How social media helped my business (+ why it sucks)
If you had told me at the start of this year I’d have racked up almost 60,000 followers on Instagram, I would have bet every dollar in my bank account against it. Maybe I’m just a bad gambler, or maybe things really just take a turn for the better. Either way, it’s been quite the exciting time in my small subset of the internet and I thank each of you for your genuine follow.
My goal with Rehab With Roni has consistently revolved around putting the patient first, creating a positive experience during their recovery, and maximizing their ability to retain the educational tidbits I provide throughout their sessions. And while my in-person clinical goals remain unchanged, the advent of a larger social media following has allowed other goalposts to shift.
I’ll start with some positive notes on how a larger “following” has improved my mental health (crazy right?), my caseload, and my income. Then I’ll uno reverse myself and touch on how social media has also wreaked havoc in it’s own way.
The numerous direct messages, emails, and comments I receive regarding how my content has impacted someone from the opposite corner of Earth never fails to amaze me. Often times, I will post something, close out of the app, and not check it until the next day. Then, without fail, the following day I am shocked with a bombardment of positivity. Joe from Australia has a better hip because of me. Jane from Japan is feeling inspired from my story. Jack from the UK is thinking of starting his own business now too. You get the point. IT ALWAYS MAKES ME SMILE! And it brings me joy.
Recently, a large percentage of my new patient evaluations have come directly from Instagram. They see my stuff, do a little more digging, decide they like what they see - and boom. New patient on the schedule. I had always assumed a larger following would make me look a little more credible as a business owner, but having real humans use my page as inspiration to come see me is next level awesome and unanticipated.
When speaking of income - and this one is really neat - I’ve been able to generate a little more cash flow by offering virtual consultations, mentoring sessions, and partnering with some favorite businesses of mine. This has certainly been the most interesting gift social media has given. Uncharted waters for me. I also think it has the most potential for growth, but I’ll touch on that more at a later date.
Now, let’s get to the bad stuff.
It’s absolutely no secret that doom scrolling is a poor choice of time allocation. And as someone who now feels a little more pressure (and motivation) to post quality content, the sheer increase in time spent on the toxic apps can be detrimental to the texture of the mind. I’ve turned off all notifications on my phone and have found that quite helpful, but the struggle is still real sometimes. I welcome any tips and tricks you might have to stave away the poisonous perils of the online world.
On top of that, as the account continues to FLOURISH which I love, I find a struggle in apportioning the time in my days appropriately. Should I go balls to the wall with social media and try to maximize the content I create? Do I continue striving for a fully loaded patient schedule and keep social on the back burner? Do I find a healthy, suitable balance between both? Being able to recognize which opportunities are going to be fruitful and time worthy is a skill I’m actively trying to cultivate. The last thing I want is to overload the ship and end up sinking beneath it all.
Regardless, I revert back to my original statement where I simply thank you for following along. If you’ve made it this far in the letter, you probably care a little bit (hi Mom!), and it feels good to know I am able to reach likeminded people who are along for the ride. Social media is cool. So are you.
Love,
Roni
