Instagram: A new social media marketing tool?

“Let me sum it up: Twitter is stupid, and Instagram is Twitter for people who can’t read.”
— Max, 2 Broke Girls

As healthcare marketers, we know the value of social media in engaging patients, creating a community of advocates, and educating on disease state and treatment benefits. We most often find ourselves recommending or developing programs that utilize Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. These are now considered the more tried and true social media vehicles, with solid rationale and metrics to support them. Clients and agencies alike are requesting and recommending these channels when considering a social media program.

But have you ever wondered what other social media tools might be considered in brand tactical planning? Perhaps a social media vehicle still in its infancy, where there is no clearly defined marketing platform yet? Enter Instagram.

Instagram launched 3 years ago as an app to take photos and share them, and Facebook acquired it about a year ago. Although there are now over 150 million monthly active users, it does not have any brand advertising. But this is all about to change. With its new mission statement “to capture and share the world’s moments,” Instagram looks to find a way to become another platform for brand advertising.

Big brands like Nike and Levi’s have piloted viral campaigns on the app for free, while Instagram tries to determine how to best leverage itself for paid promotional campaigns. Based on the new mission statement, it seems that many of our healthcare brands could benefit from leveraging this app in the right way. From capturing moments at local patient outreach programs to various organization walks, to perhaps showing what to expect at an infusion center, this social media tool could show some real promise in engaging and educating patients.

For more info on Instagram, click here.