If your veterinary\u00c2\u00a0hospital employees are posting embarrassing photos or text, it could be damaging to your veterinary practice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s business. But we sometimes forget how our larger-than-online-lives (and those of our staff!) can suddenly come back to bite us and damage our veterinary reputation!<\/p>\n
(It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Age of Technology. Do you know where your veterinary digital\u00c2\u00a0footprints lead?)<\/b><\/p>\n
In a world dominated by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, MySpace, and Google Plus+, being connected is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid. And all that connectivity translates to exposure.\u00c2\u00a0 Reputations are now two-fold: there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s your real-life reputation and your internet reputation. A stellar job interview becomes meaningless once your potential employer does some online creeping and discovers those tagged photos of you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d inebriated, half naked, and dancing on tables. In fact, when he thinks of you again, it won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be your clever conversation that comes to mind. Many would-be employers even ask (right on the job application) if they can friend you on Facebook.<\/p>\n
Privacy matters; this is nothing new. We are savvy when it comes to privacy settings, our photos (at least those we know about); and our public internet commentary.\u00c2\u00a0 We realize that our hundreds of online \u00e2\u20ac\u0153friends\u00e2\u20ac\u009d are not quite the same as those we see offline; and that a friend of a friend of a friend\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho may very well be a future employer, client, partner, or long lost birth mother\u00c2\u00a0 (hello, six degrees of separation)\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould have access to anything we put out there. Bottom line: pieces of our lives are wide open for the world to see.<\/p>\n
I recently had a conversation about the effects of social media with a veterinarian in New Jersey (who asked to remain anonymous). He explained that although his personal Facebook account had always been set to private, he never had \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthat conversation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 with staff. One of his technicians (a loyal and talented employee) had zero privacy settings on her Facebook page\u00e2\u20ac\u201da page that reflected an active social life and some \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcchoice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 language. He only learned about it when one of his clients complained about photos and commentary she had viewed! \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Obviously, people search Facebook for many reasons,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he advised. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And in this case, they want to know whom they are entrusting with their pets. Sure, it was nosy, but the information was out there to be viewed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 It was unfortunate, but eye opening; and since this event, the New Jersey veterinarian advised all of his employees to set their personal social media pages to private.<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to ask employees to exhibit responsibility with their social media pages. After all, they represent your business, and that fine line between a private life and a professional image has blurred. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s especially important to implement strong office policies prohibiting anyone from tweeting or posting about work or clients (unless, of course, they are doing so as the representative and approved voice of the company).<\/p>\n
The upside to all this caution is that with increased visibility comes tremendous potential. An internet persona can be utilized to create or even leverage your veterinary practice’s\u00c2\u00a0reputation. \u00c2\u00a0A professional Facebook page connects you with\u00c2\u00a0pet owners\u00c2\u00a0on a daily basis (invaluable!) as you share timely information, special offers, critical reminders, and inspirational or funny photos. This ongoing connection\u00e2\u20ac\u201done that welcomes veterinary\u00c2\u00a0client commentary and interaction\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis an ideal tool for spotlighting your philosophy, sense of humor, special services, and daily presence. Without a doubt, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a small marketing tool that packs tremendous punch\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and when utilized creatively and strategically, one that ensures revenue raising digital\u00c2\u00a0footprints.<\/p>\n
Let Vetnetwork help you create and maintain only the strongest impressions.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n