Social media is your new resume and right now; yours might be costing you clients.
If I were to search you on social media right now – what would I find?
Would I see a real person who’s authentic, approachable, and available?
Would I get a sense of who you are, what you do, and what matters to you?
Would I find someone who seems trustworthy – and maybe even a person I’d like to work with? Or would I find a ghost?
Not only is social media the new search engine, it’s ALSO the new resume.
In fact, a massive 70% of employers today say that your online presence is more important than a resume or CV.
Even Steven Bartlett – CEO and Dragons’ Den star – recently posted a job opening where all he asked for was a link to your LinkedIn.
No resume. Just your social profile. Let that sink in.
So if you’ve been neglecting your social media presence, this is your sign!
It’s time to START showing up on social media.
In this post, I’m going to give you 7 tips to help you optimize your profile and master social media – yes, even if you’re introverted.
Read this entire post to the end, because you’ll find a massive list of 128 content ideas, prompts and tips to make showing up on social media even easier.
If you’re a freelancer, copywriter, VA, coach, or any kind of service provider trying to land clients online – you’re in the right place.
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Now, here’s a news flash for ya.
Your social presence isn’t something you “create” someday when you have more time, experience, or authority.
It’s you ALREADY HAVE – right now – whether you consciously “work” on building it or not.
And your social presence – or lack of one – could be scaring your dream clients away.
98% of employers conduct background research on candidates online before deciding to interview them.
90% of employers factor candidates’ social media accounts into their hiring decisions.
And 79% have rejected a candidate based on their social media content.
One of my team members recently told me a story of an interview she once had with a potential client.
During the interview, the client went to share their screen, and wouldn’t you know it, she saw ALL of her social profiles still open on their desktop before the client quickly realized it and closed them.
She was shocked to find out they had researched her public social profiles before hopping on the call with her.
Up until that point, she had NEVER even considered that a client would care to see anything more than her resume and previous experience.
Now, let this one sink in.
If your future clients can’t find you on social media, they’re more likely to pass on you and go with a different person – someone they trust MORE.
In fact, I recently hired a VA based on her social media profile. I was in a tight spot and needed to find someone fast.
So what did I do? I crept on all the people who bought tickets to my Posse Fest LIVE event to see if I had VAs in the crew. Wouldn’t you know it, there were a few!
So I went to their social profiles to get a gut-check and one VA immediately stood out.
Not because she prolificly created content, or because I could tell she had more experience or better skills.
But because she looked like a fun, professional person who obviously made her personal brand a priority.
I immediately DM’d her to hop on a call and now we work together.
I didn’t even interview anyone else and keep in mind, this DM was the FIRST TIME we ever communicated.
This has nothing to do with skills or experience by the way.
Remember, people don’t buy from strangers—they buy from people they know, like, and trust. PERIOD.
You don’t need a ton of followers to build trust – followers can be bought.
You don’t need a logo, pretty colors or a perfectly curated feed to build trust – everyone is sick of perfection.
You don’t need to create “educational” content or be an “expert” to build trust – content can be stolen, faked or AI-baked.
All you need to do to create trust is to SHOW UP AND BE YOU. That is YOUR most powerful sales strategy that NO ONE can steal.
And it all starts with simply BEING PRESENT.
So here are 7 steps to optimizing your social media presence so you can put your BEST foot forward online.
STEP ONE: Pick ONE Platform
I recommend you pick ONE social media platform to optimize first.
I would recommend Instagram or LinkedIn – simply because that’s where your dream clients are most likely to be hanging out AND the organic reach and search functionality these two platforms offer.
If you’re not sure which platform is right for you, pick the one YOU hang out on the most.
The more comfortable you are hanging out there, the more likely you are to post there.
And PLEASE resist the urge to go and create a SEPARATE Instagram or LinkedIn account just for your business.
Remember, your clients want to work with YOU – not some watered-down, sterile “work” version of you on a “business” account that shows NONE of your personal life, values, personality or experiences that make you relatable and build trust.
Alright, on to step #2.
STEP TWO: Choose/Update Username
This is what appears in your social profile URL and how people find you. This one is easy – but people LOVE to overcomplicate it.
So your username or handle should be your NAME – or some version of it.
I’ll be saying this until I’m blue in the face, but people hire PEOPLE, period.
Don’t try to come up with a cute or clever business name here, especially if you’re just getting started.
I know it’s tempting to come up with a “business name” because you want to appear more experienced, trustworthy or professional.
But the #1 thing you need to remember here is that whole POINT is to make it as easy as possible for people to find YOU. If you’re hiding behind a “business name”, that just got a whole lot harder.
So use your name – or something as close as possible to it. If you already have an Instagram account with a handle other than your name, that’s ok. Just make sure to follow the rest of these steps carefully.
STEP THREE: Update your Profile Photo
Your profile photo speaks VOLUMES. It’s the first thing people see.
This should be a clear and high-quality photo of your FACE – not an animation, logo or an AI version of you, the REAL YOU.
Now, this doesn’t mean you need to shell out money for a professional photo shoot!
Your smartphone is MORE than good enough to get a photo of you. Here are some quick tips to help you get the best photo possible.
