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VNN Media Insider
June 16th, 2011

Dear VNN Member: 

 

Television CameraWith the flooding in the South, wildfires in the Southwest and all around hot temperatures all over the country, there are many opportunities for you to reach out to media and, quite possibly, develop a long-lasting relationship with the potential for building your practice.  Throw in the stories about heartworm resistance, rabies outbreaks and the continuing battle with online pet pharmacies and you have no shortage of topics.

 

So...what are you doing about it?  What's your plan to get your expertise and your business in front of both traditional and social media? 

 

In This Issue
Animals in the News!
Which VNN Resouce is Right For You?
Upcoming Events and Reminders
Social Media Will Not Save You
Animals in the News This Week
 

Veterinarian and assistant with dogAs you all know, there are a lot of different ways to reach out to pet owners.  Here are some great examples of VNN members doing just that through traditional and social media:

 

First, Dr. Kate Zimmerman of Tri-County Veterinary Hospital in Tennessee discusses the information and mis-information people can find on the Internet.   

 

Dr. Jennifer Hennessey of Sugar Land Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX lets her readers know about heartworms and how serious the parasite can be.

 

Our friends at the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association warned the public about potential blue green algae advisories.

 

There are a multitude of examples of our members doing great work every week...and the important thing to remember is that VNN is here whenever you have questions or if you need an encouraging nudge.  If you can't find the answers in our Media Training library, please call either one of us so that we can help!  

 

For routine updates on newsworthy stories and potential social media items, make sure you and your hospital follow our Veterinary News Network Facebook page.  Many of these stories can be found on our "Wall". 

 

 

Which VNN Resource is Right For You? 

Tom Dock - Reporter Relations Manager, VNN

Understanding the different VNN Resources could help you market your practice and educate pet owners. 

 

Members who have been with VNN since it's inception in 2005 have seen us grow from simply producing broadcast video and print columns for busy media veterinarians to the wealth of resources we now produce every month.  Since we have been changing through the years and since we are adding new members every month, I thought it would be a great time to review what we have available for you.

 

Video and video script:  Each month, VNN produces 2 new stories on animal health, advances in veterinary medicine or some topic relevant to pet health.  Our videos were originally designed specifically for broadcast television, but the power and reach of the Internet is now enabling us to produce "web videos" and still reach millions.  These videos can still be used by your local TV affiliate if they choose, but you can also place these videos on your own hospital website, creating a "Video library".   The videos are also easy to place in social media (on your Facebook page or your personal blog).    

 

Don't forget...for a small fee and a little time on your part, VNN can customize our videos so that YOUR face and voice appear instead of Dr. Humphries'.

 

Print Columns:  Along with the video, we also give you two print resources on the topic.   The Print Column is a 750-850 word column that is designed for larger papers or more lengthy blogs.  Obviously, this column can include a lot of detail about the topic.  The Radio Script resource is actually a shorter version of the column, averaging 450-525 words.   This resource is good for smaller papers, blogs or even for reading "on-air" if you have a radio segment.  The length of the Radio Script ends up being about 3 minutes at typical reading pace.

 

Important reminder - any of our print resources are designed to be edited and customized by YOU!  Simply download the desired resource as a Word document, add your edits and some "local flavor" and you are ready to go!!

 

Radio Talking Points:  Each story has a set of message points or "sound bites" that are perfect for radio interviews and even for giving to your TV host.  Some hospitals even use this resource as key educational points for staff training.

 

Tip Sheets:  Have you ever wanted some quick "top ten" lists to give to a client about particular topics?  Check out our Tip Sheets...these are designed to be client-friendly and, again, are completely editable and customizable by you.  Add your hospital's name and your doctors' names to make the document a little more personal.

 

Pictures:  Although not 100% complete, many of our stories also include still photos and images that can help you add great visual effects to your print column or your blogs.   

 

Note - we are ALWAYS happy to receive "action shots" from your hospital.   If you have some neat or exciting pictures of your hospital, your team in action or even a neat case, please consider sharing with us and your fellow VNN members.  We will definitely try to give you and your hospital attribution whenever we can! 

 

 

Upcoming Events and Reminders

FDA Be Aware BrochureOn June 1st, we released a fun story reviewing Top Websites for Pet Lovers.  Then, in a great follow up, on June 15th, we released our latest story, Online Pet Pharmacies - Saving Money or Risk to Pets?   Both of these stories should stimulate plenty of interaction when you use them in your traditional or social media networks.  Remember, just don't throw up a link to the story...ask your followers to comment or share THEIR favorite pet websites and/or their thoughts about online pet pharmacies.

 

We haven't forgotten about our webinars!!  We have taken a quick break for the past month to allow all of you to catch your breath and determine what type of media is working best for you.  Looking forward, we do plan on having another Facebook webinar as well as webinars discussing traditional media.

 

We now have a new resource at MyVNN.com.  Check out our Perpetual Animal Events Calendar!
Sincerely,



ContactsThomas Dock, CVJ
Managing Editor

[email protected]

719-445-7065 

 

 

Dr. Jim Humphries

President/News Director

[email protected]

719-495-2100

 

SOCIAL MEDIA WILL NOT SAVE YOU!  

Red light siren
Although we have pushed, nudged and prodded you into considering any number of social media tools, one thing that we have ALWAYS said is that the ultimate goal in using any of the tools, like Twitter or Facebook , is to reach out and develop/strengthen relationships with your clients and potential clients.  Keeping that in mind, this brief article is paraphrased from a recent blog by Peter Shankman.  His blog in its entirety can be found here.

Social media is not about having huge numbers of followers or plastering your network with discount after coupon after special.  Social media is simply another facet of marketing and customer service.  If you don't provide excellent, "above and beyond" and memorable service to your clients, social media will not make you more money or make your door swing more often.

Use social media as a means to be relevant to pet owners.  Share timely pet health information and let them know about advances in veterinary medicine.  Be the calming voice when recalls happen and, above all, be the voice for the pets.  Remember the old adage:  "They don't care about what you know but they do want to know how much you care".

Don't post lengthy updates about new scientific advances unless you can break it down into a single important sentence or two geared towards your clients.  Ask for input and interaction...instead of just posting the latest advice about keeping pets cool during the summer, ASK your followers how they plan to keep their pets from overheating.  Remember, you are building the relationship...

Your goal, as a business, is to make money, keep your current clients happy and to continually build clientele.  Social media can be a great tool to help expand your reach, but it won't do any good if your clients are receiving sub-par service when they walk into your lobby.  Make people think of you first for expert pet care AND the best in customer service and you will see that social media will help fuel that fire!


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