Category: Google

Top Five Google Chrome Extensions for Veterinary Social Media

4/23/2020

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!

Grammarly: By far my favorite and most-used on this list, Grammarly is a must-have extension to ensure that your spelling and grammar are correct. Particularly useful in programs that don’t have a spellchecker built-in (basically all of the social media sites), Grammarly comes to the rescue. Grammarly works with the text fields on most websites, including Gmail, Google Docs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more.

ColorZilla: This extension has multiple features, but the one I use daily is the eyedropper color picker tool. Hover the eyedropper over any color visible on your screen and get the hex code of the exact color. It’s copied to your clipboard automatically, so you can hop over to Canva and copy and paste it quickly and easily! I use this tool to match brand colors when I don’t have the exact details. For instance, if I want the text of the social media or print design I’m creating to match a practice’s color scheme, I’ll hover the eyedropper over their logo on their website to get the exact shade.

Full Page Screen Capture: This is my latest fave, and in the simplest terms, will create an image file or PDF out of any website. Since I frequently switch between my Mac at home and PCs at the clinic, I’m forever messing up the short key commands when trying to get a good screen capture of an image or part of the clinic website. I frequently capture parts of a website to create graphics to share with our clients, such as the online portal on our website, or to demonstrate how to find a particular piece of information. This tool not only helps with not having to know the exact key commands, it also will capture a perfectly clean image every time- no more cropping problems! Save the file as an image or PDF.

Buffer: Because my team uses Buffer for scheduling the majority of our social content, adding the buffer extension was a no-brainer. This extension will allow me to share an article-- or schedule one-- right from my browser and without having to go log into my Buffer account. This is helpful when I find an article in the news, or even follow a link from another social feed, that I’d like to share. Another helpful aspect is the “share image” button which gives me more control over the exact image shared along with the link.

Facebook Pixel Helper: this one might be a little geeky, but I love it. For those of you who are familiar with Facebook pixels-- whether you use them in your own marketing or just like to know what companies are using them to target you-- this pixel is a great “green light” that simply turns blue when a pixel is embedded in a webpage you visit. While I mostly use it to check on some of our advertising campaigns, I also like knowing when I visit websites personally that are then going to try to target me with their ads (I know, I don’t need any more cat shoes). For those of you using them in your advertising, they will not only confirm proper installation but also show errors and warnings that may apply.

Hoping these tools help you in your work, too! I’d love your feedback and to know your favorite Chrome extensions!

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

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Google Posts 101: Who, What, When, Why & How

2/24/2020

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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:

What’s New
Event
Offer
Product

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:

Book
Order online
Buy
Learn more
Sign up
Get Offer
Call Now

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:

Increased visibility on Google search results
Direct, clickable call to action buttons to drive viewers to the practice’s goal (e.g. booking an appointment, calls, visit to the website or blog)
Provide clients with timely information and promote events, news and offers
Engage and connect with clientele using photos and videos

While there isn’t much data on use in the veterinary industry, I’ve seen posts get over 800 views and 20 clicks on buttons, though 100-300 views is fairly normal. Some great non-veterinary specific data on their views, clicks and overall efficacy can be viewed here.
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:

Sign into your Google Business profile
Click the “Create Post” button on the right hand side of your dashboard, or click the Posts tab in the left- hand toolbar
Choose your post type, and then follow the prompts to add your photo, written description, and call to action button and link (if applicable to post type).
Click “Preview” before publishing and review for clarity and correctness.
When you’re ready, click “Publish” and you’re done!

Tips:

Use great images. Google will accept any image and resize a thumbnail if needed, but the minimum is 400px wide by 300px. JPG and PNG formats are accepted.
Numerous video formats are accepted, including MP4 and MOV, but the video must be under 100Mb.
Catch the reader’s eye with a descriptive title in 4-5 words (58 character limit).
Details: here, you can share more information about the news, offer or event. Shoot for 150-300 characters, but you can use up to 1500 if needed.
Call-to-action: don’t miss this opportunity to redirect your viewers to your website, booking link or other objectives.

Veterinary Specific Examples & Ideas:
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

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Creating a Direct Google Review Link

2/17/2020

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Make it as easy as possible for your customers to leave you a glowing five-star review by creating a direct one-click link.

Here’s how:
Desktop:

Sign into your Google My Business account.
If you have multiple practices, select the location you’d like to use.
Click “Home” in the left-hand menu.
Look for the “Get More Reviews” card on the right-hand side. It will look like g.page/yourveterinarypractice/review. Hit “copy” to copy your short URL to share with your customers for more reviews!

If you don’t see the “Get More Reviews” section, make sure you have claimed your “short name.” Find this in the Info section under “@” or click here for more info.

Mobile Device

Open the Google My Business app.
Tap “Customers” and then “Reviews”
In the top right, tap “Share.”
If your short name is not created, you will be prompted to create one.
Hit “copy” to copy your short URL to share with your customers for more reviews!

Need more help? Get the latest from Google here.

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

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Top Five Google Chrome Extensions for Veterinary Social Media

Google Posts 101: Who, What, When, Why & How

Creating a Direct Google Review Link

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