How to Create, Use, and Measure the Success of a Facebook Page and Twitter Feed

1. Introduction

Social media has become a popular form of communication between people and between businesses and their clients. Veterinary practices have begun transitioning from using Yellow Page ads, business cards, and other conventional marketing tools to using various social media platforms to communicate with current and prospective clients. More and more veterinary clinics and hospitals are using Facebook and Twitter as tools to implement their marketing strategy. A challenge that most of them face is acquiring the technological knowledge to begin using social media. For example, many veterinary practices wish to create a Facebook page but do not know how to do it. Alternatively, they have the knowledge to start a basic page but do not have the resources to maximize the effectiveness of it. On top of this fact, there is little understanding of how to measure the success of a Facebook page. The same issues face those practices that want to start a Twitter feed. Veterinarians know that social media is here to stay. It is a great tool for veterinary practices to engage with their clients and compete in these challenging times for the veterinary industry. It is essential for them to permanently adopt social media into their marketing efforts. How can they adopt a new effort with the challenges that they are currently facing? How can they begin their social media efforts or reinvigorate their current offerings? 

Four sections will address the challenges facing most veterinary practices. The first two sections will detail how to create an account using two popular social media platforms: Facebook and Twitter. The third section will review the steps needed to maximize the effectiveness of each platform. How can your Facebook page or Twitter feed stand out from all of the others? What kind of information should be posted? How often should you post? Who should post on behalf of the veterinary practice? How much time should be spent on your Facebook page and Twitter feed? The fourth section will review common tools used to measure the success of social media efforts using these platforms.

This how to information will give veterinary practices the tools to use Facebook and Twitter. They will learn how to create a Facebook page and Twitter feed. They will learn techniques to maximize the effectiveness of both platforms. Finally, they will know the basics to measure their efforts with these two social media platforms.