Instagram for Dentists: 10 Ideas for Posting Inspiration

Instagram for dentists is a trending topic in dental marketing. A lot of dental offices ask us if they should have an account, but more importantly, they want advice on what to post. I mean, that video you saw last week of Karen’s dog grabbing her a drink from the fridge was hilarious and went viral, but how the heck can you compete with that? Don’t try! Your followers want to see what your life looks like behind the scenes. They want to see who you are. They want to know they can trust you with the first part of their body most people notice; their smile.

How do you get there, though? How do you build a following through your Instagram profile that will create a sense of community? With authentic, engaging content, that’s how. In this blog, we’re simplifying Instagram for dentists. You’ll find 10 different ideas for posts that are guaranteed to get some “love.” (Maybe not as much immediate love as cute, furry animals, but we’ll get you there, don’t worry.) 😉

It’s no secret that Instagram is owned by the top social media platform in the world; Facebook. Similar to Facebook, Instagram gives viewership preference to video content over photos, so posting short videos or even a boomerang will help more people to see you.

You can do this one of two ways: you can film a video (which has to be less than a minute to fit in one Instagram frame) explaining your quick-tip and add in a basic descriptor line into the copy, or, you can do the opposite. Tell your story and get more in-depth within the copy, and film a quick video clip that relates to the content. Raising your eyebrows trying to figure out what type of videos your office could film? We got you:

• How to properly floss/why flossing is so important.
• Braces versus Invisalign, what’s right for you?
• At what age should I start bringing my child to the dentist?

You’re just a dentist… every dentist has the same type of office, right? Of course not! And your dental Instagram followers want to see what makes your practice different than others. One great way to show that is by taking “behind the scenes” photos to give your followers a glimpse into something they weren’t a physical part of, but that you’re trying to secretly include them in. People love feeling exclusive! Make them feel like they just saw something not everyone else knows about.

Here are some quick examples:

• Behind the Scenes: Have one of your receptionists take a photo of a patient and the doctor, and post the photo as a “behind the scenes,” to show your potential new patients what they can expect during their first visit, routine cleaning, etc. Make sure to get patient permission! Need a photo-release? Have ours!
• Birthdays! Is someone on the team celebrating a birthday or work anniversary? Show it off! This is a great way for your followers to get to know your staff, and see how you all celebrate!
• New Toys: Ooo, is that a cool new piece of equipment that just arrived? Post an engaging photo of what it looks like and explain to your followers why you’re excited. People love being able to feel emotion. The energy you put out is the same energy you’ll attract.

If you’re a visual learner, you’ll love all these examples we’re about to throw at you! Here’s a great example of a “behind the scenes” shot from our friends at Lompoc Family Dental. Here, they show a great, zoomed in shot that unless you were there, you’d never see! They also do a great job of giving a brief description of what you’re looking at with some basic hashtags to help their reach.

Ew, Monday. Am I right or am I right? Fight a case of “the Monday’s” with some beginning-of-the-week motivation! This can be as simple as posting a quote graphic found on Pinterest or Google. Instagram for dentists should not be difficult. Remember; it’s OKAY to have some borrowed graphics mixed in with your original images, as long as you’re not claiming they’re yours. Make sure to attribute the original photographer when using professional photos.

Here’s an example of a post that literally took us less than 5 minutes to draft up. The quote came from Pinterest and the graphic was created using Canva directly from a phone so it could immediately be posted afterwards!

Sneak peeks are one of the most popular types of photos to engage with your dental Instagram followers. Try to pick your artistic brain for these types of shots! Let go of everything your high school art teacher told you about making sure everything is centered in the middle of the frame, with people looking directly at the camera and smiling like they’re not sure if they won or lost a million dollars. Get in there! Take a close-up, or sneak a photo from around the corner. Think about a different angle than what you normally see standing in front of someone. Get low, stand on a chair, grab a selfie-stick… whatever you have to do to make it interesting!

