Social media has become an everyday part of our lives. Most people check their social media multiple times a day. We use it to share ideas, jokes, and make plans with friends. Often, it's also where people go for advice and support on their health struggles as well.
Businesses today market through social media because it's a casual and interactive way to reach people. Read the first of our two-part blog on social media - how using this platform can benefit your complementary therapy business and how building a social media presence can help you connect with future clients.
It has always been known that living a healthy life and reducing stress can improve health conditions. This is where complementary therapies play an important role in modern recovery journeys. Those who seek the right complementary therapy for their health concerns can enjoy a more full life and potentially recover faster as a result. However, not many people know about complementary therapies or how to choose the right therapy for their situation.
If you offer a complementary therapy and want to build recognition, social media is a powerful tool to this end. In fact, your audience will gain the benefits of you using social media as it helps you connect and spread the word of your service. Let's dive into the key reasons why every complementary therapy practice should have a social media marketing strategy.
Building a presence on social media also means gaining visibility. Many social media platforms include their own advertising system where your company can buy promotional space. You can promote through the platform and/or also build up your organic visibility through regular posts and networking through personal accounts.
Social media marketing increases your chance of appearing in people's daily feeds - especially if they need your services. Your social media strategy can also have an inbound effect - attracting and then truly helping people based on what they search for.
Complementary therapies often help to reduce pain or stress related to a health condition. When people are in pain or mentally distressed, they seek help online. Many type questions about their pain into search engines or the social media search box. Many look up homeopathic and home remedies to see if they would help.
This is your chance to shine. As a therapy provider, you have the knowledge and skills to share a few insights with those looking for solutions right away. You can help to ease concerns and get future clients excited about the methods you have to offer.
Connecting with clients is an important part of social media marketing. You can line up your images and blog posts into promotional content, but that will only win you so many clicks. If you're looking for a more engaged audience that takes real-time and real-world responses. Your audience will let you know that they're ready to engage by asking questions on your social media pages. When that happens, answer in real-time or as soon as you can.
Get involved in customer conversations on your page and encourage your audience to entertain each other with conversation. If you see a good question, comment promptly congratulating the poster on a good thought and then providing answers. If the answer is long, you can promise and then provide a future blog that covers the topic in-detail. These little outreach measures can make your audience feel valued across the board and spread that feeling by engaging with others.
Currently have a network of satisfied customers? The more happy customers you have on the social media platform, the larger your supportive community. These group members are eager to spread the word about your beneficial practice and may convince friends or family to reach out to your complementary therapy opportunities.
In addition to generally supporting your business, your top clients who love your service may begin acting as referral evangelists. Some happy clients will always choose to spread the word by convincing others to try what they've tried. These are part of your ideal reason for social media marketing in the first place. When your community generates brand evangelists - often through recently superb experiences - they recommend it to their friends and family.
Referrals occur when someone wants those they know to have the same positive experience they had. They want their mother with arthritis or their friend who had a recent health issue to gain the same benefits that they did. And you can provide that.
Your complementary therapy practice deserves a strong online presence with outreach to all local clients who could benefit from your services. Building a social media campaign increases your visibility, your potential for outreach, and your ability to engage with your audience directly. Consider your goals and how you will respond to messages. Provide live responses and consider your social media feedback carefully. With a strong strategy to approach social media marketing, your complementary therapy practice will become a hotspot for online activity and a steady source of bookings.
Once you have your social media strategy in place, make sure that any advertising you do to promote your business complies with the general code of conduct requirements, if appropriate. Click here to view the Advertising General Code of Conduct to ensure that the advertising you're doing (whether through television, radio, internet, print or any other form of media), complies with the law.
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