It is well documented that visual content is very well received by web browsers which is why photo based social networks like Instagram are so popular, but is this a useful platform for physical therapists promoting their services? Let's take a closer look at how Physical Therapists can use Instagram.
Hashtags first became a big thing on Twitter, but they have since spread to other social networks including Instagram. This means that you can use hashtags to label your images making it easy for those who are interested in physical therapy to find your content. However, a word of caution – because Instagram does not have a character limit like Twitter does it is common to see people really going overboard with the number of hashtags that they use. We recommend not using any more than 3 different hashtags on a single post.
In 2013, Instagram added the ability to upload video content as well as still pictures. This has opened up a whole new window of opportunity to share content with your followers. The 15 second time limit might seem short, but this is the ideal opportunity to give people a quick look at your physical therapy clinic in action. Why not share a quick demo of a popular exercise?
As well as using Instagram in some of the more obvious ways, such as to promote your practice you can also use it to see what patients are saying about your practice! Whether or not you have noticed it, there is a very strong possibility that your patient have at some time posted a selfie while at your clinic – maybe even during a treatment. You can search Instagram by location to find pictures that have been posted from your clinic and see what people are saying! The easiest way to do this is to post a picture of your practice on Instagram and select your location as your practice. Once the image is posted you can click on your location and see other photos that have been tagged.
The bottom line that most of you want to know is whether or not getting your physical therapy clinic registered on Instagram is worth pursuing. The simple answer is yes! Anything that helps you to reach a wider audience is worth pursuing, especially if (like Instagram) it is not going to cost you anything! Instagram is particularly useful to physical therapists who are interested in attracting a younger client. Instagram is used by 12% of adult internet users and most of those are in the 18 to 29 years bracket. This is a very desirable age bracket and if you can lock in those patients now then you stand a good chance of retaining them for many years to come.
Instagram is the ideal way to share a predominantly visual message with your followers. As human beings it is in our nature to be attracted to visual content rather than blocks of text. Photos are more engaging than text because they help to tell stories, something that is important if you want your social media posts to be shared.
If you need help with your social storytelling, or if you just need to work on improving your social media marketing then PatientSites.com can help. Call us now to discuss how Instagram and other social networks can be used to gain exposure for your clinic.