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Forbes
28-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Organically Grow A Brand's Social Media Following
Brands don't need gimmicks to grow a robust following on social media—they need relevance, consistency and a clear sense of purpose. But figuring out how to turn those principles into actual results can be challenging. From building trust to encouraging engagement, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to organic social media growth. Below, 17 members of Forbes Agency Council share their preferred methods of helping brands reach the right audience and authentically grow their follower base. 1. Solve Problems Know your audience. Solve their problems. If your brand can't do that, it needs to take some time looking in the mirror. The rest is simple: Offer attractive content that's interesting and compelling. You can burn through the repeated tactics of other brands, but if you don't know your audience and solve their problems, you are just posting to post. Don't just show up; show out. - Ben Fant, Farmhouse Branding 2. Provide Value Focus on creating content that solves real problems or answers specific questions your target audience cares about. When you consistently provide value in a relatable voice and engage with your audience through comments and direct messages, you build trust, which naturally leads to organic follower growth. Authenticity and relevance always outperform quick growth hacks. - Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team 3. Be Consistent Consistency is king. Show up with value-driven content that reflects your brand's values, tone and expertise. The moment you start chasing trends or bouncing between hacks to please the algorithm, you lose the trust you're trying to build. - George Arabian, NVISION 4. Use Short Videos Post short videos that speak directly to your audience, and do it consistently. Then, engage, respond back, reply to comments, ask questions and join conversations. - David Ispiryan, Effeect Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify? 5. Build From The Inside Out The best way to grow real followers is to start by activating your internal champions: employees, partners, customers and people who already believe in what you do. They are your most credible advocates. Then, consistently share content that adds value, not noise. Make your brand feel human, and growth becomes a byproduct of resonance. - Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding 6. Stay Consistent And Fresh Growing a social media following can be accelerated initially, but maintaining and expanding that audience over time relies on consistent engagement and the regular posting of fresh, relevant content. Prioritizing authentic, organic strategies helps reach the brand's target audience effectively and fosters genuine connections. - Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising 7. Focus On Community The first part is community, which, on any platform, means engaging more and contributing to others' content to create real connections, not just followers. Then, you have collaborations, which on Instagram is a specific feature that allows you to collaborate with up to five other accounts and cross-pollinate all the accounts' reach. - Tony Pec, Y Not You Media 8. Partner Up On Giveaways The preferred way to grow your following organically? Show up consistently with a strong brand voice and content your audience actually cares about. A smart add-on would be to implement giveaways with like-minded, non-competing brands to expand your reach among your target audience. There's no overnight fix to grow your following—just consistency, value and staying true to your voice. - Marilyn Cowley, PREM - PR & Social 9. Talk Like A Human, Not A Brand Talk to your followers like actual humans. That's the secret. Post helpful stuff, sure—but also reply to comments, ask questions in stories and show your face. Real connection beats perfect content. Most brands forget: People follow people, not logos. - Jimi Gibson, Thrive Agency 10. Collaborate With Niche Creators Grow real followers by sharing consistent, audience-focused content, collaborating with niche creators, engaging actively in comments and direct messages and encouraging user-generated content. Use short-form videos, trends and storytelling. Optimize for each platform and track what drives organic growth to repeat success. - Elijah Schneider, Modifly 11. Create Content Worth Sharing In A Group Chat Stop chasing trends and start publishing content your audience would share in a group text. People follow brands that inform, challenge or entertain them, not brands that talk about themselves. Prioritize relevance and resonance over reach. Attention is earned, not gamed. - Jason Mudd, Axia Public Relations 12. Be Where The Eyes Are Think: YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok videos. When it comes to YouTube Shorts, even the biggest content creators have been investing far more time in snackable short-form content to attract and grow their audiences. If you find specific 'shorts' content attracting more views, create more of this type of content and push it on other platforms. - Bernard May, National Positions 13. Cater To Your Niche Foster engaged micro-communities around your niche using interactive content like polls, Q&As and challenges. Host relevant giveaways that genuinely matter to your audience. Keep followers engaged by spotlighting their stories and inviting them to co-create content. This authentic, dialogue-driven model fosters sustainable, targeted growth. - Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications 14. Craft Episodic Narratives Anchor growth in a storytelling cadence. Craft episodic narratives that mirror your audience's journey, then seed fragments via niche advocates with aligned networks. Layer authentic Q&A livestreams to surface user voices, spark peer advocacy and amplify reach. Continuously monitor key metrics and iterate rapidly. - Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions 15. Build Recall Through Originality Don't chase followers; build memory. The most