I’ve been working with high-level clients and marketing agencies since 2019. So I’ve come across all the different types of writing clients. Some a nice and easy to work with, while others can be quite demanding and difficult to please. Among the latter almost always are what we call the High-Level Social Media Clients.
What is a High-Level Social Media Client?
High-level clients are usually highly educated, operate in a niche market and have really high expectations. They’re also seen as having high influence, power and money. Working with these clients puts immense pressure on any marketer, designer or writer. For writers specifically, this means rounds of revisions, working overtime and struggling to meet the clients’ demands.
Some writers who cannot cope with the workload or meet tight deadlines end up giving up. That’s why I think it’s important to identify these high-level clients from the beginning. And if you can find a way to win their trust, you’re set for a long-term successful collaboration.
In this post, I’m sharing some tips you can follow to help you manage the expectations of your high-level social media clients.
How to identify high-level clients for your writing project:
Here are 5 ways I use to identify high-level clients:
- Niche market
High-level clients usually come from a technical, IT, finance, medical or any profession that is not commonly advertised on social media. Usually, they will tell you they created a unique product/service/subscription that is going to revolutionize the market. Believe me when I say: you need to act interested and show enthusiasm for their product. Otherwise, don’t work for them.
2. Subject matter complexity
Writing content for high-level clients requires you to study extensive technical materials, and product descriptions and even learn jargon that’s not commonly used by the average folk. That’s why it’s important to research their brand before starting to write a single word.
3. Above-average expectations
Every client expects good work from their writers. However, these high-level clients want GOLD: aka. the highest level of writing proficiency, expert graphic design skills and above-average marketing knowledge. Not to mention, they’ll check on your writing and will be able to find even the slightest formatting errors. So make sure you double-triple check your grammar and proofread ALL your text before sending it to them for review.
4. High influence and authority
Most high-level clients are well-established brands. They have built a social media presence and have a group of loyal clients. As a result, this client creates a higher pressure on you as a writer to deliver the greatest quality of work, and meet deadlines. Otherwise, they’ll threaten you with bad reviews or switching to a different agency — because they have the budget to do so.
Working for High-Level Clients
3 Tips for Success when Working with High-Level SME Clients
#1: Ask a lot of questions before you start a new project for a high-level client
There are a lot of different types of content writing. Everything from writing sales page copy, social media captions, SEO-blog posts, YouTube video scripts, email sequences, ad copy and …. so much more!
Before you add a new project to your portfolio, you need to ask your client clear and specific questions like:
- Who are the people they’re targeting with their content?
- What is the end goal? (engagement, lead generation, conversions)
- Do they have a specific brand voice? Or do they want you to use your own?
- Where does the content fit into their marketing funnel?
- Will it be published on the website, accompany a sales page, or stand-alone?
- What’s the style of the content: educational, story-telling, informational, entertaining?
These are just a few questions I would ask any new client before considering starting a writing project. It’s also good to ask them to share with you some samples or links of competitor articles/writing that can help you visualise their expectations.
#2: Do extensive research into their target audience and industry
Before you start writing a single word, you need to know the audience you’re writing for. Do some market research to find out:
- Who are your client’s customers?
- What are their problems, struggles, and needs?
- Which problems can you help them solve?
If you can, do a competitive analysis and study their top 3 competitors to understand what works well in the industry your client operates. Knowing this information will not only impress your high-level clients but will also make them trust your judgement more.
PS: I always love to see my clients impressed by how much I know about their business & industry before starting a project.
#3: Use only reputable sources of information when writing for high-level clients
When you’re writing for high-level clients you should only use resources, stats and facts that come from reputable sources, such as:
- Industry reports
- Research papers
- Newspapers
- Industry magazines
- Government-issued statistics
- Industry blogs
I generally use only good sources of information for all clients, but you should pay specific attention to high-level clients. They’re usually more fact focused and will ask you to support your writing with facts, stats and data that are reliable.
Remember: Wikipedia pages, personal blogs, YouTube videos, and social media influencers are not reputable sources!
#4: Don’t take their negative feedback personally
Lastly, don’t take negative feedback personally. I know that some high-level clients are sharper with their words and feedback. But it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer. Remember: miscommunications happen in any team. That’s why if you’re unsure whether you are on the right path 🫤 ask for your client’s feedback every step of the way. This will make your work happier and go smoother, even when dealing with high-level social media clients.
Final thoughts about Working with High Level clients
High-level clients are difficult to work with because they have a lot of influence over writers. They’re often in positions of authority, so you need to understand how to write for them. When working with them you need to do your research on the brand. Find out what kind of products or services they sell, who are their target audience and competitors, and what their goals are. Then, use these details to help you create a good pitch for writing projects.
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