Social Media And Marketing Your Practice

Veterinary Social Media Networking: Are You Connected to Your Clients?

Your website is a key tool for building a successful veterinary practice, but it's not the only online resource you should use to your advantage. Your clients are increasingly hooked into social media and that means your practice needs to be, too.

Perhaps you are skeptical about the effectiveness of social media, or worried about wasting your time with it. After all you have busy practice to operate. But consider this: According to Dealbook.com, conservative estimates put the number of "daily active users" on Facebook something well over 400 million people. Twitter boasts 21 million active members and 175,000 Tweets per minute (according to Twitter itself); Google+ now boasts more than 100 million active users daily (NY Times, 3/6/2012). LinkedIn estimates they also have 100 million active users. A whopping 4 billion YouTube videos are enjoyed by computer users every single day (YouTube statistics).

That's a lot of potential clients.

Never underestimate the power of your Internet profile. Freshness and activity are the hallmarks of successful social media. Your strength is providing extraordinary veterinary care. VetNetwork's strength is taking on the responsibility to ensure you benefit from all that the World Wide Web has to offer.

Social Media Platforms

The top five social media platforms, according to multiple sources across the web, are:

    1. Facebook
    2. Twitter
    3. LinkedIn
    4. Google+
    5. YouTube

The VetNetwork team sets up and manages social media to grow your client base and build powerful relationships. Through these relationships, you will engage in conversations and answer questions, share graphics, photos and, most importantly, build an outstanding reputation for your veterinary practice.

The internet is also a powerful revenue-generating source, and becoming more so all the time. A recent study by Boston Consulting Group (bcg.perspectives.com; 3/19/2012) revealed the growing economic power of the web:

  • The Internet accounted for $684 billion, or 4.7% of all U.S. economic activity in 2010
  • Social networks reach about 80 percent of users in developed and developing economies alike. Mobile devices – smartphones and tablets – will account for four out of five broadband connections by 2016.
  • The Internet economy in the developed markets of the (worldwide) G-20 will grow at an annual rate of 8 percent over the next five years, far outpacing just about every traditional economic sector, producing both wealth and jobs.
  • Retail represents almost one-third of total GDP in the G-20, and online retail contributes a significant and increasing share in many countries.
  • In retail alone, G-20 consumers researched online and then purchased offline (ROPO) more than $1.3 trillion in goods in 2010 – the equivalent of about 7.8 percent of consumer spending – or more than $900 per connected consumer.

New business - in any field - is increasingly driven by the Internet. When your online profile is ineffective, your competition has an opening to take the lead. Conversely, a prominent online presence grabs attention: It means you get the calls.

VetNetwork offers a comprehensive array of veterinary social media marketing services, beginning with advice and set-up, and continuing with management and an ongoing dialogue with you about your goals and needs.

We set up new social media pages, and review your existing ones. We update your status as frequently as you'd like, using key words to raise your profile for search engine optimization. With these and other strategies in place, your practice will grow exponentially.

Getting started is as simple as sending us an email, or making a call to our responsive team at 603-743-4321.