Stop Being Scared of Facebook!
Some veterinary hospitals are hesitant launch a Facebook page or start with social media. I find this is mostly because veterinarians fear bad comments, too many veterinary questions or other negative things. In my experience creating and managing my veterinary hospital’s Facebook for 3 years, I have only had 2 “bad posts” from clients, and I have worked to make sure that clients understand that Facebook isn’t for veterinary advice. You need a Facebook page for your veterinary hospital, and here is why!
Facebook Helps Veterinary Practices… Seriously!
More important than these minor glitches are a few interesting facts. Several new clients a month come to my veterinary practice straight from Facebook, Facebook is the main traffic driver to my hospital’s website and I’m constantly hearing our pet parents in the waiting room comment about the things that we post on our timeline. (Clients even ask our vets to meet my Brussels Griffon, Archer, that I often post pictures of!) I really believe in using Facebook in your veterinary hospital to build a loyal community and educate about pet health. I can walk you through SNOUT School’s advice for setting up a veterinary hospital Facebook for the first time! (Don’t worry – it’s not as scary as you might think…) If you’re finding this information useful, take a second to enroll in SNOUT School below before you continue reading the rest of this post!
Before we start your veterinary hospital’s Facebook page, let’s clarify that I started SNOUT School because I believe that veterinarians need Facebook for a few reasons:
- It is the most popular social media website in the world.
- Clients will be able to engage with your veterinary practice daily, not just at annual visits.
- Pet parents will feel bonded to your practice, as they interact with it daily. (Client retention, anyone?)
- It is a HUGE educational opportunity to teach clients about pet health every single day.
- New clients will find you through their friend’s Facebook feeds.
- Many veterinarians are on Facebook. You don’t want to be left out!
Basically, Facebook is a tool to educate, communicate and connect with your veterinary hospital’s clients. Because you are developing a strong bond between your clients and your practice, I created SNOUT School to show how to make your hospital social. Having a veterinarian, veterinary practice manager, vet tech or any member of your team will help you to succeed online. They will achieve what no social media marketing company can make happen for you – genuine client connections. So appoint a social media manager for your animal clinic, enroll in SNOUT School and get started with my blog posts, like How To Create A Veterinary Hospital Facebook Page. (I bet you’ll find them to be useful!)