=vel up your social medio digitallyABOUT AUTHOR Ashar Jamil is the Founder and CEO of Digitally Up, a successful Digital Marketing Agency that has helped 150+ Businesses in Pakistan, USA, and Australia. He is, also, the only Pakistani to have been accepted on the Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only community for owners of and executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies. He has started, advised and supported several startups and business ventures such as ViewStorm.com, MeraPlan.com, and Berqproperties.com. He is also Marketing Director of leading USA based technology company, VoIP Terminator. His work has been featured on Forbes, Hackernoon, Ant Hill, Thrive Global, ProPakistani, and many more.TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) ) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) The Rise of Social Media Marketing wives ol The Widening Gap Between Marketing Agencies and Small BUSINESSES sees 03 Who Is This Guide For? Start Your Social Media Marketing AQ@NCy IN 9 STEPS eccentric Learn The Basic Skills Create Your Business Profile Create Your Pricing Sheet .... Get Free Leads Run Facebook Ads (Paid Method) Make Sure Your Proposal Is Convincing Pay Attention to the Contract Pitch As An Expert Follow Up Putting It All TogetherHear this. Sq All around the globe, the SMM market is booming. The world of marketing and advertising has completely changed. In the span of a decade, we’ve moved to trans- formative, pull strategies and value based interactions. And, a big part of this change is the advent and use of social media marketing to reach and convert customers. Social Media Marketing uses social networking websites as marketing tools. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Insta- gram and YouTube with a large user-base and market reach where you can tap into your desired audience and engage with them on a daily basis. And, it’s extremely successful too. Here are some stats to help you see the impact: © 42% of the world's population uses social media. That breaks down to 3.2 billion users worldwide. e 54% of social browsers use social media to find products. e 366 million new people started using social media in the past year. That sums up to more than a million people joining the bandwagon every day. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Remember when marketers used billboards, flyers and magazine ads to reach their markets? NOT ANY MORE! Nowadays, most of your target market is using the internet to find products or services.Platforms like Google and Facebook drive 90% of the engagement and knowing how to use them makes you extremely valuable in the eyes of business owners. In fact, small and medium-sized businesses are actively looking for freelancers and agencies to market their business on social media. That’s because while Google, Facebook, and other social platforms are your best bet to reach your customers, they can also prove quite technical (algorithms, analytics, data sets and the ever-evolving SEO methods). And, for a small or medium business, navigating through the different channels, understanding how each platform works and what strategies are native to it can be hard. Plus, a single update or algorithm change can waste all the hard work they've put in for days. And business owners understand that. That is why they're ready to pay SMM marketers a healthy sum to handle their accounts. Knowing how to use social media effectively is a game changer in today’s world. And the demand for people with that specific skill set is never ending. A book by Ashar JamilTHE WIDENING GAP BETWEEN MARKETING AGENCIES & SMALL BUSINESSES Here’s a big opportunity for those who are paying attention. Think about it. Small businesses and startups with precarious financial budgets turn away most marketing agencies because they cannot afford them. Yet, every budding and local business needs marketing. Who fills the gap? Social Media Marketers. For freelancers, marketers, and general professionals who are just starting out, this opportunity is a goldmine. You can easily fill the gap and replace marketing agencies by approaching businesses with a far more affordable bid. Plus starting is easy and you can work from anywhere in the world. Want to start your own business from the comfort of your home? Start your own Social Media Marketing Agency today...You can start your own agency, charge a single client anywhere from $300 to $1000 and start taking on more and more clients as you expand. With 5 initial clients you can easily make anywhere from $1500-$3000 a month and then once you scale and keep on taking more clients, it can go from $3000 to $10,000 in no time. And since this businesses do not have big budgets to invest in traditional agencies, it’s a win-win model for both parties. (Once you've gained enough experience and built solid authority, you can go for the bigger fish and charge a single client anywhere from $1500-5000) Now that we've established how lucrative the gig is... Want to know exactly how to get started? Keep on reading.WHAT DO SOCIAL MEDIA < MARKETERS DO? Social Media Managers or Marketers offer a variety of services depending on