Love it or loathe it, Social Media is here to stay, and its ever increasingly becoming part of life and business. There’s an entire generation that doesn’t know a world without Social Media connected to you at all times. Most of us by now have crossed the bridge and understand its place and importance in the business world, but is creating a Social Media Page enough, and what do your posts and online presence say about you as a therapist. More people than you anticipate may be watching.

One of the first steps in setting up a new business or when thinking about promoting your business is Social Media. Setting up a Facebook business page is an excellent way to keep in touch with Clients/Potential Clients and giving them a glance at what they should expect by visiting the Clinic. Facebook Business provides detailed analytics that should assist in setting up a campaign or post schedule. Facebook has over 2.2 billion active users, so your audience is huge and competition is fierce so creating the right page is important.

One mistake people often make is using stock images to promote your business or a specific modality, these are tired and overused. Use your own photography, high-resolution images are best and you don’t need to employ a professional photographer! Be creative and think outside the box. Getting a Logo or artwork designed for you, doesn’t have to be expensive, consider online freelance services and marketplaces. It’s important to try and take yourself out of your role as a business owner and think about what the consumer is seeing when they visit your page.

Instagram and Twitter are excellent at targeting consumers directly and in creative and interesting ways. Twitter allows you to get your message across succinctly, so share news, cancellations and openings, redirect your consumers to your website and booking system. Instagram boasts over 800 million active monthly users. Again, use your clinic, make sure it’s neat, professional and in keeping with Massage & Myotherapy Australia and any Private Health Fund Clinical Settings Guidelines. This could potentially be the first look clients get, so it’s important to get it right. Ask friends and family for their opinion, they may not be familiar with the industry and can provide you with honest feedback. Think creatively, what month is it, what time of the day is it, and even what season it is, this can help your potential patients relate to your post and you as a practitioner. Use what’s going on around you to construct an image and provide context for your posts.

Once you’ve set up your pages and have got the hang of posting regularly, is that enough?

It’s important to remember when you’re constructing a page, you’re also designing an online persona, and it may be public. People who have grown up in the digital age have become detectives. Is your personal profile on Facebook public? Can the public see your comments and Profile pictures? What kind of message could you be sending to someone that is still deciding if they should see you, a professional therapist?

Remember to not only think about your image, but your safety. If you run a home clinic, it’s important to be aware of Social Media and what kind of information you’re sharing, don’t publically post that you’re going on holiday, even if it’s a private post, how many digital friends do you have and can you trust them all?

Commenting on Social Media is public, consider this when posting on friends walls and groups. Don’t forget the message that you’re sending is tangled with your personal brand, public criticisms is a sure way to alienate potential clients, so make sure you’re aware of where and what you’re saying on a public forum

Social Media can be hard to tackle in any business, there’s a balance that needs to be met between personal and professional and a clear line in the sand should be created. The importance of personal and professional branding cannot be overlooked.

For more information Massage & Myotherapy Australia members can access the Marketing and Public Relations Guide on the membership tools resource