Using social media is a great way to promote your work and practice, both locally and to the wider world.

Please find a selection of posts that can be used on social media. Always use the hashtag #InSafeHands so we can engage and amplify your posts. This will also help us build momentum and track engagement.

Social media posts 

We've put together a collection of captions that you can utilise during this campaign:

Social 1 

If you’ve ever wondered why #vets fees cost what they do, this short film behind the scenes of a busy vet practice really shows what goes into caring for the nation’s animals. From the skilled professionals through to the high-tech equipment. #InSafeHands    

Social 2

Amazing short ‘behind the scenes’ film of a vet practice that’s very similar to ours. It’s great to be able to show what goes into delivering care to our patients. #InSafeHands

Social 3

You knew vets take care of the nation’s pets but #DidYouKnow they play a critical role in UK food production, international trade along with managing disease control and public health. #InSafeHands  

As well as posting across your social media, you can also embed on your website. Here's some supporting copy to help: 

Vets and vet teams care deeply about the welfare of animals and take pride in delivering outstanding, highly skilled care for patients and clients. These short films share the real-life stories and experiences of vets working across the profession and the important work they do day to day, from protecting the welfare of the nation’s pets to supporting farmers and food production, international trade, disease control and public health. 

#InSafeHands

Local media coverage can be an excellent way to market your veterinary practice and to promote the services you offer to local customers – all for free. You can use the tips below to get a story in the local media. Alternatively, send your ideas and case studies to the BVA media team ([email protected]), who will do the legwork for you.

What is the press interested in?

There are several options for generating local media coverage. BVA’s media guide for members offers simple tips and advice to help you achieve local press coverage. Here are some key takeaways:

• Share stories and photos from your practice on your social media channels: these can be photos, quotes, and moments that showcase working life and what you love about your role. It could be your experiences of working in the profession, shout-outs to team members, or photos of cuddles with patients! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #InSafeHands.
• Interesting case studies: these can be stories capturing the vital day-to-day care to animals in your care, from challenging emergencies to heartwarming stories, and your practice’s community initiatives. For example, this story of vets based in St Helen’s who removed a wooden skewer from inside a dog in a life-saving operation. It could also be a topical issue that will be of interest to your clients– for example, a useful warning to pet owners about seasonal hazards such as blue-green algae in summer or the danger of chocolate to dogs at Easter. Remember: always get a client's permission to use their names and stories in a press release. Where possible, include short, engaging quotes from the client mentioned in the story.
• Become a known and trusted commentator: a ‘go-to’ person, for local media on animal health and welfare issues by calling or emailing local journalists and editors with your professional opinion on local news stories to build two-way relationships.

What to include in a case study

You can pitch these stories to the media yourself, or reach out to the BVA media team who will be happy to help draft the case studies for you. Here’s the information you’ll need to provide for a case study:

• Name, location and contact details of the vet / vet practice 
• A few sentences outlining the case – what species of animal? what was the issue? where did it happen? how it was solved? what was the outcome for the animal and client.  
• Get permission from clients to feature their animal’s story in your communications work.  
• Share any photos of the animal looking happy and healthy, plus any images that illustrate the issues – so x-rays, pictures of foreign bodies etc.  

1. Be prepared If you receive an out-of-the-blue call or you’re put on the spot by a journalist, give yourself time. You do not need to respond immediately; be polite, get contact details, find out the journalist’s deadline and suggest that you’ll call them back in 5 minutes/30 minutes/1 hour, which gives you time to do your research and figure out what you’d like to say.
2. Be proactive Pick up the phone because journalists and editors will welcome local experts on local stories and want to hear from you; ‘Vets warn of dogs overheating in the summer’ can very easily become ‘Local vet warns Cornish owners of dogs overheating in the summer.’
3. Be the 5Cs – clear, concise, correct, conversational and Code compliant: Talk as if you are tadlking to a client because this is what the media and the audience wants from you. Do not use too many statistics or you will lose your readers/listeners. Know what the one thing is you would like your audience to take away, then say it clearly and concisely. When talking to the media, make sure you comply with the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons. The relevant Code paragraphs are 23.19 – 23.21 and can be accessed at here. 

Getting permission for your photos: if you are taking photographs for media or social media use, and these photos include identifiable images of members of the public or animals, including your clients or their animals, you must have their permission to use their image. If the image is of a minor under 18 years of age, you must have the permission of their parent or legal guardian. The RCVS Code outlines asking permission to use images of animals in paragraph 12.10.

Refer to BVA’s Pets in Advertising best practice guidance for tips on the responsible depiction of animals in all imagery.