Should Notaries Prioritize Social Media to Drive Revenue?

Here’s my (perhaps unpopular) take on social media for notaries:

While social media can help with branding and reminding your network you exist, and can even help with search engine optimization if done correctly, for most mobile notaries, posting on social media platforms won’t actually make the phone ring. And that is for three main reasons:

• Your customers aren’t shopping for notary services on social media;

• You’re probably doing social media “wrong” anyway (Sorry!);

• And you might be using it as a distraction to avoid revenue-producing activity.

A social media presence is a “nice to have,” not a “must have.” So, if it is jamming you up right now, overwhelming you, taking up too much of your precious time & energy, or if you just plain hate it, STOP doing it. 

Let me qualify this before you go crazy on me. 

I’m specifically speaking to notary entrepreneurs who DO NOT HAVE THE RESULTS THEY WANT in their business. 

Frankly, that’s most notaries right now, especially in this market.

Let me explain. 

Social Media Platform? Or Not?

First, we need to clarify which platforms are social media and which are not. 

1. Google Business Profile, which I will refer to as GBP in this article, is NOT social media. 90% of consumers find local businesses via Google, so GBP is MUCH more than social media. In fact, it has the greatest potential as a source of leads for your notary business. But it is NOT a one-time “set it and forget it" tool. There’s a strategy to it. Need help? Stop spinning your wheels with it and get Jim Allen’s course already, GBP Mastery on my website.

2. LinkedIn is NOT social media.  It’s a place to cultivate meaningful relationships with professionals who could refer you, hire you, or collaborate with you. When used intentionally, it builds trust and positions you as an expert in your field. And even though LinkedIn may not directly result in phone calls for immediate service, it can create immediate relationships with your IDEAL PROSPECTS. If you need help with your LinkedIn strategy, I literally wrote the book on it with one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices about LinkedIn personal branding, Sandra Long. Get the book here. 

3. Alignable and other networking sites are NOT social media. 

4. Instagram IS social media.

5. Facebook IS social media. 

6. TikTok IS social media.

7. BlueSky IS social media.

8. X IS social media. 

That alone may help clear some of the confusion. When I say “social media,” I’m talking about numbers 4-8 above-true social media platforms. And on those true social media platforms there is an effective way to use them to drive business and boost your online visibility, even cultivate relationships, and there is an ineffective way to use them. 

If you’re using social media to actively engage and network-not just posting ads-you’re closer to using it effectively. But even then, it should never replace direct outreach.

Social Media Mistakes

Most notaries are using ineffective methods on social media. 

Most notaries simply create a graphic on Canva and advertise their business on social media. Every post (or generously, maybe every other post) is just an ad for their notary services. It’s a boring feed and few, if anyone, are interested in a social media feed full of ads about a service they may only need a few times in their life (Trust me, you need to hear that). 

If this happens to be you, good on you for trying something new. For most of us, we didn’t grow up on social media-we’re barely cool on computers and smartphones! This isn’t about shame and judgment. Social media is probably new to you and/or you don’t like being on it anyway. Social media strategy is a BIG bite.

This is your permission to stop social media for your business, either temporarily or permanently. 

A robust and effective social media strategy can come later, it’s like the final touches, or frosting on a cake. The problem is that most notaries are trying to add the frosting before the cake is even baked. 

If You're Not Making Enough Money Yet, Do This

If you do not have the results you want, aka YOU’RE NOT MAKING MONEY, then there are only two things you should be focused on right now. These are the twin engines of your business: 

The first thing to focus on is boosting online visibility with four methods:

• Optimizing Google Business Profile

• Optimizing your website for conversion (These guys can help)

• Optimizing your online notary directory profiles

• Optimizing your PERSONAL LinkedIn profile

None of that is social media. They are strategic platforms, and the distinction is important.

Every single one of these digital brand tools, when optimized effectively, has the power to make your phone ring & ding all day. 

The second thing you should be focused on, the other twin engine, is your cold and warm outreach to prospective customers using these methods:

• Tell everyone you know about your business and ANY new services or products you offer (These are called WARM prospects because you already know them in some capacity).

• Ping your friends and family so you stay in touch better so it’s not weird when you do reach out to share your business. These can be calls, texts, emails, newsletters, handwritten notes-you name it!

• Identify your ideal clients for each specialty you offer and REACH OUT to them (These are your COLD prospects because you don;t know them yet). 

• Follow-up on your leads like a boss! 

To perform prospect outreach effectively, you’ll need three critical lists:

• Contact list of everyone you know (Warm prospects)

• A prospect list of those you WANT to work with (Cold Prospects)

• And a referral list of people, brands, services, and products that you trust to refer your customers to when they’re looking for something

I wrote an article that will help you create those lists here. 

Does Social Media Make Sense For Your Business?

So, if social media feels like a black hole of time and energy, take a step back and ask yourself: 

Is what I’m doing with social media moving me toward more calls, more clients, and more revenue? If not, redirect your focus to tools that actually work for you.

How do you know? Results. Results don’t lie. How many bookings do you get from social media posts? Chances are, not many. And if you’re an exception to the rule, here’s what I know about you: 

• You either ENJOY being on social media or

• You’re really good at using it effectively to convert viewers into customers. 

Good for you! Do what works. Just keep in mind, that is not the majority of notaries, at least not yet, so please don’t get too high and mighty about it. I love you, I’m happy for you, but we’ve got notaries out here spending hours and hours every week creating and posting ads and content that no one will ever read, much less book a service appointment because of, and it’s a complete distraction from doing the things that actually make the phone ring.  

Revenue-Producing Activity MUST Be Your Priority

If you’re new to this business, or you’re still struggling to hit your income goals, remember this…

The goal isn’t to do all the things. The goal is to do the right things that MOVE THE NEEDLE.

As a human notary entrepreneur, you have a finite supply of energy and resources to do the things that must get done for your business. You have to make money. No revenue, no business. 

Prioritize the activities that make an impact.

Bottom line: Yes, social media is an important tool for growing and business, and having a presence can help, but if you’re struggling financially, your time is better spent on direct revenue-producing activities first.

These two twin engines I’ve laid out in this article are the two things you should be focusing on FIRST to get your phone ringing and dinging. Until you have a steady stream of appointments and revenue, this is nearly ALL you have to focus on: Getting in front of, and building relationships with, more people who might hire you or refer you. That's it.

Let’s bake the cake first, add frosting later. 

Learning to prioritize like a CEO, and then executing on your priorities is exactly what I teach and coach on in High Performance Notary. I created a 9-step High Performance Notary Action Plan to help get you started by clarifying your goals and your focus for the next 90 days. And then I give you the Daily Do’s habit structure to connect with both warm and cold prospects to grow your revenue. You can join monthly or save a bunch of money by joining for the entire year. 

Learn more here