 Sadly, we spend a great deal of our time and energy dealing with negative client experiences--now more than ever. Online reviews, impatient clients, COVID-precaution naysayers all leave us drained and occasionally, questioning why we do what we do. Ever the optimist, I think there are a lot of solutions. Of course, we can ignore the jerks. We can respond to positive reviews and share them with the team members. We can highlight the positive case outcome stories and the "wins" in our team meetings and in our social media channels. We can eat ALL the donuts that those unicorn clients bring in. And now, we can celebrate our Facebook "Top Fans!" What is a Top Fan?Top Fan badges are an optional setting on a practice's Facebook Page. Once enabled, Page followers can be eligible for a top fan badge on your Page by being one of the most active followers. This means they frequently like, react, comment, or share your Facebook posts.. Page followers who qualify for (and accept) top fan badges will have a badge next to their name on future interactions with the page, Their names will also be publicly visible on a "Top Fans" list, accessed on your Page's Community tab. Why Should We Care About Top Fans?These are the people who are voluntarily supporting our business online, with no incentive. They're active followers of the Page, and it's almost guaranteed that they're doing so in a positive way. They're liking our posts, they're sharing our content within their own networks, and they're supportive in the comments. Our content clearly resonates with these followers. THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE! Best of all, these are people who are using their own networks to serve as virtual ambassadors for our practices. When I've earned "Top Fan" badges on pages I follow, it's never something I've purposely worked for-- and is more of a nice surprise. I'm happy to support them. There's no perk or monetary reward-- it's simply an online, automatic thank you from the Page. Enabling & Identifying Top FansFirst, enable Top Fan badges in your Facebook Page Settings. Navigate to Settings > Top Fan Badges > Click On.  Next, to find who earned your Page's Top Fan designation, visit the toolbar under your practice's cover photo on a desktop, click "More," and then "Community." These users are updated automatically each week. You can review the user, the length of time they've been a Top Fan, and you can remove them if necessary. How This Helps UsIf you simply review the names and nothing else, it's a nice way to remind yourself that there ARE good clients- clients who value the work we do both in the clinic and online. There ARE members of our communities rooting for us to succeed and thrive. We've found reviewing this alone to be a positive experience for our whole team. In practice, we've chosen to take it a step further, and send the clients who have been Top Fans for more than a month a small thank you note a sticker, and putting a small credit on their account. We share the list of Top Fans with our team in our Slack channel each month, so all our team members know the clients that are giving their support. We're focusing on the positive, and rewarding GOOD behavior--not negative. Check out your Top Fans, and if time allows, consider thanking them for their support in-clinic and online with a quick message, email or note in the mail, and focus on the good. Hang in there, teams!
-C. DeWilde, DVM   Social media goes way beyond the cute puppy pictures and sharing helpful articles. It has the capacity to drive business to our practices- but only if we’re leading our followers in that direction. Here are FOUR ways you can increase your bookings: 1. Change your main page CTA button to “Book Now” Your Page’s Call To Action (CTA) button is just below your Page’s cover photo. You can click “Add a Button” or “Edit Button.” Doing so brings up a pop-up window with options for you to choose Book Now, Contact You, Learn More, etc. Selecting “Book Now” and clicking “next” will allow you to set up appointments on Facebook and Instagram, connect another third-party scheduling tool (no veterinary ones yet) or simply add your own website address. I recommend the latter, specifically to the “book appointment” or “request appointment” link. Click “Finish” to save your changes, and consider testing the button afterward by clicking on the CTA button then “Test Button.”
