3 Ways Instagram Can Help Boost Your Business
If you missed our initial social media blog about Yelp, you can find it at this link. In this second installment of maximizing social media for business, we’ll be highlighting Instagram. Instagram for business has seemingly become the “trendy” thing to do in 2017. Why? You may ask. It might have something to do with the fact that Instagram reached over 800 million active users in September 2017! (Statista). That is A LOT of people, right? Now you’re probably rushing over to your computers to see how many users are on other social sites, such as Facebook, and you’re seeing shockingly large numbers as well. Then you’ll ask yourself, “Self — why do I need to use Instagram if my business already has a Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest account? Why do more work just to get on another social site?” Well, let me tell you with 3 simple, but effective, ways Instagram will help boost your business for 2018.
1. Personalized Business Account
Just like Facebook, Instagram has a special place in its heart for business owners (even doctors) and wants to make life easier with a quick and low-budget way to give people more information about your products and services. You get to create a profile that shows your business name, location, hours, website link, etc.– just another great way to get your information out for free. One of our favorite features of Instagram Business is the ability to get insights on how many followers have seen our posts, followers’ impressions, and profile clicks. It’s a handy tool to get to know your audience better and tailor your future posts to their likes and wants. Our other favorite feature of Instagram for Business Accounts was how easy and understandable the setup was! Seriously, anyone, tech-savvy or not, can set up an account! Here’s a quick link to Instagram’s Business page to learn more about what a Business Account can do for you and how to set one up.
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2. People LOVE Instagram
It’s true, people <3 Instagram posts over 4.2 billion times A DAY (Omnicore). How would you feel if even half of those people looked at your business account in a day? Do you have that many openings for new patients? By using Instagram to tell your story, you are able to break out of the traditional mold of communication and allow each user to interpret the product brand and message in his or her own way. Another nice feature we like to use is the Instagram Story. This allows you to take videos or pictures that will only last for a short time. We like to use this for behind-the-scenes shots, short videos of our staff, or unveiling new products. Allowing viewers to step into your world for a few seconds lets them have the chance to be a part of your brand. Hashtags are also very important to understand and use for your business account. Using popular hashtags allow you to expose your business to a larger target audience. To accelerate exposure to your company or brand, we suggest you come up with your own unique hashtag and encourage your followers to use it as well. I could go on forever about the importance of building your presence and how to gain more followers, but Forbes already did that for me, so check out this article for more information!
3. But Wait, There’s More!
The more you use Instagram, the more you will realize just how amazing it is. Yes, this is a great place to put pictures of your business or products; however, there’s so much more you can do! I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why ads are important to have, but I can tell you that Instagram is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective methods we have used so far. You are able to choose from a few different style options, such as video or story ads, that allow you to take your marketing to the next level. Just like Facebook, you can set up, run and track campaigns. Did we mention Instagram now has shopping?! Yes, it’s amazing. Starting in 2016, Instagram now has a method that makes it easier for people to find, evaluate and track relevant products. Users are now able to take a deeper look by easily tapping to see more details from products featured in your posts, and even click to your website if they want to buy. According to Shopify, Instagram comes in second place for social commerce, with the average order value at $65! As we s noted above, there are quite a few active users on Instagram (over 400 million daily, just saying). You now have access to all of those unique shoppers that you wouldn’t normally be able to target. It sounds like a pretty good reason to me to start using Instagram Business.
Conclusion
If you don’t currently have an Instagram account for your office, take some time this weekend to set one up. Assign the task of maintaining the profile to a staff member (or yourself) so you have consistent posts. The material is endless when you look around. Use it to give office tours or quick snapshots of different areas of your clinic. Use if for products and product sales! Use it to introduce staff members and even for patient testimonials! Whether we like it or not, we’re in a digital world, so use it to your advantage and let your patients and future patients get to know you, like you, and trust you even more!
