Are Facebook Group Follows Helping You Grow Your Practice? Here’s the Truth for Holistic Practitioners.
It’s easy to feel excited when you see your follower count going up - especially when you’re active in Facebook Groups where “Follow me and I’ll follow you back” threads are common. On the surface, it feels like a quick win: more followers, more visibility, more potential clients... right?
But for holistic practitioners, the reality is very different.
A growing list of followers doesn’t automatically lead to more enquiries, more bookings, or deeper trust with the people who genuinely need your support.
In fact, when those new followers aren’t aligned with your services, it can have the opposite effect.
A community of 1,000 people who will never work with you is far less valuable than 100 people who are actively seeking the help you offer. When you chase numbers simply for the sake of boosting your follower count, you add quantity - but not quality. And that difference matters.
Why Follow-for-Follow Doesn’t Work (Even in Facebook Groups)
While follow-swap threads in Facebook Groups may feel like a helpful shortcut, Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t reward this behaviour.
Here’s why:
When someone follows you but never engages, Facebook sees that as low-quality interest.
Low engagement signals tell the algorithm that your content may not be relevant.
As a result, your posts are shown to fewer people - including the ones who actually are ideal clients.
So even though your follower count grows, your visibility shrinks.
This applies across Facebook, but it’s especially common in Groups where follow-swaps happen frequently. The intention is good: connection, support, community, but the outcome often works against your goals.
1. Start by Thinking Like Your Ideal Client
To attract the right audience, begin by understanding where your ideal clients spend their time and what they’re actively seeking support with.
For example:
If you're a meditation coach supporting overwhelmed mums:
They’re likely in parenting communities, mindfulness groups, or local mum-focused networks, not coach-to-coach networking threads.If you're a Naturopath specialising in gut health:
Your ideal clients might be in gut health forums, IBS support groups, or reading blogs about dietary changes and chronic digestive conditions.If you're a Reflexologist focusing on fertility:
You’ll find your clients in fertility groups, hormone health communities, or following content from doulas, midwives, and women’s health practitioners.
When you understand your clients’ online behaviours and motivations, you can show up where they already are, and create content that feels relevant and supportive.
2. Lead With Value, Not With Requests
Instead of asking people to follow you, focus on showing up in a meaningful way.
This might look like:
answering questions
offering gentle, grounded advice
sharing your expertise with care
helping people feel seen and understood
When someone receives value from you, they naturally become curious about your work and choose to follow you because your content resonates, not because of an obligation.
This type of follower is far more likely to become a client.
3. Collaborate Mindfully With Other Practitioners
Connecting with fellow holistic practitioners is valuable for building community, sharing experiences and forming collaborations. But remember, they are not necessarily your clients.
Other practitioners are:
peers
professional allies
potential referral partners
people who understand your world
These relationships matter deeply, but your growth strategy should always come back to the people you are here to support and serve.
Where Real Growth Happens
A thriving holistic practice grows through authentic connection, not vanity metrics. When you’re speaking to the right people, everything becomes more aligned: your visibility, your engagement, and the clients who are drawn to you.
Place your energy where it truly matters: with the people who will benefit most from your care, expertise and support.
