Been finding myself in conversations about this a lot recently. Like anything, the answer is nuanced. Obviously, I’m a big fan of businesses having a strong social media presence, but that looks different for everyone. Some businesses have ethical concerns around social media in their industry. Healthcare providers, for example, have to tread carefully on what kind of content they post publicly. They can’t follow my usual advice about posting themselves doing the behind the scenes of their jobs because that would be a privacy and ethical violation. But does that mean they shouldn’t use social media at all? I don’t think so.
Social media is overwhelmingly being used as a search engine, people search in TikTok or Instagram when they want to find a certain product, travel recommendation, new restaurant, or pretty much anything. In order for your business to be part of that search, you have to at least have a basic presence on social media that is updated regularly. That doesn’t mean you have to be sharing 24/7 about everything you do.
For super small businesses with concerns about having a presence on social media or who just don’t have the desire to grow a giant following on social, I recommend creating a strategy where you regularly post 1-3 times per week and keep your content simple. Your content could be things like your operating hours, how to find your location, a description of the services you offer, and any frequently asked questions you might get.
Having a presence on social media allows your customers to tag and recommend you to others (and we all know word of mouth is gold!), lends legitimacy to your business when people can find your social media presence, website, and reviews, and helps people find basic information that they need to know in order to work with you, like your address, hours of operation, and the basics of what you do.
Let’s say you’re a therapist and you don’t want to post too much about yourself personally or worry potential patients that you’ll talk about them on social media but you want to spread the word about your practice. You want to make sure there’s clear boundaries on how current patients communicate with you and keep your online presence on the professional side at all times.
Here’s a few posts I’d create for you:
Introduction: A professional headshot of yourself with a few lines from the about section of your website. “Hi! I’m Dr. Smith, a cognitive behavioral therapist who helps children and families.”
Where to find you: A graphic that matches the aesthetic of your website with instructions on how to book an appointment.
How you help: A graphic with some details on what services you offer.
Insurance Details: A graphic with information from your website about what insurances you accept, your rates, superbill information, etc.
I could keep going with these but you get the idea. And right there is a full month of once a week post ideas that you could run with that don’t involve filming extensive reels content, spending hours creating graphics, or agonizing over writing copy. Most of these things will already be part of your website (or they should!) and you can pull from that. You can also sprinkle in reposting content from peers in your industry with content that you resonate with.
Some additional things I’d put in place as your social media manager if you’re any kind of medical provider would be auto-replies for any direct messaging that says DMs aren’t monitored or replied to plus instructions on how to reach out for an appointment or question appropriately.
Let’s think through one more example in a different industry since I’ve got my content idea hat on. Let’s say you’re an insurance agent. You don’t have the same kinds of concerns that a medical provider has around using social media, but you feel that your business is small enough that you want to focus on doing the work of your business rather than spending a ton of time and money on marketing with social media. I’d argue that by having no social media presence whatsoever, you’re leaving money on the table. Happy clients can’t tag or mention you when a neighbor asks on Facebook if anyone knows a great agent when they want to switch. New homeowners can’t find you when they search Instagram to try to find someone to work with. Realtors, home stagers, moving companies, and contractors that you work with can’t tag you when they talk about the professionals they trust and recommend to clients. Plus, you’re ignoring an opportunity to direct potential clients to your website where they can reach out to you.
I’ll leave out the ideas from above, though most of them apply here too. An introduction, where to find you, and how you help clients are all relevant.
Here’s a few posts I’d create for you:
An informational post about the different types of insurances you can help with: Outline what’s covered in a basic Homeowner’s or Renter’s policy and why you should have it, things like that. This could honestly be several posts depending on what you offer.
Common coverage mistakes or misconceptions: We all have these in our industry, common misunderstandings or things that are better with more clarification. Pick 1-3 simple things that resonate with people when they’ve come up in your work.
A community post: Insurance agents generally work with a specific geographical area and know it well. A post that connects you with the community you work in. Things like mentioning the local sports team your agency sponsors and a recent win, an event you hosted at a local restaurant, your participation in your local chamber of commerce, things like that.
Combine all of those ideas and you’ve got 2 months of once per week posts to keep your business updated on social media so that you can reap the benefits!
I have a soft spot for super small businesses who are looking for ways to grow, even when that’s not a full-time social media presence. If that’s you, reach out for a strategy session where we can work to set you up with a plan you can execute yourself or to discuss custom pricing on a managed content strategy tailored to your budget and needs!
