Does posting on social media feel like you’re shouting into the digital abyss?
If you’ve tried publishing content on Instagram and received nothing but crickets, you’re not alone!
Practitioners often come to me asking how the heck to boost their engagement on social media. In fact, I’ve spoken with all sorts of small business owners who feel this way!
I know it can be awkward trying to figure out what the heck to post, carving out precious time to actually publish it, and then receiving little to no engagement. 😕
But before you throw in the towel, ask yourself if you’re falling into any of the all-too-common traps listed below.
And if so, that’s okay! I’ve got some quick fixes to help you get the most out of social media. 😉
1. You’re not asking for engagement.
Let’s start here.
Are you actually asking your reader to engage with you?
It sounds obvious when you first read it… but it’s one of the most common mistakes I see practitioners make on social media.
Here’s why it’s so important:
Think about the amount of content your ideal patient (and really, all of us living in modern society!) consumes every single day. Especially on social media.
You should assume your ideal client just scrolled through 50 pieces of content before landing on yours. That amount of information can overwhelm anyone!
If they’re not explicitly told what to do after reading your post, the brain won’t know what to do (or it’ll feel overwhelmed), so it will opt for doing *nothing*. (hence, the crickets)
Here’s another fun fact about us humans:
We’re most likely to take action when there’s some type of reward involved – whether that be strengthening human connection, receiving free & valuable information, or fixing our problems.
We need to have a pretty great reason to do something!
So beyond just asking your reader to do something, you want to ask them strategically. 😉
What to Do:
Include a call to action (CTA) in every single post.
Now… remember that your CTA’s aren’t always about selling! In fact, I usually recommend posting promotional content no more than 25% of the time. This is more about prompting your audience to interact with you and your content.
Based on the human psychology we chatted about above, the key is:
- Make it clear (what should they do?)
- Make it easy-peasy (minimal effort)
- Make it desirable (what’s in it for them)
Here are some examples:
CTA: “What’s YOUR take on x topic – Yay or Nay?”
When to Use: Your post expresses your stance on a certain topic.
CTA: “Tap the link in my bio to snag your free consultation.”
When to Use: Your post shares a client success story or depicts a problem that then presents your services as the solution.
CTA: “Drop a “YES” below if you’re ready to <insert action>!”
When to Use: Your post gets people motivated to make a change.
CTA: “Read the blog post for my last two game-changing hacks – link in bio!”
When to Use: Your post gives a preview of a blog post or article on your website.
CTA: “Tap the link in my bio to download my FREE [quiz, guide, checklist, etc.]!”
When to Use: Your post relates to the information someone will get in your freebie.
2. You’re not being YOU.
This one is super common for practitioners on social media, and I get it.
You feel like you need to maintain a professional vibe.
But now more than ever, digital marketers are seeing how much people value authenticity.
They want to know who the person (or people) is behind the brand.
People want to get to know YOU!
They want to know…
- your values.
- your struggles.
- your passions.
They want to know who you are *outside* of your profession.
Don’t believe me? Look at the accounts YOU enjoy following on social media. Do you want to follow a buttoned-up & professional account? 🤮
Well, your audience doesn’t either 😉
What to Do Instead:
Show up as the amazing (and normal) human you are!
The best way to do this is to take advantage of “stories.”
- Show your audience what you did over the weekend.
- Get in front of the camera (if you can muster up the courage!) and actually talk to your audience about how your week is going or what you’re up to.
- Share what you do personally to take care of your health.
I know this doesn’t come easy for everyone, especially if you’re introverted. But it is absolutely a key driver of engagement on social media, and it gets easier with practice. Start slow with some photos of you putting away your groceries, walking the dog, or working out at the gym.
You’ve got this. 💪
3. You’re posting the same type of content.
Are you almost always sharing promotional content?
Or maybe your profile is full of nothing but health tips?
I’m going to be real blunt with you, friend.
If your posts are too predictable, your audience will get bored. 😕
Think about it… take a look at some of YOUR favorite profiles!
They’re DYNAMIC and full of VARIETY.
This keeps you interested and engaged. And if you’re thinking you need to have a team to do this, think again!
All you need is a little planning. 😉
What to Do Instead:
Mix up your content.
Pick some content pillars or “buckets” that are aligned with you & your business.
Here are a few ideas:
- Top health tips
- Educational content
- Inspirational Quotes
- New scientific studies
- Personal content
- Client wins
- Business updates & offerings
Once you’ve settled on your content pillars, decide when you’ll post each type of content.
Maybe it’s something like this:
- Mondays: Inspirational Quote
- Tuesdays: Health Tip or New Study
- Wednesdays: Promotional Content
- Thursdays: Client Success or Win
- Fridays: Favorite Recipe
Another fun way to engage with your audience is to do a weekly “Ask Me Anything” day. Announce this in your stories and let your audience know you’ll be available to answer questions on A, B, C. Doing this consistently builds trust with your audience & positions you as an expert. 💯
4. You’re trying to speak to everyone.
If you haven’t picked a niche, this one is especially for you!
Have you heard the saying:
“When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.”?
It’s sooo true!
If your content isn’t written for a specific type of person, it’s going to get lost in the sea of online content written for everyone.
What to Do Instead:
My top tip for practitioners on social media is this:
Create content for your ideal client.
You should be speaking directly to them in every post you create – and no one else!
If you haven’t already, get extremely clear on your “Ideal Client Avatar” (or ICA).
Think about:
- Who is your ideal client?
- What are the problems that you can solve for them?
- What kind of transformation do they desire that you can help them achieve?
- What sort of information would help them get one step closer to that thing?
- What sort of content would resonate with them?
Use THIS ^ to create all of your content.
Now Get Out There & Boost Your Engagement on Social Media! 👏👏👏
Social media is an amazing tool to help you connect with more of the people you’re here to serve.
Hopefully, this article gave you some ideas about how to get the most out of the time & energy you invest on social media platforms.
If you’d like more support on how to actually implement all of this, I’d love to chat with you! Feel free to schedule a free 15-minute strategy call with one of our team.
