How to Give Your Client Condifence

A Case Study Written About Working Those not Social Media Savvy

Emily Freedman

Some clients come to you with their business, but are unsure if social media is really for them. There are many reasons clients can feel this way; however, it can all be classified under a lack of confidence. Using my work on with an unnamed author, I will explain how three simple guidelines can bolster their belief as well as their business. 

Understanding Their Values

There are many reasons for someone to be adverse to social media: susceptible to hate, feeling out of touch, wanting a level of personal privacy, and many more. For my client’s case, they were a first time author with a bad interview experience before I joined– instilling fear in bad press and negativity. This was also a late career change, so their knowledge and enjoyment of social media was extremely limited. So we outlined what her goals were for her social media and how she wanted to be represented:

• Nothing personal mentioned about her life unless they posted it 

• Get all hashtags approved 

• Use renderings of the book and vintage photos, as the book was autobiographical, but only post pre-approved current sent by Author 

• Use Facebook Ads to promote sales of book and NOT traffic to page

• NOT to become an influencer

• Post only when necessary

This may seem like a lot, however, it is essential to understand the boundaries of your client fully. And when you don’t know, ask! It builds trust and comfortability, where if they decide maybe they want to show more of themselves online, they feel as though you are a reliable source to do so. 

Emphasizing Small Wins

With a lack of confidence comes a constant dread of failure. Rewiring their outlook onto smaller goals before targeting that lofty virality can ease their worries along the way. For example, pointing out that they have been consistently increasing in “engaged followers” will give them a learning moment as well as a positive outlook. By explaining that they are garnering positive attention from those genuinely interested in their work, they have long term fans that will be more likely to share and express joy with them. My author upon increasing engagement saw a steady flow of more comments on their posts and upped their confidence to post more often, a previous value of theirs, and saw the benefit of sharing more (in addition to the algorithm boost from volume).