7 Things I Learned from Social Media Experts

If you are a new or soon-to-be nurse business owner, social media can feel like one more thing to learn on top of licensure, operations, and pricing. You don’t need a million followers; what you need is a clear, professional presence that helps the right people understand what you do, and to trust your expertise. 

Social media is about building trust, attracting the right clients, and creating a steady demand for your services and products. How will you promote your business? How can you become more effective in finding customers and establishing trust between your business and others, or yourself and others?

Over the last several years, I have followed social media experts who help businesses market and promote their services, and I thought I could share some of what I learned.

1.   Start with one sentence: who you help + what you help with

Before you pick a social media platform, write two simple positioning statements:

"I help [who] with [problem] by providing [service]."

"I support [audience] to achieve [outcome] using [approach]."

When you clearly name who you serve and what you help them do, readers can quickly decide, “This is for me,” and they are more likely to follow, save, and share your When you clearly name who you serve and what you help them do, readers can quickly decide to your posts. It keeps you consistent across platforms by repeating the same core message in your bio, pinned post, video intros, and calls-to-action, so you reinforce a single promise instead of reinventing it each time.

2. Build a profile that is credible to the reader in 10 seconds

When someone finds you, they will scan your profile quickly. Make it easy for them to understand what you do. Helpful information in your profile includes:

• Name: use your name and credentials (as appropriate for your brand).

• Headline/bio: your one-sentence positioning statement.

• What you offer: one clear line (consults, coaching, education, services, speaking).

• Who it is for: spell it out.

• Link: include a link to your website, contact information, or link to "how to request additional information" page.

• Professional visuals: ensure a clear headshot or brand image.

Each year, nurses score high for the ‘most trusted profession’. Tell others about yourself. Be proud to highlight your accomplishments. You are a nurse with how many years of experience? What are your credentials or certifications, and relevant degrees? Don’t be bashful to mention those credentials that make you qualified to provide the services or products that you do. It is about establishing trust and ensuring clarity about you and the services you are qualified to provide.

3. Pick one primary social media platform.

   
   

A common early mistake is trying to build and promote your business everywhere. Start where your audience already spends time.

A simple way to choose,

If you want professional referrals, partnerships, or B2B consulting, start with

LinkedIn. If you want to engage in consumer education and visibility, start with Instagram (and optionally repurpose to Facebook). If you want to offer courses or continuing education, start with YouTube.

Each of these social media channels is unique and may attract a different audience. Try using one that is closer to your target audience and business goals; you can expand your reach later. This is better than a volume of followers who may not be in the market for what you offer.

4. Post content that earns trust.

Know your audience that you are aiming for, their health literacy, and how best to describe a solution to their problem. Types of content include,

Evidence-informed education. Information posts that write about or cite research, for instance, are evidence- informed. Providing evidence for what you write builds trust because it positions your business as a credible source of information. This means sharing practical, accurate information in plain language that your intended audience will understand.

You can teach through simple posts, for example, “3 things to check,” “what to ask,” or “when to do”, and by quick myth-versus-fact posts, can provide quick explanations of evidence-based practices. When you consistently educate this way, people start to associate your brand with credibility and competence—and that is the foundation for interest, engagement, and inquiries.

Show how you work. People want to know what it is like to work with you before they reach out, especially in health-related and professional services. Process content can be as simple as a step-by-step walkthrough of what happens from first contact to follow-up, what you assess before you make recommendations, what you deliver (for example, a plan, checklist, training, or follow-up notes), and how you protect privacy and stay within scope.

When you clearly show how you think and how you work—without revealing private client details—you communicate professionalism and predictability, making it easier for the right clients to follow up, inquire, engage, and say yes.

Credibility and competence. Credible content demonstrates your competency and builds trust. You are providing your audience with evidence that you are qualified to learn from and to hire. For a nurse business owner, this is less about “bragging” and more about reducing perceived risk in a professional, ethical way.

Examples: explain what your credentials look like in practice, cite reputable guidelines, and show how you make decisions (how you weigh evidence, choose tools, and set boundaries). Do you have a nurse-led success story that shows how you or your business made a meaningful difference for clients or other nurses?

Testimonials and outcomes. Testimonials and outcomes build trust because they provide social proof that your work helps real people. In healthcare, the key is to share results in a way that protects privacy and avoids overpromising. Use written permission, remove identifying details, and focus on the type of problem solved and the kind of outcome achieved. Honest and ethical testimonial content reassures your audience that your business is accountable, respectful, and effective—without sacrificing professionalism.

5. Use a simple weekly posting routine you can maintain

You do not need daily posting. You need a rhythm that fits your life and business. An example of a beginner's weekly routine would be to choose any of the following and post

• 1 educational post (teach one concept)

• 1 practical post (checklist, steps, "what to do next")

• 1 relationship post (values, behind-the-scenes systems, or a lesson learned)

• 10-15 minutes of engagement on two days (reply to comments, respond to DMs)

End each post with one simple call-to-action. If you miss a week, restart the next week without trying to “catch up.”

6. Make it easy for people to become leads.

New business owners often post helpful content but never tell people what to do next.  Use simple, direct calls-to-action:

• "If you want help with this, here is how to work with me."

• "Download the free checklist."

• "Join the email list for weekly tips."

• "Message me 'START,' and I will send the next steps."

• "Click here to schedule time with me".

A direct call to action (CTA) matters because it turns helpful content into a clear next step. Your audience often needs guidance on what to do next, so a simple CTA reduces uncertainty and makes it easier to get support in a professional, appropriate way.

7. Measure what matters.

Track metrics that connect to audience action. Helpful beginner metrics include number of profile visits, link clicks, direct messages and inquiries, email sign-ups, and saves and shares.

Once a month, review what posts led the way and do more of that.  Each social media channel has a built-in analytics/insights area. This information is included in a business or professional profile account, where you can review your metrics weekly or monthly and compare them to your business goals.

In keeping track of the metrics, you will be able to adjust your scheduling to focus on the more popular categories of postings as you determine a schedule that works for you.

Social media works best for nurse business owners when it reflects the same values that guide good nursing practice: clarity, consistency, professionalism, and respect for the people you serve. Start with a simple message about who you help and what you help with, then earn trust over time by educating, showing your process, and sharing outcomes ethically.

Keep your tone helpful, your boundaries clear, and your calls-to-action straightforward. When you show up consistently with content that is both useful and responsible, your audience learns what you stand for—and the right clients begin to seek you out.

Additional Reading:

Hennig, C. (April 17, 2025) How To Build Trust With Patients Through Effective Healthcare Content Marketing. Kuno Creative. https://www.kunocreative.com/blog/healthcare-content-marketing-patient-trust

PriceWeber (October 31, 2025). Breaking the Double-Edged Scroll: How To Build Trust in Healthcare Social Media.  https://priceweber.com/blog/how-to-build-trust-healthcare-social-media/

Sprout Social  (June 26, 2025) Social Media Engagement: What it is and tips to improve it. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-engagement/

The Weave Resource Center. (2026)  Healthcare Social Media Marketing: Keeping your patients engaged.  https://www.getweave.com/healthcare-social-media-marketing/

Williams J. (March 18, 2026). Social media interaction: Data-backed strategies to win 2026. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-interaction/