- Take the photo in NATURAL light, but avoid harsh shadows on your face. Simply facing a window will give you a great natural diffused light.
- Have your face front and center, with your eyes looking at the camera. Your face should take up 60-70% of the frame, so a selfie might be too close.
- Smile or, at the very least, have a natural, confident expression.
- Have a CLEAN and simple background. It’s also super easy to remove a background in Canva and replace it with a solid color – like my Instagram profile pic – for that extra pop.
Okay, moving on to step #4.
Step Four: Optimize Your Name + Title
So unlike your username, which is the unique handle or URL that identifies your account – your name is what appears at the top of your social profile.
On LinkedIn, this is just where you enter your name.
On Instagram, you have a bit more room to play around with this and can also add your “title” after your name in the name field.
This is a quick, clear identifier that tells people who are you and what you do – while also helping with searchability.
For example, you could add “copywriter, digital marketing strategist, business coach, Virtual assistant” after your name.
Keep it simple and something your clients might actually search for!
If you’re using LinkedIn as your preferred platform, you can simply add this title to your “headline” section so it appears right after your name.
STEP FIVE: Craft Your Bio/Headline
Your bio – as it’s called on Instagram.
Or headline – as it’s called on LinkedIn.
Is that prime real estate that appears right at the top of your profile.
This concise space allows you to showcase your personal brand, expertise, and value proposition. But “concise” is the keyword here.
The character limit for the bio on Instagram is 150 characters and the character limit for the headline on LinkedIn is 220 characters.
So here’s a simple formula you can follow.
Just REMEMBER = VIP
The first thing you want to share is your VALUE STATEMENT: Include 1 line about WHO YOU HELP and HOW.
Use the following framework → “I help X with Y”.
So “I help [ INSERT WHO YOU HELP ] – this is your ideal client – with [ WHAT YOU DO ] – this is how you do it.”
In this statement, you want to clearly name your ideal client and a BENEFIT-RICH description of HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM.
If you can, keep it under 100 characters.
For example:
A Virtual Assistant might say I help coaches automate tasks so they can scale with ease.
A Copywriter might say I help wellness brands write copy that builds trust and sells.
A Brand Strategist might say I help creatives build standout brands that attract clients.
Now after your VALUE STATEMENT, you want to share an IDENTITY STATEMENT. This shows WHO YOU ARE and builds trust and authority.
So if possible, this is a great place to share things like:
Credentials & Experience like 15+ yrs experience or Certified Coach.
Results & Social Proof like Have helped 1K+ women.
Media & Recognition like As seen in Forbes – or Podcast Host 🎙 of [Title].
But if you don’t have any of those authority elements yet because you’re JUST getting started, THAT’S TOTALLY OK!
Just share a glimpse into who you are OUTSIDE of business.
Something like:
*Obsessed with self-growth + slow mornings
*Dog mom, travel addict and matcha lover
* Dreamer, writer, bookworm
* Or school teacher turned copywriter
The goal is to be RELATABLE and showcase your unique story, identity and values. This goes SUCH a long way in building trust and makes you WAY more interesting.
And finally, you want to PROMPT CONNECTION.
Include a call-to-action to tell your ideal clients what to do next.
A simple: “DM me to learn how I can help” is perfect.
So here’s an example of a bio or headline:
I help wellness brands write copy that builds trust and sells.
Dog mom, travel addict and matcha lover.
DM me to learn how I can help.
And definitely ADD emojis! I mean, who DOESN’T add emojis to their bios?!
Alright, next step, #6.
STEP SIX: Write & Pin An Intro Post
Ok so now you have your profile set up and this is where the fun begins! It’s time to officially introduce yourself!
You’re going to write an “INTRO” post that you will pin or feature at the top of your profile.
The goal here is to make it fun, showcase your personality and share how you can help your ideal clients!
Something super simple like:
- Quick intro: who you are + fun fact
- What you do and who you help
- Call-to-action – DM me, check link, etc.”*
Now, when it comes to the post image, nothing is better than a simple and friendly photo of YOU,
It could be a photo of you smiling or a photo of you doing something you love.
Once you post this, go ahead and PIN It to the top of your profile on Instagram, or make it a “Featured” Post on Linked In.
And the best part is, you only need to post it ONCE and it can live on your profile.
This will make sure that anyone NEW who comes to your social profile will see this front and center no matter what else you’ve posted recently.
And they can quickly get a feel for who you are, what matters to you, and how you can help them!
And that brings us to the most MOST IMPORTANT part of this post.
STEP SEVEN: Show Up Consistently
It’s time to TAKE ACTION!
Showing up on social media is 100% your BEST strategy for creating those repeated connection points and attracting premium clients without being pushy or “in your face”.
And NO this isn’t me telling you to post once a day/7 days a week or 3x a day.
Consistency and frequency are two very different things. You don’t need to post ALL of the time.
You just need to show up consistently – so it’s VERY IMPORTANT that you pick a posting frequency that you can STICK TO and be CONSISTENT with.
If you want 128 content ideas and bio templates you can plug-and-play into your own profile, grab the free guide HERE – it’s designed to make this EASY.
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