 2. Create a “Get Bookings” Post Your Facebook Page gives you a free post type called “Get Bookings,” but ONLY if you’ve got the above “Book Now” Call to Action button set up for your page. Accessing this feature is best done through Creator Studio. Click Create Post, then “Get Bookings” on the post type. You’ll be able to add a caption as normal, but also select a new photo(s). The “Book Now” button will appear underneath. This post type is free and easy! Consider uploading a photo of your doctor or technicians with a patient, and a caption that corresponds and discusses your unique service offerings, educational reasons behind a veterinary visit, highlights a success story or simply features your practice and team. These post types take up more space in the news feed and easily direct your viewers to the appointment booking link! 3. Add Call-To-Action statements and/or direct booking links to your social posts. Far too often, we share phenomenal photos, graphics, educational posts and best of all-- posts that tell a story-- but don’t tell the owner how THEY could have this same experience, or give them the tools to make it happen conveniently. The majority of original posts made by the clinic could end with a directive statement and/or link that facilitates booking. While none of us yearn to be sleazy or salesy with constant barking at owners to book an appointment (see what I did there?), we have to remember that we’re using social media to help pet owners understand the value of the care we provide and to support our practice as a business. Help meet both of these goals by regularly directing your clients toward your goal, and making it easy for them to book an appointment to your practice with a clickable link! Don’t assume that your post will inspire an owner enough to a) stop scrolling b) leave Facebook c) open an internet browser d) navigate to your clinic website and e) find the information to call or book an appointment online. Save them FIVE steps and include the direct booking link. For instance, if you’re sharing a photo of a senior pet who came in for a semi-annual wellness exam and describing the whats and whys of a senior pet exam, end the post with a statement like: “Does your senior pup need a checkup? Our doctors recommend exams for pets eight and older twice a year! Book your pet’s semi-annual wellness exam here: yourveterinaryclinic.com/book.” Another example: Yadi came in for his first puppy checkup today! Dr. DeWilde loved cuddling this adorable face, and we also helped get Yadi off on his best paw forward by checking him from nose to tail, working with his owners and previous records to determine a preventative health plan including vaccines, heartworm, flea and tick prevention, and even checked his stool sample to make sure no creepy crawlies could come between him and his new family. If you’ve got a new pup that needs the same love and attention, we’re here to help! Book your appointment here: yourveterinaryclinic.com/book. 4. Ads & Boosts Ads and boosts (a type of ads) are easy ways to drive more online bookings for as little as $1/day. Running an ad and/or a boosted post through your Facebook page will give you the ability to add the “Book Now” button into your post (and take up some more real estate in the newsfeed), target the content you choose directly toward your audience, and have your content appear in locations outside of the newsfeed (on Facebook, Instagram, and even some of Facebook’s other owned properties--other apps and sites known as the Audience Network). Ads in particular don’t require a great social media post with lots of text and can be more direct: a simple photo with the statement of “Book Your Pet’s Appointment Today” targeted to pet owners in your area will suffice. If you haven’t tried an ad, start small and experiment with a $5-10 budget for a week. You just need a great photo and your online booking URL to get started. Similarly, if you’ve got a great post that directs owners to book (like one of the ones described above), consider giving it a little oomph by boosting that post. Don’t forget to edit your audience to target pet owners in your geographic area for best results. Starting Small:
Each of these booking methods can help direct more traffic into your practice and give you the opportunity to help more pets. Whether your budget is $0 or $1000, you simply need a good photo, a good story, and a link to your booking page. Get to booking! Caitlin DeWilde, DVM   If your practice's Facebook Page has less than 100,000 likes, you can invite people who react to your Page's posts to like your Page. This is a great way to organically grow your Page's followers, since it's possible that clients may have liked your post but not your Page...and we want them to see your future content too! The caveat here is to remember- focus on quality > quantity. It's almost always better to focus on reaching clients- existing and potential. Occasionally, a post will go viral or get reach outside your geographic area. While it's great for an engagement bump, these aren't great long-term Page followers. They're unlikely to engage with future posts-- particularly those that promote your practice and it's services, so in effect can downgrade your page engagement. It would be much better to build the page of followers in your local area that will be clients. However, inviting Facebook followers is a quick, easy and FREE way to grow your Page followers. The process will show the person's name, so you may recognize some existing clients. Further, you can often click or hover on the person's profile so you can confirm if they're local to your practice. Here's how: To invite people who react to your Page's posts:
 I’m a big fan of tools that help me do my job better and/or more efficiently. While my list of these tools is long, I wanted to share a few of my favorite Google chrome extensions. These extensions, automatically integrated into my browser windows, are tools that I use every day, and may help other veterinary social media managers. For info on installing and managing these extensions, click here!