their areas of expertise, what package they’‘re offering client, and what niche they’re working with. Also, what does their client’s business needs. Some of the services include: e Creating marketing strategies and packages based on the client’s needs e Setting up social media accounts e Posting graphics, text, and other relevant media on the page to interact with customers e Curating posts to increase brand awareness, engagement and ROI e Increasing your client's followers and engagement rate e Market Analysis e Customer service and communication gateways for the client and customers In summary, all social media marketers focus on three key metrics: Increasing Brand Awareness This involves using your social media platforms to inform, engage and educate people about the company’s brand values and mission statement. Lead Generation And Increasing Traffic Lead generation involves getting people to contact your brand. This can be done by using email collectors, discount codes, forms, and driving traffic from your social media han- dles to company’s website or other platforms. A book by Ashar JamilBuilding A Strong Following “ Social Media allows your customers to stay in direct contact with you. This is an excellent opportunity for most brands to build their authority over a subject or provide advice or alleviate any concerns and problems the customers have. By engaging in relevant discussions and being prompt with responses, brands show their customer base they care. This helps increase their customers’ trust in them. The Most Popular SMM Platforms Right Now Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Youtube Who Is This Guide For? For people who are: Freelancers Marketers Students People looking for a side income Entrepreneurs Writers SEO, Marketing and other Professionals Literally anyone who's willing to put in the required work and keeps a desire to become his/her own boss.START YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AGENCY IN 9 STEPS Here’s how you can start your own social media marketing agency in nine simple steps: 1. Learn The Basic Skills You need two things to become a successful SMM Marketer: * A lifelong passion for learning. Social platforms keep coming with updates and tweaking their algorithms. This means tomorrow Facebook and Google can change the way they rank websites or social posts and you'll have to roll with the punches and relearn the whole process to see what works and what doesn’t. If the thought of sitting hours, studying Facebook's new update and its implications seems daunting, SMM Marketing is not for you. Ashar Jamil* The second thing you need is a basic set of skills that can help you get started in the field Copywriting: You'll have to write basic posts and ads. Basic Wordpress Handling: You'll be working with wordpress a lot. Knowing how to use it is important. Basic Image Editing: If you’re not a graphic designer, you can use a software like Canva to put together a free, high-quality custom image for your clients. Social Media Ads: Understanding how Facebook ads work and what brings maximum engagement and what doesn’t work is crucial to your process. Google Analytics: Once you learn how to use this tool, the value you can gain is immeasurable. Once you've mastered the essentials, and know the lingo, you're ready for the next step. A book by Ashar Jamil2. Create Your Business Profile q u dighally TNC COMPANY PROFILE 2018 ‘WE ARE THINKERS VISUALIZERS, AND MARKETERS. ¢ Write Your Value Proposition What is a value proposition? In simple words, your ‘value proposition’ tells your competitor why they should choose you over your competitors. A good value proposition helps you and your products/services stand out. Start by keeping your ideal customer base in your mind. Are you catering to a specific business niche like real estate or fashion or are you a generalist? What about the types of businesses you're catering to. B2B Businesses have different social media needs compared to B2C companies. Their ideal customer base is also found on different platforms. Once you've done your research on your ideal clients AND their CUSTOMER BASE, you're good to go. Now you can come up with your value proposition easily. Are you offering something the competition isn’t? Build a unique selling point and go from there. Ashar Jamil¢ Think of a Name The next most important step is creating your business profile. Start with thinking of a good name for your company. Something that is a good fit for your brand. Design Logo Once you know what you'll call your business, it’s time to design a basic logo. You can outsource this or use free logo designing websites and apps to get the job done. Just make sure it’s distinct and you're not copying someone else’s logo. Setup Your Facebook Page Your Facebook page will act as both a listing and an overview of your business for the clients. Plus it’s free and hardly takes more than a few minutes to set up. Your page needs to be extremely professional and convey who you are. Put in the description, the company’s name and logo, and a few posts to get going. Once you're sure about the content you’ve put, and tweaked everything to perfection, it’s time to work