Being on social media is useful for your wellness business. But you might think you need to be everywhere. Unfortunately if you try to do this you’ll end up wearing yourself thin and probably not getting the results you want. In this post we’ll look at how to choose the platforms to be on and a description of what each platform is best for.
I’ve struggled with being consistent on social media, partly because of lack of time, partly because I’m an introvert and I don’t like doing video. So I’ve taken a hard look at the benefits of being active on each platform so I can focus better on these.
Although I don’t specialize in social media management I have helped several clients with this so my experience is not just with my own accounts.
Check out this article for help choosing a scheduler for social media to help you save some time.
Which platforms do you like to hang out on?
One key to success on social media success is spending enough time on the platform. So if you don’t like being on that platform it’s going to be a problem. You’ll put off spending time and won’t likely get the results you want.
Which platforms are your ideal clients hanging out on?
There is no point spending your precious business time on a platform that your client isn’t on. But most of these platforms will at least have a few of your ideal clients. Another thing to mention is that it really depends what your client is doing on the platform. If they’re not looking for solutions on that platform, then being on the platform might not help your business. For example your ideal client might be using Facebook to look at pictures of their grandkids, not find a solution to their menopause symptoms.
Now let's take a look at each social media platform and see how it can help your business.
Instagram is really pushing video now and has moved somewhat away from being a platform for static posts. Static posts do still get some traction but video is what they want to see on the platform. Instagram is also good for interacting with people and developing relationships, but not very good for website traffic.
Instagram has seen some criticism lately. It has been criticized because of the promotion of an ideal (and unobtainable for most) body shape. People on the platform can also be very judgmental, especially as your audience grows.
Facebook pages
It is really hard to get anyone to see anything you post unless you have a big following or pay for ads, but its still good to post sometimes. This is especially true if you spend some time in Facebook groups. If you post something in a group, someone might click on your profile. Having a page attached to your profile helps people to see that you are real and get an idea of what your business is about.
Facebook pages might also show up on Google so that's another reason why you should have a page.
I’ve seen a few pages that are very active and very engaged, but they are definitely not the norm. If you are just getting started, especially if you have a small Facebook following, I wouldn’t spend too much time here.
Facebook groups
Having your own Facebook group is good for interacting and developing relationships, but in a more private and personal way than on Instagram. Other groups can also be good for developing relationships. You can also find lots of ideas about what your ideal client is struggling with if you spend time in the groups they are in. For example if your ideal client is a menopausal woman, then you can get an idea of what they are struggling with by seeing what they post in these groups.
Please don’t hijack another coach’s group and try to get clients that way. If someone has put a lot of time and effort into developing a Facebook group, it’s not for you to promote your stuff in it.
YouTube
YouTube is more of a search engine for video content than a social media platform. The social part comes with the interaction that occurs with the videos that are posted. If you like doing video on other social media platforms then repurposing the content on YouTube is a great idea. Or you can use YouTube for your long form content and promote that content on other social media channels.
Pinterest has long been considered a search engine rather than social media, but they have recently made attempts to become more social. They’ve recently added idea pins which seem to be better for engagement. They can use a combination of static images and video.
If you sell products then you might want to consider Pinterest. Much of their focus lately has been on making the platform more shoppable.
Pinterest is also good for traffic to blog posts and freebies. It takes some time to develop a strategy and you should be posting quite a bit to see results.
LinkedIn is more of a business platform but its good to have a presence and posts can create traffic. If you are targeting people who are on LinkedIn then it’s a good place to be. Corporate wellness is one area that performs really well on LinkedIn. It can also be a good place to connect with other coaches and online business owners.
TikTok
TikTok is a platform for short form video. It has become the most popular web domain. But unless you already have a presence on TikTok you might have a hard time gaining an audience. If your target market is a younger audience and you like to do video, then you might want to consider it.
Clubhouse
Clubhouse is an audio only platform. If you like to speak, then this might be the platform for you. You can join rooms, create private conversations or let your audience know you are doing a talk.
Clubhouse has received some bad press for allowing racist, misogyny, bullying and misinformation to flourish on the platform. Clubhouse records audio (even private conversations) to review incidents.
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Other Platforms
Reddit is more for asking and answering questions than for posting things. It can be an alternative to Facebook groups when looking to see what your ideal client is asking about.
Alignable
Alignable is a small business referral network. If your target market is small business owners you’ll want to check this out. It’s also a good source for looking for referrals and partnerships.
Summary
You don’t have to be on every social media network. It’s better to concentrate on one or two networks than to spread yourself to thin by trying to be everywhere.
Social media should be used to grow your email list and not as a replacement for an email list. To get started with a free download to help grow your email list check out this freebie template kit.
