Does the word “marketing” cause you serious anxiety?It’s okay – you’re not alone!For many nutrition professionals, the science behind health and nutrition is no mystery. However, how to market themselves is.That’s why The Health Sciences Academy has decided to create an article series that demystifies marketing and helps you to get your services in front of the clients who need them the most!Ready to take your nutrition business to the next level? Keep reading to learn how…<h2 id="aa77a2e2-66c1-4377-a0e0-9393be333d02" data-toc-id="aa77a2e2-66c1-4377-a0e0-9393be333d02" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">What IS social media marketing?</h2>In layman’s terms, social media marketing is the use of any social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) to create awareness and market your nutrition goods or services to your target audience.We’ve all been exposed to some type of social media marketing in the past, whether it’s been through your newsfeed, or an image shared on your favourite influencer’s Instagram account.As we mentioned in our previous article on <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/business-tips/where-to-find-clients-for-your-nutrition-business/">how and where to find clients,</a> the vast majority of consumers have some sort of social media account. So, it only makes sense to reach them via social media marketing.This doesn’t just involve creating a business page and posting content, though. It’s important that you take the time to research social media ads (YouTube is your friend), and how/why to boost specific posts from your page.Keep in mind, for the purpose of this article, we’re sticking primarily to basic social media marketing, and not jumping into paid ads quite yet!Paid ads and targeting deserve a lesson all their own.<h2 id="9d6ba5c3-345b-4ec7-9152-b1a67ea93501" data-toc-id="9d6ba5c3-345b-4ec7-9152-b1a67ea93501" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">What types of social media should I use?</h2>Answering this question starts with <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/business-tips/choosing-a-niche-for-your-online-nutrition-business/">understanding your niche</a> and target audience…Different demographics will spend the majority of their time on different social media platforms. Younger (under 30) consumers tend to spend more time on Instagram, while more mature consumers will be comfortable with Facebook.When it comes to business to business marketing (offering your services to another business instead of individual clients), Twitter is a better place to start! And of course, there’s LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and even Pinterest...Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be! It’s not as complicated as it sounds.If you’re new to this, Facebook and Instagram are a good place to start because the content you create for one can be repurposed and used for the other. It’s simply a matter of using Facebook for your words, and Instagram to feature more visual stories.Using both Facebook and Instagram will allow you to reach a larger demographic, and you can easily get started when you set up a Facebook business page.As you become more comfortable navigating the world of social media marketing, you can start to grow your nutrition business or health coaching brand across an increasing number of platforms.<h2 id="48c8b284-8918-48f6-acd5-873f8d06050a" data-toc-id="48c8b284-8918-48f6-acd5-873f8d06050a" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">What are the different types of social media content?</h2>There are many ways to reach your target audience via social media. This is where it becomes even more important to understand your ideal client and to create content that speaks directly to them.If you have a <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/business-tips/do-i-need-a-website-for-my-nutrition-business/">website,</a> you can share portions of your blog posts, sales pages, and even “about” sections through your social media accounts. This is called repurposing and is one of the fastest ways to keep the flow of content consistent across platforms.And if you don’t have a website, no worries! You can still create effective content quickly…However, not all content is created equal. Good social media content can include:<ul><li>Inspirational content that can include personal stories (keep the word count low), quotes (properly attributed), and anything written to uplift and create an emotional response in consumers.</li><li>Visual content that acts as a visual representation of what you can offer your nutrition or health coaching clients. These images should tell a story that aligns with the solution you can provide.</li><li>Video content can include inspirational snippets or personal recordings discussing something relevant to your client base. A longer video can be featured on your social media page as a story or a post, and a shorter (sleeker) one can be created as an ad.</li><li>Live videos can be done for those who are comfortable speaking live to their potential clients and saved on the pages for later viewing.</li><li>Infographics are images that display information in a clear way. Think graphs or charts that guide readers to specific information or statistics.</li><li>Curated content involves sharing links (properly attributed) from other sites, like news or science sites, that will provide additional value to your audience.</li><li>Interactive content can include polls, quizzes, question threads, or any content that prompts an interactive response from your readers.</li></ul>These are only some of the different types of content you can use, but as you become more versed in digital marketing, you’ll discover that the possibilities are much more expansive!<h2 id="d8b06cdb-48eb-4e33-81e1-302bdd5d1816" data-toc-id="d8b06cdb-48eb-4e33-81e1-302bdd5d1816" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">How do I create a strategy?</h2>New nutrition or health coaching businesses may be a one-person show – meaning that you may not have a marketing department at your disposal.So, it’s important to create a very simple and succinct social media marketing strategy.Begin by deciding which types of content you can quickly and efficiently create on a regular basis. Then, create a written or visual calendar and create a weekly schedule for these types of content.Monday might be a visual, Wednesday might be educational infographics, and Friday might be a fun live video. Once you’ve decided the type of content and cadence, you can start to work ahead.Create any posts that you can ahead of schedule and save them in your social media accounts, or in an outside document. If you’re just starting out, keep it simple!There are several programs that can help you automate the release of your social media posts. However, if you’re unfamiliar with this type of technology, just set an alarm each day, reminding you of what to post where.And last but not least – re-evaluate your strategy often! Measure the number of likes and comments and audience interactions to see what works and what doesn’t. Then, change your strategy accordingly.<h2 id="132958d7-fb02-4a91-ab78-eaf22a114842" data-toc-id="132958d7-fb02-4a91-ab78-eaf22a114842" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">How often do I need to “engage” on my page?</h2>This can be a tough question…Engagement means that you’re answering questions, responding to comments, or creating new content as a result of audience requests.Unfortunately, active engagement can eat into your time, making it difficult to focus on other duties.The best thing you can do is to schedule your engagement time each week. You’ll be able to control the amount of time you’re spending on social media, and moderate efficiently as well.<h2 id="ba1c94a1-060f-48f6-8680-ade5cb27c267" data-toc-id="ba1c94a1-060f-48f6-8680-ade5cb27c267" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2;">Grow your skillset and up your marketing game!</h2>Of course, the most important ingredient in any social marketing campaign is relevant information! And this starts with a scientifically backed nutrition education.Ready to get started? <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/certifications/">Click here to learn about our full range of certifications today!</a> →

Does the word “marketing” cause you serious anxiety?

Nutrition Business Marketing Part One: Creating Your Social Media Strategy

What are the different types of social media content?

How often do I need to “engage” on my page?

Grow your skillset and up your marketing game!

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Nutrition Business Marketing Part One: Creating Your Social Media Strategy

Nutrition Business Marketing Part One: Creating Your Social Media Strategy

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