Social Media- You Can’t Afford Not to Do It

If your practice is not engaged in social media, you are missing an opportunity to strengthen relationships with your existing clients – and the opportunity to attract new clients.   Social media is a great way for veterinarians, technicians, and office staff to all play a role in building the business and strengthening client relationships.

Did you know YouTube is the second largest search engine?  Did you know more people listen to music on YouTube than on iPods?  Social media outlets are the principal means by which people learn, communicate, and engage in entertainment.  According to Mashable, a leasing source on social media data, we now watch 4 billion hours of YouTube Videos per month…and cat videos are one of the top categories dominating the internet.

Social media is about building relationships with your clients – building relationships increases the likelihood that they will share your content and help build your network.  Social media is free, so there’s no reason to not take advantage!  Share pet safety tips around the holidays, or reminders about preventative treatments when it’s flea and tick season.  Or, if you are trying to build awareness about your laser therapy program – share a photo of a pet being treated wearing it’s Doggles – these photos are hugely popular and the pet owner will share it with all of their friends.

The key is to understand how to use all of your social channels together to maximize your exposure.  Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and your business website can be a powerful combination when properly integrated and leveraged.  Use the videos you post on YouTube to embed in your website – include Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube links on your website.  Be sure to hash tag and mention when appropriate on your Twitter!