Engagement Fatigue – Overcoming Your Veterinary Client's Social Media Overload

In the overloaded world of social media, how do you get your veterinary clients to stop at your posts?

Checking social media feeds regularly is a habit for many people but it takes time. In the busy lives of pet owners, veterinary social media pages are competing heavily for attention with friends, hobbies and entertainment sites.

Unless your post is attention grabbing, relevant and easy to engage with, chances are your followers will keep on scrolling and miss your message.

Making It Easier For Your Followers To Click, Like And Comment

The fewer clicks attached to a Call To Action, the better. More than one click and you risk losing them.

Make it easier for your audience by...

• Limiting the number of links to external websites. Provide a basic summary in the post and embed videos rather than linking them.
• Providing an explicit Call To Action. e.g. Click Here, Shop Now, Comment Below, Like if you agree.
• Providing a phone number in the post if you want them to call you.

Scroll-Stopping Images

Social media is full of images, so how do you get your audience to stop at yours?

• Patient photos and team pics win the day! Personalisation and relatability will hands down bring a smile to your clients, instill trust and create a sense of belonging. 
• Animations and videos create movement and interest and help your posts to stand out from the crowd. 
• Bold colour blocks, special effects and font variations are eye-catching and will pique curiosity.

Don’t Ask For Too Much

Your followers are busy so always take into account their limited time and don’t ask them to think or do too much. A post asking followers to post the last pet picture on their camera roll gets much more traction than asking for opinions or information that requires their time and effort.

Read The Room

Keep switching it up and trying new content. I’m constantly testing new content ideas for my clients. Some are hugely successful and others just flop. But unless I try, I won’t know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve also found that the types of posts that used to get high engagement 5 years ago have become stale in 2021. 

Keep an eye on other veterinary clinics and pet businesses with high engagement on their posts. What is working for them and would something similar work for your audience?

In Summary

The social media space is constantly changing and evolving as the needs and circumstances of its followers change.

In your social media posts, try a mix of education, information, service promotion, patient and team photos and a little bit of light entertainment. You’ll soon know how to strike the right balance for your practice and provide genuine, helpful content for your followers. 

This post was originally published on the Waggy Dog Blog and has been reproduced with full permission

About Donna

Donna has over 15 years sales and marketing experience in the veterinary and pet care sectors. As a previous wholesale rep in the veterinary industry, she understands the challenges faced by veterinarians wanting to not only attract new customers in a highly competitive market, but to keep them coming back. 

She has also recruited, trained and coached teams in the corporate, retail, fundraising and veterinary sectors for over 30 years. Her knowledge of veterinary practice marketing and the local landscape enables her to deliver successful marketing strategies and content that keep pet owners engaged and loyal to your practice. 

Donna’s mission is to help veterinarians grow their practices and to facilitate easy access to quality, affordable health care for pet owners.

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