UPDATED: October 20, 2023
Instagram is different than other social media networks when it comes to building a following and a brand, and we have some tips to help you grow your page organically and quickly. Unlike other social media networks like Facebook Business Pages and LinkedIn, you are not here to post and run. In fact, the more you engage on Instagram, the faster your page will grow. That information with these tips can help you build a much more massive following on your veterinary hospital’s Instagram page.
Step one – Have a real strategy.
If your strategy is just to post cute puppy and kitten photos, we will absolutely follow you, but you may not get the right type of viewers on your page. Make sure that your page, even through photos, offers real value to your followers. Will you have a strategy based on sharing information, giving a behind the scenes tour of your hospital, and providing important health information to followers in the area? If the answer is yes, you’re bound to find some new clients on Instagram. Why?
According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 66% of U.S. households, or about 86.9 million families, own a pet. Sharing important information for pet owners in your area using geotagging and relevant hashtags will attract followers—and potential new clients.
Offer value, period. Have a page so awesome that people turn on your post notifications to never miss a post.
Step two – Get your page’s bio in order.
You are given 150 characters to tell your brand’s story, and it’s essential to make the most of the space. Make the page biography fun, informative, exciting, and concise. Here’s an example:
“We’re a full-service veterinary hospital in Newport Beach, CA! Follow us for tips on caring for your pets and helping them live their best lives!”
You also get to link back to your website! You can link back to your beautiful WhiskerCloud website, or you can link back to a custom link tree page.
You can also connect your Instagram page to your Facebook business page to post in multiple places at one time. Click here for directions on how to do it.
Step three – Get your hashtags in order.
The standard strategy is to share hashtags on your photo in the first comment of your post to attract people searching for posts related to your post. You can include up to 30 hashtags with each post, but we’ve found that 18 to 22 is a great maximum number of hashtags. Make sure these hashtags are actually relevant to your posts! Getting likes is great, but getting likes and follows from your target audience is the name of the game.
Find the most popular hashtags in your city and be sure to include them. When someone searches #puppy on Instagram, they’ll find puppies from everywhere, but searching for #newportbeach will find posts in your actual city, and the average saying that two-thirds of households have a pet will mean you’ll find pet owners in your neighborhood.
Step four – Tag your location.
In addition to hashtags to help your content get discovered, geolocation tagging is vital, too! Make sure that you tag your city, as it’s just another way to have your posts discovered by local searchers. You can also tag your business or your city, but we would recommend encouraging users to also check-in at your business. This is a great way to get friends of clients to learn more about your business and hope to drive them into the building as a new client.
Step five – Create an aesthetic.
You do not have to be a Photoshop expert to find a clear aesthetic for your brand. Whether it’s a filter you use consistently or specific background in your hospital, make sure there is a distinct flow to your posts. By creating an aesthetic and posting schedule, your users will know what to expect and will be waiting for your next post.
Instagram is an extension of your look and brand, and you’ll want to be sure that people mentally associate your posts with your veterinary business. This aesthetic also ties into your captions, too. Find your look, feel, and voice, and be consistent with it in the future.
READ MORE: Is Your Clinic Voice a Standout or a Snoozer?
Are you looking for more Instagram tips? Be sure to check out our Instagram hacks that you can start using today!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at @whiskercloud!
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