Instagram Marketing Tips for Healthcare Providers

Acquaint Yourself With The ‘Gram Now!

The constantly evolving landscape of digital marketing and SEO tools used by fast-growing businesses to attract more traffic or brand awareness can be daunting at times, especially if devising an effective marketing strategy for your business is uncharted territory for you.

As the coronavirus pandemic coerced us to cut back on our physical meet and greets due to nationwide lockdowns and social isolation, we turned towards social media. With an exponential increase in the general public’s social media consumption, brands shifted their focus on social media marketing, making platforms like Facebook and Instagram hubs of targeted marketing.

While Facebook launched its marketplace, where people could buy and sell products and services with the ease of a click; Instagram, with its 1.386 billion users, proved to be the perfect platform to market services and products for upcoming businesses and startups. Out of the billions of users, Instagram reports over 25 million active businesses.

Since Facebook owns Instagram, it offers unique opportunities that enable a business person to avail insights and tools provided by Facebook and Instagram alike by linking their accounts on each platform.

Similar to the Facebook marketplace and business platform, Instagram launched profiles specifically for businesspeople. Making reels that trend, using the correct hashtags, captivating captions, and keeping up with the market drift can be intimidating; however, once you get the hang of how “the ‘gram” works, marketing your healthcare practice becomes child’s play.

Before we jump into the hows, let us take a look at the whys. The following section covers the need for social media management and how Instagram is a unique platform for social media marketing.

Instagram: The Best and Most Effective Platform for Healthcare Marketing

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Instagram got launched in 2010 and was quickly bought by Facebook in 2012. Its added features such as stories that vanish in 24 hours or the latest addition of reels and remixing reels with your favorite celebs to gain recognition have made its engagement level and reach unparalleled in the world of social media.

According to its demand, social media was founded to primarily connect and communicate with friends and family.

“After undergoing a transformative journey as a platform for sharing information online, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have finally revamped as cornerstones of effective product promotion and marketing strategies with
exponential customer engagement and satisfaction.”

Instagram remains the undefeated champion of maximized customer engagement compared to other social media platforms by its extraordinary efforts to foster acceptance, inclusiveness, and equality.

Instagram is home to over half of the best brands globally, featuring a direct shopping link to their online website. Once you land on your favorite brand’s page, Instagram showcases their edited pictures posted on the account with options such as direct messaging for more details facilitating customer interaction and a link to their official site.

Additionally, you can read reviews in the comments section to make an informed decision about improving the brand’s conversion rate. If you are looking for ways to promote your brand in front of the billion users that serve as potential customers, Instagram is the place to be at.

The answer is simple: Your potential patients are on Instagram, and therefore, you should be too. Anyone using the ‘gram is a likely patient, especially once you learn to use the marketing tools effectively; being on Instagram makes your medical practice more accessible to prospective patients.

The Instagram marketing process entails simple steps that healthcare professionals can carry out, or you can hire a digital marketing firm specializing in the field; irrespective of your choice on who runs your Instagram account, the bottom line is creating an Instagram account in the first place.

The Benefits Of Having A Business Instagram Account Include:

• Discovery:
• Brand recognition by curating content that embodies your brand’s aesthetics.
• Competitor analysis and learning how to outperform your competitors.
• Social Media Presence:
• Accessibility and customer engagement through targeted posts.
• Increasing audience engagement and brand reach.
• Growth Opportunities:
• Reputation Management:

Now that we have understood why Instagram helps curate an effective marketing strategy, let us look at how it is different from the rest of the social media platforms and the additional features it is equipped with.

Instagram vs. Other Social Media Platforms For Healthcare Professionals

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Hospitals Take To Instagram

As a healthcare professional or practice owner, your ultimate goal is to maximize your patient base while retaining current patients. A marketing strategy is put in place to achieve these business goals. It can include social media marketing or traditional marketing techniques; however, the current times call for a healthy mix of the two.

For example,

Another exciting way to raise awareness is by digital fundraising. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis partnered with Lancome’s Hand Heart Campaign and asked its 145k Instagram followers to support the cause by “heart” -ing and to use the targeted hashtag #LancomeLovesStJude.

