Are you utilizing Instagram to help market your dental practice? If not, now may be a great time to start! There are only a few simple DOs and DONTs to keep in mind and you’ll be up to speed in no time.
Did you know that many of your patients are publishing Instagram photos from right inside your practice during their visits? It’s true. Just go to Instagram and search the term #dentist. You’ll be amazed to see the thousands upon thousands of photos with that hashtag – most of which are being published while people are sitting in your treatment rooms.
Just for fun, we took 220 of them and compiled this little video:
So, if all that publishing is going on inside YOUR practice too, are you taking advantage of it to raise top-of-mind awareness? Perhaps you could launch an Instagram promotion. Or, simply train your team to ask patients if they’d like to take a selfie with you using their smartphone and then post it to their Instagram page and tag your location! They can also share the photo with you for posting to your practice’s Instagram account.
As you know, Facebook is rapidly moving toward a pay-to-play model. And although Facebook still provides tremendous marketing value, Instagram is still in its infancy, making it much easier for followers to see the content your practice publishes.
Here are five practices doing a great job launching their Instagram presence…
1. Rolling Oaks Dental
2. Brad Stutler, DDS
3. Blooming Smiles Northridge
4. Alex Kalmanovich, DDS
5. Beaumont Family Dentistry
If you’re using Instagram in your dental practice, what advice can you share for those just getting started? Please add your thoughts in the comments section below. And good luck with your Instagram marketing!
I think it’s a great way to reach out into the community.
http://instagram.com/sugrbug/
Thanks for your comment, Norman. By the way, I looked through your social media accounts. You guys are doing an AWESOME job. Congrats.
I’ve seen how fast Instagram has been growing as a place to slap down selfies and everything a person does or eats online.
The biggest downside of Instagram is that it requires a smartphone or tablet to sign up and use the service, and only one account can be signed on per device (at least on Android), so it’s kind of given that many dental office staff who are Instagram-savvy are already using their mobile devices for their personal accounts. Swapping accounts will mix personal and office photos within the device, making things complicated and inconvenient.
I’m waiting until Instagram introduces multiple account management like the Twitter app.
Point well taken, Cammi. Thanks for you input. Yes, it’s a pain right now… I’m guessing Instagram will make that functionality available sometime.
Two thoughts:
First, we recommend to our clients that they encourage their team members to ask the PATIENT if they would like to use THEIR camera device. That way it more readily gets spread by the patient to his or her trusted networks. And yes, that isn’t always possible or ideal…
So, second, we also recommend that practices have a designated device in the office, such as an iPad or iPod Touch that is always logged into the practice’s Instagram account. Then, train the team to grab that device instead of using their own phones.
Thanks again for comment!
Hi again, Cammi. I was just reading about this tool today, called ScheduGram, that helps with the multiple accounts issue. I haven’t used it, and there isn’t a mobile version (only desktop), but I suppose it’s one solution (?). http://schedugr.am
I find instagram is great to connect and very easy to use.
https://instagram.com/dental_oncologist/
Thanks for your comment, Lauren. I just checked out your account. Nice job! Stay in touch and let me know if I can ever help you.
Also, Lauren, here are a couple of short YouTube videos with a couple ideas you can use for your account. Let me know if they help you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5vGIispFlw&list=PLEs-kdvOWyHmSjf8d81J-aMxo8kbhRSX-
Hey guys, thank you very much for showing us some examples of dental practices currently using IG! I recently wrote a blog post with insights and tips on how to get your dental practice started on Instagram. Check it out here https://thecreativecomposite.co.uk/create-dental-instagram-account/