Social Media Manager, Strategist, & Host of the Tropical Social Podcast.
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Offboarding your social media management clients is an essential aspect of maintaining professionalism and ensuring client satisfaction. Whether the job or contract was completed successfully, the client is shifting focus, can’t afford the new prices, or the partnership wasn’t the right fit, a proper offboarding process is vital. It ensures your client feels taken care of, understands the handover, and leaves on a positive note.
Here’s my detailed client offboarding process, along with tips you can incorporate into your own business.
The first step in client offboarding is establishing the last day of service. Inform your client of this date well in advance, typically at least a month ahead. In my client contracts, especially for long-term social media management services, I require a 3-month initial commitment, followed by a month-to-month contract. If a client decides to end services, they must provide at least a month’s notice. This gives me ample time to fill their spot and ensures a smooth wrap-up of our work together.
Additionally, remind them of the final invoice due date. My clients pay monthly in advance, and I don’t start working on their accounts until the invoice is paid. As a courtesy, I notify them that this is the last month of service and specify when their final invoice is due.
Having an offboarding checklist, document, or even a call is crucial. Depending on whether the client is for Pinterest management or Instagram management, I outline all tasks, handover details, and pending work. A streamlined approach makes offboarding more efficient and replicable. As you gain more experience, you’ll find that offboarding one client is often transferable to another. I recommend creating a general offboarding PDF or document to email your client or review during a brief offboarding call. This ensures a seamless offboarding experience.
Send over any completed work or project files to your client. For Instagram management clients, this could include Canva templates or designs. Provide links and access for them to edit and customize these templates. Also, remind clients to download any assets from shared folders, like Google Drive, by a specified date. This gives them time to secure their files before access is removed.
Account security is paramount. Make a list of all accounts and passwords you’ve been given access to and ensure these are securely offboarded. I use LastPass with many clients, and at the end of our time together, I log out of their accounts, remove saved passwords, and inform clients to revoke my access or change passwords. This reassures them that their accounts are now safely under their control.
I typically use Notion for client communication. In Notion, where content calendars and monthly reports are kept, I inform clients they have one month to copy necessary items before I close out their board. This clears my client dashboard and sets clear boundaries for future communication, directing them to contact me via email or my website contact page.
Personalize your offboarding email to ensure clients feel appreciated. Include all the information discussed, such as file transfers, account security, and final reminders. Celebrate any wins and share results achieved during your partnership, like increased website clicks or improved engagement metrics. This reinforces the value you provided and leaves a positive impression.
Don’t forget to ask for a client testimonial. Include a form in your offboarding email for clients to share their experience, tangible results, and any recommendations for improvement. Regularly updating your website, portfolio, and social media with these testimonials can enhance your credibility and attract new clients.
Sending a small offboarding gift can leave a lasting impression. It doesn’t need to be expensive; something simple like a candle, bath bomb, or a cute mug from Etsy can show appreciation. This gesture can keep the door open for future collaborations or referrals.
Reflect on the offboarding experience. Why did the relationship end? What did you learn? Use client feedback to improve your services and client interactions. Send a final email thanking them, include a survey for feedback, and wish them well.
Implementing a thorough offboarding process not only maintains professionalism but also leaves clients feeling valued and satisfied. This can lead to positive referrals and potential future collaborations.
Feeling stuck in the early stages of your social media management business? Let’s fix that! Book a 1:1 mentoring call with me, and in 60 minutes, we’ll create a customized game plan with clear action steps to boost your confidence, stand out from the competition, and attract your dream clients.
Related Episodes: Episode 18: How to Price Your Services
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