7 Social Media Tips for Attracting New Veterinary Clients and Building Loyalty

Connecting with pet owners through social media builds trust and loyalty among potential and established veterinary clients. Is your veterinary practice using social media to get the word out about services offered, your friendly staff and ways that potential and established clients can help their pets live healthier lives? If not, you’re missing out on a marketing strategy that boosts revenue and your practice’s reputation in addition to building customer loyalty. “Social media has become the most-used channel by millennials, who are also the largest segment of pet parents, with 76% of them owning pets, accounting for 31 percent of total ownership, according to veterinary software platform Vetstoria and a survey by YPulse, a marketing platform geared toward marketing to Gen Z and millennials. “And let’s not forget the emerging Gen-Z’s, the 18-to-24-year-olds, who account for 11 percent of total ownership. They live on social media,” says Vetstoria. And Baby Boomers are on social media, too. In fact, one survey from data, research and business software company Renolon found that more than three-quarters (78 percent) of Baby Boomers surveyed say they use Facebook. Other social media platforms favored by Baby Boomers include: YouTube: 67 percent Pinterest: 40 percent Instagram: 32 percent LinkedIn: 31 percent Twitter: 26 percent Want to make your veterinary practice’s social media page a regular stop for established and potential clients alike? Try these seven tips for making your social media presence shine. 1. Include important information about your practice Include your practice’s hours, location and services as well as the qualifications of your veterinary staff in the “about” section on Facebook and other social media platforms. Potential and regular clients looking for that information may find your social media page through an online search and like it so much that they visit regularly. 2. Check out competitors’ social media presence Look at your competitors’ social media pages, evaluating what appeals to you vs. what you’d like to avoid, recommends Today’s Veterinary Practice: “Use your ‘first impression’ instinct to build your list of dos and don’ts. Ask five trusted clients to provide their impressions of your online sites.” 3. Post lots of photos Posts containing images are more likely than text alone to catch the attention of people visiting your practice’s social media pages. Make sure the images are high-quality and convey your staff’s enthusiasm and care for animals and people alike. 4. Stay on top of social media updates and responses Nobody wants to visit a social media page with the most recent post being from two years ago. Commit to managing, updating and posting on your practice’s social media pages daily. Also make sure a designated staffer responds to all social media inquiries promptly. “The more time you invest in social media, the more you will be able to interact with your audience and the more likely they will be to recommend your page to their own networks,” according to DVM elite, a veterinary practice business growth company. “This means increased exposure for your brand, which leads to further growth of your veterinary practice.” Today’s Veterinary Practice recommends assessing your team to decide if this is a project that can be delegated to one or more staffers: “If site management is not appealing to you or your team due to lack of time or experience, outside sourcing should be a consideration.” 5. Highlight promotions and specials “Public forums like Facebook are powerful tools when it comes to lead generation,” according to DVM Elite. “Veterinary practices can benefit from these social platforms by offering promotions and specials that will please existing clients as well as attract new ones, ultimately resulting in an overall boost in business.” 6. Post client testimonials Everyone loves to read a success story and see a photo of a dog or cat that improved greatly under your practice’s veterinary care. Check with the client first, and if they’re open to it, ask them to write a few sentences about their satisfaction with their guest experience and veterinary care. 7. Post pet health tips Pet owners love to read about ways they can help their pets live healthier, longer lives. In addition to posts about topics such as the importance of vaccinations, foods that are toxic and other health topics, offer a pet tip of the day or a video of pet massage, grooming, laser therapy or another service that interests pet owners.

7 Social Media Tips for Attracting New Veterinary Clients and Building Loyalty

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