Social media is playing an increasingly important role in how pet owners care for their animals, especially as Millennial and Generation Z clients who grew up “on Facebook” become the dominant pet-owning demographic. As veterinarians, how do we effectively harness the power of social platforms to build pet owner loyalty? In this blog we will look at the fundamental principles for social success and seven tactical steps to improve your presence.

Why Social Media Matters for Veterinarians

• According to a recent report, 18- to 39-year-olds accounted for more than half of the pet owner population growth and make up 41% of all pet-owning adults in the United States¹.
• The pandemic led to an upswing in ownership: 11.3 million Americans got a new pet over the past year, and over 70% of recently surveyed pet owners said that spending time with their animals helped relieve stress during lockdowns³.
• Many Millennials (those born between 1980-1995) and Gen Z (1995-2010) owners are considering pets as starter children (or an alternative to children).
• 86% of Millennials and Generation Z now use social networks⁶.
• Millennials are connected to social media for an average of 3.8 hours per day… and GenZ for 4.5 hours per day⁶. That trend shows no signs of slowing down.

In other words, more and more of your clients are technology-savvy and actively spending time with digital communalities. That’s where your social media presence comes in. This does not mean that you need to spend four or more hours a day on your digital presence; rather, a few simple steps can help your clinic resonate with these younger clients.

Here are 7 easy steps to boost your social community:

1. Remember that social media reflects your practice and is often the first impression customers get, so being helpful and inviting rather than filling your feed with ads and offers goes a long way.
2. That said… do not be afraid to use social occasionally (but not overwhelmingly) to advertise discounts, offers, and contests to give owners reasons to return and engage. Many practices have automated systems for vaccine and appointment reminders through text/email, too.
3. Use social channels to enhance your credibility by posting clinic accomplishments, staff promotions, state-of-the-art equipment purchases, key newsworthy articles about animal welfare, and more².
4. Make your practice more personable by sharing behind-the-scenes looks (no restraints or scary pictures).
5. Avoid posting about anything unrelated to your practice or pet care (especially a controversial subject like politics).
6. Set a regular posting schedule to build habits and anticipation. There are free scheduling tools that can help you streamline this process to create a steady posting cadence:
   • For Facebook and Instagram, you should post 3-5 times per week. LinkedIn? Once a week. The average successful posting cadence on Twitter is much more frequent- 3-5 times per day frequent. Many clinics elect to skip Twitter and focus on the other three.
7. Remember to check on your platforms regularly to respond to questions submitted via social platforms in a timely manner. Facebook even shows your average response time at the top of the page, highlighting the time in green for those that respond quickly and red for those who forget to check it.
   • An easy way to get the response time down is to enable notifications for Facebook Messenger, and you can even create automatic responses based on common questions if your practice is set up as a business page.

As any parent will tell you, connecting with younger generations isn’t always easy. As Millennials and Generation Z increase both their pet ownership and buying power, speaking the same (often digital) language effectively will help your practice stand out and increase customer loyalty.  

References

¹Granderson, D. (2018, March 5). Gen Z and Millennial Pet Owners: 4 Key Things Pet Marketers and Veterinarians Must Know. Retrieved from PR Newswire: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gen-z-and-millennial-pet-owners-4-key-things-pet-marketers-and-veterinarians-must-know-300607587.html

²Greaney, C. (2020, December 30). Quick & Simple Vet Social Media Marketing Tactics. Retrieved from IMatrix: https://imatrix.com/blog/veterinary-social-media-marketing/

³Grubb, L. (2021, March 16). Increased Pet Ownership During COVID-19 Shows Need For Animal Health Innovations. Retrieved from Life Science Leader: https://www.lifescienceleader.com/doc/increased-pet-ownership-during-covid-shows-need-for-animal-health-innovations-0001

⁴Miles, J. (2021, January 29). 3 Ways to Connect With Millennial Pet Owners. Retrieved from Practice Life: https://www.practicelife.com/en/latest/3-ways-to-connect-with-millennial-pet-owners/

⁵Speetjens, R. (2020, August 6). Pet care market: well-prepared to weather the Covid-19 storm. Retrieved from Robeco: https://www.robeco.com/en/insights/2020/06/pet-care-market-well-prepared-to-weather-the-covid-19-storm.html

⁶YPulse. (2021, February 22). Gen Z & Millennials Use Social Media Differently—Here’s 3 Charts That Show How. Retrieved from YPulse: https://www.ypulse.com/article/2021/02/22/gen-z-millennials-use-social-media-differently-heres-x-charts-that-show-how/