Where Do You Start?

Author: Alison Burden-Blake
Posted: Friday 6th January, 2012. 12:52:50

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

Well funnily enough, the best place to start with social media, is not on the social media sites at all! The place you need to start is your own website. Yep, do you have one for your practice? This is not a daft question! Many people do not believe me when I tell them that there are vet practices out there without a web presence. In this day and age it is expected for any business to have some kind of online presence. (Whispers - Many vets still don’t have a website). But as you’re here reading this and looking to beef up your social media skills, I shall assume for the moment that you are sitting smugly in the knowledge that you have at least got a website!

Ah, but that’s not all I’m afraid! How good is your website? When was it made? Do people have to struggle to get through the cobwebs to see your home page? Does it reflect the standard and quality of your veterinary practice and that of your care?

You see the reason that we are starting your trip down the social media road with a visit to your website is that much of your social media effort will be aimed at driving traffic to your site. Your website is often the first impression that your clients and potential clients get or your practice. In fact I’d say that way more often than not, people will have looked you up online prior to calling you. The public research things online now, before committing to purchase almost anything! This includes veterinary services.

If you start pushing people towards an out of date and dusty website that does not reflect the quality of your services, and does not let the public get a glimpse of what life is like inside the doors, then you are wasting your time, and money, and effort. End of.

You need to make sure, if you are in any doubt about what your website is saying about your practice, that you get this sorted first. While you’re at it, you might want to consider using a tracking telephone number on your website too. Call tracking numbers are extra telephone numbers that sit on top of your existing phone line. They enable you to track where your calls to the surgery are coming from. For example your website, your leaflets, your yellow pages advert (yes I know you still have one!) would all carry a different telephone number which forwards to your main landline.

Right so you’re asking, what on earth has all this got to do with social media. Well if you’re planning to use social media to drive traffic to your website with the desired effect being for people to pick up the phone and make an appointment, then let’s find out if that’s happening. Social media for business is a form of marketing, you should be using your marketing budget to pay for it, so get a tracking number on your newly polished website and see for yourself that it’s working.

Next week: More non-social media things to get in place before you start!

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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