Companion | Lasers for Life

Social media can play an integral part in the growth of your Regenerative Medicine business. Whether it is promoting your service or sharing patient success stories, social media enables you to provide your current and prospective clients with a “behind the scenes” view into your veterinary practice. In this short guide, we will explore the top five tips for navigating social media for the ultimate success for building your regenerative medicine business.

1. Know the different social media outlets

There are dozens of social media outlets that have a distinct purpose in communicating with a large audience. Knowing the differences between each will enable you to target your efforts, resulting in successful outcomes. Here are a few examples of the different social media outlets to consider when venturing into the social media arena:

Facebook:

Quick facts:

- The most popular social media platform (2 billion users worldwide!)

- Can post videos, photos, links

- Can effectively target prospective clients using paid advertisements

- Can extensively track social media marketing efforts

Twitter:

Quick facts:

- Known for “short and sweet” formatting (280 words or less)

- Use to interact with prospective clients, answer questions, release latest news and target ads to specific audience

- Hashtags play a large role in “findability” of content

Instagram:

Quick facts:

- Visual social media platform (photos and short videos)

- Can be used to show new therapeutic modalities or showcase a patient.

- Hashtags play a large role in “findability” of content

- Cannot post links

Youtube:

Quick facts:

- The largest most popular video-based social media website

- Post videos to promote technologies or showcase a case study

2. Start small, then build up

Social media can be a time-consuming venture. It requires daily attention and should become a part of your daily routine. With this in mind, start with 1 or 2 platforms. Once you become comfortable with those platforms, you can begin to build from there. Remember, it’s best to stay consistent on 1 platform than to post sporadically on 3 or 4.

3. Focus on Building Your Relationship and Trust with Clients

Social Media is crucial for building relationships and trust with your clients. It is especially important to establish a level of engagement where you can’t necessarily link back to your website (Instagram). How can you build trust through social media?

• Become a leader to your clients -
  Show your value as a veterinary professional through providing information that teach, initiate discussions and gain honest feedback. Post content that people will share with others.
• Be authentic -
  Not every post needs to be related to selling a service or making an appointment. Give your clients a “behind the scenes” look at the daily functions of your clinic or showcase one of your staff members with their pets. Show the “real story” behind your clinic and your mission in veterinary medicine.
• Use content from your clients -
  People are attracted to stories that resonate with their own. Ask your clients if you can feature their home videos of their pets post-treatment on your Facebook or Instagram page.
  * Pro-tip: Be sure to credit your client by tagging the photo and making an “@ mention” in the comment section.
• Stay “in your lane” -
  While hot topics such as politics, food or recent events can be appealing for their high-reaction rates, they rarely result in cultivating a positive impact on your audience. Diverting from your area of expertise can make you lose your credibility as a veterinary practitioner and once you lose credibility, you lose trust. Focus on veterinary medicine and your clients will thank you for it!

4. Your website is your home base

Remember, social media is a vehicle to drive prospective (and current) clients to your website. You want to coordinate your efforts to drive people to your website where they can view additional information about your clinic and the services you provide. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your website:

• Tell a story -
  Online searches are the primary way prospective clients find a veterinary practitioner. Captivate your prospective clients with a compelling story that will engage and build trust with your clients. Choose imagery and videos that showcase the bond between humans and their four legged companions.
• Keep it media focused -
  We process images thousands of times faster than text and nothing will send a person in the opposite direction faster than a wall of text. Attract clients with pictures and videos of your practice, patients and technologies you offer.
• Update your website regularly -
  Have you recently added a new service to your practice? Make sure to update your website to reflect your growth in services offered as well as new personnel.

5. Keep it Short and Sweet (and Visual!)

Give your clients just enough information to peak their interest to follow through to your website or contact your office for further information. Social media is a great tool to generate interest in a new therapy, but it’s important to keep the word descriptions to minimum (under 200 words). Introducing your regenerative medicine for the first time on social media? Here are a few examples you may use to let your clients know about your new service:

• “Regenerative Medicine utilizes the pet’s own cells to heal and repair damaged tissues in conditions such as arthritis and soft tissue injuries. Call our office to see if your pet could be a candidate for a Regenerative Medicine treatment.”
• “Has your dog been suffering from arthritis or a tendon or ligament injury? _____________ is proud to now offer an advanced therapy that utilizes your dog’s own cells to heal and repair damaged tissues. Contact us to find out more!”
• “Did you know ­­­______________ now offers Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy for your dog? This new therapy can be utilized to treat and relieve pain in dogs suffering from painful conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia and other degenerative diseases. Click here to read more!”

Social media is a powerful tool that can boost your clinic’s business and recognition. When used correctly, it can build trust, confidence, and open up new channels of communication between your clinic and your clients.

Don’t forget to connect with Companion Animal Health on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for frequent posts about related research, educational opportunites, eBooks, infographics and more!