Build Followers & Attract New Patients with Dental Instagram Marketing
Dental Instagram marketing is here to stay. Instagram has quickly become the most-used dental social media platform, meaning there are many active users and more opportunities than ever to reach new patients. So, how do dentists use dental Instagram marketing effectively? While the basic fundamentals of social media marketing and creating good content definitely apply to Instagram, we’ve laid out a few of the basics for dental practices just getting started.
Instagram is a great place to stay connected with your current patients and find new ones. However, it can be overwhelming to consider all the features and possibilities of Instagram so we’ve boiled it down to the basics. Knowing how to set up an account, what hashtags to use and what kind of content to post is a great place to start.
First Step: Set Up Your Instagram Account
If you don’t have an Instagram account already set up don’t worry, it’s a breeze. You can set up your account one of two ways:
The first way to create an account is to open your web browser and go to https://www.instagram.com/
The second way is to download the Instagram app on your mobile device. Navigate to the app store on your mobile device and search for “Instagram” If you’re on an Apple device click here if you are using a Google device click here.
A page will appear with a form to fill out our information. Instagram asks you to sign up using your mobile number or an email address. We recommend using an easily accessible general practice email.
You will also be asked for your name, username, and password. Use your practice name for the “Name” and “Username” fields. The username you select might be taken and since Instagram only allows unique usernames you’ll have to try something else.
What To Name Your Dental Instagram Account?
Let’s say for example your practice name is Gentle Dental the username @gentledental is taken, here are a few alternative examples:
@GentleDentalTexas (include your city name or city initials)
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- @GentleDentalSmile
- @DentalGentleDrSmith (include doctors name)
- @GentleDental123 (include numbers after your username)
After you’ve filled out the required fields, click the blue “Sign Up” button to finish creating your account.
Welcome to Instagram. You’ve already got your start with dental Instagram marketing?
Second Step: Switch to Instagram Business Account
Once you’ve created your dentist Instagram account, you may want to switch to a business account. This will separate your page as a professional business, not an individual user.
To switch your profile to a professional account:
- Go to your profile and tap in the upper right corner.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Tap Switch to Professional Account.
- Tap Business
What To Write In Your Dental Instagram Bio
Your practice’s Instagram bio is the first part of your Instagram page that your audience looks at when they visit your page. Potential patients checking out your Instagram page get their first impression from your bio and they may even make a decision to “follow” you based on what it says.
Use A Dental Instagram Bio Hook!
The best dental Instagram marketing bio strategies hook potential patients by providing valuable information right off the bat.
Why Is Your Dental Instagram Bio So Important?
Your Instagram bio is the first thing your audience “sees” about you or your dental practice. They also see it often, yet take less than a second to form a lifetime opinion. Finally (and most importantly), your audience makes the decision to “follow” you based on your bio. That’s why an effective bio a big part of your Instagram marketing strategy.
Here are some ideas of what to put in your dental Instagram bio:
- Practice address
- Practice phone number
- Practice email
- Your practice tagline
- Short description of your specialty
- Emojis (Think: smileys, tooth emoji, phone emoji next to the phone number, etc.)
- Local hashtags (Think: #austindentist or #texasdentist)
Instagram allows pages to include one link- we recommend this link directs people right to your practice website.
How to Use Stories in Your Dental Instagram Marketing
Instagram stories are gaining in popularity and more viewers than ever are swiping through the stories of the accounts they follow throughout their day. It’s a great way to compliment your Instagram posts.
Stories are located at the top of your feed and allow you to post a photo or video for 24 hours. After 24 hours, your post disappears! Stories work perfectly for quick updates, promotional announcements, running polls, and going live.
How To Post an Instagram Story
- Click the camera icon in the top-left corner in your Instagram app
- Snap a photo, choose or image from your device or tap one of the options at the bottom of the screen (Boomerang, Create, Live. etc)
- Edit your photo
- Tap “Your Stories” on the bottom-right and congrats! Your post is now posted to your Instagram story feed.
Dental Instagram marketing is all about Hashtags. What’s a hashtag, you ask?
Hashtags are pound signs (#) followed by one word or short groups of words like #dentists or #teethwhitening. Hashtags are used to categorize content across the internet. For example, if you search #dentist on Instagram, your search will bring up all the photos taken with that tag- there are a lot! Don’t make any of these dental Hashtag mistakes.
Introducing AllHashtag! It’s a free website that generates related and relevant content depending on your search. If you search “dentist” the system will give you popular hashtags that relate to your search! Check it out here!
Select the hashtags that you’d like to use and choose a place on your phone for keeping them handy. For example, your “Notes” application. That way you can copy and paste the hashtags without having to key them in every time you post.
Select the hashtags that you’d like to use and choose a place on your phone for keeping them handy. For example, your “Notes” application. That way you can copy and paste the hashtags without having to key them in every time you post.
