Content and Engagement Amongst Plastic Surgeons on Instagram
Plastic surgeons are increasingly integrating social media into their practices to interact with patients and educate the public. Patients routinely use social media to locate providers, review before-and-after photographs, and discuss experiences, making it a powerful marketing tool with an elevated return on investment. While Instagram has become a popular tool for plastic surgeons, few studies have systematically evaluated plastic surgery app content. Our study aims to analyze engagement levels and content posted by top plastic surgeon influencers on Instagram.
Methods/Technique:
We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify the top ten global plastic surgeons on Instagram in February 2022. Influencers were ranked based on number of followers and their latest 20 posts were analyzed. A total of 200 posts were categorized by two independent trainees (DG and TT) as one of the following: marketing, education, personal, and miscellaneous. Specifically, marketing included endorsements and advertisements; educational posts explained a condition or procedure; and personal posts depicted the physician’s personal life. Of note, personal posts were subcategorized as friends/family, accomplishments, political and/or advocacy, ancillary businesses, and miscellaneous. The number of likes was recorded as a proxy for engagement and average engagement for each category was calculated.
Results/Complications:
The top 10 identified plastic surgery influencers on Instagram had an average of 854,000 followers and 1,498 posts. Only three are female surgeons. Nine practice in major US metropolitan areas, with a predominance in California and Florida, while one practices in Colombia. All ten influencers work primarily in private practice focusing on aesthetic procedures. Out of 200 categorized posts on Instagram, marketing posts had the greatest presence (64.5%), followed by personal (20%), miscellaneous (22%), and educational (4.5%). Within the personal category, friends and/or family (35%) and ancillary businesses (35%) had the highest prevalence, followed by accomplishments (17.5%), and advocacy (12.5%). More still images were posted (56.5%) than videos (43.5%). Differences in engagement level were found between content categories. Highest average engagement was for personal content, followed by educational, miscellaneous, and marketing (p = 0.005). No significant differences in engagement levels were found between photo and video content (p = 0.23). However, when considering individual categories, miscellaneous content had greater engagement in still picture form (p = 0.023).
Conclusion:
This study shows that the top plastic surgeons on Instagram have large audiences with substantial engagement levels. While most content posted relates to marketing efforts, many influencers are using social media to post about their personal lives and promote their ancillary businesses. Although marketing content was most common, engagement levels were highest for personal and educational content, and no significant differences in engagement were found between videos and photos. These results represent a valuable tool in designing social media strategies for plastic surgeons.