stay in control and be able to more easily make a course correction when you monitor the progress every day or two. Your goal is to comfortably meet all milestone dates and, most of all, meet the project deadline.

Keep the client contact informed

Depending on the project work and the inclinations of the client team, suggest weekly project update meetings. If you’re lucky, the meetings won’t exceed 30 minutes. Alternatively, send an email to inform the client contact about your progress and to discuss potential obstacles or ask questions. Your goal is to reassure the client that you are expertly driving the bus and that project work is progressing according to schedule.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Ⓒ Deepak Sethi for Getty Images

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Solution for A Freelancer Pain Point—On-Time Payment

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The often unspoken, always frustrating and sometimes embarrassing conundrum that all but the best-connected Freelance professionals are almost certain to encounter at some point is the dilemma of late invoice payments. Talk about a pain point! Waiting for money to arrive can keep you awake at night. A pile-up of late payments can do a lot of damage to a Freelance business and your credit score, too. I routinely include on invoices the preferred payment timeline, which was originally 30 days, but several years ago was shortened to “payment is requested upon receipt of this invoice.” It’s important to set expectations regarding timely payment for services rendered.

It’s been documented that cash-flow difficulties are among the leading cause of shutting down an independent entity. I don’t think former Secretary of State (1973-1977) Henry Kissinger had to worry about erratic receivables when he returned to civilian life and pursued independent work. The powerful always get paid. Readers of this post, I surmise, ought to devise a pro-active invoicing and collections strategy to defend yourself against 45+ days invoice payments that can undermine your intention to manage your own business accounts payable, along with your personal expenses. Slow payments leave one vulnerable to exorbitant late fees.

Your value transcends billable hours

The moral of the story is, avoid hourly-paid work assignments whenever possible. Clients who outsource hourly project work often have a nickel and dime perspective and they are inclined to under-value you and your solution. The axe they’ll use to chip away at your billable hours, no matter how modest, is always within reach, so that a few more dollars can be made available to fund a project that decision-makers feel outranks your work. The billable hours mind-set labels hourly workers (you!) as a commodity. That your skill-set qualifies you to become a collaborator who is capable of delivering sustainable positive outcomes to the client’s organization is unrecognized by the penny-wise, pound-foolish billable hours types. Those individuals are unable, or unwilling, to recognize strategies and actions that you are positioned to recommend might help the client’s company break out of a stagnant status quo and move forward.

Your first order of business is to transcend the hunger for revenue, which may cloud the confidently rational thinking needed to envision a more sustainable business model for your entity. The goal is to upgrade how prospects and clients see you, the caliber of the solution and the contributions you can make to the client’s organization. For guidance, lean into the fractional model of independent working.

Much will depend on your deliverable and industry, but you may find it useful to reframe the perception of your B2B service and interpret the expertise and insights that are the core of your work and promote it as a systemized package, a process improvement system, that once instituted enables your client’s organization to optimize the realization of the mission and goals. Yet, the billable hours model limits the expression of your value and reduces your deliverable to as a band-aid fix. Reframe how you articulate your deliverable and demonstrate that what you offer is not a commodity.

When you’re invited to manage a large, one-off project, you can set the timing of invoice payments by stipulating that the client make an initial payment of 10% – 15% before you begin work. One or more interim payments can be triggered when you achieve project milestones that you and your client will identify together. Your goal in this instance is to limit the final payment to no more than 25% of the total project fee. Include the payment agreement in your proposal and reconfirm it in your contract. Clients are more likely to take retainer fees and major project agreements more seriously than hourly work and they are therefore more likely to pay your invoices on time.

Find a financial system that you will follow

In the final chapter of this story, you’ll acknowledge that Freelance professionals need a financial management system to document your monthly revenue generated, track where your money goes and how much you spend and guides you to separate your business and personal transactions. Good financial management will help you stay organized for quarterly and annual tax seasons and will also support your business (and personal) decision-making by confirming what you can afford to spend and when.

You may find financial management unpleasant, but no adult can escape, whether one is an independently employed Freelance professional or a W-2 employee. In particular, those who are often faced with irregular payments must buckle down and conduct a money minding session every month. You’ll need a tool for financial record-keeping and your choice will depend on your personality type. You may like a digital platform that offers a good option to single-person business entities, as does Quicken; or you may gravitate toward the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. If your budget allows, you can outsource this role to a Freelance bookkeeper.

