Social Media

Five Winning Instagram Posts: Capture Attention with Strong Visuals

By Maria Higgins, OD

March 2, 2016

When I was the owner of Unique Optique in Frederick, Md., I made an effort to reach my patients, and prospective patients, using all free marketing tools available to me. One of my favorites includes the social media site, Instagram, where you share images as a way of communicating and making connections. I have since taken the marketing lessons I learned as a practice owner and launched the marketing firm The Unique Technique. Here are five examples of winning Instagram posts for my practice and my new marketing business. None of these Instagram posts cost me anything, and they all attracted positive attention.
According to Sproutsocial, 53 percent of those 18–29 years of age use Instagram; 25 percent of those 30-49 years of age use Instagram; 11 percent of 50–64 year olds use Instagram; and 6 percent of people 65+ use Instagram. Of all of those age groups, the dominant gender on the photo-sharing site is female. Some 29 percent of online females use Instagram, and 22 percent of online males use Instagram.

Practices looking to target, attract and cultivate this age and social demographic can do so with Instagram—and potentially generate patient visits.

Each post probably took me from two minutes for a simple post to 20 if I went to visit another business owner. The goodwill generated toward the practice far outweighed the time cost. You could also delegate posting to your staff, for less per hour cost, but I enjoyed doing it and I wanted to make the photo be exactly what I wanted.

Network & Co-Promote With Other Local Businesses

Posted: To the Unique Optique Instagram account

Image Found: This image comes from a marketing campaign in which I went to local businesses with frames chosen specifically for the owner or manager. I called it #UOonLocation. This is a photo of the manager of the Frederick, Md., store, Chic to Chic Boutique.

Goal of the Post: The point of this post was to promote the other local businesses around downtown Frederick, to promote our downtown organization, to promote ourselves, and to promote specific frame lines.

Why do you consider it successful?: I consider it successful because it made the local owners feel special, and we could plug both their businesses and my business. I also tagged our downtown partnership for more exposure.

Show What Goes Into Finding the Products You Sell

Posted: To the Unique Optique Instagram account.

Image (Video in this case) Found: I took the video at International Vision Expo East on high speed mode. The Expo always feels overwhelming and fast-paced, and this video exemplified that.

Goal of the Post: The point of this post was to express the feeling of VEE and the amount of work that goes into frame buying. Also, use of video on all social media sites is extremely important to utilize as Google favors video for search engine optimization, raising your practice higher in the search listings.

Why do you consider it successful?: I considered it successful because there were comments left by others, and, the gold standard for social media success, it was shared.

Tie Frames To Pop Culture Crazes

Posted: To the Unique Optique Instagram account

Image Found: I took the picture of myself and I found the picture of Harry Potter online. I used an app called PicStitch to make the collage.

Goal of the Post: The point of this post was to showcase a frame and a line that we carried, and capitalize on the Harry Potter craze. The post allowed me to show the similarities between the frame Harry Potter wore in the movies, and the frame we sold in my optical.

Why do you consider it successful?: I consider this post successful because many people liked the post and patients commented on it after the fact.

Make Patients Feel Like Part of the Practice

Posted: To the Unique Optique Instagram account

Image Found: This was a picture of a Christmas card that was sent to us in which a family of our patients used a photo taken in our office, in a photo booth we had in the office, as their Christmas card.

Goal of the Post: The point of this post was to make a funny and poignant post including a family of patients, whom we got permission from before using their photos for marketing purposes.
Editor’s Note: Before using patient photos or images or videos in marketing pieces, you must get signed permission using a HIPAA marketing authorization form.

Why do you consider it successful?: I consider it successful because we were able to use a picture of patients, and because it was shared.

It’s OK to Be a Little Shocking

Posted: To the Unique Technique Instagram account

Image Found: In an article about unfortunate logos.

Goal of the Post: The point of this post was to drive home the need to hire a professional to do your marketing by showing a post that, believe it or not, was intended to promote a dental clinic! Not surprisingly, many took away a different marketing message.

Why do you consider it successful?: I consider it successful because it was thinking out of the box and wasn’t afraid to be a little shocking. It got people’s attention and people mentioned it to me afterwards.

What can you come up with for your Instagram account?
Share your ideas on Instagram and tag #TheUniqueTechnique.

Maria Higgins, OD, is the former owner of The Unique Optique in Frederick, Md, and current owner of The Unique Technique. To contact: info@the-unique-technique.com.

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