Instagram is Healthier than Ever with Millennials
November 28, 2017
Healthcare providers are incorporating Instagram into their multichannel marketing strategies as a means of reaching millennials. In our latest episode of The 19: Healthcare, Orange Label Social Media Specialist Chelsea Ragland speaks to four millennials about how they interact with health content via Instagram.
The 19: Healthcare – Episode 3
Instagram is Healthier Than Ever with Millennials
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Recorded Intro:
This is The 19. In 19 minutes or less, key Insights in Healthcare from Orange Label, the leading response marketing agency for established brands that are driven by a fearless entrepreneurial mindset.
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HOST INTRO:
Hi everyone, this is Chelsea Ragland, Social Media Specialist at Orange Label, and I will be today’s host of The 19, Instagram is Healthier Than Ever with Millennials.
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I think it’s fair to say that we all know that social media isn’t going anywhere. The number of users continues to grow daily, and we are likely all finding ourselves spending more and more time on the different platforms. Whether it’s a mindless scroll through images, searching for a favorite brand or simply networking. Social media is constant, and for the most part, it’s always available, it’s literally in our pocket.
In today’s episode, the spotlight is on Instagram. What many industry experts refer to as the leading social media platform to reach millennials.
As of April 2017, Instagram has over 700 million monthly active users. That’s over double the monthly active users of Twitter.
Now who are these users?
- 59% are 18–29 year old, 33% are 30–49 year old, AND 18% are 50–64 year old.
- And 68% of Instagram users are Females.
These audience demos are obvious targets for many businesses and brands, which is why it’s no surprise that :
There are currently 8 million Instagram Business profiles, up from 1.6 million in September 2016.
And when it comes to healthcare, reaching the millennial demographic is extremely important. Especially the female millennial, because as many know, women are often the decision maker when it comes to health and medical related decisions for the family. Whether looking for a new doctor, cross-checking a referral or even searching for a local urgent care. Women seem to take the lead with this.
Well let’s ask the million dollar question…. Or should I say 700 million dollar question? How active are healthcare companies, physicians, hospitals or wellness brands on Instagram with their marketing and brand awareness efforts, knowing that one of their target audiences is actively engaged on the platform?
I figured there is no better way to answer this than, well, by ask millennials. That’s right, we took it to the street and conducted interviews with 4 millennials. A mother in her early 30’s, a father of two in his 30’s, and two young professionals, male and female, both in their mid-20s. Please note that these interviews have taken place in a variety of locations, so sound quality will vary.
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HOST: The stats I mentioned earlier were pretty clear, but let’s hear what these interviewees had to say about their social platform of choice.
Interviewee 1: I probably use Instagram more than any other social media site.
Interviewee 2: I really only use Facebook and Instagram and I’d say it’s definitely more skewed towards Instagram…
Interviewee 3: Instagram’s really the only platform I use…
Interviewee 4: I’m probably more on Instagram just for like looking for content and actually using the platform ah for personal reasons I guess.
HOST: Ok, no surprise there, these millennials love Instagram. And they’re checking their feed quite often.
Interviewee 3: 5 times to ten times depending on the day.
Interviewee 4: Figure like waiting in line for something I figure I could pull it out check it and put it back in my pocket and use the same process maybe 10 or 15 more times in a line depending on how long the line is.
HOST: As they’re spend their time scrolling, liking, posting and commenting, are they also seeking out health related content on their Instagram feed?
Interviewee 1: for sure yeah, like fitness and food yeah absolutely.
Interviewee 2: ah, sometimes usually only when people are sharing stuff.
Interviewee 3: I follow some brands or like influencers I guess you can say or celebrities that post stuff that’s health related or wellness related. I also follow my daughters pediatrician like their doctors office as well as my OB.
Interviewee 4: On a personal level no I don’t seek it out, I barely pay it if anything, and I I wouldn’t really trust it either.
HOST: Now what about asking this question another way, have they ever been targeted by health related ads?
Interviewee 3: I’ve also been targeted for like Covered California ahum or insurance oriented ads on my Instagram.
Interviewee 2: I think like farmers or Geico or something like that.
Interviewee 1: oh yeah I was looking for a place to get an eye exam and ahum, like in my area. And like I googled it on my phone and then like that place I had Googled like popped up on my Instagram.
HOST: The way these interviewees responded about targeted ads is interesting. They recall the brand names, which means the ads caught their eye, which was the point. They also understand that the ad was targeted and they don’t seem to mind. They’re used to it
Interviewee 3: – I don’t mind being targeted on Instagram, it doesn’t disrupt my experience, it’s just part of like your standard scroll.
HOST: While another interviewee shared a different opinion about ads and healthcare.
Interviewee 4: Yeah I would say like with I main differences like with other business there’s a product you’re trying to sell ah and a lot of businesses on social media are trying to engage with those audiences to sell their product. And a lot of those times the product is something that they’re trying to they’re trying to create a perception that its something that you want or need. Where as with with health I just think if you have a health issue you have to get it solved or else you’re not gonna enjoy your life as much anymore.
HOST: He’s right, healthcare marketing and advertising can be tricky at times. It all goes back to the call to action. If a healthcare advertiser is placing an ad on Instagram, what are they asking people to do, why should they click their ad? Or is it simple impression based brand awareness.
