When it comes to user engagement, Instagram excels above every other social media platform. Reports show that engagement on Instagram is 15 times higher than that of Twitter, Google+ or Facebook. It’s no surprise that half of the world’s top 100 brands are on Instagram because the photo-sharing app has evolved beyond just a social media platform; it is now a key channel for sales and engagement.
Instagram is a great way to get your brand in front of thousands or potentially millions of people – even if you are in the healthcare industry. Your potential patients are on Instagram, so you should be as well. Here are some tips to help incorporate Instagram into your healthcare marketing strategy.
Target Your Audience With Hashtags
Utilizing hashtags can improve your visibility because hashtags were created to group the same concepts or ideas into one area. By searching for a specific hashtag, it is easier to find users who are posting about a common topic of interest.
Integrating hashtags into your posts allows your content to be seen by users who have no knowledge of your medical practice. You need to use hashtags that are directly related to your business but are also common topics that people are searching for on Instagram. Try using the name of your medical practice or utilizing phrases that people may type into Google. You can also hashtag your practice’s location so that people know where they can find you.
Easy Integration
Instagram is easy to incorporate into your existing social media strategy because you can multi-task better. With one extra click, you can share the same post on Facebook and Twitter. Adding an Instagram account will automatically give you photos and posts that you can use on your existing social media accounts. Therefore, you save time because you won’t have to create different content for each individual platform.
Posting at Peak Times
Planning an innovative strategy is only half the battle. The other half is making sure your content reaches your audience and they engage with it. You need to be aware of what time your target audience uses the app. Posting at the right time ensures that your content reaches your target audience. There are a few apps available that can help tell you which times and days are best to post.
Humanize Your Practice
Instagram is a very humanizing platform. As a medical practice, there is more than just a company; there are actual people working behind the name. Humanize your brand by taking candid pictures of surgeons or showcase different employees each week.
Another great idea is to post “behind-the-scenes” photos for people who are curious about your services. When you humanize your medical practice, you enable trust, build loyalty among your current patients, and allow prospective patients to empathize with your brand.
Highlight Success Stories
Word-of-mouth is still the easiest and most effective way to earn new clients. If someone recommends a doctor to you, you are more likely to go with that doctor. So when someone says something positive about your medical practice, post it on Instagram and thank the patient for his or her testimonial.
This shows that you care about your customers and that you are active on social media. You can also post before and after photos (with permission from the patient) to demonstrate the effectiveness of your services. This will make prospective patients want to work with you in the future.
Conclusions
As you can see, Instagram is an easy way to increase your medical practice’s presence on social media. If you haven’t yet, take the time to create a profile and explore the platform. Research what your competition is doing, and craft ideas on how you can do it better. With proper preparation and an innovative strategy, Instagram can be an important tool to add to your healthcare social media marketing plans for 2016. For more on how to maximize Instagram for your medical practice, contact Premiere Creative by reaching us at (973) 346-8100.