You spend all this time crafting the perfect social media post. You hit “Publish,” kick your feet up, and prepare for the comments to come rolling in.

You check back a couple of hours later and…

*crickets* 

Zero comments. Nada shares. Only two people “liked” it (and one was your mom). 

What’s going on? What did you do wrong?

There’s A LOT that goes into using social media to grow your practice – algorithms, reach, impressions, your bio, and stories (to name a few). It can feel like a constant guessing game and a HUGE hit to your ego when your posts fall flat.

The first step to cracking the social media code is to build a strong foundation. The best place to start is with what you already have – your business page on Facebook or your profile on Instagram. That’s right. We’re talking about how to make your clinic look super appealing!

Simply put, optimizing your social media page means taking advantage of every possible aspect you can to maximize how effective it is so you can improve your reach, boost your engagement, and get more patients.

It’s not as scary as it sounds. Here are 6 simple but highly effective steps that will beef up your practice’s social page in no time.

1. Upload a High-Quality Photo of Yourself

This is an easy one! Switch out your profile picture for a high-quality image that shines with your incredible personality.

Research shows that people respond best to human faces. So, all those feeds with product shots, scenery, or other lifestyle shots of other people? They’re not as effective as showing YOU. Plus, getting your picture in front of your audience is a simple way to connect without much effort on your part.

The key to choosing a photo is to make sure it’s high-quality. Grainy photos or poorly-shot pictures can be a total turn-off for your viewers and make you look unprofessional. Invest in a photographer or use a solid phone camera (portrait mode on iphones works great!) to snap a few professional-looking photos. 

And for the love of all things good – be sure to smile and don’t use a selfie!

2. Update Your Bio 

One of the quickest ways to level-up your social media presence is to freshen up your bio. Think of your bio as a virtual handshake, your online business card, and an elevator pitch all rolled up into one. 

To get started, begin brainstorming what makes you different from other practitioners. Maybe even ask your staff or patients for their thoughts. What really sets you apart as a practitioner?

Next, sit down and write out a few options. Play around with different phrasing and angles. The goal here is to grab attention and be clear. Use plain language that shows exactly what you do. For extra help, start with this formula and tailor it to your personality:

I help _____ do ______ so they can  ______.

Write your bio in the same tone as if you were talking to your favorite person and sharing why you love what you do. 

Pro tip: Be sure to check out the character limits and keep your bio tight!

3. Use Hashtags

Love them or hate them, hashtags are here to stay. The good news? Hashtags have the power to significantly boost your content’s visibility. 

Using relevant hashtags bumps up the likelihood of your ideal patient seeing, liking, and sharing your posts. You can even drop a couple in your bio to help potential patients find you in searches. Be sure to use one that is your clinic name (#wellnessclinicname) but here’s a quick caution: make sure it’s not being used by someone else or associated with something you’d rather not be. #embarassing

When it comes to posting, choose hashtags that are fitting for your content, and be careful of overstuffing your posts with them. People quickly get turned off if you’re using hashtags that have nothing to do with your topic. It’s less about getting more eyes on your post than it is about getting the right eyes.

4. Link to Your Website in Your Profile

Simply put, the algorithms don’t like it when you try to take users off their platform. For platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn, this often happens when you include an external link in your post (like to your website). When this occurs, the algorithms can penalize or hide your content. 

It’s time to beat the algorithms at their own game. To work around this, skip putting external links in your posts. Instead, drop your website in your profile or About section. Tools like Linktree are incredibly helpful if you have multiple links. This will still make it easy for potential patients to find your site, get those important details, and set up a consultation. 

5. Create Consistent Branding and Visuals 

If you haven’t done so already, defining your business brand and creating a style guide is crucial to optimizing your social media page. 

So, ask yourself:

What are the colors, textures, and themes you want your business to portray? 

What feel do you want your practice to have (warm, cool, relaxing, energizing)?

What kind of vibe will attract your ideal clients? 

Take time to define your practice’s brand and brand style. Then make sure everything you do on social media is in line with that. Use your logo, hashtags, photos, and other tools to effectively represent your brand across all platforms. 

Consistently showing up, in the same way, will help your followers easily recognize you. That way when they’re scrollin’ through their feed and see your signature colors, they’ll stop and read your post.

6. Decide How Often and When You’ll Post

Speaking of consistency, it’s time to talk about our favorite thing: showing up. 

When will you post? 

How often will you post?

What type of content will you post? 

You can find TONS of opinions online for the best time and how often to post on social media. Our honest recommendation: choose what works for you and doesn’t pile on the pressure. You can always bump up your frequency or change the type of content you’re delivering as you get more into the swing of things. 

Take 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon or early Monday morning to plan out your content schedule for the upcoming week. Grab a cup of tea, turn on some jazz (or whatever music you like), and plan out your posting themes and topics. Do this for everything you’ll post on social media – your photos, videos, graphics, captions, and calls-to-action.

And most importantly, have fun and remember that consistency is key. 

Remember Why You’re Optimizing Your Social Media Page

The goal of getting your social media page in tip-top shape is to better serve your community and to turn potential patients into new ones.

It’s about creating value for others and making a difference in their lives while also successfully running a healthy business. To do that, always keep your perfect patient at the center of everything you do online.

Optimizing your social pages doesn’t have to happen all at once. Start with your bio and then work from there. Small steps build momentum, and soon, you’ll see the fruits of your labor. If you need help with social media, send us a message. We love helping practitioners take the guesswork out of the social media game!