Flagship social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, were probably a hard-sell for your hospital or clinic brand to jump on board with, so branching out to other channels might seem an insurmountable task. But with the right branding and creative direction, you can boost patient engagement on a growing social presence.

Here's how your brand can make the most of Instagram.

Promote Culture

One of the key benefits of Instagram is its ability to capture in-the-moment, stylized content that looks great, no matter your photographic skill level. This makes it a brilliant way to promote your positive company culture. As a hospital or clinic brand, it can be hard to shake the reputation of being "the man" to your end consumer—so making your staff the face of your organization and showing how warm, relatable and giving they can be is key to having a strong presence on your Instagram account. Make sure you're using the platform to promote charitable involvement and volunteering, fun company outings and health initiatives in the community.

Demo Services

Depending on your healthcare organization's specialties, you may benefit from demonstrating your capabilities on your social accounts. Say you offer a unique style of physical therapy or have access to a highly effective medical device—show this off in your social feeds. Instagram is a great way to do this, because you can grab high engagement by posting demo videos or photos in your story and get real time feedback on the interest level of your followers. (This can help you determine which specialties are worth putting marketing dollars behind to promote.)

Capitalize on Hashtags

The network of Instagram users is growing rapidly—and hashtag-based searches can be a good way for you to organically gain some new followers. Instagram accounts that promote healthy living, such as jogging or hiking, can be both visually appealing due to their outdoor setting and are popular with users of the platform. Grab some of this attention by posting content with hashtags such as #HealthyLife, #HealthTip or #FitnessTip—you may gain some fresh attention that could eventually lead to a patient recruitment.

Create Influencers

While your hospital system or clinic may not inherently play host to any social influencers among its ranks, there may be one or two waiting in the wings to be "created." Make use of your frontline employees—the doctors and nurses who communicate and deal directly with patients—and put them in the forefront of your Instagram feed. Have your most engaging and communicative staff members stage take-overs of your account, post day-in-the-life content, get-to-know-you posts and make your star team members the face of your organization.