There’s no getting away from the all-encompassing world of social media. And as a freelancer, social media marketing can be an incredibly valuable tool. It lets you showcase your brand personality and let potential clients and customers see what you have to offer.

But how do you grow that all-important follower list? When starting out, it can seem like a big mountain to climb. Don’t worry — let’s break it down into bitesize steps with handy tips for building a social media presence that lasts.

A 3D graphic of various popular social media and app icons arranged in a dynamic layout. The icons include Instagram, Discord, Figma, Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok

Choose the right platforms

With so many different social media platforms around, it can seem a bit overwhelming, and you might be tempted to use them all. However, every platform has its own features, quirks, and demographics.
To find the platform, you need to consider your audience. Do you provide B2B services or do you want to reach customers directly? If you want other businesses to find you, LinkedIn and Facebook may be your best bets. For freelancers providing products or services for customers, you might find more social media content creation success with Instagram.

Think about how you work best, too. If you feel confident being on camera, TikTok and Instagram offer amazing opportunities to create engaging reels.

For more advice on finding the right social media platforms for your business, take a look at these helpful tips.

Make sure your audience knows where to find you

While potential clients and customers can stumble across your social media profiles, like what they see, and follow you, it’s a good idea to add some signposts. This is essential when building your social media presence from scratch.

Add links to your website and try a bit of good old-fashioned word of mouth to get the ball rolling! Networking can be a really great way to make new connections and direct prospects to your socials.

Set up a content strategy (and post regularly)

A close-up image of a planner page with a handwritten note that says "Content Strategy" for Friday, the 2nd. The planner has a minimalist design with light purple tabs and dotted lines.

There’s certainly space for trial and error with social media content creation. Some things will engage your audience more than others, so it’s important to be flexible and adapt as you go.

However, it’s also important to have some strategy behind your posts. This should be underpinned by your goals — what do you want to achieve from posting? Are you looking to drive traffic to your website, increase DM enquiries, or develop brand awareness? Set measurable goals and have these in mind whenever you create content.

Frequency is also a vital part of social media marketing. You’ll want to post at least once a week to show your followers that you’re present and ready to create fresh, engaging content. It can help develop a longer-lasting, sustainable presence as your followers are more likely to stick around.

If you struggle to keep up with posting, you could consider using a scheduling tool or getting help from a virtual assistant (VA).

Remember, you can also repurpose content from your website — cherry-pick the highlights from a blog post and you’ve got some great short-form content for your socials!
Learn more about setting up creative social media strategies.

Analyse your success

Social media platforms offer analysis tools so you can see which posts are most successful. Keep an eye on these to see:

What type of content gets the most engagement
The best days and times to post
Who you’re reaching
What value your engagement is bringing — is it getting the leads or results you want?

Keep up with trends and algorithms

You don’t need to jump on every single social media trend but if you see some content types or styles that get a lot of engagement and are relevant to your freelance business, why not give it a go?

Likewise, keep an eye on each social media platform's changing algorithms to make sure you’re not missing out on potential likes, comments, and follows.

Build a community

A group of women sitting at tables in a conference or event setting, with a few raising their hands and clapping. The atmosphere appears lively and engaged. — Although a big part of building a social media presence is making sure potential clients and customers are aware of your business, these platforms also offer a chance to create a sense of community.
Interact with other businesses and profiles, reply to comments, and actively engage with your followers — it’s all part of showcasing excellent customer service.

Consider social media support from a virtual assistant

Social media marketing is an important investment for your small business but it can also be tricky trying to juggle content creation alongside all your other tasks as a freelancer. If you’re struggling to fit planning, scheduling, or posting into your work day, let a virtual assistant take the pressure off.

With VA social media services from Bizzybee, you can have as much creative input as you wish while also getting to sit back and relax as Erin helps you pin down an effective social media strategy and grow your brand’s following.

Whether you need a hand with identifying key content pillars, scheduling your posts, or creating captivating reel content or captions, feel free to get in touch.

(P.S. Why not check out The Freelancer's Social Media Planner — it’s free to download!)

The Freelancer’s Guide to Building a Social Media Presence That Works