Hoping these tools help you in your work, too! I’d love your feedback and to know your favorite Chrome extensions! Caitlin DeWilde, DVM  Kids, it's been a week. The last seven days have been some of the most stressful many of us have ever experienced. As I've shifted from helping practices market and run ads to helping them figure out how to use telemedicine and make COVID-related posts on social media, we're all adapting. In my own practices, it's been a day-to-day change and rapid/forced adoption of new technologies and policies. I spent my last shift conscious not only about my distance from the tech and the client but the inevitable distraction that came when some one-anyone- so much as sniffled or cleared their throat. It's just...been a week. And now that our teams are adjusting to a new normal-- for most of us, curbside care, dropoffs, non-essential/non-elective care-- many of my social media and consulting clients are asking- what the heck are we supposed to be posting? Our normal strategy of crafting a mix of promoting the practice, sharing fun photos, helpful articles and the occasional meme just doesn't seem right now. But social media is now so full of COVID-related posts making MORE of them hardly seems right either. How do we balance? How do we provide value without adding to the stress and overload? Here's what I'd recommend sharing (examples at the end, and please share yours with us too!): 1. How your team is helping: if your practice has donated gowns, masks or medical supplies, share a picture of the team packing it up or making the donation. If you've shuttered your surgery room to conserve PPE, take a picture of the dark empty room and tell the story of why your team thinks it's important. 2. Support the community: if your neighboring businesses are offering new curbside, carryout or delivery options, give them some social media love by sharing it on your pages. Just this weekend I was able to order a curbside pickup kids art project kit from the craft store, a DIY pizza kit from the pizza place down the street and a carryout dinner (even beer!) from a restaurant near my clinic as they try to minimize the loss of business. These solutions and offerings are creative, supportive and frankly, a welcome distraction (especially since I don't cook!). If your team always gets lunch or coffee from a local establishment, consider sharing a post to support them. 3. Convenience offerings: pet owners will still need food, meds and potentially, their care questions answered. Most practices have options to help in some way, and you should share these!
4. The team (at home). By now, some teams have had to cut staff or reduce hours or may even be mandated to stay-in-place. That's ok. That means that people are safe. It's not great for business and paychecks- I get it-- but it means that people are staying safe. If your team is staying home or reducing their hours, share pictures of your team at home cuddling with their pets. This will help showcase your team PLUS the knowledge that pets are not going to be a source of COVID, and let's face it- they're basically the best part of staying home right now and essential to our mental health! 5. Share what's relatable- we're all stressed, we're all tired, and we're all ESPECIALLY tired of COVID. A funny meme, video or totally non-COVID social post is OK. Looking for some good, safe sources? Check out The Pet Effect, Meowingtons or Mutts Comics. Or maybe this particular social media video that I've watched and laughed at 30 times this week (best with sound). 6. Consider supporting those with two-legged kiddos too. Many are stuck at home WITH kids, looking for things to do. My personal feed has erupted with live videos, at-home exercises, and kid-friendly online activities. If your practice is up for doing some kid-centered live videos, like a tour of the practice, a pet exam, or even reading a pet-themed story- I guarantee you this will be a hit with parents EVERYWHERE and further bond your practice to your community. Stay tuned- I'm working on a two-legged veterinary resources kit to share! It's a rough time to be a social media manager and this is an unprecedented experience that is continuing to evolve. Focus on your people and your practice first, and worry about social media if and when you can. Hopefully, these tips will give you a few ideas on keeping your page valuable to your practice and your followers. Stay safe! -Caitlin DeWilde, DVM      Increase your social media followers and positive reviews with this one change to your clinic email account. Every clinic sends dozens of emails every day-- from appointment confirmations to diagnostic test results to acknowledging receipt of records-- our practice is appearing in inboxes across our communities every day. Email communication with our clients is free, easy and accessible regardless of your practice management system software (or lack thereof). Why not take advantage of this opportunity and give your clients a one-click