With the dental industry becoming more competitive by the day, practices constantly find themselves looking for ways to attract new patients. As much as you can rely on your loyal patients to keep your business going, acquiring new ones is just as crucial – because let’s be honest, not all patients will have the same dentist forever.
If you’re running out of ideas to expand your patient base, here’s one of the best strategies in today’s digital age to reach prospects: leverage the power of Instagram.
When it comes to connecting with potential patients for your dental practice, Instagram is definitely the place to be. Why’s that so? Well, we’ll let these stats speak for themselves:
- Of more than 1.22 billion active users in the platform, 90% follow at least one business
- 81% use it to discover new products and services
- 87% say they take action after seeing a product they like
- 200 million users view at least one business profile every day
- Over 150 million people use Instagram each month to communicate directly with a business
- 93% of marketers were able to acquire new customers through Instagram
See what we’re talking about? Instagram is truly an invaluable resource. Its potential to reach vast numbers of people and deliver focused content – be it through hashtags, stories, Reels, ads, and influencer collaborations – it serves as an essential platform to grow your dental practice.
The question is, how do you stand out amidst the noise? What should you do to ensure that your profile stands out from everyone else and convinces dental patients to choose you over your competitors?
That’s what we’re here for! In this post, you’ll be learning a number of tried-and-true tactics to utilize Instagram to get more users to book a dental appointment with you. Ready to find out what they are? Go ahead and read on!
1. Switch to a Business Account
We’d like to assume that you already have an IG profile for your dental practice. If our guess is right, make sure to switch it to a business account. If not, stop reading for a few minutes, take your phone out, create one, and set it up as a business account.
In case you can’t find it, simply go to your profile, click the Settings wheel icon on the upper right corner, and then tap the “Switch to Business” button. This will then connect your account to your Facebook page and provide you a list of categories to choose from. Since Dentist isn’t an option, you can either pick Doctor, Health/Beauty, or Medical Center.
What’s great about having an Instagram Business Account is that it allows you to use tools such as analytics and advanced targeting to optimize your posts and reach more people. Plus, you’ll be able to link back to your website so that potential patients can learn more about your dental services.
2. Optimize Your Bio
A well-optimized business profile doesn’t only help followers learn more about a brand, but it can also make you appear credible in their eyes.
Since your bio is usually the first thing Instagram users will see after accessing your feed, you want to ensure it leaves a good impression. You want it to be the reason they will consider calling your dental office to schedule a consultation.
Don’t worry, optimizing your business bio is far from complicated. Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to attracting new dental patients:
- Keep it short and sweet. Use your profile description to quickly introduce your business and give a brief outline of services or products you offer.
- Add keywords that best describe your business and services to help potential customers find you easily in Google and other search engines.
- Include all your contact information to make it easier for prospects and patients to reach you whenever they have inquiries or concerns.
- Include a compelling call-to-action to encourage users to take your desired action – whether it’s to book an appointment, visit your website, or subscribe to your email newsletter.
- Use emojis to add some personality and make your profile more visually appealing and friendly.
3. Post Relevant Content Consistently
Everyone knows that Instagram is all about visual content. So, it’s only fitting that your content should be filled with original, high-quality photos and/or videos related to your dental practice.
Then again, you can include other types of content too. Sharing content that solely spotlights your services and nothing more will likely bore those potential patients of yours. Worse, it might shoo them away instead of driving them to your door.
Below are four content ideas that have worked really well for dental practices:
- Before and after photos: Showcase your skills by highlighting the amazing transformations you’ve created for your patients.
- Educational content: Through infographics, provide tips or facts about dental care to help your followers learn more about improving their oral health.
- Patient testimonials: There’s no better way to earn the trust of potential patients than by sharing actual feedback from your current patients.
- Staff profiles: Put a face to your dental business by introducing your team members through fun staff bios, videos, or interviews.
And, by consistently, we mean frequently, but not too often. A good rule of thumb is to post at least once per day, especially if your goal is to keep your target audience as engaged as possible. Avoid sharing more than three posts in a single day. Many Instagram users actually find it annoying, leading them to unfollow the account.
Always remember to keep an eye on your analytics and focus on creating content that resonates with dental patients. That way, you have confidence that you’re posting at the right frequency for maximum reach and engagement!
4. Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
If you’re not familiar, Stories is a feature that allows users to post “in-the-moment” content. It can be in the form of multiple images or vertical videos to fit the entire mobile screen.
For dentists like you, IG Stories presents an opportunity to interact with your followers in a more informal and casual way. You can post stories to walk your audience through your procedures, share quick updates, reveal behind-the-scenes footage, demonstrate proper ways to care for one’s teeth, or conduct polls to obtain feedback.
Besides helping you build relationships with your current patients, using Stories can also show prospects what kind of services you offer. And, if your stories are presented in a fun and lighthearted manner, they’ll have this notion that you’re approachable, bringing them a step closer to converting.
5. Use the Right Hashtags
Hashtags play a vital role in the world of Instagram. They’re basically there to boost the visibility of your dental content. That being said, only use hashtags that are related to oral care and dentistry.
Make it a habit to add relevant hashtags every time you share new content. Doing so can help your posts stand out and get noticed by the people you’re targeting. Before you know it, your practice will be in front of those who are searching for dentists or dental products. You’ll be growing both your following and patient list in no time!
6. Share User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC refers to any original content posted by people on social media to express their appreciation for a business. Think of it as free PR.
Since it comes from real people who’ve had a firsthand experience with the brand’s product or service, marketers consider UGC as a powerful tool for building trust. In fact, 79% of consumers say such content highly influences their purchasing decisions.
UGC can come in various forms. It can be a photo of a satisfied patient showing off her perfectly aligned teeth, a story posted by a first-time patient who was impressed with your friendly staff, or simply a caption saying how great of a dentist you are.
Whatever content you reshare from your supportive followers, you can rest assured that it will help you attract new dental patients. You’ll be able to demonstrate the quality of work that you provide – which is something that potential patients may take into account when deciding where to go for their next dental appointment.
Don’t Have the Time to Implement These Strategies?
Running a dental practice is no joke. Having worked with countless dentists across the country, we at Arthur Marshall know how strenuous the job is, although it sure is a rewarding one.
So, instead of adding more stress to your life, why don’t you take a breather and leave it to the experts to grow your patient base through the steps mentioned above? Our partner, Digital Resource, will gladly have their social media marketing team craft a customized Instagram marketing plan to ensure you gain more followers and turn them into patients.
Get to know them better here!
