How to Make Money Off Your Social Media Smarts

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• July 21, 2011
• By Alexis Grant
• 14 Comments

When I first started writing my e-guide about how to start a part-time social media business, I looked around for people who were doing just that successfully. I wanted examples to share with readers.

Surprisingly, I found few. Lots of people work full time in social media, but not as many consult in the space on a part-time basis. Which makes sense, I suppose, because it’s not easy to work a side gig in addition to your day job.

But if you’re social-media savvy, hear me out: This is a fabulous opportunity to make money. As more businesses and organizations see the value of using social media, there’s a growing demand for freelancers to help them.

How do you launch this type of business? Here are a few steps to help you get started:

Build your credibility. Do an awesome job of building your own brand online, because that’s an indication of how well you’ll do it for someone else. Who’s going to hire you if you don’t act professionally, have your own solid followings and offer value through your own channels?

Know what you want to offer. Do you want to teach people how to use social media or do you want to grow online communities for your clients? There’s also the in-between option of creating a strategy and then teaching the client to implement it themselves. Of course, your business can include a combination of these services. But before anyone will hire you, you have to have a good idea of what you want to offer.

Consider choosing a niche. Is there a specific type of business or organization you’d like to work for? Travel companies? Non-profits? Politicans? The more specific you can get, the more likely someone’s eyes will light up when you tell them about your services. You can always take clients outside of that niche, but targeting a specific group is an effective way to grow your client list.

Start fishing for clients. Even if you’re starting small, the best way to get your business rolling is to tell everyone you’re available for hire. Be specific about what you offer, whether it’s one-on-one coaching or strategy for businesses or corporate seminars.

If you’re looking to make money off your social media smarts, you probably have strong followings on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin – use them! Ask your networks to help spread the word about your business. But don’t forget that the people who need your services most probably don’t know how to use social media. The best way to meet them may be through in-person networking.

Figure out how to juggle your new gig with your day job. This could determine whether you succeed. Can you set priorities? Manage your time well? I like to do my side-gig work in the morning before I go to my day job, but the key is figuring out what works for you.

Alexis Grant is a journalist and social media coach. She blogs at The Traveling Writer and recently launched her e-guide “How to Build a Part-Time Social Media Business.”

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