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HOST: Understanding that healthcare content can be sensitive, everyone has their own way of getting their medical information and doctor recommendations.
Interviewee 2: Ah, Normally I’m just googling whatever the whatever the hospital is or whatever the specific doctor is. And seeing what information I can dig up.
Interviewee 1: like friends, or people that have lived here longer than I have, or ahum, like ZOCDOC, it’s like a website where you can look up doctors in your area that accept your insurance.
Interviewee 4: If I’m seeking out information about like ah, whether I should go to a certain doctor versus a different. Or what kind of treatment I should get ah, versus when when happen to have a certain type of health issue. Only on Google would I be able to have like the extra detail in the search ah, query I’m putting in where I can kind of like compare more.
HOST: Social media may not be the go to method for finding a physician, and I can understand that. But could social media have any impact in the decision process?
Interviewee 3: I needed to find an urgent care that was local. And I we moved within like the last year or so. I wanted to find an urgent care and its like you look on Yelp and you see all the reviews and stuff like that. And I actually went on Instagram to look up a few of the offices cause I wanted to see people who posted there and I wanted to see images of the office itself. Cause if it looked like not clean, or dark or like it was kind of weird I don’t know that would sway me from going there. Especially something like an urgent care
Interviewee 1: Cause if I was like planning on going to like a doctor’s office and they have like a picture of it. Like that would be helpful. Then I would know like if the doctor’s office was like quality or like looked like it was well taken care of. Or something. Surely that is important say you moved to a new place like you were living in a new place and you don’t really know what the lay of the land is. But you can like how that place is business place you can follow it.
HOST: For these two interviewees, Instagram allows them to be able to check on the credibility of a medical provider prior to visiting. And there are a few other factors that would encourage them to visit Instagram as well
Interviewee 3: with my a daughter’s pediatrician ahum, I don’t know I just I would want to see whatever content they put out there. Whether it’s about a vaccine or anything like that I I value his opinion. And so any information that office is putting out ahum, I would probably see it sooner on my Instagram then I would see on my email or at my next visit. So I’m motivated because I I trust their opinions.
Interviewee 2: My wife probably would, she typically handles the things when it comes to the doctor’s visits and things like that. So it would make sense for her to kind want to know any updates or any any notifications things like that. that would come from our doctor’s office or the pediatrician’s office and things like that.
Interviewee 1: it depends what the Instagram is for, if it was for like health information probably. If it was just like their personal life I would probably feel a little uncomfortable.
HOST: The takeaway here is that with the right content, people will follow. This rings true with all brands and their social strategies. Content needs to motivate and provide value to the end user.
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HOST: It was clear that these questions got people thinking about their behaviors on the Instagram and how they manage their healthcare, and being that they are such advocates of Instagram, we had one final question, what role do you think Instagram and social media should play within in the world of healthcare?
Interviewee 4: I can definitely see ah, Instagram as maybe a way to like maybe highlight the the positive things of their their patients and community.
Interviewee 2: I think having a social media account for healthcare providers is a great way for them to kind of spread the word quickly. Definitely seems like a relevant vehicle for getting messages out there and also just sharing like what they’re up to and changes and it’s a way to stay connected to the community.
Interviewee 3: I know there’s privacy stuff that you have to follow. But I think seeing a sense of community and how they treat their patients can be shown on social media and I think its powerful.
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Community. I don’t think there is a better theme to end on. Social media is just that. It’s a community of people, businesses, brands, influencers and professionals. As these interviews confirmed, the millennial audience is a big part of the Instagram community. From a mindless scroll session out of boredom, or the active search to validate a company or location based on the content and number of followers or engagement. Instagram is a trusted companion for millennials.
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So, at the end of every episode of The 19, we provide you with a key takeaway. We call it, The Sum-Up. Here’s today’s Sum-Up: “Healthcare marketing often has two key objectives, to generate brand awareness and to create patient preference. Because let’s face it, there are very few instances when you are in need of medical care and refer back to a recent ad you saw. Instead, a certain brand, name or person will likely pop in your head, and if not, you likely jump on google to do your research. The brands that quickly come to mind, are the brands that are typically taking the extra steps to ensure their marketing efforts are alive and relevant to maintain their brand reputation. And knowing that millennials are a target audience today, and will be a primary audience in the near future, healthcare brand’s multi-channel marketing must include thoughtful social media strategies to reach this audience and engage with them in a meaningful way, a way that resonates and leaves a lasting memory. As these interviews confirmed, Instagram is thriving, and one way that I believe it can become an even healthier community is when even more healthcare brands choose to participate and bring valuable content to the platform.”
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HOST CLOSE:
Thank you for listening to The 19, Instagram Healthier Than Ever with Millennials. If you have additional questions on this topic, please share them with us. Visit our website,orangelabelmarketing.com and contact us. And be sure to tune in for our next episode, discussing the marketing behind nurse recruitment.
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This was The 19. Brought to you by Orange Label. If you’re interested in MORE healthcare response marketing, visit our blog and subscribe to our content, where we share our response marketing expertise on current healthcare industry topics. Visitorangelabelmarketing.com for all the details.