Social media has become indispensable for entrepreneurs and business owners. With billions of users worldwide, it is a powerful tool to connect and engage with clients. 

As a web designer, engaging with clients online is a cost-effective way to reach a wider audience, build brand awareness, and foster client relationships. Happy and satisfied clients lead to repeat business, positive word-of-mouth marketing, and increased revenue. Social media plays a critical role in building and nurturing these relationships.

The importance of client relationships

Client relationships are essential for any business to drive sales and improve client loyalty. 

Nurturing client relationships can help you:

• Improve client loyalty

  When clients feel valued and appreciated, they are likely to remain loyal to your brand. Engaging with clients on social media provides an opportunity to establish relationships and build trust.

• Go beyond lead generation

  While lead generation is essential for business growth, it is also important to focus on retaining existing clients. Social media can help you improve client communication and stay connected with clients even after a project is completed.

• Reinforce word-of-mouth marketing

  Satisfied clients may recommend your business to their friends and family. By engaging with them on social media, you can encourage past clients to share their positive experiences with their own network.

• Re-engage clients

  Social media platforms offer opportunities to reconnect with clients who you’ve worked with in the past. By showing up on their feeds, you can remind them of your services and encourage them to return.

Don’t take building solid relationships with clients for granted. The work you put in can show dividends and keep your business humming with activity.

How social media fosters client relationships

Using social media effectively empowers you to provide excellent customer service, educate followers on your offerings, communicate with clients, highlight personal and professional passions, showcase your unique personality and voice, and share your values.

Establishing strong client relationships on social media makes it possible to:

• Keep your business present in your clients' feeds

  By consistently posting on social media, you can stay top-of-mind with past and present clients. This can lead to increased engagement, brand awareness, and client loyalty.

• Provide exceptional customer service

  Communicating online allows you to interact with clients so they can ask questions and receive timely responses. Providing excellent customer service on social media can build trust and improve client satisfaction.

• Create an online community

  Social media is a powerful way to build a community of like-minded individuals who share an interest in your business. It can also lead to increased engagement, client feedback, and brand advocacy. 

  Learn more about turning your audience into a community that converts.

• Educate followers on your offerings

  Use social media to educate followers. By providing valuable information and focusing on teaching, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field, increase confidence and credibility in your brand, and attract new clients who are looking for the best of the best.

• Highlight personal and professional passions

  Share aspects of your personal life and interests outside of web design. By showing the human side of your business, you can build deeper relationships and increase brand loyalty.

• Share your values

  Social media channels provide an outlet to share your business values and mission. By aligning your values with those of your followers, you can attract new clients, build stronger connections, and foster long-term relationships.

Tips to engaging clients and growing your following on social media

Effective client engagement on social media requires careful planning, thoughtful execution, and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances and trends. By implementing the following tips, you can build lasting relationships with clients, practice your effective client communication skills, and grow your online following.

1. Set a goal and measure your efforts

Setting clear goals for your social media engagement is essential to measuring your success. Whether you aim to increase website traffic, generate leads, or improve customer satisfaction, establishing metrics for measuring progress will help keep your efforts on track.

2. Invest in a social listening tool to monitor topics and keywords online

Social media listening tools empower you to monitor what people are saying about your brand, industry, or niche online. These tools can provide valuable insights into client sentiment and feedback, helping you identify pain points and areas for improvement to leverage in your marketing and sales efforts.

3. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is key to creating content that resonates with them. Take the time to research your followers' behavior, interests, and the other accounts they engage with. This information can be used to tailor messaging, promotions, and other content to better meet client needs.

4. Tune in to client feedback

Feedback can provide valuable insights into areas where your services can improve. By listening to and responding to client feedback, you can build trust and credibility with your audience. This approach can also help you address common pain points and improve overall client satisfaction.

5. Educate customers on common pain points

By providing educational content, you can help clients better understand your services and how they can benefit from them. Sharing valuable content, such as industry news, tips, and advice, can also reinforce your credibility and establish you as a thought leader in your niche. 

6. Use surveys or polls on various platforms

Surveys and polls can provide you with valuable feedback on your services and messaging. By incorporating these tools into your social media profiles, you can engage clients and better understand their needs and preferences.

7. Engage thoughtfully, authentically, and professionally with clients

Engaging thoughtfully, authentically, and professionally with clients is essential to building lasting relationships both on and off social media. Aim to strike the proper balance between entertaining and business-driven content while keeping your messaging relevant to your brand and offerings.

8. Find balance between entertainment and business  

By following the 80/20 rule–80% of content being educational or entertaining and 20% promotional–you can establish stronger relationships with clients and provide value, in addition to promoting your services. You’ll want to ensure that you’re always keeping content relevant to your brand and offerings, but don’t be afraid to show off your personality and interests. 

9. Leverage client updates, news, and wins 

Sharing client updates and business news to your own network is a great way to offer your support and leverage your reach. In doing so, you can demonstrate your commitment to clients and position yourself as a valuable resource for your audience.

Celebrating your clients' wins is another great way to build goodwill and show appreciation for their business. By recognizing and sharing clients' successes on social media, you can build stronger relationships and inspire loyalty.

10. Get permission before sharing

Obtaining permission before sharing client content is essential to maintaining trust and professional relationships. By respecting clients' privacy and intellectual property, you demonstrate your commitment to ethical and responsible practices.

11. Share relevant links in your bio 

Include relevant links to your website, blog, and services in your social media profiles. This  encourages your followers to learn more about your business and can help you achieve goals such as increasing website traffic. Bio Sites from Squarespace takes the guesswork out of adding links to your bio, connecting your clients with you more efficiently and helping to grow your audience.

Learn more about growing your brand with link in bio.

12. Set guidelines for responses

When deciding whether or not to engage with followers, have a set of guidelines prepared so you can answer questions and respond to comments consistently and quickly. If possible, publicize your response times so followers can anticipate when you will respond and keep online client engagement to working hours to set reasonable expectations.

Engaging with clients on social media is a crucial component of creating strong client relationships. By setting goals, leveraging social listening tools, tuning into client feedback, and engaging thoughtfully, you can set the tone for client relationships that reap big rewards for your business.

Want more?

Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional web designers, developers, digital entrepreneurs, and creatives. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.