2020 marked a major milestone for Instagram, where they hit 1 billion monthly users, four years sooner than it was forecasted. The platform is predicted to continue growing in 2021, albeit at a slightly slower rate.
With so many users frequenting this social media platform, having an Instagram page would be an advantage for your dental practice. Here are some benefits to staying active on this platform:
Increases exposure to potential patients
Many people prefer to look up information online before making a phone call. Since Instagram has so many daily users, an Instagram page would help reach a larger audience.
Since Instagram is such a visual platform, you’ll have a lot of room for creativity to showcase your practice. This is a good space to show your patients your ‘vibe’ – whether it be modern and chic, or fun and personable, etc. More social media tips can be found in our previous blog post.
Another advantage of Instagram is that a potential client can reach out to you through direct messaging rather than calling the office. For some, this casual interaction is much less intimidating than giving the office a call.
Builds your relationships with current patients
Patient communication via email and SMS is a great way to stay in contact with your patients. However, this can feel one-sided when you’re not interacting with them on a more personal level. Even when patients are texting the office back via our 2-way SMS module, they are usually focused on dental-related issues.
On the other hand, you can engage with your patients more casually on Instagram and extend the conversation beyond dental topics. No matter how long your conversations are, these personal interactions build the relationship and trust between you and your patients.
The patient will no longer see your practice as ‘just another dental office’, but a dental office with staff they’re familiar with. This stronger connection with your patients also increases their loyalty and patients may even find themselves looking forward to their next visit.
Allows patients to see the office’s most recent updates
Sometimes patients just want to quickly check if there are any updates from your dental office. For example, they would want to know if the office is affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Having this information on your Instagram page will help reduce the number of calls to the office. The time saved is especially valuable when the office gets busy.
Another advantage is that this is convenient for patients. They may not want to call the office for such simple information so updating your Instagram page will give them somewhere to locate the information quickly.
How do you promote your Instagram page?
Once your Instagram is up and running, you need to promote the page to your patients and encourage them to follow you for any updates. Here are a few ways you can make your Instagram page more accessible:
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- Text Messaging: If you have our SMS module, you can send a quick text to your patients with the link to your Instagram page. This allows them to conveniently open the app and follow you right away.
- Newsletters: If you’re sending regular newsletters to your patients, include your social media links on them. You can even make a special mention so that your patients are aware of your page.
- Website: Most potential patients will most likely have landed on your website before making contact. Adding your social media links to the page will help these visitors locate all your social pages and follow you.
- Instagram Ads: You can run ads and set your target audience so that you can have a further reach. However, this can require some expertise and trial and error to find out what works best for you.
You can also host giveaways where users are required to follow your page and tag friends to enter. This will further increase your reach through your existing network. You can also offer exclusive perks to your followers to entice more users to hit the follow button.
Keeping your Instagram page active will provide a platform for current and potential patients to engage with you. This in turn gives your clinic a persona that allows them to connect with you on a deeper level.