Do you want to start using Instagram? First, you’ll want to target the right audience. Follow these tips to learn more about your Instagram target audience and get started making content they’re sure to love.
Who Are Your Ideal Patients?
Before determining your target audience, you must decide who your ideal patients are and develop a buyer persona for them. To do this, make a list of patient demographic traits that could include:
- Age
- Occupation and income
- Location
- Gender
- Education level
- Hobbies and interests
Next, think about where your patients get their information. Who does your ideal target audience trust? Which other companies do they follow on social media?1 These factors influence buying decisions, so they’re important to consider.
Information sources may include:
- Websites and blogs
- Books and magazines
- Influencers
- Social media channels
Finally, think about your ideal patients’ challenges and pain points. This will help you create targeted content on Instagram that speaks to users’ wants and needs. Challenges you might list include:
- Eliminating tooth pain
- Whitening teeth for a better smile
- Fixing teeth that are crooked or have wide gaps
Use this information to determine which problems you can help your patients solve. Once you know that, you can create content that resonates on a genuine level with your target audience.
Track Instagram Audience Insights
Instagram provides detailed metrics that tell you whether your content strategy is working or not. Seeing drops in your metrics could mean you have failed to tailor your content for the right audience.
Audience insights to keep an eye on include:
- Audience growth: This metric shows how many followers you have gained or lost since the previous week. A spike indicates you’ve likely found your target audience, while a drop may mean you need to rethink your content strategy.
- Gender: Are you primarily reaching out to male or female patients? You may think you’re targeting both equally, but your metrics could surprise you.
- Age range: You can see the age groups of patients who interact with your content the most.
- Follower activity: This metric tells you the most popular time of day for followers to engage with your content. For instance, if users mostly comment and respond to content in the morning, you can use this information to shift your publishing strategy accordingly.
Check Out Your Competitors
If you don’t know who your Instagram target audience is, try checking out your competitors’ social media channels. This can yield valuable data for your Instagram content strategy, such as:
- Who is engaging with your competitors on social media
- What type of content your ideal audience interacts with the most
- Their tagged posts
- Their challenges, pain points, hobbies, and interests
- Their demographic information
Watching your competitors’ social media feeds is time-consuming, however. Fortunately, you can use analytic tools to harvest this information for you.
Use Hashtags to Find New Audiences
Instagram allows you to search for industry keywords, so take advantage of this feature to help your dental practice discover new audiences to target. Try searching for terms related to services your practice offers, such as teeth whitening or crown repair. You can find more accurate results by including your geographic location with search terms.
Create the Right Content
Now that you’ve learned the type of content your audience prefers, your dental practice is ready to start making Instagram posts. Content that may resonate with your audience could include:
- Photos of patients (always make sure your practice gets their consent before posting)
- Images of your staff at work
- Instagram Stories and Reels
- Funny images and memes
- Contests and giveaways
- Special events
- Limited time offers
Remember that on Instagram, your practice isn’t limited to still images. Most users will find videos more engaging than basic photos, so try using a mix of both to improve audience engagement levels.
Get Started on Your Instagram Strategy Today
With Dental Intelligence, we offer dental marketing tools to get you started. Our content library includes templates ready for you to use. You can also engage with your prospective patients. Schedule a demo today to see our solution in action.
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