Social Media Secrets for NDIS Success

Will, EnableUs Community

Hey everyone, welcome back to The EnableUs Community Podcast! Will here, from the EnableUs Community—and, as always, I’m joined by Winter. Now, today, we’re unlocking something I reckon a lot of NDIS providers overlook: social media. Choosing where you build your community online can make all the difference. Winter, wanna kick things off?

Winter, EnableUs Community

Absolutely! Hey, everyone. There are a ton of platforms out there, but let’s be real: not all of them are the best use of your time. The first step is figuring out where NDIS participants and their families are actually hanging out. For most providers, that starts with Facebook. There’s just such a wide mix of age groups, support coordinators, and families in those groups—it’s where people go for advice or to connect. And when you see stories being shared in, say, a very active Facebook support group, it’s clear how useful it can be not just for finding participants, but for building ongoing community.

Will, EnableUs Community

That’s spot on. I might go out on a limb and say if you had to pick only one, Facebook’s probably it. For instance, when we kicked off the EnableUs Community Facebook Group—this is about a year ago, now—I remember hosting our first live Q&A session. I was kind of nervous—was anyone even gonna show up? But, we got immediate engagement; questions poured in about support coordination and plan management. Straight away, you could see the momentum. That direct, real-time engagement doesn’t happen everywhere.

Winter, EnableUs Community

No, it really doesn’t. And then you’ve got Instagram, which I’d say shines if you want to tell a story visually—images of community events, those quick video updates. A few providers I follow do a brilliant job posting little snippets of participant journeys—always with proper consent, of course. It’s a more creative way to showcase your values. And then, there’s LinkedIn—different vibe completely, but actually an excellent way to connect with allied health professionals or support coordinators. We recently saw a provider share an update about a new group program on LinkedIn, and they received a heap of referrals just from that post—sometimes your participants or their families aren’t even the first degree of contact, you know?

Will, EnableUs Community

Exactly, it’s not just about direct clients. LinkedIn sometimes gets slept on for this sector, but you can build trust with professionals who make referrals every day. So, choosing your platform should really reflect who you want to reach—Facebook for family and community, Instagram for visual storytelling, and LinkedIn for professional influence. It’s not “one size fits all.”

Winter, EnableUs Community

Once you know where you’re showing up online, the real challenge is actually posting consistently and making it interesting. Otherwise, your page becomes another digital ghost town—no one wants that. I always recommend providers start with a super basic content calendar. Even a spreadsheet is fine! Themed days really help, too—NDIS Tip Tuesday, Feature Friday, that kind of thing. It just removes the “what do I post?” struggle.

Will, EnableUs Community

Oh, absolutely. I mean, even just mapping out two or three posts a week can do wonders for presence. And, you know, it’s not about spamming people—it’s about showing up with value. Like sharing how you helped someone hit a new milestone. I remember one provider who posted about a participant achieving independent travel for the first time, and, with that family’s permission of course, it became their most liked post. There’s just something about celebrating wins that makes others feel, I dunno, part of the journey.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Yes! And honestly, don’t shy away from those “behind the scenes” glimpses. This reminds me of when we posted a really quick, pretty raw video just introducing our support team—nothing fancy, honestly, just people saying a quick hello. But we got so many DMs from families who said, “wow, it’s great to see the actual people who’ll be working with us.” I hadn’t expected that kind of response at all. It’s a reminder that people want to see the human side of your service.

Will, EnableUs Community

It’s that balance between education, celebration, and, like you said, being real. If you can mix up your content—tips, stories, even a day-in-the-life post—you keep your feed dynamic. Makes it feel like there’s a conversation happening, not just announcements coming out of nowhere.

Winter, EnableUs Community

And that brings us to the next bit—actually building relationships with your audience. Social media isn’t just one-way broadcasting. If someone comments, reply! Use polls to hear what your followers want, or little question boxes in stories. Thank people for their feedback—seriously, it matters. The more interaction, the more your content will be seen… but it also just feels better, right?

Will, EnableUs Community

Definitely. That interaction builds trust, which—look, we’ve talked about trust practically every episode because it’s that important. And using platform tools like polls or question stickers on Instagram? They boost your visibility and your connection. Plus, hashtags—they’ve gotta be intentional, not just random. For NDIS, I’ve seen hashtags like #NDISCommunity, #DisabilitySupport, and even specific regional tags working really well. Try a mix, and then look back at what actually brings people in—that’s where analytics come in.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Yeah, don’t just set and forget. Review your analytics, see when people are interacting, and tweak your posts from there. Oh—and one thing that shouldn’t be missed: always, always use captions on videos. Will, I know EnableUs ramped up our captioning not long ago, right?

Will, EnableUs Community

Yeah, that’s a big one. When we rolled out captioning on all our videos, not only did the videos perform better in terms of reach, but we had folks who rely on captions message us saying how much easier it was to engage. It just levels up your accessibility. And isn’t that what the NDIS is fundamentally about—removing barriers?

Winter, EnableUs Community

Absolutely. Well, I think that’s a pretty solid set of social strategies for today. Just remember, no one gets it perfect from day one—experiment, engage, tweak, and, most importantly, actually show up consistently. Will, any last words before we wrap?

Will, EnableUs Community

Just that every post is a chance to make one more connection. Don’t underestimate it. Keep learning, keep trying things—your participant community is out there. And, of course, we’ll be back with more tips next time.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Thanks everyone for tuning in. If you got questions or want to share your experience, you know where to find us—EnableUs Community, socials, all the usual places. Bye for now, Will!

Will, EnableUs Community

Bye Winter, and see you next episode, everyone!