If the words “social media” conjure up images of glitzy influencers, family vacation pictures, or your friend’s latest DIY project, then chances are you might not be thinking of these platforms as a great homecare business opportunity. But we’re here to let you know, you couldn’t be more wrong! Over half the world’s population is on social media, and that includes your potential customers. So, if your customers are using social, why isn’t your homecare agency? By following some simple social media best practices, you can increase your agency’s brand awareness, grow your business, and improve your reputation. 

Choose the Right Social Media Platform 

With all the different platforms out there, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by social media and not know where to start. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Redditt, Instagram, and TikTok are all platforms that businesses frequently use for marketing. When you’re choosing which social media platforms to utilize for your homecare marketing, consider what you know about your clients and their families. For example, if the person who typically makes the decision to hire your agency is a 40-year-old woman, then you should use the social media platform that has the highest number of 40-year-old women users. According to Hubspot, here are some user demographics of popular social platforms: 

  • 41% of all Facebook users are ages 45 and older. 
  • 56.6% of Facebook users identify as male, and 43.4% identify as female 
  • 49% of all Instagram users worldwide are female. 
  • More than half of global Instagram users are under the age of 35. 
  • 59.2% of Twitter users worldwide are ages 25 to 49. 
  • 56.4% of Twitter’s advertising audience identifies as male, and 43.6% identify as female. 
  • In the United States, 46.1% of YouTube users identify as female, and 53.9% identify as male. 
  • 43% of LinkedIn users are female; 57% are male. 
  • In the USA, 40% of American Internet users ages 46-55 use LinkedIn

If you are just starting out on your social media journey and are looking for a user-friendly platform to try your hand at, we recommend Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. We have found these to be the most beginner-friendly, and most popular among those in the homecare industry. But don’t hesitate to experiment with different platforms to see where you get the most engagement. 

Keep Your Brand Top of Mind 

When you are setting up your social media pages, it is critical that you keep your brand consistent. That means using the same logo you use on your website, the same name that’s on your website, and the same tone across all your posts and in your social media bio. This ensures that as your brand gains recognition, people always associate it with the correct company. 

Don’t have a logo or header image yet? Check out free online graphic design tools like Canva. This user-friendly website will allow you to craft your own brand basics, and makes it easy to create any type of branded social media post graphic. 

Post the Right Type of Content 

You don’t need to be a social media guru to see results. You can make an impact simply by building a content calendar and being diligent in your posting efforts. Consistency is key if you want to grow your audience and expose more people to your brand. Make it a goal to post twice per week for one month, then challenge yourself to post three times per week, and so on. Just like with exercise, your social media muscles get stronger the more you work them! 

Not sure what to post? Here are some ideas to start:  

  • Company events – invites, updates, and follow ups  
  • Caregiver spotlights  
  • “About Us” videos – You don’t need anything snazzy; a quick and clean smartphone video of an agency executive explaining when, why, and how the business got started works just as well.  
  • Blog posts with information your clients might find useful  
  • Relevant news articles  
  • Testimonials from happy caregivers and/or clients  
  • Awards your agency recently won or was nominated for  

Tell A Story 

As a homecare agency, you are in a great position many other industries don’t find themselves in — you can sell your services through the power of storytelling. People aren’t captivated by product descriptions or lists of services provided; they are captivated by compelling narratives. In fact, according to Marketing Insider Group, 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that feel like a story, and a survey by Edelman revealed that 63% of consumers said they remembered a brand story when making a purchase decision.  

Sharing stories about your caregivers, their experiences, and what their clients mean to them is a powerful way to evoke emotion and strengthen your brand reputation among your audience.

Dip Your Toe into Social Media Advertising 

While organic social media is a powerful, and relatively free way to develop your brand image and voice, you could also consider social media ads to grow and target your ideal audience. With paid ads on social media, you can reach markets that you might not have otherwise been able to get in contact with. Businesses who use paid social can target customers by locations, interests, past activities, occupations, and more.  

Due to the fact that it currently offers the highest return on investment (ROI) we recommend using Facebook ads, which lets you choose which format your ads are in, such as photo ads, video ads, Stories ads, carousel ads, and Messenger ads. You can use these methods to simply build brand awareness, or drive traffic to your website. Best of all, you can choose how much you want to spend. Play around with your ad budget and experiment to see what amount of money spent on ads results in the best ROI. 

Go Out and Be Social! 

Now that you know the basics of homecare social media, it is time to get to work! Begin setting up your social media profiles and posting about your business. Remember, the key to social media success is actually being social. That means responding to comments, liking relevant content you see, and interacting with your audience. The more you engage, the more your content will be visible to other people.  

To learn more about how HHAeXchange can help you grow your business, request a demo today!