Influencer marketing is growing rapidly. Since 2016, when the market was reportedly worth £1.2 billion, it has boomed to an estimated £10.1 billion in 2021 and there are no signs of it slowing down! So, what exactly is influencer marketing and how can you use it to grow your dental practice?
Social Media Marketing
Let’s start with the world of social media, which has seen us sharing and exchanging ideas, funnies, quotes, and pictures with each other like never before. Almost everything we do is shared on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok and published for others to see.
This trend can be used to your advantage with people sharing your services and treatments online. When you raise awareness on social media platforms, you are more likely to see a rise in your referral numbers. Many dentists and dental practices are creating growth and becoming more successful by using social media platforms, in particular Instagram with Instagram influencers.
Instagram Influencers
Instagram is an excellent platform for marketers to reach their target audience as it has a very high interaction rate compared to other platforms. Instagram influencers are people who have built up a large audience and followers as well as credibility online, with their audience looking to them for their opinions. Companies are tapping into this phenomenon by collaborating with an influencer to promote and suggest their product or service.
Instagram influencers can be anyone, such as a celebrity, blogger, entrepreneur, or just Joe Bloggs, the important part is that they have the reach and engagement with their online audience. There are five tiers of influencers, ranging from mega influencers who may have over a million followers to nano influencers with 1-10k followers. Some larger influencer marketing campaigns can utilise a mixture of tiers, such as one mega (celebrity) influencer, five mid-tier, and four macros, for example.
Find Your Influencer
It’s important to find the right influencer for you. You may even have an influencer who already follows you, so check your followers first. You should also consider budget, as if there is a tight budget then a micro-influencer may be better. They will have between 10k to 50k followers. They can also surprisingly achieve higher engagement than that of a mega influencer. Look at local celebrities, business leaders, charities, entertainers, etc.
Make an Influencer Campaign Plan
Before you start, set some clear goals. What do you expect to gain from the campaign? Is it more patients through the doors, greater awareness in your local area, or are you promoting a particular product? Once you establish this, the rest of the campaign will follow. Consider if you are looking for a particular audience. Older people for dental implants, younger people for Invisalign perhaps. Research your influencer by getting someone who fits the bill.
Once you have found your influencer, contact them and be very clear about what you would like to achieve. Let them know why you want to work with them, and this should be an open and mutually beneficial relationship. You need to establish how you are going to collaborate with them to ensure the smooth running of the campaign for both parties.
You may need to pay the influencer; sponsored posts should be tagged as such to meet legal disclosure requirements. There are no fixed rules for payment fees but as a general rule of thumb, marketers work on a basis of £80 per 10k followers.
Reviews are a great idea for a campaign. An influencer who can give a positive review of your teeth whitening product and your great service can create more patients to trust you and join your dental practice. You will need to let them sample your treatment and then offer their opinion on Instagram. It might include them documenting their entire dental treatment journey.
Once people see the reviews or before and afters, they may turn to you as a place of trust. You have been recommended by someone they trust and admire. There is also an option to provide influencers with free products which they can give away to their followers or a special discount in a link in their post, for example. This can be established with your Instagram influencer before the campaign starts.
Overall Instagram influencers seem here to stay. It’s worth considering as a tool to promote your dental services or treatments and facilitate your dental practice reaching its full potential.