According to social media management software company HubSpot, Instagram has 500 million daily active users. It’s also the social media platform of choice for many millenials. If you’re trying to reach prospective patients born in the 1980s and 1990s, your healthcare practice needs an active Instagram profile.

But with so many users scrolling through their feeds every day, and the Instagram algorithm constantly changing, how do you make your practice’s Instagram posts gain mindshare of potential new patients?

Keep reading for the MOXY Company’s tips on how to get your healthcare practice discovered on this popular social media platform.

Optimize Your Instagram Bio

You may not have realized it, but your Instagram bio and username are searchable! Carefully select copy for these aspects of your profile to create two additional pathways for new patients to find you.

But remember to keep your bio short and sweet. 

Instagram bios can only be 150 characters (including spaces), and your username is limited to 30 characters. Make sure to sprinkle in keywords you expect prospective patients to search for - such as “Interventional Spine” if you’re a physiatrist like Dr. Giuffrida at Cantor Spine Institute.

Also, don’t be afraid to embrace text speak to squeeze in more relevant information. Symbols like “+” or “&” for the word “and,” and using “w” to say “with” may not be grammatically correct, but they’re commonplace in Instagram profiles and posts. 

Use the Right Hashtags

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and noticed posts with a series of related hashtags?

On Instagram, using the right hashtags are key to getting discovered by new people, because users can search for new posts and users to follow by typing a hashtag into the search bar. 

But this doesn’t mean you should use every possible healthcare-related hashtag you can find. You need to use hashtags that are targeted to your ideal audience and related to your content, or users will scroll on by your posts.

To find the best hashtags for a post, tap the magnifying glass at the bottom of your Instagram app. From there, enter a search term related to your post, and tap “Search.” Next, tap the “Tags” text at the top of the app to see relevant hashtags, and the current number of posts using them. 

Don’t Forget to Create a Branded Hashtag

A branded hashtag that you create on your own, such as “#CantorSpine” if your medical practice is named “Cantor Spine Insitutute” won’t exactly help new users find you for the first time. But, consistently using branded hashtags will help those who have recently discovered you find other content you’ve posted in the past and post in the future. Also, help new leads who find you through other channels discover your social content by sharing your branded hashtag on items like brochures, your email signature, or billboards.

Always Tag Your Location

It’s great when Instagram users like your posts. But is a user in California who likes your latest video likely to visit your Covington oncology office for chemotherapy? Probably not. 

By using Instagram’s tagging feature to mark your location, you’re creating more targeted content to help users in your specific geographical area discover your practice.

Don’t Just Post on Instagram, Engage With Others, Too

Interacting with Instagram users who offer complementary products and services can help you develop social media relationships. The more connected you are with others on Instagram, the higher your odds are of people regramming your content to their followers (that is, sharing your post and attributing it to you).

For example, if you own a plastic surgery practice, start engaging with your city’s largest OB-GYN practices and top bariatric surgeons on Instagram. They just might regram your posts about mommy makeovers and body lifts to their own followers, who are, of course, likely to be interested in these procedures!

Just remember, when someone regrams your content, return the favor when they post something your think your followers will find useful or fun, too.

Remember Your Strategies for Other Social Media Platforms Aren’t Guaranteed to Work on Instagram

If you have a really successful Facebook page, you may be tempted to post that exact same content on Instagram. But, you can’t afford to take shortcuts when it comes to social media.

All social media platforms have unique audiences and content options. The quick one-liners you tweet won’t necessarily resonante on visually-driven Instagram. Each social media account your healthcare practice uses deserves its own social media strategy and unique content, too.

Get Instagram Help

The Moxy Company is led by CEO Christy Saia Owenby, a digital healthcare strategist and Mayo Clinic Social Media Network Bronze Fellow. She and her team help healthcare providers around the nation find new patients through social media. Your practice can be next!

To schedule a call with Christy, reach out to the Moxy Company today by calling (985) 256-0720 or emailing TEAM@MOXYCOMPANY.COM.