Managing your veterinary hospital’s social media can start to seem like a terrifying task, especially when you have multiple accounts. Scheduling posts is an easy way to avoid the problem, but how often should you be posting?
The answer to this question is incredibly detailed, and it can depend on your veterinary practice’s culture, goals & current social media habits. If what you’re doing is working – awesome! If you’re looking for somewhere to start, that’s what this post is really for.
The guidelines in this post are just that – guidelines. I am speaking generally about what I see work for veterinary hospitals, but it is NOT definitive. If you’d like to work with me 1-on-1, we can always review your specific needs. For now, here are some basic guidelines for how frequently you should post!
Highlights:
- Find a consistent posting schedule that works for you
- Schedule posts from within Facebook
- Don’t share a lot of content from others
- Use your Insights to figure out when you should share
Some Background: Your veterinary hospital’s most popular account is likely Facebook. That’s great! But… Facebook is also the pickiest of the social media platforms, as it only shows your posts to a percentage of those who like your page. This statistic is called “reach”. Reach is the number of unique people who saw your content. This makes it a little less great, as posting needs to be a little more strategic.
[RELATED: 5 Must-Have Social Media Tools for Veterinary Hospitals]
What am I trying to say? Well, your veterinary hospital should save Facebook for your best content, and it should be shared at the best times. Make sure you share content that is engaging and share consistently. Bonus points if you share videos or gifs! (Those kinds of posts are doing super well right now).
The Verdict: Post at least 3-4 times a week, with a focus on sharing right before the popular times for your audience. Consistency is key, so choose a frequency that will ultimately work for you.
Highlights:
- Don’t publish more than one post at a time
- Multiple pictures can be shared in one post in Carousel mode
- Post to Instagram stories for quick updates
- Space posts out throughout the day
- Don’t re-post previously shared from your Facebook photo/video content
- Use your Insights to figure out when you should share
- Schedule your posts ahead of time with scheduling tools like Planoly, Plann, or Facebook Creator Studio.
Some Background: Instagram is growing in popularity amongst my veterinary clients, and the same is likely true for yours! If you feel a little sad that those cute puppy pics aren’t getting the reach they deserve on Facebook, serve them up over here!
Instagram is super visual. Posts here are all about picking your best-looking photos, whether they be high-quality pet pics or videos of your staff. Quality can be achieved with a smartphone or iPad, and of course, the right filter.
[RELATED: Here’s Why Instagram Followers Aren’t Helping Your Veterinary Clinic]
Because Instagram is all about the crème de la crème of visuals, you don’t want to post 283409823 – or even 2 or 3 – photos in a row. Instead, space them out one at a time throughout the day or week using tools like Planoly, Plann, or Facebook Creator Studio.
The Verdict: Post to the newsfeed 1-2x daily, spaced several hours apart. Check your insights to see when it is best to post to get the most engagement. For Instagram stories, post 3-5x daily.
Step up your Instagram game with our handy Instagram Upgrade Plan.