Make Online Footprints on the Veterinary Landscape with YouTube

In case you haven’t noticed, Google has morphed from a company name into a universal verb.  Don’t know an answer to something?  Google it.  Need directions to a local restaurant? Google them. How do you say veterinarian in Spanish?  Googlé “veterinario.” The power of Google has changed internet marketing on a scale sometimes too grand to fathom.

But another search engine is quickly gaining speed and pushing its way to the front of the social media world.  YouTube, now the Internet’s Number Two search engine, can offer you a unique and valuable venue for promoting your veterinary hospital – and can do it in an altogether interesting and media-centered way.

If Clients Can See It, They Will Believe It

Oftentimes, clients find it helpful to see veterinary medicine at work.  Receiving verbal instructions and/or a hard copy of administrative medicinal guidelines is helpful but don’t be afraid to capitalize on pet owners’ curiosity for knowledge when it comes to marketing your services. Think back to the days spent in your first-year veterinary school anatomy lab where hands-on instruction piqued your interest and lent a comprehensive understanding to basic animal anatomy.  So, too, works the power of YouTube.

Tactical Tutorials

By utilizing YouTube to its fullest extent, you can simultaneously educate your clients on your facility and pet care services, provide tutorials on properly administering medicines, alert clients to recalls and updates, and replace educational handouts with short video clips. See link For example, what pet owner doesn’t want to learn secret tips on administering eye drops to an anxious pet?  Who wouldn’t benefit from viewing special advice on positioning a large dog that needs a bandage wrap? Does a client need tips on how to travel with a pet on an airline carrier?  Simply refer them to the uploaded video clip on travel guidelines and recommended carriers. Brushing your pet’s teeth will be easier after viewing the uploaded instructional video – guaranteed!

Create, Record, Play

By failing to leverage YouTube in its most productive and valuable way, veterinarians may be missing an opportunity to export information to veterinary clients in their local community while increasing traffic to your front door.  Creating and uploading videos has never been easier or more affordable than it is now.  Whether you invest in a portable, high-definition video camera or simply rely on your staff member’s smartphone, your veterinary practice can quickly capture hospital activities, upload them to your hospital’s YouTube channel and cross-post your link to Facebook and Twitter. Added benefits?  YouTube posts will bolster your search engine power, causing you to quickly inch your way to the top of clients’ Internet searches. Improved visibility yields new clients and increased revenue.

Follow the Future

As a social media tool, YouTube may well supplant Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social mediums in 2013.  Not only is it free, easy to use, and interesting but it capitalizes directly on society’s 21^st century video-driven psyche. Remember, if a client can see it, s/he can understand it. Don’t let this marketing gem pass you by — step into the future and leave a solid digital footprint on your veterinary landscape.

For advice on any marketing strategies or services, contact VetNetwork at 603-743-4321 or check us out online. http://www.vetnetwork.com

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