method to not only respond to your email, but also to connect with your social media channels and your review sites? Email signatures give practices this solution in a variety of creative formats. Email signatures, or the block of text that appear and the end of your emails, generally include a sender’s name, email address, business contact info or website. They can be saved and automatically appear with nearly all email providers. Grab the directions for Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo inboxes here! In our case, email signatures can be customized to include not only the practice’s contact information, but also links to our social media sites and our review sites (Google, Yelp, Nextdoor, etc). You could also consider, based on the way you set up your signature, an appointment booking link or other call to action statement and link. For instance, every email you send could close with something that looks like this:  You can make your practice’s signature as simple or fancy as you’d like. I’ve used tools like the free HubSpot email signature generator, the free version or a low-cost version from WiseStamp, or even simply hyperlinking your social sites in the text of your signature.
Personally, for most practices, I would recommend providing one-click links to your Facebook and Instagram channels, and a call to action statement and link to visit your review site on your website (hopefully this page has links to all of your review sites). If you don’t have that page on your website, no problem-- simply substitute your direct Google or Facebook review link. Data exists to support that email signatures do actually generate interest and catch the reader’s eye (check out this cool research and eye-movement analytics here). Take advantage of this opportunity to give your readers an easy to way to contact you, connect with you on social, review your practice and more! Happy signing, Caitlin DeWilde, DVM  I’ve previously written about the need to have a digital workspace for veterinary teams to communicate. In the practice I work, our team Facebook group is still a go-to for sharing important/urgent updates (like when there was a water main break), upcoming team events or random funny memes. It has its limitations, however, and I’ve turned to Slack for work with many of my clients with TheSocialDVM, and have now implemented Slack in a a half dozen client practices. In the face of a coronavirus scare, social distancing and potential quarantines, having a good handle on how your team members communicate outside the building is essential. So What is Slack? Slack is an online communication hub- think of it as a very organized chat room. Used by 12 million daily users and 65 of the Fortune 500 companies, it’s use is becoming ubiquitous in non-veterinary industries. Practices (or any business or group) can set up a free “workspace” and access it via a weblink, desktop app or smartphone app. Within your workspace, you can add team members (who sign in with their own login). Each team member posts publicly as themselves, but can also have private direct messaging conversations with other members of the team. Each workspace has multiple channels of conversation, all starting with a hashtag for organization. For example, veterinary practices often have a dozen or so similar channels that might look like this:  Basic Slack Terminology
If a team member would like to post something-- for instance, that the new schedule is available-- they could go to the #scheduling channel, and drop in a note that the new schedule is posted and upload it as a file attachment. In another example, let’s say a photo was taken of an adorable patient and the receptionist wants to get it to the technician that does social media, but doesn’t want to bother her on her time off. They could simply upload the photo and patient’s name in the #socialmedia channel, and then tag the technician @Amy to let her know that it’s there. Other team members can see the content, but only @Amy will get a notification that she has something waiting for her in the channel.  How Do You Use Slack? After a team member signs in, they can see any channels that have new public conversations (notice that they are bright white)- this means there are unread messages. If a team member would like to post something-- for instance, that the new schedule is available-- they could go to the #scheduling channel, and drop in a note that the new schedule is posted and upload it as a file attachment. In another example, let’s say a photo was taken of an adorable patient and the receptionist wants to get it to the technician that does social media, but doesn’t want to bother her on her time off. They could simply upload the photo and patient’s name in the #socialmedia channel, and then tag the technician @Amy to let her know that it’s there. Other team members can see the content, but only @Amy will get a notification that she has something waiting for her in the channel. Why Should You Use Slack?