Here’s a few “sneak-peek” photos from our friends and Fox Creek Endodontics, as he highlights a new tool in his office! He not only shows what the equipment looks like by itself, but in use as well. This gives your followers a real-life scenario to physically see it in use! Just like show and tell. 😉

People love seeing transformation almost as much as they enjoy videos of cats playing the keyboard and some strange guy talking about shoes. You can do this in a variety of different ways, but here are our favorites:

• Video: Take a reveal video of the exact moment a patient sees their new smile. The rawness of the video and genuine emotion that you’ll capture will make a staged video look, well…staged. This is a brilliant way to create the authenticity that we’re striving for in your profile! In the copy, elaborate on the patient’s story, talking about the work they had done, the amount of time it took and any other little nugget of information you think is pertinent to understanding their progress and story.
• Photography: Take a separate before and after photo to show in a carousel on Instagram. You don’t have to show just one video or one photo per post! On Instagram, you have the ability to share up to 10 photos/videos in a single post. Know what’s even cooler? It can be a combination of videos OR photos, unlike Facebook where it can only be one or the other if you’re sharing from your business page. So, take a before picture, then an after picture, maybe add in a Boomerang of the patient smiling or doing a happy dance. Wrap it all up with a short video testimonial of how pleased they are with the work they had done.

You may think your team meetings are boring and that no one wants to see them, but the truth is, humans are naturally curious beings. We want to see everything (okay, most things) that we don’t have everyday access to. Posting something that makes your followers feel like they’re right beside you is guaranteed to attract attention <3. This could include meetings, team functions or activities outside the office, birthday or anniversary celebrations, events, etc. Check out these great examples:

You’re probably waiting for us to start talking about popular hashtags to use on Instagram, right? Well, buckle up, because two of your new favorites will become #ThrowbackThursday and #FlashbackFriday. Have a funny photo from a team event that you totally forgot about? Post it. Reflect back on a team member or practice accomplishment you’re really proud of and post it. But don’t forget the hashtag!

Who doesn’t like winning free stuff? Giveaways and contests are a great way to build your following, too! Make sure you offer a great freebie like a free take-home whitening kit, then post a fun graphic to get everyone amped up to participate and win. Make sure you outline the parameters to win very clearly by detailing it in the comments. We recommend including rules like:

• Follow us on Instagram @goldenproportionsmarketing
• Tag a friend or family member below. Make sure they follow us, too!
• For a bonus entry, follow us on Facebook @goldenproportionsmarketing

Don’t forget to include details about how long the contest will run and when you plan to announce a winner. And for the love of all things, don’t forget to post the winner so everyone knows! Otherwise the wrath of anxious entrants may overwhelm you. Remember, all of this will help build your credibility with potential new patients, which is always our end goal: Get more new patients picking up that phone!

Sounds kind of elementary doesn’t it? We know, but it’s the truth! A great way to build credibility is to show your followers that there’s other doctors in your industry you look up to and trust. We encourage you to share your colleague’s (not to be confused with your competitors) posts and content when it’s relevant. Maybe a dental specialist you refer to recently posted a great case study that made you say, “Wow.” Share that post and make sure to tag them in the copy. Not only will it build credibility for you, but it will help gain extra traffic back and forth on both your accounts. See? Sharing is caring!

A great way to drum up engagement is to ask a question. People love sharing their knowledge and being able to relate to a community. This is a great way to show a more personal side of your life outside of the office. Here’s a few ideas for questions you could ask. And we know, some of them may seem silly, but we promise you’ll see your followers joining in on the fun!

• Post a photo of you with your drink of choice from Starbucks or Dunkin’ and ask your followers “What’s your go-to coffee order?” Or, you could simply ask them if they’re #teamdunkin or #teamstarbucks. You’ll be shocked by the amount of people that want to share this type of information with you!
• Post a photo of your dinner and ask them “What’s for dinner?”
• Heading on vacation? Post a photo of your packed up car and ask your followers “What’s your favorite travel destination?”
• Not ready to show off your personal side just yet? We understand. In the meantime, try asking questions related to your field like “What’s your favorite healthy snack?” You can also try something informational, such as, “Do you experience random neck and jaw pain?” and follow up with a post on how your care could help.

Phew, are we trending on Instagram yet? We know some of this may be a lot to wrap your mind around, but take it one day at a time… literally. We just planned 10 days worth of content for you!

Have any questions about what you need to do to give your Instagram a boost? Contact us to have our social media strategist review your personal Instagram and offer some quick pointers! And remember, you don’t have to be a fluffy animal playing an instrument, as long as your posts are engaging and show you are a dental practice that authentically cares. We guarantee your following will be steps behind you, waiting for you to make your next post.

…PS, if all else fails; dogs. Never be afraid to share photos of your dogs .

Want to learn more about social media marketing for your dental practice?

Dental practice social media marketing can be, and most often is, managed in-house by the team. It just takes efficient planning and an organized process to be successful.

If you want to learn what it takes to launch a successful social media marketing strategy for your dental practice, check out The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for Dental Practices. You’ll be glad you did!