Social Media For Vets - An Introduction

Author: Alison Burden-Blake
Posted: Wednesday 21st December, 2011. 09:35:47

I guess we should start with the basics – what is social media when it’s at home? Well the term social media covers any tool that allows social interaction between people – mostly considered to be online. ‘Media’ is just a word for ‘communication tools’ really and any time we’re communicating with others, more often than not in a one–to-many scenario, we are likely using a form of social media. It covers the well known tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linkedin used for sharing status updates and content, but also covers wikis, blogging, podcasts, vlogs and a whole load more.

In the last few years the use of social media has really exploded. The ability to log on and see in an instant what your friends and family are up has become hugely popular. This is where people are asking for advice, shouting about a great product that they found or arranging meetings. Social media has become the modern tool for word-of-mouth.

Let’s be honest here, vets have been notoriously bad at wanting to shout about themselves or market their practice. In the past it’s been seen as unprofessional, and besides most new clients have come to the clinic because they live in the area and happened to either pick up the Yellow Pages or they came across your front door, or their neighbour recommended you. The only time you ever communicated with clients was in the clinic, or perhaps by sending out a reminder card for vaccinations.

Here’s the thing - things have changed. Your clients now expect more communication. They expect you to be in touch with them. Hell, if they like you then they want to be able to tell people about you where they are interacting with their friends (and yes, even neighbours!) - online.

Here’s another thing, your clients, when they are sat in your waiting room don’t really want to get up and wander round reading every notice that’s on the walls, they are likely holding onto their precious and possibly ill pet, just waiting for you to open the exam room door. They are not taking in your special offers, and if they do actually read those notices on the wall, they are unlikely to be able to recall much of it later as they were in a stressed situation when they saw them!

So back to social media! The current generation of pet owners, farmers, riders, charities and even suppliers are talking to each other through a computer. People like to sit behind a computer and ask questions or get initial advice because a) they are likely sat behind a computer for at least part of their day anyway, and b) it allows them to be informed and feel less out of their depth when they eventually do pick up the phone.

So why not empower your clients and potential clients by letting them see a glimpse of your practice from behind the scenes and letting them have a way of communicating with you from a position that they’re comfortable with. The added bonus is that you’re able to communicate with them when they’re not stressed out and upset about their pet, which means that they’ll be far more likely to take your messages in!

The cardinal rule of social media however, is to give content of value and not to sell, sell, sell! We’ll explore that concept in a bit more depth in the coming weeks.

Next week: Where do you start, as a veterinary practice, when starting to use social media?

We get it. You're busy being a vet. You know that using social media can enhance your practice, but finding time is difficult. We're the UK's only social media specialists for vets, so let us sort it. We're passionate about what you do and big on personal service.

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