What are the Downsides?
New Technology: I think there are very few, if any. It’s a free platform and works in the clinic and out, and can be accessed on virtually any device. That said, us veterinary peeps are slow to change and it is a new technology. Having a quick one-hour lesson and using some fun easy Slack tasks can be a good way to get started and get over the hump. Top Three Tips
Fun Apps Your Practice Should Try
Bottom Line Slack gives practices a better way to organize, communicate with members while respecting boundaries, and work more efficiently. It’s decreased the number of emails, meetings and missed messages for businesses, and is free to use on any device, anywhere. Ready to give Slack a try? Create a workspace, add your team members, and check out this article on the Top 5 Tips for Getting Started in Slack. I’m hopeful this helps your team work together more efficiently, wherever you work. -Caitlin DeWilde, DVM  COVID-19: Educating Veterinary Clients & Promoting Practice ServicesBy now, coronavirus has infiltrated every aspect of daily life: canceling school, events, vacations, and worst of all, putting people in the hospital. Keeping people safe means social distancing, limiting the "non-essentials," and an increase in basic hygiene. What impact will this have on pets? On our veterinary practices? And what should we be doing? I can't even pretend to know all the answers. But what I do know is NOW is the time to be the source of reliable information, honor our veterinary oath to protect public health, and do the best we can to support our teams and our businesses. Here are some ways to start with our veterinary social media channels: Be the Source of Reliable Information. Take this opportunity to educate your clients about coronavirus-- in people and in pets. As veterinarians, we have an obligation to protect public health, too. While there's still much knowledge to be gained, there are reliable information sources out there from AVMA and WSAVA, plus the human-focused sources of the CDC and WHO. Graphics
Springboard Ideas for Social Post Text (feel free to copy!): Our veterinarians have taken an oath to protect not only animals but also public health. To that end, we wanted to share resources to help both pets and people! This is an emerging situation, but this is what we know now: ✅ There is still no evidence that pets get COVID-19 ✅ There is no evidence to suggest that pet dogs or cats can be a source of infection, including spreading COVID-19 to people. (based on numerous infectious disease experts, as well as the CDC, OIE, and WHO) ✅ Washing your hands before and after interacting with pets is still a good idea to minimize the spread of ANY germs or diseases. ✅ If you or someone else in the home is having symptoms, it is recommended another individual in the home takes care of the pet(s) and contact between the infected individual and the pet(s) is limited until we know more. ✅ If you are symptomatic, please stay home unless seeking medical care. It is advised to call your healthcare provider first so that your healthcare team can reduce risk of transmission while providing care. This keeps everyone safe! ✅ If your pet is in need of medical attention and has potentially been exposed to the virus- please contact a local public health official first, who can then consult with local veterinarians to best provide care while minimizing risk of transmission of COVID-19 to others. If you are unsure if your pet needs to be seen, call our team! We are happy to help you via phone or email. ✅ As always, look for reputable, accurate, information from credible sources, such as the CDC or state/local health departments. 💻 CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 💻 World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 💻 American Veterinary Medical Association info: https://bit.ly/2U10YOI 💻 World Small Animal Veterinary Association info: https://bit.ly/3aTi7k1 Other Great Articles/Shareables/Resources:
Highlight the Offerings Your Practice Has That Can Help.
A local bookstore in my town sent out an email yesterday providing some of the CDC/WHO information, and reminding its customers of the impact this disease can have on the local economy, small businesses and their employees. The email focused on how they were committed to providing the same level of small business service even in a disease outbreak: offering free shipping and even curbside pickup so owners didn't have to come inside. How could our practices do the same? By highlighting the convenience offerings we can provide!
Good luck, stay safe, and wash your hands! -Caitlin DeWilde, DVM   A key step in claiming and personalizing your Facebook Business Page, as well as creating a unified brand identity, is claiming your Facebook handle, also known as a vanity URL.
