In the digital age, social media platforms have become pivotal in shaping industries, including healthcare. While LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube have their strengths, Instagram for healthcare companies stands out for its unique advantages in the healthcare sector.
Instagram's 2 billion monthly active users make it a powerful tool for healthcare companies to connect with a diverse audience, including patients, doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators.
But is it the right platform for your company?
Let's explore how to determine if Instagram aligns with your business goals and how you can optimize your presence on this dynamic platform.
Understanding Your Target Audience on Instagram for healthcare companies
Before considering Instagram as part of your social media strategy, it’s crucial to understand who your target audience is. Are they active on Instagram?
For healthcare companies, this could range from patients seeking health tips to doctors, nurses, technicians, and hospital administrators looking for industry updates and knowledge sharing.
Before starting out, we recommend researching the channel as well as looking at what your competitors are doing and how well they are performing. Remember this does not make them right, but it may give you insight into who is following them and who is not.
Why Instagram for healthcare companies?
Instagram's visual nature makes it an excellent platform for sharing healthcare information that can appeal to a broad audience base.
Visual Storytelling: Instagram's visual-centric format is ideal for showcasing the human side of healthcare, from patient stories to day-to-day operations.
Younger Audience Engagement: With 90% of 18 to 24-year-olds trusting medical information on social media, Instagram is the perfect platform to engage this demographic, which is more likely to use social media for health-related discussions than the 45 to 54-year-old group*.
Broader Reach: 31% of healthcare professionals use social media for professional networking and more than 40% of consumers admit that social media influences their health decisions*. This highlights the potential of Instagram to reach the right audience and impact health behaviors and choices.
So you have decided Instagram is the right channel for your healthcare company. But what does success look like?
Benchmarking Your Channel Performance
As with everything in the healthcare sector, the industry performs differently. According to the latest data we found, the median reach for all companies on Instagram for July 2023 was 8.42K. The food, health, and wellness industries markedly outperform others in terms of reach.
Monthly Instagram profile impressions: 322,000
Monthly Instagram audience growth rate: -2.12%
Instagram post engagement rate: 2.17%
Instagram posting frequency: 0.76 posts/day
These statistics will of course vary greatly depending on your company’s social media strategy such as frequency of posting, your total audience potential, and the type of content you are sharing.
From our experience, we recommend aiming for an average of 2-5% increase in followers each month. This can vary based on your current follower count and how well you're reaching your target audience. We also suggest a 3-6% engagement rate. This includes likes, comments, shares, and saves, reflecting how well your content resonates with your audience.
And if you are not seeing the expected results you anticipate, here are some organic growth tips from our experience that can enhance your impact.
Take the Time to Understand the Algorithm:
Instagram's algorithm plays a pivotal role in determining the visibility of your content. To optimize organic growth, it's essential to grasp how the algorithm functions. The algorithm prioritizes content based on user engagement, relevance, and relationship history. Hence, creating content that resonates with your audience is crucial.
Organic Growth Tips
Healthcare companies have unique needs on social platforms. Your content should be informative yet accessible, maintaining a balance between professional and patient-friendly information. We recommend emphasizing authenticity and trustworthiness in every post.
Content Creation: Focus on creating targeted content that appeals to both patients and healthcare professionals. Some posts may work for all audiences, other posts target specifically doctors or patients. Share success stories, health tips, and industry news. Use real images and avoid overly promotional visuals.
Engagement: Actively engage with other healthcare accounts, including professionals and institutions. Comment, watch, and share stories, and participate in relevant discussions. This not only builds connections but also boosts your algorithm.
Optimal Posting Time: Post when your audience is most active. For healthcare professionals, this might be early mornings, or even evenings or weekends.
Hashtags and Geotags: Use relevant hashtags for broader reach and geotags for local engagement.
User-Generated Content: Encourage content from patients or healthcare staff. Share their experiences or insights, creating a community feel.
Instagram Stories and Reels: Utilize these features for quick updates or educational content. They're great for showcasing dynamic aspects of healthcare.
Competitor Attraction: Attract your competitor's followers by engaging with their content and creating an appealing online presence.
Consistency: Consistency in posting, messaging, and branding fosters audience trust. Don't hesitate to repost content that performed well in the past.
Community Building: Extend your reach by creating Facebook groups or other community platforms where discussions can continue beyond Instagram.
External Content Placement: Host content on external websites, such as articles and podcasts, offering value beyond promotional material.
Analytics Review: Regularly analyze Instagram Insights to understand content performance. Adapt your strategy based on insights.
Adapt to Changes: Stay flexible and ready to adapt to changes in the Instagram algorithm or user behavior. What worked in 2023 may differ from 2022.
Instagram can be a highly effective platform for healthcare companies, provided the content is tailored to the unique needs of the industry and its diverse audience. By focusing on engaging, informative content and actively participating in the community, healthcare companies can leverage Instagram to build a strong, connected audience. Remember, the key to success on Instagram lies in understanding your audience and continuously refining your strategy to meet their needs.