How to use social media as a marketing tool

Fundamentally, as an expert or practitioner, you are going to want to build authority in the marketplace so that when people think of your chosen field of expertise, they automatically think of you.

Since we now live and operate in an increasingly digital world, social media is going to play a key role in building your personal brand.

Social media as a marketing tool

If you think of your website as your ‘shopfront’, then social media platforms can be considered as your key marketing tools that will drive people there. Whilst the world of social media is continually evolving (with new platforms launching all the time) here are some of the platforms you might use to share your expert knowledge:

• Instagram — live videos sharing expert tips, visual examples, or infographics to demonstrate your knowledge, interviews with clients or other industry experts
• Facebook — community building with prospects, clients, or like-minded industry experts, sharing of knowledge in written or spoken form
• LinkedIn — connecting with other industry professionals, attracting opportunities to work with corporate organisations to teach or showcase your expertise
• TikTok — live videos sharing expert tips in a fun way (particularly appealing to younger generations)
• Pinterest — sharing of tips, visual demonstrations of your expertise
• YouTube — long form sharing of expert knowledge in the form of solo dialogue or interviews
• Twitter — short form insights and knowledge sharing

As you have limited capacity when you’re first starting out (and are likely wearing the marketing hat yourself, as well as various other hats), we suggest that you start with 1-2 platforms that align with your values, your target audience, and that you feel you can commit to.

Choosing a platform

You should take some time to research each platform to decide which suits you best (and allows you to play to your strengths). The best way to do this is to spend some time using each platform and identifying how and where other experts in your field are utilising certain features.

You will also want to consider what type of people are using each platform. For example, if you plan to target an older demographic, then Facebook might be the best platform for you to build your personal brand. If your target audience is younger, then something like TikTok might be more appropriate.

It is important to note that learning how to use a new technology platform to share your expertise can be a little intimidating or overwhelming. So decide on what you’d like to achieve, set some small goals and allow yourself to discover the benefits of using the platform, and how you might best show up so that your audience can find you.

Here are some examples of experts and practitioners who use social media as a medium for showcasing their expertise:

• Jasmine Hemsley — author and Ayurveda expert sharing her knowledge on Instagram
• Rebecca Louise — a fitness trainer and expert sharing her knowledge on TikTok and Instagram
• Ella Mills — a healthy eating and lifestyle expert sharing her knowledge on Instagram and Facebook
• Lewis Howes — a mindset expert sharing his knowledge (including via interviews with other experts) on YouTube
• Matt Haig — an author and mental health expert sharing his knowledge on Twitter
• Adrienne — a yoga teacher sharing her expertise on YouTube
• Esther Perel — a psychotherapist and relationships expert sharing her knowledge via podcasts and Instagram
• Wim Hof — a breathwork expert sharing his knowledge via Instagram

Have a look at how these experts share their knowledge in order to build authority in their field via social media platforms and think about which of these platforms appeals to you most for building a career as an expert or practitioner.