Social Media for the Veterinary Industry

Social media has become a key marketing component for any business. Ninety-two percent of all marketers agreed that their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their business1. Seventy-three percent of all American consumers are on social media, and your business needs to be there, too2. Integrating social media can be a little overwhelming, so here are our top 3 best social media practices for your association.

  1. Be Consistent – Consistency is important in every aspect of your social media presence. Consistency will clearly identify your brand across all your social media platforms. Clear branding will help potential consumers understand what your business is about and if they are need of any services that you offer.Committing to a specific time each day for social media will help make social media tasks part of your daily routine. Your following will begin to expect your posts and will be more likely to engage with you more consistently. Alternatively, posting regularly, but choosing a few different times of day for posting will put your posts in front of audiences who are on social media at different parts of the day.
  2. Content is King – The success of your social media channels and your website relies on quality content. People are more likely to engage and follow or like your page if your content resonates with them. Beyond posting entertaining content like funny pet memes or cute animal photos, educating people with your content is also vital. Educating your audience will remind them of the reasons why they follow you in the first place. Many people use their blogs as a platform for their educational content, which helps you drive traffic from your social media channels to your website. It’s important to position yourself as an expert through the content you post.
  3. Interact – Nielsen reports that over 33% of consumers prefer to use social media as a way to contact companies3. Be sure to respond to posts and messages on your social media channels in a timely manner. Make sure to check your settings so you can be notified when someone tries to interact with you through any of your social media channels.

The first step in any social media journey is to just get started. No one expects you to be an expert in one day. With only so much time in a day, there are many resources that you can use to make your social media tasks less stressful. Here are a couple of our favorites:

  1. Hootsuite – This is a social media management software that helps you manage your social network and schedule messages right from one dashboard. There is a free version that will help you plan your posts in advance and keep track of who is engaging with your content.
  2. Wishpond – This automation tool helps you create landing pages, contests, and email campaigns to help grow your business and save you time.

Need more help with your digital marketing? Beyond Indigo Pets is proud to offer free educational webinars every week covering a variety of topics. Visit our website to register for an upcoming session!

Information provided to VMAE from Beyond Indigo Marketing.

1 http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-roi-stats

2 http://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/

3 http://www.cxnetwork.com/cx-digital/articles/article-staggering-facts-about-importance-of-social-media-customer-experience/