Boost Your Practice’s Brand with Instagram

Looking for a great way to expand your content efforts on social media? Look no further, because as you probably already know, Instagram is a wildly popular network with 500 million active users each month. And, if you thought that Instagram was just for taking pictures of delicious meals, adorable pets, and your favorite vacation spots, then it’s time to start thinking about how Instagram can be a great way to engage with your current patients and put your practice in front of a new audience. In fact, according to a report released in June of last year by the folks at Simply Measured, Instagram has an 85% adoption rate among top brands. Another important stat? Brand engagement on Instagram is about 10 times higher than it is on Facebook. Ready to start? Good!

Here are some tips to help you get off the ground with Instagram:

• Hashtags – Hashtags can be a fun way to get other patients involved in the posting fun. Try thinking of a hashtag that would be specific to your practice, and then encourage your patients to post using it as well! We have found that doing something like a hashtag contest that is specific to your practice can be a really great way to increase engagement with your patients. So, next time your office is looking for a platform to host a contest, think about using a hashtag and Instagram!
• Not just for Kids – The demographic on Instagram tends to be younger than on other social media networks, but there has been a steady rise in young adult users as well. According to a Pew Research Center study released last year, 55% of online adults between the ages of 18-29 are using Instagram. You should absolutely use this to your advantage when considering content to post on Instagram.
• Video Helps the Instagram Star – Ask any marketer, and they will tell you that video is integral for your brand online. In fact, 87% of marketers use video because 1/3 of all online activity is spent watching video content. Instagram allows you the opportunity to share videos of up to fifteen seconds long, so this is another fun way to get creative on this social media platform and make an impression!
• Tell Your Story – Another awesome strategy is to tell a practice story over multiple posts. Do you have a staff member who is undergoing orthodontic treatment? Is there a particular patient who needed extensive work and is on the journey towards completion? Does your office have a particularly special community even coming up in the future? These are all opportunities to tell your practice’s story over a series of image and video posts on Instagram!

As Instagram continues to grow in user popularity and platform functionality, its importance for your online dental marketing grows too! Are you already an Instagrammer? What strategies have you used that have worked for you? Let us know!

–  The Sesame Social Team