I have never been a huge
user of Instagram and honestly didn’t really think that a stream of pictures
could be that interesting. The problem wasn’t the content Instagram produces it
was the people I was following. Many of my friends had pictures that would
easily bore me but when I started to follow brands and realized the
possibilities, I began to look at Instagram in a whole new light. Brands are
usually professionals and produce more appealing content. On the other end of
things, representing a brand takes consistent production of information and creative
content. As Leia Lewis, owner of Be Inspired Public Relations, puts it “It doesn’t do you any good to
set up an account and only post once a month. There needs to be a consistent
presence, otherwise it defeats the purpose.” Furthermore, in the article,
Instagram- The PR Perspective, professionals share their uses and strategies of
Instagram in a PR perspective.
While the professionals agree that it is important to post
consistently, they also agree that artsy industries such as fashion, beauty,
food, and wedding benefit more from Instagram because they a mainly visual
industries. But the articles goes on to explain that any industry can be
successful using Instagram with a little creativity and imagination. This
article made me begin to analyze the company I work for, Mary Bird Perkins
Cancer Center, and how I could implement Instagram into our social media plan.
Cancer patients have many stories to share about their
battles and success with cancer, their experiences with nurses and doctors, and
with their treatment. Through all of the obstacles many cancer patients still
love to share their story with a smile. What better way to do that through pictures? Natasha Koifman, President of NKPR, explains,
“[Instagram] opens up many opportunities to engage with our community on a
different, more personal level.” Which is why I think Instagram is a great
strategy for a cancer center, it helps patients and family members share their
stories in one of the most personal ways.
So, I decided to do a little research to see what cancer
patients are currently posting. When I searched #cancersurvivor, I found some
of these proud survivors.
There
are thousands of people such as these who want to share their stories. This
creates a community for the patients to connect with each other and form bonds
with the center and other patients.
On a smaller scale I then search
#marybirdperkins, and many people were already posting about the centers’
fundraising efforts and cancer races. I believe that with a little encouragement
at events that the use of Instagram will increase dramatically for Mary Bird
Perkins and anyone associated with them. Instagram not only gives the opportunity
for cancer patients to share their stories but also employees and the people
involved with making many wonderful events possible.
Like the article stated, there are
many opportunities available with Instagram with some creativity and
encouragement.
