The Secret to Building Your Advocacy Social Media Brand

I started trying to find my voice after chronic illness turned my life upside down. I had no clue what I was doing, felt like an imposter, and could barely keep myself upright, let alone put myself together for social media. So I decided to show up as real, raw, and rare.

Surprisingly, being authentic made me relatable and helped grow my following. Now, with more experience and research under my belt, here are my top tips to grow your social media presence for your patient advocacy journey, personal brand, or business.

Stay true and embrace vulnerability

One crucial lesson I've learned is the power of vulnerability. Authenticity is key to expanding your audience—it's about being sincere, open, and unafraid to reveal your imperfections. Share your experiences, hurdles, and moments of triumph. Allowing your audience a glimpse into your true self is essential. Showing up real and raw makes you relatable and enhances the human connection. Remember, being open allows others to feel comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities, enabling deeper engagement with your audience.

Consistently is crucial

It's important to post consistently. The frequency of your posts matters less than the regularity of your presence. Find a posting routine that works for you and stick to it, whether it's daily, a few times a week, or weekly. The key is to be consistent. A steady stream of content keeps your followers interested and eager for more.

Being chronically ill can make this difficult, especially given the inconsistency of daily health. Start slow, find tools that work for you, and create, schedule, and plan accordingly. Accept that inconsistency may be your consistency, and be upfront about what you are going through. Setting expectations and being honest about when you can show up will help you establish your brand and work with something you have little control over.

Captivate attention

Crafting captivating headlines and introductions is essential for attracting and retaining your audience's interest. Ensure that your content sparks interest and resonates with your target audience. Conduct research to find hooks and other content ideas on which you can put your authentic spin. Infuse some of your personality and sprinkle in your humor, values, and all that makes you unique. Be unapologetically yourself.

Remember, establishing a connection from the start is crucial, and the best way to do that is to show up exactly as you are and own who you are.

Inform and empower

Sharing anecdotes and offering valuable insights is especially important in the chronic illness community sharing your experience with doctors, symptoms products can help another person who may be at the beginning of their journey. My EDS diagnosis was a direct result of a podcast host sharing that what I was describing was what she had experienced - I took that back to my doctor and sure enough, a diagnosis was added.

Establish yourself as a trusted source by educating your audience on topics in your niche. Share your wisdom, dispel misconceptions, and offer advice. By empowering your community, you can build a connection based on trust and credibility.

Sharing anecdotes and offering valuable insights is especially important in the chronic illness community. Sharing your experience with doctors, symptoms, and products can help another person who may be at the beginning of their journey. My diagnosis of EDS was a direct result of a podcast host sharing that what I was describing was what she had experienced. I took that information back to my doctor, and sure enough, a diagnosis was added.

Establish yourself as a trusted source by educating your audience on topics in your niche. Share your wisdom, dispel misconceptions, and offer advice. By empowering your community, you can build a connection based on trust and credibility.

Craft vulnerable content

Remember to prioritize quality over quantity when developing content. Keep in mind that everyone starts as a beginner and not everything needs to be perfect. The more content you create, the better you will become and the more you will learn. Don't let self-doubt stop you from posting - it's important to share your work in order to grow. Experiment with different types of media, such as short videos, long form videos, infographics, podcast clips, photos, live videos, and stories. Discover what you enjoy creating, consider what resonates with your audience, and build your content strategy and calendar around these factors.

Remember to think about how your content will impact your audience. Will it inspire, educate, or initiate discussions? Providing value will help your following grow. Research, learn from other creators, and use analytics to aid your growth.

Remember...

Social media can be overwhelming, and the success you see others achieve often took longer than you might think. Don't get too caught up in comparing yourself to others' success. Everyone starts with zero followers, so don't doubt your ability to grow. Viral videos, followers, and views are superficial measures of success. Make sure you understand why you're using social media and focus on metrics that align with your overall goals.

It's important to take care of your mental health and well-being while building your social media presence to avoid burnout and keep the joy in what you're doing for long-term success. Stay focused and I believe in you. I'm here to support you every step of the way. So, what are you waiting for? Keep growing your platform, one authentic post at a time.