Trust, partners, and recruiting
Social media rarely fills intake on its own. Its real value for an ABA clinic is quieter: it's where parents check that you're real and active, where referral partners see your work, and where future staff decide whether they'd like to work for you.
What can social media do for an ABA clinic?
- Trust. Parents look you up after a referral. A recent, friendly feed confirms you're established and staffed.
- Referral partners. Pediatricians, diagnosticians, and schools notice clinics that show up consistently in their community.
- Recruiting. Candidates scroll your feed before they apply. Your team culture is easier to show than to describe in a job post.
Set expectations accordingly. If you need more intakes next month, your website, local search, and referral relationships will move faster.
Which platforms are worth the time?
Pick one or two and do them consistently. Facebook still reaches the most local parents, including community and parent groups. Instagram suits showing your space and your team. LinkedIn is where BCBA candidates and many referral partners pay attention. Short-form video platforms are optional, not required.
What should you post?
- Your team, with their consent: new hires, certifications, anniversaries, and why they do the work.
- Your space: rooms, equipment, and the waiting area, photographed when no clients are present.
- Plain explanations of how intake works, what insurance you accept, and what a first week looks like.
- Hiring posts with real pay ranges and schedules.
- Community involvement: events, trainings, and partnerships.
Skip session footage, progress claims about individual children, and anything that depends on a client being recognizable.
What are the privacy rules for client content?
Photos and videos of clients are protected health information. Posting them requires written HIPAA authorization from the parent or guardian, and that authorization can be revoked, so you need a way to take content down quickly.
The BACB Ethics Code adds its own standards on testimonials and on using client images and information in public statements. Read them before you post anything involving a client, even with permission.
Write a short social media policy for staff covering personal accounts too: no client photos, no location check-ins that reveal who is at the clinic, and no comments about families. In comment threads, never confirm that someone is a client.
How much time should it take?
Less than most owners fear. Batch a week of posts in one sitting, keep a simple calendar of recurring themes, and give one person clear ownership. Two or three good posts a week, every week, beats a burst of daily posting that fades after a month.
Can social media help with recruiting?
Yes, and for many clinics it's the best return on the time. Show what a day looks like, introduce supervisors, celebrate certifications, and link every hiring post to a careers page with real details. Our guide to hiring and keeping RBTs covers what candidates look for.
Frequently asked questions
Can parents tag us or post about our clinic?
They can, and that's their choice. Don't reshare, reply in a way that confirms they're a client, or use their content without written authorization.
Should we join local parent Facebook groups?
As a transparent participant who answers questions and follows each group's rules, yes. Cold pitching your services in those groups usually backfires.
Do we need to post every day?
No. A steady, sustainable rhythm of a few posts a week is better than daily posting you can't keep up.
Should we run paid social ads?
Sometimes, mostly for recruiting and events. See paid ads for ABA clinics for the healthcare advertising rules that limit targeting.