I'm going to preface this post by saying, word of mouth marketing is one of the best types of marketing for a hospital. Your current client base has already established a relationship with you, so having them advocate for you and share their experience with others is a great way to generate new leads.
If you'd rather listen on the go or share it with a friend, here's the link to get the full episode.
While word of mouth marketing is a top contender, social media marketing is of course what is relevant in today's digital-forward world, so that will be the main focus of the information I'm sharing here.
Now let's jump in to the juicy details for what you can do to increase your follower count with the right followers.
What do I mean by the "right" followers? Too often we focus directly on the follower count when it comes to our social media platforms - an increasing number of followers can be a confidence boost, but it's not necessarily a benefit. I'm guilty of the number of followers being the primary focus myself. And while social media is an avenue that various industries utilize for marketing, when it comes to a brick-and-mortar business, how you market your business and who you're targeting differs from a business that does not rely on location of it's consumers.
As a physical clinic or hospital, you want those who are following you and engaging with you on your social media platforms to be local to you as they're the ones who are going to be utilizing your services and purchasing your products. I encourage you to think of your followers as the actual pet owners who are going to utilize and benefit from the hospital's services. Asking the question, "could they do business with us" is a great way to truly determine if your social media following is optimal, or if your follower count is restricted to random people and businesses around the world.
Keep in mind, the ultimate goal is to gain new leads that are going to convert into actual paying customers or hirable employees - just because your follower count is increasing, does not mean your business is going to grow or benefit.
ACTION STEPS YOU CAN IMPLEMENT TODAY
Tell your clients you're on social media and invite them to follow along:
Driving traffic to your social media accounts means educating your current clients on where they can find you outside of the physical building where you're located. A fun and easy way you can encourage them to follow you on social media is to have a sign in clear view that may say something like "consider following us so you don't miss your pet's special feature" - they will want to see their pet's "5-minutes of fame" so they can also share it with their family and friends.
It's important to be clear in your communication and include your social media name (known as handles) in several client areas. If they have easy access to your social media links, they are more likely to take the step of following your account than if they are simply told about where they can find you online.
Here are some simple places to add your social media handles or links to inform your client's where you're sharing more content:
Email signature
Business cards - add the icons to each platform you're active on so they can choose which one(s) to find your business and follow
Add signs in your lobby with a QR code (quickly able to generate in Canva) so they can automatically be directed to your social media accounts or website
Bottom of invoices - whether digital or printed invoices, this is a great space to add your links or handles
Appointment reminders - an often missed opportunity to promote your social media presence
Outside waiting area if you've continued curbside service - a perfect opportunity to promote your social media accounts while clients wait
Your website - it may be an obvious location, but having your social media platform icons with links on your website is a great way to share where you can be found in the digital space in addition to your website
Post on other platforms - if you are already on Facebook but you're going to be sharing content on Instagram, be sure to share that you are on that platform as well so they know exactly where to connect with you in the online space
Anywhere else that is relevant and will fall in front of the eyes of your clients, or potential clients, or employees
Host a giveaway:
A quick, simple win for attracting new followers who are your current or ideal client is to host a contest or giveaway within the clinic.
What does that look like for social media? As part of your giveaway promotion, you'll encourage your clients to follow your clinic's or hospital's social media account(s) as a way to enter the giveaway. You would then confirm they're following and add their entry.
If you have hosted a contest or giveaway before without seeing a positive interaction or outcome, be sure to check out The 2024 Guide to Facebook Pet Photo Contests for Veterinary Hospitals for my step-by-step guide to managing a photo contest for Facebook OR Instagram.
Partner up with a local business:
This is such a great way to connect with the community, support other surrounding businesses, and encourage locals to check out your hospital both online and in-person if they're not a current client.
A fun take on this is to have treats available at a local coffee shop or hardware store where you can add a sign that shares your business name and social handles. The sign can be simple and straight to the point - Example: "Today's treats are sponsored by [enter hospital name]" then add your social media handles or a QR code for them to access your accounts immediately.
This is a post I made for a giveaway we hosted with the local coffee shop. We supplied free dog treats at this coffee shop in exchange for free advertisement for our hospital.
Partnering up with a local business will not only help generate new leads for social media, but new converting pet owners seeking your services or customers checking out your products for their animals.
Other businesses that may be interested in partnering up with your hospital: dog trainers, groomers, or pet shops. Don't be afraid to reach out to various businesses even if they aren't pet-centered, I think you'd be surprised who would say yes to collaborating!
Need help with brainstorming ideas to get more clients to follow you or seek advice on anything related to social media? I invite you to join my FREE Facebook group, Veterinary Social Media Managers! Anyone who manages social media for a veterinary business is welcome, whether that is for a clinic or not.
One last key takeaway for your social media efforts: connect with your local community and really get to know who they are, what their relationship with their pet is like, and what their pain points or problems are that they want and need solutions to. This will help you tailor your social media marketing and overall community outreach to resonate with your local pet owners and existing clients so your social media following is actually your target audience and not just another account that isn't truly interested in what you're sharing.
I want to hear from you! What are some other ways that you're getting engagement and local followers for your hospital through social media marketing?
I'd love to hear more ideas from you! Leave a comment on this blog post or send me a message on Instagram @hey_cheyanne.
Are you looking for a community of other social media managers to brainstorm and share ideas with? Join my FREE Facebook group, Veterinary Social Media Managers, and become a member of our 2,000+ community today!
Thank you for reading the blog this far; I hope it boosts your creativity! What other post ideas would you add? Tell me in the comments below.
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About The Author
Cheyanne Flerx is the owner and founder of Hey Cheyanne, LLC.
She is a former Veterinary Assistant turned Veterinary Social Media Coach & Educator on a mission to use her experience and knowledge to help veterinary teams genuinely understand and use social media for marketing their practices.
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