• Medtronic is a medical device manufacturing company that took to Instagram and has over 62.5k followers currently. They develop insulin pumps for diabetics and use their Instagram platform to market their services and raise awareness about the autoimmune disease that affects people globally.
• Notice how they have incorporated the subject within their username to increase their visibility. The use of relevant hashtags in their bio along with prompting hashtags that encourage users to engage with the brand makes it a success story.

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Mental Health Awareness and Body Positivity

Unlike other social media platforms, Instagram special focuses on societal ailments such as mental health awareness, body positivity, and LGBTQ support.

Since Instagram rolled out a reporting and support tool to help Instagram users susceptible to self-harm and suicide, it has been a while. One can use this tool to anonymously flag posts and offer support in private messages.

• Check out the overwhelming amount of posts using #mentalhealthawareness as a hashtag to raise awareness about the issues; total of 14,779,108 posts and counting!

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• Powerful hashtags like #iamenough encourage people to use these hashtags as a means of storytelling by incorporating them into their Instagram posts.

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• You can choose a variety of Instagram stickers and include them in individual stories to highlight mental health awareness and support for minority groups. Instagram works closely with mental health experts to identify eating disorders and is affiliated with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,Save.org, and much more.
• The late Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy who suffered from COPD got memorialized by COPD Foundation and Philips Healthcare’s joint campaign to raise awareness of COPD.
• They launched the hashtag #Breatheboldly encouraging people to post videos of daily life activities breathing through a straw to support people suffering from COPD.

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Instagram has partnered with Seventeen Magazine to highlight body positivity and instill self-confidence among its users. Instagram uses mild language to communicate with users facing these issues to avoid intimidating and scaring users off.

Pharma companies on social media

With the addition of the 24-hour stories that vanish without allowing public comments, Instagram’s reach has expanded through private DMs. It enables healthcare providers to curate a customized message for prospective patients.

Pharmaceutical companies exhibited reluctance to join Instagram at first; however, once Boehringer Ingelheim took to Instagram, other major companies such as Pfizer, Novartis, and much more followed.

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• Flonase is an over-the-counter allergy treatment that has one of the most interactive and engaging Instagram pages. It uses vibrant seasonal images and addresses the user’s needs in a creative way.
• Flonase spreads awareness about how allergies affect people in changing weather and seasons.

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With the Coronavirus pandemic, the need for vaccines, from how they are made to why one should use them, has spiked. It has enabled pharmaceutical companies to communicate with the general public using Instagram as a critical tool in their healthcare marketing strategy.

Through its fundraising campaigns, awareness drives, and other inbuilt marketing tools, Instagram has effectively
interacted with patients and built an informative community.

Let us understand the basic steps to creating a business profile for your healthcare practice on Instagram:

Put Your Healthcare Practice On Instagram with Following These 5 Simple Steps

• Create an Instagram profile that embodies your business.
• Next, choose an Instagram username (@yourusername) relevant to your practice and expertise.
• Add a high-quality profile image that humanizes your business and instills confidence in prospective clients; you may use your company logo as well.
• Finally, add contact information to your bios, such as name, specialty, and location. You can include a link to your official website to direct traffic from Instagram.
• Include hashtags n your bio to give patients an idea about your practice. Include emojis and other creative tools to create an amalgam of your personality with your brand’s.

Finally, It is time to delve into the nitty-gritty of Instagram marketing for healthcare providers. The following section covers common questions that confuse beginners and how to get the prerequisites in check.

5 Steps To Master Instagram Healthcare Marketing Right Now

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1. Focus On The User Base

Like traditional marketing tactics that are strategized around their target audience, Instagram marketing focuses on its user base, primarily millennials. Statistics indicate that millennials or people under 35 take up 90% of Instagram’s 500 million active users.

This data indicates the need for curating content that resonates with a younger audience for their medical practices to be successful on Instagram.

For example,

Even if your target audience isn’t the younger demographic or your services are not catered for millennials, you can still use Instagram to find your niche and blossom in it. Instagram is much more than a marketing tool; it helps you establish a robust digital presence helping you rank better on search engine results.

Having an Instagram account for your healthcare practice serves as validation, instilling trust in prospective patients, generating brand awareness and credibility for long-lasting patient relationships.

2. Create Relatable Content

It is important to remember that Instagram essentially is a personal app that showcases your individuality and can be customized to highlight your or your brand’s personality.

Going overboard with too technical or promotional posts may result in a decreased engagement rate and often fail to attract user attention.

