Posted on September 17, 2013

How Instagram Can Work For Your Practice

There has been a significant increase in interest amongst our clients in regards to the social network known as Instagram. The image-based social site, available on iPhone and Android smartphones, boasts more than 100 million users, according to its official press page. There are also an estimated 40 million photos uploads to the site per day, 8500 Likes per second, and 1000 comments per second. This flurry of activity shows that not only is Instagram one of the most popular social networks, engagement is also relatively easy, making it a great opportunity for businesses that are willing to post regularly to reach out to potential clients.

Instagram gives practices the power to get creative with their social media marketing as photos are one of the best ways to interact with potential new clients online. A recent Facebook study showed that posts with photos received 50 percent more Likes and comments than text-only posts.

There are several easy and fun ways to interact with customers using Instagram. Practices can hold contests and give away prizes for the best Instagram photo based on how unique the photos is, how many Likes or comments it receives, etc.

Instagram account should be dedicated to seeing the world, in real time, through the practice’s “eyes”. This means that a practice should be postings photos of certain things “seen” directly at their location or from special events, conferences, and more.

Here are some tips to help your practice creatively engage on Instagram:

1. Show Your Products

Promote mobile “window shopping” by using your practice’s Instagram account to show off your optical products. Snap photos of new arrivals to build buzz or you can even zoom in on a product and ask followers to guess exactly what it is. Photos attract users, but conversations engage them. You could even take photos of the equipment used to facilitate eye exams, LASIK surgery, etc. as followers really enjoy photos that show things “behind the scenes”.

2. Introduce Your Employees

Introducing your followers to the people who keep your practice going. These photos humanize your brand and your practice. Cast the Instagram spotlight on employees and use the caption to share about that particular employee. Make spotlighting an ongoing campaign that features staff from different departments and areas of the practice. Again, this helps to add a face to a name.

3. Expand Your Audience

Connect your Instagram account with other social networks and use relevant hashtags to make it easier for people to find your Instagram account. You can easily link your Instagram page to your Facebook so that each time you upload a new photo to Instagram it will automatically feed to your Facebook business page.

4. Engage Directly With Followers

Ask questions in your photo captions and be sure to respond to comments. The same practices you use to engage followers on other social networks should be used on your Instagram account.

5. Keep Your Followers Interested

Keeping followers interested in your account is an essential part of an effective marketing campaign. Reward your followers by letting them be the first to know of new products, procedures, events, etc. by snapping teaser photos to build anticipation of new happenings, offers, and more happening at the practice. These exclusive previews make your followers feel special and will keep them returning to your page for more insider information.

6. Geo-Tag Your Posts

Geo-tagging your photos is a great way for you to show your brand’s presence at a particular conference or event. With new upgrades, these geo-tags will also transfer your location information to Facebook and Twitter.