3 Ways to Increase Your Engagement with Pet Owners On Your Social Media Posts

The hard truth: we as the social media managers behind the screen, often are the reason why we aren't getting engagement from people...

For the full take on increasing your engagement on your social media posts and to hear about something

I realized I was doing wrong with my own Social Media Marketing tune in to

Episode 8 of The Veterinary Social Media Podcast

There are multiple factors that come into play when it comes to social media engagement, but today I'm diving into 3 things you can start doing immediately to get your engagement back on the up and up!

01. Know where your Ideal Clients hangout

What does that mean? There are several different platforms of social media so it's extremely important to not only know, but understand which social media platforms your Ideal Clients spend most of their time. If you love Facebook but your target audience spends most of their scrolling time on Instagram, then you're not going to have the engagement you're looking for, or the reach you need to effectively capitalize on your Social Media.

One way you can get a good idea of where your Ideal Client is spending their time is by surveying your audience - that's right, directly ask them where they like to hang out and what content they like to consume. If you have a better understanding of your audience and the platform(s) they're using most, then you're going to have an increased rate of engagement as you're not only reaching your Ideal Clients but you're also providing content that resonates with them.

I'm not telling you to ditch the platforms you're comfortable with, but familiarizing yourself with and expanding your knowledge in the platform(s) your target clients are "hanging out" is your best bet at truly seeing the fruits of your social media marketing efforts.

02. Review your content strategy and make adjustments

I mentioned above that you should post content that resonates with your audience. If you aren't seeing much engagement on your current posts, it's likely because you are sharing content that they don't connect with or they've seen before (otherwise known as generic content).

Often when we're not experiencing the engagement we'd like to, we blame the algorithm, but the truth is, that only plays a small role in why your content isn't performing well.

So what do you need to do to see that change? Consider making modifications to your current content as well as generating new ideas, try to intertwine trending topics, and identify what styles of posts your clients seem to engage with more.

When it comes to understanding what kind of content your audience connects with, it's so important to monitor your analytics - this will help you to determine what is working and what isn't working, so you can make shifts along the way. I highly encourage doing some market research and providing content that your audience wants to see and that they enjoy - this is when you are able to see the algorithm work with you instead of against you.

A few tips from a seasoned social media manager:

• Track your analytics to identify if your clients engage more often with still images, static graphics, carousels (the posts that present as a slideshow), behind-the-scenes content, etc.

• Refrain from using generic, stock images and rather post content with real-life shots of your patients and your staff.

• Use verbiage that your pet owners will connect with and be able to understand, not medical jargon that they feel confused by or are not able to understand.

• Use social media as an opportunity to truly connect with your clients and remember that it's a human on the other side of the screen - you're not sharing content just for the sake of sharing content, you're leveraging social media to build connections outside of the practice.

03. Engage - Don't "post and ghost"

If you have a solid content strategy in place and you're posting often but not engaging with your audience, you're eventually going to see a decrease in activity on your posts.

Your audience won't invest their time in engaging with your content if they feel you are meeting an obligation to be there or that they are just another number to you. Acknowledging their thoughts and interactions with your content is going to help you make those connections and build a community with clients and make them feel like you care.

As your audience is commenting on your posts or engaging with your content, take the time to reply to their comments, offering a conversation-like interaction that will encourage them to continue engaging as well as inspire others to engage with your posts.

Pro tip: Invite your audience to engage with your content and your offerings with clear calls-to-action. This may look like adding a question in your graphics or within your captions, or encouraging them to leave a certain emoji in the comments if they agree, etc. Directing your audience to take action will invite them into the comments or your messages, opening up the opportunity to hold a conversation and gain their trust and want to do business with your veterinary pracitce.

Looking for resources to help you with your social media? We've got you covered. 

🔎 Snag my free cheat sheet for 60 post ideas that will inspire fresh creativity for your posts.

📑 New to managing social media for your veterinary clinic? Grab my free quick start guide.

📅 Want a monthly posting calendar with Canva templates and caption prompts delivered straight to your inbox? Check out the Vet Vibes Hub Membership.

📌 If nailing social media for your veterinary practice is a goal of yours this year, you definitely don't want to miss out on my course Veterinary Social Media Foundations.  

✨ And don't forget to join my free Facebook group for Veterinary Social Media Managers.