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Veterinary News Network Media Insider
March 21st, 2013
In This Issue
Quick News Stories
Be Proactive about Online Reviews
New and Upcoming At VNN
New At ASVJ
Quick Links

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ASVJ Logo


Greetings!
 
Spring is here, but Mother Nature seems determined to keep throwing a lot of cold weather and white snow our way.   I hope you all are keeping warm!

This is a busy time of year for veterinarians...from annual exams and heartworm tests to an influx of boarders during Spring Break, it can be a challenge to keep up with the day to day business, not to mention your media work.  How are you handling the challenges of practicing medicine AND reaching out to your community to market your practice through the media?

Let VNN help where we can!!  From story resources on heartworms, fleas and intestinal parasites to advice on reaching out to local media, we are your best source for increasing your presence in all media! 
Animals, Veterinarians and VNN Members in the News  
 
Aussie pup getting teeth brushed I don't know why, but there is a LOT of passionate people out there defending the practice of non-anesthetic dental scalings in pets.  Our own Dr. Jim recently dealt with this situation in Colorado as his article on appropriate and proper dental cleanings in pets was edited so that a large advertiser and advertorial on the benefits of NADS would not be offended.  You can see Dr. Jim's article on page 6 and the advertorial on page 18 by clicking here.  As you can imagine, this has caused quite the controversy in the Colorado Springs area and my sources tell me that many veterinarians have now pulled their advertising from this publication.

As you have probably seen, Natura had a small recall recently after Salmonella was found in one lot of their foods.   Included brands are Evo, Innova, California Natural and Healthwise.

Easter is just a week away...are you doing any media outreach?  Stories about keeping rabbits or chicks and ducks as pets are starting to hit the news outlets.  We have messaging on this topic as well as chocolate toxicity and lily toxicity at MyVNN.com.

Congratulations to Dr. Monica Mansfield...she was recently interviewed by DVM 360 about her children's book about euthanasia of pets.  Great job!
 
An easy way to keep up with important animal health or veterinary news is to "Like" our Veterinary News Network Facebook page.  Daily posts will help keep you up to date and recommendations for using VNN resources will occur routinely as well!  If you are more interested in a private setting to discuss media stories affecting the veterinary profession, join our VNN Linked In Group.

Being Proactive in Handling Online Reviews!

Tom and doxie Louie Thomas F. Dock, BS, CVJ
Managing Editor, Veterinary News Network
Board of Certification, American Society of Veterinary Journalists 

I recently took a cross country trip and stayed at a Ramada Inn in the middle of Kansas.  Although the price was right, my family's experience here was far from perfect. 

So, being the social media guy that I am, I decided to post some reviews of my experience, just to see if I would get any sort of response.  I posted my review on Yelp and noted that there were NO other positive reviews of the hotel.  To this day, almost 3 weeks later, there has been no official response from Ramada.   I also reached out to them via their website, but was amazed to find that your comment was limited to 450 characters!!   That limitation did not even begin to give me enough space to address my concerns.  As expected, I have yet to receive a response from the chain.  Finally, the hotel had virtually NO Facebook presence...I didn't even bother posting, assuming from other posts I have seen that there would be no interaction through this medium.

Do you think that I will EVER recommend this hotel to friends or family?

We have mentioned this before but it is imperative that you find ways to monitor what is being said about you and your business online!

Now that I have reiterated that again, how about some proactive steps for handling reviews?

First, assign someone in your practice to be an official "reviewer".  Let them spend an hour a week writing reviews about local businesses in your area.  Have them do this from a home computer, mobile device or some other location.  Most review sites will favor reviewers who are active on their site and reviewing a multitude of businesses versus the "one-time" review from someone.  By allowing an employee to function in this role, you are getting them connected online and decreasing the odds that their reviews will be filtered.  Now you have someone with the ability to post an immediate positive note whenever and wherever a client tries to malign you in social media.

On a positive note, this person may also be able to help your friends in the local business community by posting positive reviews!

Next, it is vital that you "claim" your business at the review sites so that you can have a voice.  Again, this is not news to anyone, but have you gone out and done it?  Without claiming ownership, it is nearly impossible for your voice to be heard when reviews hit the site.  If you are having trouble with this step, contact us and we will help you.

Is your website "contact us" friendly?  I recently saw many veterinary sites that had absolutely NO way for a client to connect with the practice virtually.  Take a look at your site and see if your "Contact Us" button is visible and user friendly.

Are you already personally active on the review sites?  Let us know so that we can leverage the power of our network here at VNN to help out fellow VNN members when they are facing suspicious or malicious reviews!

Finally, despite what the review sites say, it is NOT wrong to ask satisfied clients to post reviews.   Find out if your dog and cat owners are 1) happy with you and 2) if they are avid visitors to review sites like Yelp.  Engage them to post reviews for you and help spread the word about your good work!

Until next time...

Tom


New and Upcoming at VNN

Dog looking at bone on plate So, how did your clients and your community respond to our recent video on the dangers of feeding bones to dogs?  We have heard very positive things from our veterinary colleagues, but I would love to get feedback on the response YOU are seeing when you shared this story.  Are people agreeing and thanking you for sharing vital information or have you seen strong opinions the other way?   In either situation, the good news is that people are viewing your media outreach and engaging with it!!  That's great!   Let me know what you are hearing from your clients on this, or any VNN story!

Last week, our mid-month print story was released.   Letting people know that Pet Poisonings Often Happen in the Home is a great way to reach out and help educate pet owners BEFORE a crisis occurs.  Add some personal experiences to the story and you have now created a fantastic story to tell your community!

Next month, watch for an updated story on Obesity in Pets!


ASVJ Logo American Society of Veterinary Journalists

Our organization designed with a goal of bringing professionalism back to journalism involving veterinary medicine and animal care is continuing to grow!!  Are you someone who should be credentialed as a Certified Veterinary Journalist or do you know someone who should be??

If you would like to know more about becoming a Certified Veterinary Journalist, visit http://asvj.org.  We highly encourage all VNN members to get their certification!
 

At VNN, we are here, 24/, to help you with your media needs.  Please don't hesitate to contact us whenever you need help!

Sincerely,

Thomas Dock
Managing Editor
719-445-7065 (office)
317-281-8658 (mobile)
[email protected]
Contact
Dr. Jim Humphries
President and Founder
719-495-2100 (VNN Main Office)
719-963-6852 (mobile)
[email protected]