True, we learn from our mistakes. But only a fool commits the same mistake twice. Then again, the more optimistic lot prefer going with “There are no mistakes, only lessons.” Before you start wondering, no we are not going moral and ethics on you. However, the center of focus most definitely is on mistakes – specifically, social media mistakes.

Social takes time and effort and yes getting used to as well; so a few veterinary social marketing snafus and flubs aside, there are lessons to be learnt and opportunities to explore. Here are 5 social media blunders that veterinary practices need to avoid if they want to make a success of their veterinary social program.

Playing Fast and Loose with Information

Yes, social media is all about sharing and interacting with people. However, sharing too much information without regulating it for relevance too fast is simply asking for trouble. So be sure to regulate the content over your social pages and keep an eye out for any item which might be deemed as controversial. Potential clients are watching you over social sites and the last thing you want is for any kind of content or information to float around which might damage your veterinary practice online reputation.

Over Emphasis on Self Promotion

Social sharing is one of the quickest ways of earning exposure for your veterinary practice. If you want to exploit social potential a 100%, then start sharing posts and tweets of other people/connections. If you continue to only share items pertaining to your veterinary practice, chances are you might get ignored. The more you share chances are the more you will get shared – it is simple math really!

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Giving Prominence to Quantity over Quantity

Ok we won’t argue just how impressive the number of contacts someone has looks. However, this rule really should come with an advisory – collecting contacts is great, but you need to be selective about it. Keep in mind, at the end of the day, social should be about fostering and developing mutually beneficially relationships as opposed to gaining a mindless fan following. Quality contacts will help further your veterinary practice marketing by being proactive about sharing you with contacts in circles that are highly relevant to your industry.

Excessive Use of Hashtags

If they are not relevant to your veterinary practice brand, they it is best to curtail your hashtag usage. Ok, so everyone is using them and you probably missing out on good veterinary marketing opportunity if your not using hashtags. However, excessive hashtag usage simply dilutes your brand value. Hashtags work best when used sparingly and judiciously; they help build anticipation and excitement from time to time. Elaborating on the hashtag wisdom, if anything beats mindless excessive hashtag usage, it is a hashtag with grammar problems! Wise up about using the “#” symbol.

Low Focus on Personal Brand Building

Your veterinary practice brand can win substantial marketing exposure if you can focus on incorporating brand building tactics. Not only do you have to contend with potential clients Googling your veterinary practice name before they decide to consult with you, but you also need to beat marketplace competition. In such a scenario, building a credible personal brand presence can help. Expand your social and online real-estate by creating content that sets you up as an industry expert. You also stand to gain anytime you write content for community blogs or third-party association websites.

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