This handle will allow your Page’s web address to be customized. Instead of the default jumble of numbers and letters like facebook.com/alkjsdlfkjwelkrjlkjf13lkj234, you’ll be able to direct your viewers to facebook.com/yourveterinaryclinic. To customize, you’ll need to be an admin on your practice’s Facebook Page. This process is easiest done on a desktop, where you’ll
Having trouble? Check out Facebook’s username guidelines here, or shoot us an email! -The Social DVM Team  Google posts are a relatively recent feature that allows verified businesses like veterinary practices to create a post, much like a traditional Facebook post, that will appear in the local panel on Google’s search results as well as on Google Maps. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know and how you can implement these into your marketing strategy. WHO Practices that are verified businesses on Google are eligible to use the Google posts feature. Pet owners searching for veterinarians or your specific practice may see these posts in the search engine. WHAT Posts, much like a traditional Facebook post, can include a description, photo and clickable call-to-action button. They act as mini-ads for your practice! Content can include photos, images, GIFs and videos. Google offers several post type varieties, including:
 Call to action buttons can be linked to your practice’s specific URLs, such as your appointment booking link, recent blog post, or website home page. Call-to-action button options are:
WHEN
Most Google Business posts expire after a week, with the main exception being event posts with a date in the future. Posts can be scheduled within the platform up to seven days in advance. In addition, Google does send an email notification when your post is about to expire, or if you haven’t posted in a while. WHERE Google business posts appear in a user’s search engine results (specifically the Google knowledge panel). Google states that they may also appear in the Google feed (for Android devices) if the user has shown an interest in the brand. Offers appear near the top of the Business Profile on Google Search and Maps. They also appear with all other posts in the Updates tab. WHY Google Business posts offer several advantages, including:
Bottom line? If I have a FREE opportunity to take up more space on a search engine result, use a photo or video to show a warm and fuzzy feeling to potential clients, and provide an easy, one click way for clients to book an appointment, I’m going to take it. HOW To create a Google post:
Tips:
Most Google posts can be similar to those you would run on your Facebook or Instagram accounts. Since they have the benefit of “lasting” a bit longer, it’s reasonable to use more “evergreen” content. Avoid the daily barrage of cute puppy pics and try general “Book Now” posts highlighting a specific service or feature such as laser therapy or a cat-only exam room. If you have a blog, share the link and image and a teaser for the content. Remember that your posts will be seen by clients who are searching not only for you, but for the search terms that may appear in your post. Vary the content each week between cats and dogs, and between service, offers and news for a balanced approach. After Posting Your post can be edited or deleted, much like social media posts. It can also be shared directly to your Facebook or Twitter page, emailed directly, or a shared via a direct link visible on each individual post. You can also view the post on Google directly in order to give it one last final review. Reviewing Your Posts You can monitor the success of your posts easily within your Google Business dashboard. Luckily, users are likely to engage with your content because they’re already searching for you on Google. Click on each individual post to view it’s metrics, or check your email for a weekly summary from Google. Specifically, you can view how many people saw each post and how many clicked the link. For more info, check the latest on Google here, or shoot us an email! Happy Posting! -The Social DVM Team  Make it as easy as possible for your customers to leave you a glowing five-star review by creating a direct one-click link.
Once you have your link, throw it to the masses! Embed it on your website, include in post-visit surveys and communications, and share it on social media along with your latest five star review.
Good luck! -The Social DVM team  One word. VERY.
