A Step-by-Step Guide To Using Social Media To Market Your Skills and Make Money
Written by
Nicole Spector
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Social media isn’t only a way to connect with others — or at least, feel like you’re connecting with them — it’s also, potentially, a way to make money. This is because as much as social media platforms like Instagram are hubs for people, they’re also hubs for brands. And these brands are spending money to be seen and engaged with. In 2024, the retail industry spent around $25.51 billion on social media networks.
How can you get in on the money-making action? GOBankingRates talked with marketing experts to assemble a step-by-step guide to using social media to market your skills — and make money.
Step 1: Know Your Role, Your Skills and the Problems You Can Solve
First things first, determine how you want to use social media to make money. “Are you looking to increase leads for your business or is it to make money from the creator fund as an influencer?” said Joshua Wood, the founder of CJ Digital.
Once you’ve done this, think about your precise niche and selling point. Get crystal clear here.
“Before posting, you want to know what you do and why people should care,” said Keith Kakadia, CEO and social media marketing strategist at Sociallyin. “Are you a graphic designer? A financial coach? A copywriter? The clearer you are about your skill and target audience, the easier it is to create a brand that attracts the right opportunities.”
It is here, at step one, that you should be asking yourself, “What problems do I solve?” “Your content should answer that question over and over again,” Kakadia said.
Step 2: Find the Best-Fitting Social Media Platforms for Your Skillset
Social media is not just one big thing. It’s an ecosystem. Narrow in on which platforms are the best fit for you and what you bring to the table. Kakadia provided the following breakdown:
- LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B services, coaching and consulting.
- Instagram: Excellent for creatives, personal brands and product-based businesses.
- TikTok & YouTube: Perfect for large audience outreach either educationally or through entertainment.
- Twitter (X): Finds its perfect application in thought leadership and industry conversation.
- Pinterest: A goldmine of designers, bloggers and e-commerce brands.
Step 3: Create an Engaging Content Strategy
Anybody can post on social media. It’s easy and it’s free. So you’ve got to get serious not only about selling yourself or your products, but also about communicating the consistent value you bring to this ultra-saturated space.
“Here’s what works,” Kakadia said and listed the following:
- Educational posts: Teach people something useful about your skill.
- Behind-the-scenes content: Give them a reason to buy into your process and personality.
- Case studies and testimonials: Show proof that your work makes a difference.
- Storytelling and relatability: People buy from people, not faceless accounts.
Kakadia recommended using the 80/20 rule: “80% valuable content, 20% promotional content. Build trust first, then sell.”
Step 4: Optimize Your Profile for Business
Your social media page is the face and body of your personal brand. Ensure it reflects you accurately and powerfully. Kakadia said you’ll need the following to pull this off:
- A clear bio: Tell people who you are, what you do and how you can be reached.
- Strong profile pic: Professional but approachable.
- Call-to-action: Link prominently to your portfolio, website or booking page.
Step 5: Create a Free Resource
Yes, you want to make money off social media, but you can’t do that without giving consumers something for free. Think about all the content providers you follow who also sell things. You wouldn’t follow them if they only sold things and provided nothing for free.
“You need to create a free resource — a guide, e-book, a free masterclass, workshop or anything else that works for your audience,” said Daria Astanaeva, an entrepreneur and influencer. “When you are just getting started with creating your first freebie, think about the key pain points that your audience has and how you can help them solve it. Keep in mind that the goal of this free resource is for you to collect their name and contact information (like an email) so you can reach out to them and make them an offer.”
Step 6: Offer Clear Next Steps
You may feel like you’re dumbing things down or being too obvious, but trust: On social media, people need very clear instructions on what to do next if they want to work with you.
“Don’t leave people guessing,” said Sophie Musumeci, CEO and founder at Real Entrepreneur Women. “Invite them to book a free call, join your program or download a free resource. A clear call to action makes it easy for them to say ‘yes.'”
Step 7: Master Engagement and Build Community
The keys to social media marketing success are driving engagement and building community. Camden Olivero, owner at Niche and Needle Marketing, said that successful creators follow this formula:
- Post regularly: Go for 3-5x per week.
- Respond to comments and DMs: This can help alert you of an opportunity, but also shows you’re serious about building community.
- Collaborate with other industry leaders: Don’t isolate; seek opportunities for cross-promotion.
- Don’t overdo hashtags: You do want to use hashtags, but don’t go wild with this. “Use sparingly,” Olivero said.
Step 8: Keep at It
People are making good money essentially from scratch by marketing their skills on social media. Consider Musumeci’s story if you’re in need of some proof.
“Social media transformed my business from $0 to seven figures,” she said. “It’s not about fancy strategies; it’s about connection, consistency and serving your audience well.”
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