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We’ve all heard “don’t judge a book by its cover” but what if I told you I judge my clients based on their social media?

That definitely sounds like a bold statement but I use it to identify the type of clients who would want to work with me & I use it to weave out the ones who would not find my brand appealing.

Now let me explain the story behind why I do that.

When I first started my business I was quick to drop my link as soon as someone said “I’m searching for a designer” but by doing that I made a huge mistake.

One evening I dropped my link on someone’s Facebook post. This particular individual was looking for someone to rebrand their business and after a few minutes I received a direct message from this person. They stated that they wanted to see more samples of my work which was totally cool although unusual considering I have a large portfolio displayed on my site. Before I could even respond they sent another message stating that my work was “too cutesy” and that I looked like I was 14. They then proceeded to send me numerous works from other designers who they found more appealing.

Obviously this whole situation didn’t end well and was a very bad experience for me as a young business owner.

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After that situation I decided to scope out this persons Facebook profile. By doing that I discovered all sorts of clues as to why they were not going to be an ideal client for my brand, clues I should’ve identified before ever dropping my link.

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THe Clues:

I discovered they were way out of my ideal client age range.

I discovered they had a corporate business and if you know anything about my brand, you know it’s far from corporate.

I also discovered they were not in my ideal client income range.

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Where i found these clues:

Clues like this are actually pretty easy to discover if you know what to look for.

I knew just by looking at this persons profile photo they were not in my ideal client age range, I saw their corporate business link in their bio, and by looking through their other photos I could tell the type of lifestyle they were living was not the type of lifestyle my ideal clients maintain.

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Why You should start judging your client’s profiles too:

If you haven’t identified your ideal client yet, this method isn’t for you BUT if you have, I suggest giving it a try!

The first reason I encourage other business owners to use this method is because if I had of used it from the start, I would’ve avoided a really bad business situation.

The second reason is that it shows you aren’t just for anybody out there and take pride in who you’re working with. I’ve seen plenty of business owners drop their links over and over and over again, so much that I’ve memorized their business link thumbnail. I also know they will drop their link under any post surrounding ANYTHING remotely similar to their field. When you constantly see the same business pitching to all different kinds of people for a lot of different things, it can sometimes appear as if they’re desperately needing business or just aren’t an expert at one particular thing.

In the business world you definitely want to be viewed as an expert in one niche and as a brand that values your client set.

The third reason is that it saves you time. Why waste your time dropping a link & having a 5 minute direct message chat with someone who is either going to end up not wanting to pay for your services or not find them appealing.

The fourth reason is that this method produces stronger leads. When you drop a link you are already pretty sure the person in search of your services is going to find your brand appealing and actually be interested in what you have to offer. This means more time with the right potential clients and less time with the ones who don’t get you anywhere.

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Identifying your target audience is just as important as the services you offer