10 Engaging Instagram Posts Care Providers Can Put Out NOW
Posted on | Posted in General, Blog
In 2022 Instagram remains an extremely popular platform. Users are spending an average of 28 minutes on it daily and 90% of users follow at least 1 business account.
This means that you as a business have a great opportunity to connect with your clients and their families and strengthen that relationship, by posting content that will build trust and credibility. Another benefit of Instagram (and social media platforms in general) is they will allow you to interact with other businesses and be part of important conversations within the sector.
Instagram is also a great place to get in front of new potential clients.
Even with all these benefits in mind, it can be hard to get started and coming up with post ideas is never easy, especially if you’re new to the platform. So we’ve compiled a list of 10 engaging Instagram posts your care business can put out right NOW:
1. Get To Know Us
This will be a post where we get to learn a little bit more about your care business, what your USPs are etc. This is a great opportunity to show members of staff for example. It’s always good to show the faces behind the brands, it humanises your business and when someone comes across your page whilst searching for care for themselves or their loved ones, you want it to feel personal, you want them to trust you. It’s harder to do that if they don’t see any faces.
2. Services We Offer
This type of post needs to be concise, informative and helpful. One of the first things people will need to know once they find you whilst searching for care, is if you offer the service they are looking for. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to remind people in a clear and perhaps colourful way what the services you offer are and maybe point them in the right direction with a link, should they need to get in touch or learn more. This can also include details about certain roles you may be recruiting for.
3. FAQs/Debunking Sector Myths
A post where you answer frequently asked questions will be both informative and engaging. You can even debunk common myths/misconceptions when it comes to care homes or home care. You will be giving your current and potential clients an insight into the sector and more importantly you will come across as credible and trustworthy which is vital. You may also want to think about sharing facts and statistics from within the sector, these posts are eye catching and very engaging.
4. Achievements & Milestones
We briefly mentioned before the importance of showing the faces behind your brand and a great way to do this is by sharing both staff and resident birthdays for example. You could also share milestones that your staff have reached or work anniversaries, perhaps with a fun fact about them. These types of posts are personal and engaging.
5. Vlogs
Don’t be too frightened by the title, we know these aren’t for everyone and they definitely require a lot more time and effort than a regular Instagram post. However, they are fantastic for brand awareness and video content is extremely engaging, more so than any other type of post. A relatively simple vlog could be one of your staff members doing a ‘Day In The Life’. You can keep it nice and short and nowadays there are a ton of apps and platforms such as TikTok that make it super easy to put a few short clips together. You can even do a voiceover on top of the footage if you are a little camera shy!
6. Testimonials
Testimonials are an incredible tool that should not be overlooked. Both staff and clients should be giving you either written or (even better) video testimonials. They are a huge part of the decision making process for pretty much anyone paying for anything nowadays. It makes people feel comforted that someone else had a good experience and makes them think that they are likely to share that experience if they choose your care business over another. This is especially true when it comes to looking for care because it can be a very emotional process and there is nothing better than being able to relate to someone who understands your worries, has been in your position and can put your mind at ease.
7. Sharing Mistakes/Showing Progress
By now you’re probably sick of us telling you the benefits of humanising your brand but trust us, your audience will love seeing the people behind your care business and it’s a great way to reach even more people. You don’t have to share ‘mistakes’ as such but it’s always good to show progress and share what you’ve learnt. For example, this could be a before and after of a certain thing you used to do before the pandemic that you now have a better system for or if you’ve had recent upgrades to your care management software you can show the benefits of the new systems you use and how this benefits both your staff and those you care for etc. This could also apply for new facilities or tools you use.
8. Action Shots
It’s always a good idea to share some behind the scenes, perhaps your staff and residents engaging in some fun activities, or if you’re a care home business you could share board games, physical exercise, maybe a snippet of the kitchen and the kind of food available etc. This is especially true if you’re going after quite a curated, cohesive and aesthetic Instagram look, you want to have some action shots in there, some bits from normal day to day life as that is both interesting and realistic.
9. Seasonal & Key Events
Once you’ve started posting on Instagram regularly, it’s great to be mindful of special holidays or key events so that you can share them and let your audience know about them. This can include holidays such as Easter, Christmas etc but also key dates like National Nurses Day. It can also include events or webinars your staff may be attending, or perhaps if your care business has a stand at an industry event. Make good use of things like this throughout the year!
10. Interacting With Your Audience
Finally, ask questions and interact with your audience! Always make some time amongst your posts to ask your audience what kinds of things they want to know more about, share their comments, answer their questions, reply to their reviews. A popular style of post is replying to comments with a video. This is especially helpful as it shows you’re engaged and connected but also helps others who may have the same question, it’s a great way to share information.
Remember, these posts can take many formats, they can be videos, infographics, blogs, simple images, gifs etc. However, so that these are as helpful as possible, always have a clear call to action so that your audience know how to get in touch with you and where to find more information. You should also always make use of your company logo in every post and tag relevant people/accounts if they are mentioned and they have social media pages. You can even do some research and use relevant hashtags!
Instagram is a platform that your care business cannot afford to miss out on! It is full of tools that will help you market your care business, get involved in the sector, build relationships with current and potential clients, show why you are the best care business out there and more!
If you would like more information on how to utilise Digital Marketing within your care business, you can also take a look at our blogs, e-books, or call or email our team today!