Simply put, a social media handle is a “username,” preferenced by the “@” AKA “at symbol” and used on social media channels. Your handle allows others to find your business on social media by adding it to the tail end of any platform’s web address. For instance, the handle @thesocialdvm can be added to facebook.com/thesocialdvm, instagram.com/thesocialdvm or twitter.com/thesocialdvm and properly direct you to our pages. You may also see this referred to as claiming a “vanity URL.” So why is it so important to have consistent handles across all social media platforms? Your social media handle is a huge part of your branding when it comes to online marketing. It creates a clear, unique identifier of your practice and brand. Ideally, a strong and memorable handle will be easy for your clients and customers to remember and tie back to your business, no matter where they are searching. In addition, having a single unique handle will allow you to market more effectively. Simply add the “@yourvetclinic” to business cards, brochures and client materials for a universal result! Some things to consider when creating your social handle:
The bottom line? When creating a social media handle, it is important to try, whenever possible, to be consistent across channels that allow you to customize- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, and even Google Business. Be creative, but be concise! In some cases, a username you want may already be taken, and you can then decide if you want to have multiple handles or choose a new one that will apply across all channels. Have questions? Need help coming up with a social handle? We are just an email away! -The Social DVM Team  Can you believe nearly 85% of mobile users watch social media videos with the sound OFF? Truthfully, I can. I almost never have my sound on- I’m always worried about my phone going off in an exam room or waking up a kiddo at home. It’s just easier for to leave the phone’s sound off. Consider this stat along with the facts that: 1) videos are the preferred social media content (from the perspective of users and algorithms alike) and 2) we have just a few short seconds to capture our viewer’s attention. Combined, these reasons make captioning your videos a worthy investment of time and in some cases, money. Captions are a great way to improve the length of watch time as well as getting your viewer to understand your message. Even on image-heavy Instagram, captions can increase view time by 12%. Adding captions sounds hard, but really can be done in just a few steps. Here’s the roundup of the platforms and options: A quick note about file type: I had never heard of an .SRT file (SubRip file type) before I started captioning videos, so don’t feel bad if you hadn’t either!  Facebook
Auto-generated:
Unfortunately, the only way to include subtitles on your Instagram videos is to have them be a part of the original file. There are a few apps that can help with this, or traditional video editing software like Adobe Premier Pro. YouTube
Happy Captioning! The Social DVM Team  I’m a big believer in practices having a social media/digital “team.”
A team approach:
Let’s focus on that last bit for a second. When I say “safer,” I’m not just talking about protecting it from a disgruntled employee. I’m also talking about, ya know, that thing I do like three times a week, which is forgetting a password or getting locked out of an account. To be fair, the first possibility is also just that- a possibility. Having multiple admins means that if someone does leave, on good terms or not, the practice won’t suffer and can still access their accounts without that awkward transition. I think this is particularly important for practice owners who often don’t actually manage their accounts day-to-day. Even if you have no intention of ever logging into your Facebook, Yelp, or other accounts- it is THE online representation of your business, and you should own it the same way you own your client list, blood work machines or inventory. So? How do you do that? I’ve rounded up the “how to’s” for all accounts that allow multiple admin or manager roles. Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/help/187316341316631?helpref=related Yelp: https://www.yelp-support.com/article/How-do-I-set-up-additional-logins-for-my-Yelp-Business-Account?l=en_US Google Business: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en For the accounts that don’t yet offer this feature but still need multiple people to access (looking at you, Instagram and Nextdoor), I would recommend using a password manager like Last Pass owned by the practice owner. Happy account securing! Caitlin DeWilde, DVM 1: Find & Claim Your Page You need to access the specific "Yelp For Business Owners" site, available at https://biz.yelp.com/ to claim or edit your listing. Follow the prompts to either login, or get started and set up a new account. Enter your practice zip code, name, and business info. Thanks to the magic of Google et al, your practice's info will appear and you'll be asked to confirm. From here, there are two possibilities: 1) you'll need to confirm your email and set up a new account or 2) you'll find out that your practice has already been claimed. If the latter, you'll need to start the process of trying to reset the password. 