Published on March 08, 2021
Between dealing with emails, medical records, appointments and follow-ups, managing your social media probably isn’t at the top of your daily to-do list. But they’re still an important tool for staying connected with your clients and building a lasting relationship of trust. To help you avoid missteps and become more efficient, here are 8 practices you should steer clear of, along with our alternative solutions!
Mistake #1: Being present on either too many or not enough platforms
There’s certainly no shortage of choice! The danger is diluting your time and efforts on networks where your audience isn’t active! It’s important to strike a balance between “invisibility” and “spreading yourself too thin.”
Start by defining your goals based on the needs of your veterinary practice, such as increasing traffic on your e-commerce platform or growing your online community. Then determine what networks you should invest in to meet those needs. For example, do you want to attract a younger audience? Generation Z (14 to 26 year-olds) is very active on TikTok. Is your team less comfortable with videos and more at ease writing content? If so, Facebook is probably a better option for you. Or, if you like sharing photos, visual content performs particularly well on Instagram.
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Mistake #2: Neglecting the power of your brand
Your brand is a reflection of your practice’s personality. For clients – and employees – it’s what sets your clinic apart from the competition, makes it trustworthy and fosters lasting relationships. Consistency is a key ingredient of branding: whether it’s an in-clinic consultation, a visit to your website or an interaction on your social media, it’s important to always convey the same brand personality.
A short guide setting out the main rules to follow when posting content on your social media is indispensable. It should specify what types of images are allowed, words to favour and those to avoid, your brand’s official RGB combinations, etc. These guidelines will help your team avoid false notes!
Mistake #3: Not having an omnichannel strategy
A “Brick and Click” strategy aligns your digital and physical communication channels in order to multiply (and unify!) your points of contact with people. By reducing the steps required to access the information or the products and services they’re looking for, you make their lives easier. A poster in your waiting room can promote your online store which can redirect users to your Facebook page. What is the outcome of all this complementarity? More visibility, more credibility and more trust.
Mistake #4: Buying Likes or followers
Far from saving you time and boosting your popularity, the tactic of acquiring fake followers can actually harm your veterinary practice’s social accounts. Because it is often fake accounts that grow your client base, they are not interested in your products or services and, more importantly, they do not engage with the content your post. The social media platform’s newsfeed algorithm therefore perceives your posts as irrelevant, which affects your visibility among your other subscribers, who are actually interested in what you have to offer them!
In addition, it is easy to spot fake followers and Likes, which can undermine your credibility in the eyes of your clients. That’s why it’s always best to opt for transparency and to share useful content if you want to build a community of engaged followers!
Mistake #5: Thinking that everyone sees your posts
You’ve probably noticed that not all your followers see your posts in their newsfeed. That’s because each social network has its own algorithm that evaluates the quality and relevance of your content. The more people engage with your posts (clicks, Likes, comments, shares), the better your ranking, and the more your followers will see and interact with your posts. It’s one big virtuous circle!
A good trick to increase the visibility of your content: avoid bombarding your community in an effort to generate more interactions, as this could have the opposite effect of annoying your audience. In short, one post per day is sufficient!
Mistake #6: Failing to plan your content
Are you posting something because it’s been a long time since your last post? Or because you’ve had a stroke of genius in between two patients? A good way to ensure a more regular and less strenuous rhythm is to establish a content calendar. Not only will you avoid rushing to create last-minute posts, but you will have a more consistent online presence. It’s also an effective tool for dividing the work up among your team, with respect for the deadlines set out in the approved calendar. Not to mention the benefits in terms of your brand consistency!
Mistake #7: Failing to measure your performance
Are you losing or gaining followers? What type of posts are most popular? What is the size of your audience? The answers to these questions can all help improve your performance and turn your social media platform into a better tool for communicating with your target audience. Curious to learn more? Here are some performance indicators you might find useful.
Mistake #8: Removing negative comments
How you manage a negative comment says almost as much about you as its content. Turn this type of feedback into an opportunity to rectify the situation, rather than simply removing or ignoring the comment, which can make things worse by creating a negative perception of your brand. Let the client (and your other followers!) know that you sincerely want to address the problem.
Not too sure about some of these practices? Why not have a conversation with your CDMV account executive? You might just find it inspiring!
