Social media isn’t just a social outlet, but essential for most wellness businesses. Being active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more, is now an integral part of growing your brand, especially in the health and wellness space. Social media doesn’t only draw in new clients, but also broadcasts your name as an online nutrition authority.

We want you to make the most out of social media to help you market your business, which is why we’re sharing some best practices so you can take advantage of all social media has to offer! If you’re truly looking to grow your wellness business, Healthie’s practice management software can help through client retention strategies, facilitating partnerships and more.

First, we’ll take a look at which social media platforms are most relevant today and will form the core of your social media marketing strategy. Some colleagues of yours may use every single one of them, but to get started, we suggest choosing one or two that best fit with your practice niche, to attract your ideal clientele.

Discover the ins and outs of social media marketing for nutrition professionals:

Instagram

Are you a shutterbug? If you love snapping and sharing photos, Instagram is a great platform to adopt to promote your business.

Instagram is the newest social media platform on this list, and one of the most popular right now. There is a huge community of nutrition and wellness professionals on Instagram, so it’s not just a great place to connect with potential clients, but to connect with colleagues too!

You can get creative with how you use Instagram to help promote your business. It’s a great platform for motivation, healthy eating inspiration, and showing how you try to practice what you preach! Some providers share motivational quotes, health-related humor, and new recipes and delicious healthy meals.

Twitter

Twitter used to be ideal for the nutrition professional who could put their thoughts into 140 characters. Earlier this year [2017], however, Twitter expanded their character limit so you don’t have to be as concise.

Twitter can be great place to share articles and swap favorite recipes. It does require more activity than most to gain a following because of the quick nature of the platform. If you’re a nutrition and wellness professional who likes to chat with your colleagues, Twitter can be a great place. There are a number of health-related conversations that go on every week, so it’s easy enough just to jump in! With Healthie, you can take this even further by creating educational content that resonates with your clients.

{{free-trial-signup}}

Facebook

If you happen to live on Facebook, why not start there? Facebook is great for seeking out local clients. Facebook is the most flexible platform, in that it allows you to share whatever you’d like, whether that’s motivational quotes, interesting nutrition-related articles, or videos and photos of healthy dishes you love.

One great thing about Facebook is that it allows you to create a page for your private practice. This makes it easy to share information about your business, like where you’re located, your hours, a link to your website, how to book an appointment, the best way to reach you, and more.

Pinterest

Pinterest is another visual social media platform. It’s a great place to share recipes, articles, nutrition facts, and motivational quotes. In terms of building your business or clientele, Pinterest is a tad more low-key than some other social media sites, but it still is a great place to promote your website and blog. Plus, Pinterest has a great community of other health and wellness professionals.

We love Pinterest as a platform for you to help existing clients. You can create boards, which act as meal plans, catering to specific dietary needs.

Blogging

If you like to write, joining the community of health and wellness bloggers might be a great option for you. You can start a blog on your private practice’s website or start one through an outside platform like WordPress, Weebly, Tumblr, or Blogger.

We’re including blogging on this social media list because it goes hand in hand with being active on other social media platforms. However, blogging requires a lot more writing than some other social media sites. It also relies a lot more heavily on original content. If you have an interest in writing nutrition-related articles, crafting recipes, or even just tracking how you lead a healthy lifestyle, blogging could be an excellent option for you.

Social media quick tips

Now that we’ve covered a number of the more popular social media platforms you might want to integrate into your business’s brand, now let’s see how to make the most out of these platforms.

• Don’t Post For Follows
• It can take quite some time to build a following on social media. Don’t worry right away that no one is noticing your new account.
• Start by posting about things that you are passionate about and try to make it a good habit. You want to have fun using social media first so it won’t feel like a chore.

• Do Be Active and Post Regularly
• Posting new content daily is key to getting others to notice. If there is always something new on your social media page, there is all the more reason for someone to want to check it out again and again.

• Don’t Feel Pressured to Create All Of Your Content
• If you’re fretting about doing something interesting, just so you can post about it on social media, maintaining your account will become more tedious than it needs to be.
• It’s okay to share a recipe you love, even if you didn’t write it, as long as you give credit where credit is due!
• Engage With Followers Through DMs
• With Healthie, this relationship can continue by checking in with clients through convenient client messaging or by setting up food, lifestyle, or activity journaling.

If you’re not quite a social media master and want some additional help towards getting there, download our FREE Marketing For Wellness Professionals Ebook.