2. Create a Business Account for Your Practice Next, you'll be prompted to create a business account. Unfortunately, you'll have to create this in a person's name, not just the clinic name. I would recommend either the practice owner or the practice manager- whomever you want it to look like is responding to your reviews, etc.- set up the first access to the account For instance, if your practice is owned by Dr. John Doe, when you respond to reviews, it will appear as "John D." responded. Similarly, this person will also be the "owner" of the page, and you'll also need to share a bio and photo for this person. Run this by your practice owner if you're not sure who should be the face of your practice's Yelp page. Yelp recently allowed manager access- so once the practice owner or manager has set up the account, additional managers can be added to the page for notifications and managing reviews. In addition to the first and last name, you'll need to input an email address and a password for your Yelp login. Use the email address that you want all notifications about new reviews, etc to be sent to. Typically I would recommend either the practice manager or general office account, so that new reviews are seen by the practice quickly. Make sure to record this email address (username) and password so you can find them in the future. 3: Verify Your Business You'll need to be at your actual place of business to complete this step. Set yourself up by the phone, or let your receptionist know a call will be coming. The Yelp screen you will see states that "To protect you and your business, we need you to answer a quick phone call." It will show show the business number it has on file, and you'll be able to actually trigger the call by clicking on the "Call Me Now" button. The screen will also show you a four digit code that you will be prompted to enter . This proves you're actually a human answering the phone at the business you say you're at, and not just some robot or disgruntled customer. The whole ordeal should take less than 30 seconds. If successful, you'll see a new screen that says "Your Business is Claimed!" and offering Yelp ads. Skip this part by clicking the "No thanks, continue to my business" phrase in the bottom left hand of the screen.  3b: Remove previous users, if necessary If your page was previously claimed/owned, you'll see the first name and last initial of previous owners, as well as a portion of the previous user email addresses. If you don't recognize the name and/or they're not a trusted employee, delete them by clicking the "Remove From Business" button. 4. Download the Yelp app, if you'd like. The next screen gives you the option to have a link for the iOS or Android app texted right to your phone, so you can download the Yelp app and be able to read and respond to your reviews. This step is OPTIONAL, but if you're interested in monitoring on the go, this is a good app to have. If you're not interested, click "Skip." 5. Edit Your Business Information After skipping or saving your info about the Yelp app, the next screen will look almost identical, but ask you for general business information. This is where many office managers may get stuck, since this information will most likely come from the veterinarian/owner. Be prepared to answer the following questions:
Enter the info as prompted. If you don't have all the details when you're first setting up your profile, you can skip certain questions, but it's best to just get it all done at once! 6. Confirm Your Email Address Check your email that you used to set up your business account for a confirmation email and click the link. You'll need to be confirmed before proceeding to the last step of adding your photos!  7. Upload Photos After you've completed the information, add some photos to personalize your profile, and draw attention during a search. Without adding your own photos, your profile will: a) look dull and boring b) customers will think it's an autocreated profile and less likely to visit/review your profile and c) potentially showcase photos OTHER people have uploaded of your business. Therefore, it's best to add your own and have control over your profile! I would recommend not only the typical photos of the building outside, your practice logo, the reception area and the exam room, but be sure to showcase photos of what animal lovers want to see- your veterinarians interacting with animals! I typically try to add 5-10 photos, and ALWAYS am sure to add photos of the veterinary team doing what they do best-- helping animals. If you want to go all out, you can also add captions to the photos. I have even used a few PlaceIt photos to showcase app or website-based features that some of clinics offer, like a clinic app or online appointment requests, etc. You can access your photos from the left hand menu. Unfortunately, Yelp randomizes the photos so there is no way to pick which one is first viewed, so make sure they're all good photos :-) 8. Admire Your Work and Share with Your Followers!
You're done! Go back to regular 'ol Yelp.com and search for your business to see how it will look to your customers! Check out your site and if you're happy with it, share the link on your social media pages and ask your web designer to add a link from your website. Your clients will be able to easily find you and hopefully leave great reviews! Have questions? Need help? I'm just an email or click away. Good luck! -CD |
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