on the nuts and bolts. Create Your Company’s Website A basic website is essential. Your website is as important as your social media page. Use wordpress and use a free theme to put together a simple website. Put your name, business, logo and all the services you offer. If you can, put up a testimonial. It boosts your credibility. Cnc enal|3. Create Your Pricing Sheet a digitally ity Up a st 2h semuce waremciuom® [areal eoaT cueer cost EmatSeaaneroie | Sxenato roy 000-1800 ane tana’ Sere ay sate we |S eee gt an Eraleegeree [aetna ae aor ee Some irate, [BR Seater Se nan ieee Eratcegree |i stop ems Cry cece, [Sei Peanuts [$0 i Enatoeperete aed |x enate ee Cer) Ea Sa yen on [SES Seer gain rage Most business owners would have a specific range or value in their minds they're willing to spend. And your pricing point will be one of the first few questions they will want answered. Your pricing is going to decide the kind of clients you want and how many clients you take. Since you're starting out, it’s important to take a survey of the market. Do some research. Take a look at the pricing and packages other social media marketing agencies are offering. Find out what the market-com- petitive prices are and then create your own pricing sheet based on that. If you charge 2x than the market rate, it’s possible that you lose out on clients. Especially, if you're not offering them more. But, don’t undersell yourself either. Your pricing point should justify the time, expertise, and resources you're bringing to the table. If the cost outweighs the profit, the pricing is too low.4. Get Free Leads Now that you’ve your website, Facebook page and packages, it’s time to start pitching to clients. And, the best way to win FREE clients if you’re short on budget is through friends, family and referrals. Find out if any one in your circle has a business/ or is planning to start one and need some help with their social media handles. Then, approach them with an Offer. This is an excellent strategy to use if you have no experience. You can also join niche Facebook groups your ideal clients flock to and let the members know you're now taking in clients. Alternatively, you can also offer to work for free in exchange for experience and a testimonial. The goal is to start getting real-world experience, and building your portfolio. Your portfolio is extremely important when it comes to showing clients that you're reliable and good at what you do. A book by Ashar JamilSome more tips on gaining clients: e Facebook groups and personal feeds: Facebook groups are a great way to target a concentrated niche of people. Search for groups where you'd find your relevant audience. Groups for startups, businesses, marketing or groups in the niche you want to target. For example, restaurants or food. Also, announcing it on your feed and asking for leads is a great way to get started. You don’t know who on your timeline might respond positively. * Create Google My Business listing: Your Google My Business Listing lends you legitimacy and credibility, gives you a boost in the search rankings, and is the first thing people see when they do a quick Google check. Make sure your Name, Contact Details including emails, websites, social media pages, and phone numbers are up-to-date. © Post ads: Craigslist is a great place to put up a tasteful ad and let your audience know you're in business. A lot of people use craigslist for their listings and report back positive results,5. Run Facebook Ads (Paid Method for Getting Clients) Let’s say you've gained enough experience and have some budget to spare. Facebook ads are an excellent way to generate leads and get new clients. The ROI is insane. If you put in the money, and your ad is good, the leads will come and they will convert! 1 Like Page Boost your sales with 1 stop solution for your hurdles. Contact us to make your product or service reach a milestone. Digitally Up brings you all solutions under one roof. Get in touch with us Today! ab Dit Marketing Agency www DIcTALLyuP.COM ‘Lear hore O08 2%« 455 Comments 15 Shares ve Uke Comment} Share A book by Ashar Jamil6. Make Sure Your Proposal Is Convincing = Eom ie ounpacnsos gna Weave crafted some specially designed packages that provie inerdibie value 35 wells everything your business needs tobe 3 success anne, Whether you ‘eed a base online presence to build on overtime ora fll, online strategy, we havea package to sut you con Me, Co What is a proposal? In easy words, it’s your plan/pack- age for your client’s business. It’s the blueprint that should leave no doubt in your client’s mind about you. You need to create a generic proposal before you start pitching or getting clients. Once you've set up a meeting with the client, you can then tweak and customize it according to your client’s business needs. Here are the four pointers you should keep in mind while creating a solid proposal: e It should cover everything you'll be doing to drive engagement and revenue to your client’s business and social media sites. e It should have an estimate of the numbers you expect, the budget you’d need, and every other metric or strategy you'll be using. A book by Ashar JamilIt should focus