sustainable way to grow a genuine audience is to convey a distinct point of view in various formats across multiple platforms and post original thinking on Substack or your site. Turn that into native social media content, short-form clips, podcast episodes and quote cards. Systems beat stunts. Visibility compounds. - Kyle Arteaga, The Bulleit Group 16. Amplify Executive Thought Leadership Organic social growth demands high-value content, executive thought leadership and strategic amplification. Share insights that educate or solve problems, engage consistently, co-create with aligned voices and repurpose smartly. Use platform-native formats, SEO-driven captions and consistent posting to build trust and visibility. - Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr 17. Boost Value-Aligned Content My preferred method is boosting content that's relevant to the target audience. While content creation has mathematical rules regarding timing, format and frequency, the real key is understanding your audience's values. Tailoring content to specific interests and strategically boosting it to reach aligned communities drives organic growth and meaningful engagement. - Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dreamspace
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
AI-Powered Search: The New Digital Front Door For Healthcare Practices
Ajay Prasad is the Founder of GMR Web Team, a full-service healthcare digital marketing agency focused on patient acquisition and retention. In business, there are moments of change that are impossible to ignore. We're in the middle of such a moment right now in healthcare. It isn't just a shift to another new marketing tool; it's a fundamental rewiring of how patients find and choose their doctors, all driven by artificial intelligence. AI isn't a far-off concept from a tech conference. Your patients are using it today on their smartphones and on their smart speakers in their homes. Whether they're asking a voice assistant for the 'best-rated physical therapist near me' or using a health app that recommends a specialist, AI is their new guide. For healthcare practices, being visible on AI-powered platforms is no longer a forward-thinking strategy—it's an immediate necessity for growth. Why Your Practice Needs To Show Up On AI Platforms Think of AI as the new digital front door for healthcare practices. It's the invisible force working behind the scenes of Google searches, health apps and chatbots. Experience shows that successful practices are the ones that deeply understand their patients' decision-making processes. And today, that process almost always starts online, with a staggering 84% of patients checking online reviews before selecting a provider. Sixty-one percent of patients favor these reviews over recommendations from their friends and family. AI is the engine that sifts through all this information to present a personalized recommendation. It doesn't just show a generic list of practices anymore. An algorithm might notice a patient has been searching for information on running injuries and then prioritize orthopedic specialists who have excellent reviews for sports medicine. If a practice isn't showing up in that curated, intelligent search, it could be invisible to that patient. Why The Old Digital Marketing Playbook Is No Longer Enough For years, digital marketing meant having a functional website and perhaps a basic social media page. In an AI-driven world, that playbook is outdated. The difference is significant. The old way was to write a general blog post, like 'The Benefits of Regular Dental Checkups,' and hope people would stumble upon it. The new, AI-optimized way is much smarter. It involves using simple tools to see what patients are actually asking online. For example, discovering that prospective patients are typing, 'How to know if I need a root canal?' or asking their smart speaker, 'What does tooth pain that wakes you up at night mean?' An AI-driven strategy means creating specific content that directly answers those questions. It's the difference between leaving a brochure in a waiting room and having a meaningful conversation with a patient about their specific concerns. How To Become Visible In The Age Of AI Search engine optimization (SEO) has evolved. It's no longer about repeating keywords; it's about providing the best answer to a patient's question. Instead of just listing 'dermatologist in Miami,' a practice's website should feature content that directly addresses queries like, 'What are the best treatments for adult acne?' When a potential patient asks that exact question, AI is designed to find the clearest, most helpful answer. The goal is for your practice to provide that answer. I cannot stress this enough: Your practice's online reputation is paramount. With 84% of patients checking online reviews, AI platforms pay close attention to them. A steady stream of recent, positive feedback tells platforms like Google that your practice is trusted and high-quality, making you more likely to be recommended. Actively encouraging patient feedback and professionally responding to all reviews are among the most powerful signals of quality a practice can send. To truly dominate visibility in the age of AI, your content strategy must shift from providing isolated answers to comprehensive topic authority. This means meticulously mapping out every question, concern and related query that revolves around a particular condition, treatment or specialty your practice offers. Your goal is to create deep, exhaustive coverage that anticipates every possible patient information need, ensuring your content is the definitive resource. Furthermore, establishing omnipresence across relevant online platforms—from your website and blog to social media, health directories and patient forums—is critical. Each piece of content, whether an article, video or infographic, should reinforce your practice as the central, authoritative entity, driving trust and credibility in the eyes of both patients and the AI systems evaluating your expertise. In an AI-driven world, your brand's consistency and professionalism across all online touchpoints