5 Steps to Start a Social Media Advertising Business

In the age of social media and digital advertising, it’s no surprise that this field provides a multitude of opportunities, not just for employment, but also as a business. Starting any business in any industry always requires a lot of courage to take that first bold step, for social media experts, starting a social media business is the only next logical step to make.

Managing a number of social media profiles and accounts across multiple platforms can be a  daunting challenge. Maintaining a strong online presence requires that content is pushed out consistently, your audience is being proactively engaged with, as well as managing other aspects of the company. 

This article will guide you through each step to becoming a social media savvy and entrepreneur with a business dedicated to helping clients reach their fullest potential and help them build the presence they desire.

Here are 7 steps to follow in starting your journey as a successful social media advertising business.

Finding Your Niche 

There are several avenues for social media marketing and discovering your niche is the first and utmost important step when it comes to starting your own business. This will help you narrow down your interests and concentrate your services to a target crowd that requires your specific skills.

When selecting a niche, keep your eyes peeled for people in the industry that are actively looking for marketing agencies and determine if there is a need and whether your services can be delivered effectively. Some examples of profitable niches that require social media advertising services are: healthcare, food, fitness, legal services and eCommerce to name a few.

The closer you can relate to their target market and goals, the better your strategies will be when attracting prospective clients. Being a “Jack of all trades” does not come in handy in this industry, but rather, you want to be seen as a specialist in a specific field.

By establishing your brand as a thought leader in that particular industry, you are able to adjust your pricing as well. Businesses look for specialized services and are willing to pay a premium price. However, one strategy may not work for another, and you will ideally require two or three niches to gain standing in those sectors.

Unique Selling Point

Your unique selling point (USP) defines not only what distinguishes you from the rest of the competition, but a special factor that is unique to the business and is the foundation of your brand.

Your USP should be framed while keeping the following points in consideration: 

• A clear vision of the message being conveyed
• A definitive direction for your business.
• Building a reputation as a brand.
• A compelling pitch to a prospective client.

There are a variety of services your business can specialize in, as social media advertising is such a broad field:

• Content creation
• Managing campaigns
• Pay-per-click advertising
• SEO services
• Lead generation
• Driving website traffic and conversion rates
• Marketing analytics

Creating a Business Plan

Writing a business plan can help you reach your goals by plotting out each aspect of your business. It should have strategies, tactics, and action plans for promoting and marketing your business as well as activities to help boost brand visibility and awareness. 

A business plan will have these critical components:

• Executive summary: a brief explanation of your business
• Opportunity: highlight the issue that your business is addressing and how your business fits in the landscape.
• Execution: A thorough list of action plans that result in achieving a focused and measurable goal. This can include marketing and sales plans, operation management, and determining the next milestones.
• Company Overview: Reviewing your company’s hierarchy and evaluating your key team members is vital for your clients to know who they are working with.
• Financial plan: Assessing monthly sales and revenues can help you project the direction your business is heading for the next 3-5 years.

Establishing a Portfolio

“In order to win big clients, you have to prove your business as trustworthy and there is no better proof than letting your work speak for itself,” says Sarah Mae Ives, founder of Sarah Mae Ives Mentor & Facebook Ads Strategist. “When convincing a client to choose your business, you have to provide solid reasons how you can help them provide a return on their investment.”

A portfolio can highlight your best work samples, as well as information about any unique social media campaign you had done previously. Showing results of the campaign is just as important as the actual work itself. This is to show clients that your work will inevitably help them grow their business to another level. 

Compiling all of your work into your portfolio can make it seem very cluttered and difficult for the client to read through. Instead, focus on a few in-depth case studies of your previous campaigns along with the following details:

• Headline of the campaign with its target goal
• Services offered in the campaign
• Results that were achieved
• Media snippets of your campaign including posts, videos, graphs
• Testimonials from previous clients

If you are just starting out in your social media career, you might not have enough clients to build up your portfolio. In this case, you can choose to create a portfolio by picking up a case study on an existing campaign, doing research on it and finding ways to improve that campaign.

Grow Your Presence

Your social media advertising business should look professional and trustworthy and your presence on social media will help to create a personal brand that is uniquely yours.

Having a consistent social media presence can give you an edge on attracting clients through organic lead generation and optimizing your brand reach in your specific niche.

Once you have set up the foundation, it’s time to execute your ideas and land some clients to kickstart your business. Spreading the word about your business to friends and family within your personal circle is a great starting point to network for people looking for your specific services. Word-of-mouth-advertising is extremely effective in getting the word out about your business.

Waiting for clients to come to you is futile and will inevitably lead to disappointment. You will need to approach clients and pitch to them what social media services you have to offer. Engaging with clients in your niche on social media is a surefire way to initiate a conversation with a potential client and strategically present your services to them.