on the client’s needs and establishes you as the foremost expert in your industry. It should show the client that you understand them and their business, know exactly what you're doing, and that you will deliver the results they expect. As a pro-tip, always carry a hardcopy of your proposal to every meeting. The hard copy helps establish trust and credibility. If you can’t print print multiple copies, you can always email the client a softcopy and carry a single binder with you as physical proof. Once the meeting is over, you can take the binder back with you. You've already emailed your client a copy. Another thing to keep in mind: If you’re a beginner, start with a single package. You don’t want to complicate the process. Starting with a single package gives you the ability to focus on your expertise and learn from your mistakes as you go. Once you've gained enough experience, you can branch out. A book by Ashar Jamil7. Pay Attention To The Contract digitally Service Agreement iron he Aone tems lita heated expan aay provide Cater wh fe et ony soe bes anda eC an te ob WHEREAS, Ne parton dat eases ning nuts dating a asnerts hese The contract is formal paperwork and and the second most important document after your proposal. Businesses are all about contracts. Which is why you need to draw a professional and precise contract for every client you'll be pitching to. You need to make sure there are zero grammatical and syntax errors. Proofread it as many times as you can and if you can, get a lawyer to look at it if you're going for high-value deals. In the end, it’s the contract that matters. And attention to every minute detail pays big.8. Pitch As An Expert Your pitch is the glue that keeps everything together. It’s what's going to seal the deal for you. Make sure you prepare and deliver an excellent pitch. Stand in front of a mirror and practice until the words automatically slip from your tongue. Make sure you're clear, precise and do not fumble. It’s important that you position yourself as a confident expert and leader. Your pitch is all about comforting the client and appeasing all their doubts regarding your ability to deliver what they want. A single fumble or question mark can attack your integrity and sow the seeds of doubt in your client’s mind. You don’t want that. You need to also know what your clients want. Find out what they’re looking for. Is it leads, PR, more sales or exposure? Ask them questions regarding the business: their expectations, problems, the biggest setbacks they've faced and how they’ve overcome them. Other issues currently plaguing them, You need to know everything about a business before you become the lightbearer. In addition, make sure you lead the conversation. Prepare for answering a lot of questions in return as well and giving as many examples as your client needs. Do not assume things. Use simple words and language your client can understand. And, never ask the client’s opinion on things you should be an expert on! A book by Ashar JamilIt might seem harsh, but asking your client what the budget should be or what platforms you should use shows that you've not done your homework and you don’t know what you're doing. Whether the client is willing or not is another thing, but always suggest what you think is the best route for the client’s business. 9. Follow Up Now that you're done pitching, it’s time for follow up. Here’s the thing. Many marketers spam their prospects with emails out of urgency. DO NOT DO THAT! Wait at least a few days before you write a polite follow up email or put in a formal call. Yes, follow up is important! But, avoid anything that comes off as unprofessional or clingy. If your client has problems with your proposals, you can always offer to alter the proposal or create a new one. You can also shoot them an email and ask them if they have any further questions. Be subtle and helpful. And, end things on a polite note, even if the deal doesn’t go through. Keep the window wide open for the possibility of a future collaboration.S PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER In a nutshell, social media marketing is an easy field to step into. But scaling a business is a full-time job. And, at one point or another, you'll have to think about spending money on ads and PR if you want to cast a wider net. We started Digitally Up by acquiring our first client through a Facebook group. Today, we’re part of the Forbes council and have both national and international clients. Here, at Digitally Up we believe constant determination combined with the right skillset can help you achieve whatever you want. We've made it our mission to help freelancers and budding entrepreneurs start their own businesses and scale them successfully. We are here to guide you through this first step. We also provide ready-made, easily-editable proposals, contracts, and other important documents for clients who are looking for templates they can use to pitch to clients. We use the same templates to convert hundreds of clients every day! And, you can do the same... For more information or if you want to purchase our all-in-one agency kit, click here: Le ALL IN ONE AGENCY KITLe digitally