Keep in mind, Instagram restricts the maximum number of hashtags to 30. Also, for a much less cluttered feel to the Instagram posts, some dental practices like to paste the hashtags in as a comment rather than including them in the image caption. Either way will be equally effective!
Give this suggestion a shot! It’s becoming effective in the world of dental Instagram marketing. You’ll be stunned to see how many local people will discover your practice on Instagram when you’re making an effort to join local conversations!
Instagram Dental Hashtag Examples
How to Easily Manage Multiple Dental Instagram Accounts
Instagram has a feature that allows users to manage multiple accounts on one mobile device. Why is this such a big deal? Because it makes it easy for your team to share photos and great moments from your practice!
You can easily switch from your personal Instagram account to the practice account, instead of hassling with logging in and out or having to find the phone or tablet with access to the practice account.
This trick will save you time and allow for better Instagram collaboration in your office.
Adding accounts and switching between them is easy and super simple:
How to switch between the Instagram accounts you’ve added:
A list will drop down displaying the accounts connect to your Instagram app, tap the account you’d like to switch to and voila!
How Can Your Dental Team Help With Instagram Marketing?
Keep in mind that Instagram allows you to add up to 5 accounts to your Instagram app.
Adding your practice’s Instagram account to the accounts of your dental team makes for easy dental Instagram marketing and teamwork. Granting access to your team will allow them to capture fun moments in the office and snap photos with your patients. This kind of fun, engaging content is what sets your practice apart from the crowd online and is crucial to finding social media success in your dental Instagram marketing.
How to Use Dental Instagram Marketing to Show Off Your Practice Culture
When prospective patients are checking out your Instagram account, they are looking to get a good feel of your practice culture and personality. The experience you provide on your Instagram page should be a reflection of the experiences patients have inside your practice. This helps to build trust and ultimately it will increase case acceptance.
How To Build Patient Trust With Instagram
First, capture moments in your practice that demonstrate your practice culture. Focus on how you want your patients to feel when they visit your page.
For example, if you pride yourselves on relaxing patient experiences, you may want to post a photo of your complimentary beverages and snacks or neck pillows.
Reducing Patient Anxiety
If you have a friendly and playful office, you might share a picture of a team member pulling a funny face at the camera. Many patients have anxiety about visiting the dentists and you can help alleviate some of that worry by allowing them to see their dental professionals as people with personalities!
Capture Photos That Are Interesting
Find your inner photographer and get creative! Has an animal wandered onto your office property? Snap a photo and share it! What does the doctor have on their office wall? Share a picture and share why it’s meaningful. Dental Instagram marketing doesn’t always have to be about education.
Don’t Be Afraid To Share
If someone brought in treats for the office or if you decorated for St. Patrick’s day- show it off! These types of pictures keep your practice relatable and builds trust with potential patients by connecting with them on a personal level. See more dental Instagram do’s and don’ts here!
Engage With Your Followers and Community
Dental Instagram marketing means communicating with patients and members of the dental community on Instagram. Instagram is an excellent way to attract new patients and grow your following, especially for practices just starting out. Here are a few ways to start.
Remember To Follow-back On Instagram
Make sure to follow back the patients that follow your practice page, and occasionally ‘Like’ one of their recent photos. You’ll want to assign this task to one of your team members.
Remember To Respond To Comments
Respond when people comment on your posts or tag your practice. Follow local businesses, doctors, artists, restaurants, and news outlets
Remember To Like Others Photos
When you follow someone on Instagram, ‘Like’ one of their photos, or tag their business location, they’ll receive a notification from your account, increasing the likelihood of them following you back. So don’t be shy!
How To Get The Most Out Of Instagram
Instagram is an important component of a dental office’s dental marketing strategy, but it must be done properly. A dental practice should use a dental Instagram marketing plan to get the most out of the tool. The use of entertaining material on the practice’s Instagram account will entice people to interact with and share it on social media sites like Facebook, enhancing its exposure.
Make Sure To Track and Improve
To improve your dental Instagram marketing efforts, go back over last weeks posts, and see which ones are getting the most traction. Then, look for correlation in how your audience responds to different kinds of articles or stories.
You may use these findings to improve your Instagram dental marketing over time, based on the data you gather from research. This leads to a continuous supply of new followers, more interaction, and increased awareness among potential patients in need of dental care.
Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment
Yes, you must experiment with your dental Instagram posts, and yes, you will need to devote a significant amount of time to the social media marketing campaign to see great results. However, if you follow the procedures outlined above, you can successfully use the platform to promote your dental practice and expand your audience and awareness.
Guess What? We Can Manage Your Instagram Marketing
Our Instagram marketing geniuses are standing by and ready to help out. Just give us a call or schedule a consultation.
About the Author: Adrian Lefler is a dental marketing expert and a key member of the dental social media team at My Social Practice. My Social Practice is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Adrian is passionate about helping dental practices grow. Interested in learning more about the benefits of social media for dentists please schedule a complimentary consultation. And, don’t forget to read our Google My Business reviews.
