Learn some basic first steps on how to launch an Instagram campaign for chiropractors to raise awareness and bring in new patients
You are probably already well aware of the overall value of social media for building your practice. In fact, you may already be an expert at Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, or even YouTube.
However, there is one social media platform that you may have forgotten about. Instagram is one of the hottest photo- and video-sharing platforms on the internet, having reached approximately 1 billion users in 2018. Although most people use it for personal picture sharing, it has become a great social media tool for business as well.
So how can you optimize Instagram to make it part of your social media toolkit to help you grow your practice? You can get more across to potential and current patients on Instagram than you can with three paragraphs on your blog.
Instagram reach
Instagram is a photo-hosting social media platform that allows you to upload images directly from your smart phone or tablet. You can then connect Instagram to your other social media sites, such as Twitter or Facebook, so that your followers on other platforms can see what you have posted on Instagram.
Although these capabilities are similar to other photo-sharing social media platforms, Instagram’s story feature is unique. It allows users to present a 24-hour “day in the life” slide show of photos and videos that can be augmented with text and stickers.
Meet your chiropractor
One of the best ways to introduce Instagram users to your practice is to run a series of posts that introduce you and your staff, as well as give a virtual tour of your office. This is a great way for potential patients to not only put a face with a name, but to feel as though they already know a little bit about you.
The key with how to launch an Instagram campaign of this nature is to keep it fun and casual. A virtual office tour or short videos of your staff talking about their jobs could be great Instagram stories. Photos of you and your staff doing volunteer or community work could also be part of this Instagram campaign.
How to launch an Instagram campaign: giveaways and contests
Let’s be honest – everyone loves to get something free or at a discount. Running an Instagram campaign that features promotional giveaways or contests is a great way to generate excitement about your practice and bring in more new patients.
You can get creative with some of your giveaways and contents, such as discount codes for services, giveaways of supplements or skin products, or even partnering with another business. One note of caution: Certain social media platforms have rules about how posts can be used for giveaways and contests. Carefully read any rules Instagram has regarding such posts, so that you do not accidentally violate any terms of service.
Healthy living tips
Posting tips for healthy living is a great way to offer up “free samples” to prospective patients. These little nuggets are meant to spark interest in other services that you may provide. For example, you can have a graphic that lists five healthy after-school snacks for kids, with a link to your website for further information. You can then have a blog entry that elaborates further on the topic and your services in that regard. Such posts should be kept simple, with either a plain background or one graphic image, and easy-to-read text.
Whether you are already comfortable with social media marketing or just starting out learning how to launch an Instagram campaign, Instagram is a great way to introduce yourself and your practice in a more informal environment. The perfect picture, posted on Instagram, can be just what you need to drive more business to your practice.
For examples see the “Top Instagram Posts” page in each issue of Chiropractic Economics magazine, in this issue on page 10 at https://www.chiroeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CHEC_03_2020_FULL.pdf.
