8 Veterinary Social Media Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
Social media can feel like the Wild West of marketing, but it’s necessary in today’s digital marketing world. A strong social media strategy can help your veterinary clinic attract new clients and stand out from other veterinary industry businesses. However, simply having a social media presence isn’t enough—you need cohesive marketing efforts to see real results.
Veterinary social media marketing works best when you follow proven principles rather than a willy-nilly or “just for fun” approach. Here are eight strategies to take your veterinary practice to the next level.
1. Post expert-level content
Providing relevant advice and information without an underlying promotion or sales motive is the best way to build trust with pet owners. High-quality educational content positions your veterinary hospital and team members as the authoritative experts in your area and engages your target audience. Choose topics your team is passionate about and create original content to show your authenticity rather than reposting infographics or memes.
2. Keep a consistent schedule
Social media platforms prioritize content from creators who post regularly. Start small with an achievable schedule, such as once or twice weekly. Create a monthly calendar and leverage savvy team members to gather, edit, and post content to at least one mainstream platform (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube). If the schedule is manageable, you can always add other platforms or ramp up your posting frequency down the road.
3. Use videos to attract attention
In veterinary social media marketing, video content is king. Videos can be informative, serious, fun, cute, or silly—as long as they reach your target audience and hold viewers’ attention, they’re worth making. Some ideas to try include:
- Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks
- Pet care tips or seasonal lists
- Success stories and testimonials from happy pet parents
- Q&A sessions with veterinary professionals
- Cute patients or interesting cases
- Satire or humor about pets, pet parents, or the veterinary team
4. Manage feedback
Social media posts get ranked higher in the algorithms when they generate likes, shares, and comments. You can encourage engagement by asking viewers questions about their pets, encouraging discussion in the comments section, or setting up polls. Negative comments are inevitable when employing veterinary social media marketing, but you can manage them by cultivating a group of positive, informed followers who may address the negative comment for you.
5. Create incentives
Get more engagement from your current client base and potential new clients by offering incentives. For example, give clients discounts or loyalty points for following your social media channels, commenting on posts, or sharing posts. You can also run contests or giveaways on social media channels to reward those already following you or provide a referral bonus to clients who bring in new business through social media.
6. Highlight your team
People join social media to connect with other people, not a faceless local business. Showcasing your veterinary team members and providing a look behind the curtain at daily practice helps pet parents feel a closer, more personal relationship with your clinic. Plus, seeing the animal hospital’s inner workings and the care provided to each patient can give worried pet owners peace of mind and attach value to your services.
7. Promote your veterinary services
Social media aims to attract new clients and engage current ones, but overly promotional content can do the opposite. When promotional videos come up in your feed, do you watch them? Being “salesy” can turn off consumers and give the impression you care only about money, so find different ways to highlight what you do. Explain your services or exciting new equipment by discussing their benefits to pet health and including links to your site for more information.
8. Use email marketing and social media together
Email and veterinary social media marketing can work together to help you get the most out of each platform. Use social media to promote your email newsletter by asking users to sign up to see more of your educational veterinary care content delivered directly to their inboxes. Alternatively, mention interesting social media posts and invite readers to follow you when you send emails.
A well-planned veterinary social media marketing approach helps you meet existing and potential clients where they are: online. If social media feels too overwhelming, you can hire an outside marketing agency to help you get started. Or, promote an ambitious team member looking for more responsibility to the role of social media manager. Whatever you choose, use social marketing to build trust, establish your expert status, and strengthen your online presence.
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