The Futile Followers Fight

Oh, to be popular. What used to mean “having a lot of plans on a Saturday night” has taken on a whole new meaning in 2021. These days, popularity is a very measurable metric that anyone can access with a swipe of their finger: SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS. 

Yeah, yeah, we know: social media follower count doesn’t really mean you’re more popular out here in the “real world,” but when it comes to your marketing strategy, a high number of followers can feel like the be-all, end-all of social media marketing. 

If the mere thought of your social media follower count fills you with a deep pit of dread, you’re not alone. As a digital marketing agency, we’ve spent a good part of the last decade researching and maturing in our views on values of followers, but to most social media users, the follower count can feel like a stamp of approval from the world at large – or a colossal thumbs down. 

When you run a social media account for a skilled nursing facility, it’s common to assume that the more followers you have, the more sales/ appointments/ residents etc. you will receive… right? WRONG! Take a deep breath and let this reassuring news sink in: follower amounts on your social media platform do NOT equal customers, beds filled, or success! 

Some quick (unpopular) TRUTHS:

  • MOST followers on any given social media page have never, would never, and will never be a customer of that brand. 
  • MANY business profiles on social media have purchased those legions of followers you are oh-so-jealous of. 
  • A SMALL number of quality followers can be 100% more integral to your profile than THOUSANDS of low-quality followers. 
  • Even if your account has ZERO followers: creating and maintaining a beautiful, fun, engaging social media profile can work wonders on your online presence. 

Surprised? We know! It’s strange to think that this coveted yet sometimes unattainable goal doesn’t have to be the primary focus of your marketing efforts. Firstly: think of your own social media following habits. Unless you have a family member or friend who works at the facility or is a resident/ patient, or are a staff member or patient yourself, would YOU follow a SNF’s social media page? If you don’t have a direct connection to the facility, you will most likely not give that page a follow. 

At TypoDuctions, our primary goal when crafting a social media presence for our healthcare facility clients is to ensure that whoever will be researching this facility for themselves or a loved one will find an up-to-date, positive, warm, and happy social media page. While gaining followers is an inevitable part of that process, it’s not the be-all-end-all and definitely NOT how we measure the success of the page. 

Our social media team works tirelessly to create, maintain, and cultivate a positive and inspiring vibe on every page we manage. We invest whatever energy others would put towards gaining followers into ensuring that whoever visits your social media page is blown away by what they see… even if they don’t give you a follow. 

Smiling, happy faces… engaging, heartwarming videos of your residents and employees having fun… warm, friendly holiday greetings and community updates…  This is the content that will get you the ultimate result you want: a positive online presence that draws potential residents and employees to your doors. Additionally, your social media page is another FREE avenue through which you can promote your services, amenities, and incredible staff! Getting overly invested in your follower count can be incredibly discouraging and distract you from this ultimate goal. A few more likes or follows won’t drastically impact your ROI OR get you the results you truly crave. 

By posting this real, honest content, the true “followers” of your account – i.e. family, friends, residents, referral sources and community members – will continue to engage with your content, boost up your page on Google results pages, and help you build an organic space on the world wide web for you to share all that your facility has to offer. 

TL: DR: Focus on the content, not the followers!