If you have social media presence, you may already know that you need to be posting regularly. By posting daily and even multiple times a day, your posts to Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn are more likely to be seen.
But most nutritionists and other health providers find this task tedious, demanding and overwhelming. And for good reason.Even if you are posting daily across platforms, you can easily find that you run out of ideas and things to say and share.
The good news is that not all your posts have to be well planned, thought out and researched.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have social media posts that are informative and informational for your clients and prospective clients. But more casual and conversational posts can still engage your audience, get you seen and, in fact, act as really solid filler.
For years, I had a client for whom I created newsletters and social media posts. These posts ranged from advertising upcoming opportunities to sharing recent studies about digestive health. This client had a graphic designer who created visuals for each of the posts I wrote and a social media manager who scheduled posts sometimes a month at a time. Her audience engaged well, asked follow-up questions and shared her posts.
But some of the most engagement came from her impromptu posts that she created herself, posts that were often made while she was on vacation. They were pictures of meals, videos of walks on the beach and quick thoughts she had while taking breaks.
Her followers ate it up and loved seeing the real her.
If all of her posts had been of this nature, these followers probably would have gotten sick of it. Afterall, they followed her because they wanted her expertise.
But the balance of professional and informative with personal and fun helped her appear as an expert who didn’t have to dwell on the boring.
It also showed that not all of her posts were about selling or pitching products.
This kind of engagement can help you keep ahead of the algorithm while also staying in contact with followers and even reach a new audience.
Don’t know where to start?
One of the easiest times to share these more casual posts is when you are on a break at work, whether you are having a meal, going on a walk or even doing a chore while you work from home.
Share a photo of your lunch, the park where you walk your dog, or the book you’re currently reading. Some people offer a glimpse into their work space (neat or cluttered), their horoscope for the day or the line at the grocery store.
It’s important to keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be something positive or even relate to your work.
But you can still tie it into who you are as a health professional. If you do share that dog park or just the traffic you’re stuck in, explain how you handle stress, struggle with eating healthy, balance home and work life.
What you put out into the internet can show that you are human and understand the struggles of your clients. You can explain just why you are passionate about helping people.
Use this as an opportunity to hear from your followers about their own experiences by creating a call to action: Do you have a favorite walk? How do you handle this kind of stress? What is a typical weekday breakfast for you?
These kinds of posts don’t have to take much of your time and you can still create them ahead of time to schedule out. But you still want them to appear impromptu.
Social media engagement can feel exhausting these days and it’s hard to keep up and stay consistent. But with these more casual posts, you can further your reach, post more often and touch people on a personal level.
Now, excuse me while I go take a video of my napping dog snoring. #currentmood
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