Many entrepreneurs are scared of showing their face and showing up as themselves on their Instagram page. Instead, they hide behind their brand. In this episode of Let's Talk Socials, I explain why it is so important that we see your face - especially as a service provider - and I give you some tips on how to start showing up confidently!
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Why do I need to show up?
When I give workshops, I always get asked what the ONE big mistake is that many businesses make, and 90% of the time I say it's that they don't show their face or don't show up themselves.
This whole blog post is especially relevant for service providers but I think even if you are selling products you will be able to get something out of this.
During my university education, I learned that there was are big differences in marketing between product-based businesses and service-based businesses. You don't market a service in the same way that you market a product. Before we can dive into why you need to show up, you need to understand what makes a service a service.
The 5 characteristics of a service
Services are characterised by 5 things:
1) Lack of ownership:
If you purchase a service, unlike a product, you can't own the service. You can own a product but you can't really own a service.
Example: You go to the cinema and buy a ticket for the film. You don't actually buy the ticket, but you buy a service and the ticket is just the physical promise that you will receive the service. That is why services need different communication than something you can actually own.
2) Intangibility:
You can't touch or actually really see a service, right? That makes it really difficult to represent and communicate that service in your marketing.
3) Inseparability:
A service is inseparable from the person that is offering the service.
Example: If you go to the hairdresser, you can't get the service, if the hairdresser is not there, right? As a service provider, you are part of the offer. And actually, your client is too. Because if you don't go to the hairdresser, they can't cut your hair. So the fit between the provider and the client is also really important with services.
4) Perishability:
If you buy a product, like a new desk, you can use it multiple times. But a service can only be performed once. Obviously, you can have multiple sessions of a service but the actual act of service can only be performed once.
Example: If you go to the massage, you get 60min and then the service is finished.
And that also means that a service can't really be returned if it goes bad or breaks, like a desk. So the risk for the buyer is a little higher than when they purchase a product where you might be able to get a refund or replacement
5) Heterogeneity:
No two services are exactly the same which means that customer satisfaction depends on the performance of the service but also on a lot of factors that we as a service provider or we as a client can't really influence.
Example: You are an online coach who does coaching sessions via Zoom. One day you have a really bad internet connection. That's not really your fault, neither is it the client's but it still affects the performance of the service and the customer satisfaction.
This means that what you communicate about your service might not actually be true as you can't influence everything. Again, more risk for a client to book as they can't know what will happen or how good your service will be.
What happens when you show your face?
When you show up & show your face as a service provider...
...your prospective client, gets to know you better.
We know that for someone to make a purchase decision, they need to first know, then like and then trust us!
...you reduce your client's risk that we have just talked about.
...you help them evaluate if you are a good fit.
Are they your people? Are they vibing with you?
...you avoid situations in which your client is negatively surprised about your service & you as a person
3 tips on how to start showing your face on Instagram
1) Start small:
Just take a selfie and post it on your stories. Or post a photo of yourself in your feed.
You don't immediately have to go live and hold a monologue there.
2) You get to decide what you share:
Always remember that you get to decide how much of your life you want to show. If you are a little bit of a private person, then that's okay! You don't need to share everything that goes on in your life!
3) Just do it:
You need to get started to get better at it. I want to see your face on stories!
Your first few attempts might feel awkward, maybe even attempt #50 might feel awkward but it will get better with time. It's always better to take messy action now than no action at all.
If you want to get more confident on camera, I also have a mini-course The Camera Confidence course that helps you with that!
Talk to you next week!
Hanna