Why Service-Based Businesses Don't Need Social Media Marketing
- Nov 9, 2022
- 5 min read
Written by: Kate Greunk, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you stressed out because your business isn’t getting new clients from social media? As entrepreneurs, we’ve been told constantly that social media is a non-negotiable marketing tool and that we’ll miss out on revenue if we don’t post every day, create reels, or film ourselves doing weird dances.
What if I told you that social media, like any other marketing tool, wasn’t the golden ticket to your success as a business and that your business could thrive without it? More importantly, what if I proved it to you? Buckle up.
The Social Media Marketing Myth
I admit, my marketing philosophy is a little weird…and so is my marketing agency. I believe social media is overrated and highly ineffective for gaining custom or luxury clients in the service-based industries (think interior design, builders, etc). It would have been in my marketing agency’s best interest to preach that social media is completely necessary and that you should outsource it to us if you can't keep up with it.
However, I instead suggest that you try googling the data around how well services are sold on social media. That data doesn’t exist, which tells us something key about where we should and shouldn’t expect to gain clients. Instagram, for example, helps 80% of its users decide whether to purchase retail products, not custom services.
Here's what you need to understand as a luxury service provider: Clients who intend to hire you and make a significant investment are not generally heavy social media users, nor do they make large buying decisions based on social media posts or digital ads.
Social Media Age & Income Demographics
Before you can determine whether social media marketing is a worthwhile investment for your service-based business, you first need to figure out whether your ideal clients are even on the platforms in question. Compare your customer avatar to the user demographics of Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, or whatever platform you are considering.
If the demographic describes your client, you definitely should include social media as part of your strategy. If your client is not included in the demographic, you would be ill led to continue spending time, money, or stress on social media.
Case in point: the two primary age groups of users on Instagram and Facebook are 18-24-year-olds (Gen Z) and 25-34-year-olds (Millennials).
The income demographics are...
$30,000: 35%
$30,000-$74,999: 39%
$75,000+: 42%
Instagram users have specific interests and reasons for using the platform. Users have named their primary interests as travel (45%), music (44%), and food and drink (43%).
Should you use social media to market your business? If your client is 20-40 years old and makes a median income of less than $80K and you are selling services around music, travel, or food, then yes. However, if your preferred clientele are older or in a higher income bracket, your revenue goals will be best met with marketing tools other than social media.
The question isn’t merely, “Does my ideal client use social media?” but also, “If yes, how are they using it?”
Should You Keep or Delete Your Business Social Media?
Posting on Facebook and Instagram is often the most stressful part of marketing for service-based professionals. I've had interior designers tell me that consistency is the hardest thing. I've had home stagers tell me that they aren't even sure what to say. I've had window treatment specialists tell me that they wouldn't even be on social media if they didn't run a business. I've had professional organizers tell me that they secretly hate social media and wish it didn't exist.
Does any of this resonate with you? If so, you aren't broken, and you aren't making some colossal marketing mistake if you’re considering pulling the plug on social.
However, you might feel obligated to be on social media for branding purposes. If that is the case, simply adjust your expectations. Rather than posting frequently and expecting to gain new clients, your goals for social media should be…
to indicate that you are open for business,
to share photos of your work, and most importantly,
to share the story of your brand. This can be done by sharing photos of yourself, your family, your team, and behind-the-scenes shots or videos.
You don't need to post more than once per week, and you don't need to worry about reels, stories, or live videos unless you enjoy doing those things.
Why Some Business Do Get Clients from Social Media
If your colleagues seem to be getting great clients from social media, they are likely selling retail or digital products. If that isn’t the case, consider this: Your colleagues might actually be connecting with leads in other ways (referrals, events, etc.), after which those people choose to follow them on social media and slide into their DMs.
This is a prime example of FINDING your community versus BUILDING your community. If you are like most entrepreneurs in the service industry, your community is built elsewhere — through referrals and events and past clients — and is reflected on social media when those same people track you down and hit "follow."
There is a massive difference between this situation and the one we are all told we should be experiencing: The situation where you set up an Instagram profile, post some photos of your work, and strangers from the internet automatically start hiring you. That statistically just isn't happening for the home industry, nor should we set those types of expectations for other service-based businesses.
A Marketing Alternative to Social Media
Ask anyone who has been running a successful business for the last decade and they'll tell you, "Our best clients come from referrals."
Referral-based business is a great sign of health and longevity for any brand. Rather than throwing money at boosted posts and digital ads, invest in a long-term relationship with a PR firm, while also pursuing referral partnerships with other professionals who serve your ideal client as well.
Increase your SEO by blogging at least twice per month on topics that relate to your client avatar and the services you offer.
Grow your mailing list by offering a lead magnet on your website with email opt-in to capture that blog traffic
Stay top-of-mind with leads and past clients by sending a monthly newsletter that inspires, educates or entertains your readers on a singular topic
Pursue referral partnerships with other businesses who also serve your ideal client without creating competition
The Truth About Social Media for Business
Social media is just one tool in the tool box, not a magic wand that you can use to bippity-bop your business into a success. Keep your marketing simple by defining who your client is and going to where they already are. Show up in the places they are already consuming media, be it a magazine article, a blog post, a podcast, or a video.
But don’t stop at just simplifying your marketing; make it clear who your client is. Go so far as to state on your website that you specialize in working with “ABC” type of people or businesses. Ensure that every piece of your written and visual content speaks directly to that person. Specificity sells; generalities do not.
Need More Marketing Advice?
Listen to The Kate Show, a marketing podcast for service-based businesses. Stream the latest episode wherever you get your podcasts or click here now.
Kate Greunke, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kate Greunke founded Socialite in 2014 as a virtual agency of professional marketing specialists exclusively for the home industry. Kate hosts a marketing podcast, The Kate Show, which is ranked in the top 1.5% of all podcasts globally and available on all podcasting apps. In 2021, Kate was named 20 Under 40 by Window Fashion Vision Magazine. She currently resides in Wisconsin with her husband and two children while managing an international team and extensive client roster.
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