Your financial picture is foundational to nearly all business planning, to ensure that you’ll be able to carry out your actions. A system that works is one that gives you a clear view of your available funds, money that’s available to support business operations (working capital) bill payments you must make (accounts payable) and outstanding client invoices (accounts receivable). Establishing and following a financial management ritual provides an accurate picture of your financial capacity In Real Time and lets you know when you have the green-light to move forward without second-guessing every transaction. Just do it.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image:  Edward Pevos for MLive

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Sharpen Your Social Media Systems

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A March 25, 2026 verdict by a CA jury held Google and Meta (Facebook) responsible for the mental health difficulties suffered by a woman who since childhood compulsively used social media. The jury awarded $6M to the plaintiff and Meta is responsible for 70% of that amount. Heavy use of social media can lead to unintended consequences, for sure; nevertheless, most US citizens do not feel that social media is a menace to society. Datareportal found that 73% of US adults were active social media users as of October 2025, a response that verifies the often significant benefits that social media can bring to our personal and/or professional lives when it is used with discretion. All of you reading this post know that social media plays an integral role in the business sector, from lead generation to the buyer’s journey to post-sale customer service, positioning it as foundational to effective B2B and B2C sales and marketing.

 Satisfy new algorithms with AEO, GEO and SEO

Artificial intelligence has added more acronyms and abbreviations to the alphabet soup that a Freelance professional must memorize to show that you’re in the game, know what’s up and you’re worthy of receiving a new assignment. To achieve your goal of establishing a robust and respected online presence, you must once again get familiar with new search algorithms and then decide under what circumstances you might be persuaded to introduce new approaches that promise to enhance the search functionality of your sites. The obvious answer is to contact a Freelance colleague to discuss potential benefits for your digital platforms and conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Can you afford to dip into the new technology? Can you afford not to?

  • AEO. Answer Engine Optimization. AEO is meant to get your content selected as the prime answer to specific online queries and not just an alternate answer to what’s best-in-class. Incorporating AEO is meant to help your content be chosen as the best answer in our era of AI-powered overviews and voice assistants that are increasingly in the driver’s seat. AEO visibility is determined by how easily machines can read your content. The function of AEO is not to drive clicks as does SEO, but to become the certified best answer that AI agents showcase in all search engines used to post that query.
  • GEO. Generative Engine Optimization. GEO goes a step further than AEO and optimizes content so that AI-driven search engines and large language models (LLMs) like Perplexity and ChatGPT can understand the content and cite it in answers the search engines receive and generate. GEO structures content so that it’s easy to locate, access and cite. The function of GEO isn’t just to help your answer become the first on a list of responses, but goes farther to become a strategic approach that boosts your visibility, authority and citations in AI-generated responses.
  • SEO. Search Engine Optimization. You already know that SEO helps content attain a higher ranking in traditional online search engines like Bing and Google. SEO is driven primarily by keyword targeting, content quality and technical SEO (e.g., page loading time and mobile-friendliness). The function of SEO is to encourage clicks on your content and drive traffic to your website, et al.
  • Continue SEO techniques to boost social media content visibility. Keyword research, alt text, subtitles and long-tail keywords—think sentences—can all make your social media content more search-friendly. Why abandon what works?
  • Experiment with AEO and GEO. Add to your online content short social posts that directly answer questions known to be frequently asked by prospects and clients. Use question-based as titles for posts and provide clear, plainly stated answers. Maintain a conversational, yet professional voice for your Q & A inspired content (think FAQ frequently asked questions).

Social media is becoming the place for first-party data

As the presence of third-party cookies falls out of favor, brands are turning to social media platforms to access first-party data, which is regarded the most desirable. Additional sources of first-party that can be obtained with clear user consent include opt-in leadgen promotions, newsletter or blog subscriptions, webinar RSVPs and calls-to-action. The appetite for first-party data is driven by the desire brands have for customer information that is provided by the consumer him/herself, thus ensuring that the insights derived from that data are trustworthy and can be confidently used as the foundation of your CRM assumptions, strategies and activities. 

Brands are also turning to social media user comments for market and consumer info when trends and other marketplace developments evolve too quickly for traditional research methods to keep up. Social listening tools like Talkwalker use AI to pull specific brand insights from the vast quantities of data available on social media platforms, in real time. Social listening, another manifestation of that practice, tracks online comments made about your brand, industry and competitors across social media platforms. From an analysis of those comments, a the big picture will emerge of the unfiltered perceptions that your customers, prospects and others have about your brand. Social listening can also capture developing trends that are bubbling up and indicate where opportunities (or risks) that impact your entity are hiding. In short, social listening data can impact all areas of your brand.

