15. 5 Steps to Onboarding New Social Media Management Clients

Podcast
Written By Jessica Sheehy
 

Are you asking the right questions during your onboarding process?

The onboarding process is all about getting to know your client and figuring out how you're going to work best together. Onboarding sets the tone for the entire customer relationship (no pressure or anything), so it's essential to ask meaningful questions that are going to help you in the long run.

What do those questions look like? Tune in!

Welcome back to another episode of Hashtag Managed!

Today we’re diving into a crucial process that every social media manager needs a system for - otherwise known as a repeatable process to deliver a great client experience to all of the clients that you work with. That process? Onboarding!

The onboarding process is all about getting to know your client and figuring out how you're going to work best together. Onboarding sets the tone for the entire customer relationship (no pressure or anything right), so it's essential to ask meaningful questions that are going to help you in the long run.

You might be thinking, what do those questions look like?

We’ll dive into them in this episode but first, let’s cover how to create an onboarding process for your social media management clients:

Step 1: The Consultation

Start by setting up a Zoom consultation to see if it's the right fit. Send the client a list of times to choose from and be sure to have a sense of urgency in setting up the meeting and sending the invite so they know you're serious! We recommend a 30-minute consultation to get to know each other, see what their goals are, and really sell how your services could benefit their brand. Consider preparing a presentation with some visual aids and prepare questions. Now, let’s cover the 9 questions to ask during your onboarding process:

  1. How did you find our company (Instagram, Facebook, Google search, word of mouth)?

  2. What's your preferred method of communication (i.e. phone call, text, IM, email)?

  3. How often do you want to receive updates/reports?

  4. Who's the primary contact for questions about [billing, customer service, operations, shipping]?

  5. How can we exceed your expectations?

  6. What are you most excited about our partnership?

  7. What are your short and long-term goals as a company?

  8. Who's your target audience?

  9. What's your familiarity with social media concepts? (This question will be helpful when it comes to reporting, so you can know which definition to include, what to go into detail about, and how to explain topics!)

Start with these questions and see where the conversation leads you! Take this time really start getting to know them, and their working style, and you both can adapt to each other.

Step 2: Send over a proposal

Once you know that it will be the right fit, don't waste any time sending over the next steps. Send proposal, invoice, and contract no later than 24 hours using Dubsado.

Step 3: Send an onboarding questionnaire

After that is complete, we like to send a robust questionnaire to gather branding, business info, messaging, and more to help us understand the client & a Calendly link to book the project kickoff call!

Step 4: Have the Kick-Off Call

Have the first kick-off call to set expectations with them, share your process, and when they will get updates from you. The kickoff call will really set the tone for the client experience! Go into detail about how exactly this partnership is going to work and what they can look out for from you.

Step 5: Batch Content

Now it’s time to prep the first batch of content/deliverables! Once you have it completed, send it to them in a Loom video for review.

Once you complete all five steps, enjoy your new client, and get to work transforming their brand through social media.

Do you want to learn more about client relationship management, onboarding, and how to run a sustainable social media management business?

Join The Social Savvy Collective Mentorship - it was built for social media managers like you. It’s time to learn the skills, strategies, & systems that you need to build a thriving social media management business to achieve the time, financial, location, or all of the above, freedom you’re after… Head to the show notes or go to socialsavvyhq.co [forward slash] podcast to learn about the endless resources and support that are waiting for you inside.

That’s all for this episode, tune in next week for another episode of Hashtag Managed.

Links From This Episode

Thanks for listening!

Jessica Sheehy
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