are crucial. This means having a cohesive visual identity, a clear mission statement and a consistent tone of voice on your website, social media and any third-party health platforms. AI algorithms are designed to recognize patterns; a strong, consistent brand signals professionalism and trustworthiness, making your practice more likely to be recommended as a reliable and reputable choice by these intelligent systems. The Real-World Impact On Visibility AI is significantly reshaping online visibility and user engagement. In March 2025, 13.14% of search queries on Google triggered AI Overviews to appear. This integration has led to reduced click-through rates for organic search results. Health and science are among the sectors experiencing the largest share growth of AI Overviews, with increases of 20.33% and 22.27% respectively. Securing Your Practice's Future The key to sustained growth in any era is meeting patients where they are. Today, and for the foreseeable future, many of them are on AI-powered platforms. Embracing this shift is not just a marketing task; it's a core business strategy for ensuring your practice continues to connect with the community you serve. Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Working With A Bootstrapped Healthcare Marketing Agency: What To Know
Ajay Prasad is the CEO of GMR Web Team, a full-service healthcare digital marketing agency focused on patient acquisition and retention. A strong digital presence is now essential for all healthcare practices aiming to thrive and connect with patients. When seeking a marketing partner, you'll encounter both large agencies with external funding partners as well as smaller bootstrapped agencies. You may have questions about the resources and reliability of bootstrapped firms compared to larger organizations with more monetary resources. Let's explore the value a bootstrapped agency can offer your practice and what you should consider if you choose to work with one. At its core, a bootstrapped healthcare digital agency is one that has grown and sustained itself primarily through its own revenue generation, without relying on significant external investment like venture capital. This often translates to a few key characteristics: • Resourcefulness and efficiency: Bootstrapped agencies tend to thrive on smart resource allocation and lean operations. They understand the value of every dollar and often prioritize delivering maximum impact with focused strategies. • Client-centric focus: Sustainable growth for a bootstrapped agency hinges on client satisfaction and long-term relationships. This often fosters a deep commitment to understanding and achieving your practice's specific goals. • Potential for specialization: Many bootstrapped agencies carve out a niche and develop deep expertise in specific areas of healthcare marketing, such as SEO for local patient acquisition, social media engagement for building community trust or content marketing tailored to patient education. • Direct leadership involvement: You'll often find that the founders and senior team members are directly involved in client strategy and execution at bootstrapped agencies, providing a level of personalized attention that can be less common in larger, more hierarchical organizations. • Expertise rooted in experience: The founders and teams at bootstrapped agencies often bring years of valuable experience in healthcare marketing. They may have intentionally chosen a self-funded path to maintain control over their vision and focus on delivering specialized expertise without the pressures of external investors. • Agility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape: The digital marketing world is constantly changing. Bootstrapped agencies, often with flatter structures and less bureaucratic processes, can be more nimble in adapting to new algorithm updates, emerging platforms and evolving patient behaviors. Ultimately, the success of your marketing partnership hinges on the agency's ability to understand your goals, develop effective strategies, execute them flawlessly and deliver measurable results. Whether an agency is funded by investors or its own revenue stream is less important than its expertise, its understanding of the healthcare market and its commitment to your success. If you're thinking about working with a bootstrapped agency, look for these crucial skills and offerings: Look for an agency that demonstrates a genuine understanding of the healthcare industry, including compliance regulations (like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), patient privacy concerns and the unique patient journey within your area of care. Request detailed case studies and speak to current or former clients (when possible and respecting privacy) to gauge the agency's experience and its ability to deliver tangible results for similar healthcare practices. Ensure the agency has clear communication processes, provides regular and transparent reporting on key performance indicators, and fosters collaborative partnerships. Inquire about the agency's approach to staying up to date on the latest digital marketing trends and its ability to adapt strategies based on performance data and evolving market conditions. Choose an agency whose values, communication style and overall approach resonate with your practice's culture. A strong partnership built on mutual understanding and trust is crucial for long-term success. Focus on the overall value proposition an agency offers—its expertise, personalized attention and potential return on investment—rather than just the cost of services. A bootstrapped agency might offer competitive pricing due to lower overhead, but ensure its expertise aligns with your needs. Partnering with a bootstrapped digital marketing agency can be a strategic move for your healthcare practice. But don't let the funding model be the sole determinant. Instead, prioritize a thorough evaluation of the agency's healthcare knowledge, track record, communication style and overall value proposition to find the right fit for your practice's unique needs and aspirations. Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