Best practices for using social media as a first-party data source

  • Ramp up your social listening capabilities. Talkwalker can help you uncover valuable insights through a few simple AI-guided queries. 
  • Add social listening to your marketing activities. Social listening-derived data has a high probability of discovering marketplace perceptions, trends and developments that might yield potential opportunities for your brand and/or shine a light on possible risks that give you a chance to perhaps dodge a disaster. As noted, social listening has the ability to impact all aspects of your brand.
  • Test social media DM automation and/or gated content campaigns to push leadgen. You can launch a social post and announce publication of white paper, e-book, case study or other gated content resource as you simultaneously use automated DMs to collect leads and obtain first-party data from those who respond to your outreach. 

 How can you optimize social media posts for visibility? How can you adapt to updates in search algorithms?

While Bing and Google are still the go-to sites for online search, social media search is making significant headway as users increasingly conduct online searches on their platforms. Overall, 24% of US adults who use social media also use social media for online search as of April 2024, led by Generation Z (46%) and Millennials (35%). The platforms are keeping up and aggressively courting online search and capabilities are not limited to typing in the search bar. Instagram and TikTok support image and video visual searches and Pinterest Lens enables online visual searches for products by searching from a photo. Facebook supports basic voice search—take that Siri and Alexa!—58.6% of US adults have conducted a voice-activated online search at least once as of 2024. These statistics make clear that social media online search is a growing phenomenon that Freelancers cannot ignore. 2Q2026 is calling you to sharpen your social media systems to ensure that your platforms operate efficiently to give your sites visibility that opens the door to content that attracts viable leads and converts prospects into customers.

  • Content to address the needs of audience sub-groups. First, there are social media frequent followers and most are already buying your services or products–some are repeat customers and some make referrals. A second group is comprised of those who are on a buyer journey. They’ve recently discovered your brand, or they’ve only begun to learn what your company and solutions are all about. It could be that your company was swept into search results thanks to an algorithm update and your content has piqued a prospective buyer’s curiosity. This last group will appreciate product information and content that conveys how and where your solution works best. Include product/service how-tos in your brand story on your social media platforms to demonstrate how your solution delivers results.
  • Customize content for each platform. Because attention spans are short, making it’s more important than ever now. Depending on your business and customers, design content / express your marketing and sales messages to resonate with your audience and have many questions. What speaks to loyal customers and is not the same as what speaks to prospects who are browsing through the site getting to know you better. On all of your social media platforms, include basic information about your product and service because that is the brand story that prospects, especially, would like to see. You need to understand both and create content that speaks to the unique interests and agenda of each group. while both long-term customers and potential customers are interested in your brand story, be aware that those who know your brand well will have a different agenda than those who are learning about your brand and are trying to envision how the experience of working with your company might be.
  • Always have a hook. Catch people’s attention within the first three seconds to show your visitors that your content aligns with their needs and interests.  A focal point, an exciting announcement, an advance look at something new, or an enticing call-to-action can persuade a site visitor to linger and engage.

How should you manage multiple platform identities?

  • Articulate your core identity. Beyond the brand voice developed to resonate with the typical users of each of your platforms, identify the ideal language you’ll use to convey the overall message. Learn to express the core elements of your brand purpose, outcomes and results delivered, as well as the goals and pain points of your prospects. Confirm also how your customers and other followers prefer to engage on each of your platforms. Your LinkedIn and X followers may be more interested in case studies and other data-driven information, while your Facebook and Instagram followers may want to see a video of you discussing why your product or service has helped customers and keeps them coming back. The expression of your brand voice may change across platforms, but be mindful to always stay true to the essence of brand fundamentals.  
  • Map your platform identities to reflect user intent. Use social listening data to learn what users of each of your platforms want from brands that occupy your market niche and shape your content strategy and focus accordingly:
    • On X, you’ll be wise to give a no-nonsense news account using plain language and links to content on your website or other digital sources.
    • On TikTok, you can post create a series of brief, appealing, yet informative explainer videos that convey the use-case for your solution by showcasing one important goal or pain point in each video that your solution can resolve.
    • It’s time to incorporate visual elements into your LinkedIn content! Brainstorm stories you can tell so that you can shoot a 3-5 minute video. You might make an exciting announcement, or share a clip from your guest appearance on a webinar or podcast. LinkedIn data confirms that those who post videos see a 3X growth in followers.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Chinnapong for Adobe Stock