Instagram is a visual platform with its users more inclined towards looking at vivid pictures. You can edit your images and add relevant texts containing informational material to boost customer engagement and keep up with the events happening around the community.

Another excellent way to capture local patients’ and users’ attention is by geotagging your posts so people can easily find you.

For example,

3. Instagram Stories For Patient Engagement

Using Instagram stories to provide a glimpse into behind the scenes of your healthcare practice can enable prospective customers to relate with you improving engagement levels.

Instagram followers are more likely to get invested with your healthcare practice than posts. You can use Instagram stories to encourage your followers to participate in charity events, fundraising, and generate awareness regarding mental health and other issues.

It is vital to keep up with the trending topics and hashtags such as throwback Thursday’ or ‘install good’ or trending audio and reel concepts. Hosting content can help drive traffic to your account, and giving freebies and hosting giveaways can maximize your practice’s engagement.

Remember to participate in competitor events and collaborate with other professionals from your industry. You can go live with experts from the industry to validate your practice. It is crucial to maintain the tonality and theme of your Instagram account. Various editing tools such as can be used to plan your content ahead of time, ensuring consistency on your Instagram profile.

4. Make Your Posts Visually Attractive

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Instagram was born to fulfill our primary visual needs, which gives it an edge over its competitors.

Humans are visual creatures; our emotions are directly related to the visual and auditory triggers around us. Medical practices can leave a long-lasting impression on their target audience using impactful visuals and compelling storytelling.

You can use an Instagram carousel to talk about issues relevant to your industry or videos to generate interest in your prospective clients. Since anonymity plays a crucial role in Instagram engagement, you can interact with your target audience, encouraging them to leave feedback on your posts without cornering them into revealing their personal information or identity.

5. Hashtags Steer Traffic To Your Insta Account

Hashtags directly link the interested user to see every post on Instagram that has used that particular hashtag.

While it is essential to post high-quality and engaging content regularly, hashtags are the tool that enables users to find you on the vast platform of Instagram. Hashtags guide interested users to your medical practice and help you expand your following.

For example,

Top Ten Trending Hashtags in the Healthcare Industry:

1. #healthservices
2. #pharmacy
3. #familydoctor
4. #healthprofessionals
5. #nurses
6. #healthcareprofessional
7. #pharmaceuticals
8. #medicalcare
9. #medical
10. #healthcare

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Things To Keep In Mind When Using Hashtags

• Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post.
• Hashtags help Instagram users search for targeted content.
• Using a combination of trending and relevant hashtags can help your content rank higher, making your practice easily discoverable.
• Overusing hashtags may increase the spam content on your profile; use hashtags carefully.
• You can omit using hashtags on your post and use them in a comment instead for a sleek-looking post.

instead for a sleek-looking post.

Word To The Wise

• As a healthcare provider, remember to set up a business profile. If you have an existing Instagram account, you can convert it to a business account to access Instagram’s various marketing tools for free.
• Use Instagram Insights such as the demographic of the people who engage with your profile, their sex, average age, and even the time your prospective patients are online, so you can schedule your posts to gain maximum engagement.
• Instagram offers paid promotion for businesses and services that boosts your brand awareness. You can gain insights from the comment section of your posts to understand common issues that persist in your industry and cater your services to address these issues effectively.
• If you have a cosmetic or aesthetic medical practice, remember to include all skin types, colors, and textures. People are more inclined to follow your course if they feel acknowledged and can relate to your services.
• It is crucial to watermark your photos as they can get stolen easily on the internet. To maintain originality and authenticity, watermark your pictures and posts.

Conclusion

Instagram is constantly evolving to accommodate the changing landscape of users based on their behavioral patterns. Social media marketing is an umbrella term in which Instagram is a powerful platform enabling medical marketing strategies to maximize their engagement and conversion rates.

If you are new to the industry and figuring your way around the complexities of social media marketing, chances are you find yourself overwhelmed to the brim.

The tips mentioned in this article can help you maintain a commanding presence on Instagram, helping you reach your social media goals. Following the steps mentioned above and tricks consistently will take your healthcare practice to new heights.

We look forward to hearing from you! Please share your experience on Instagram with us and the tips and tricks that help you successfully maintain a solid presence on the social media platform.

Let us know in the comments below.

Originally published at https://www.zealousweb.com on October 11, 2021.