Social media safety 101

When it comes to social media, this form of communication is not just a marketing option for clinics. For some, it has become a primary method of talking to clients and is now a tool to connect clinics to their local communities and the veterinary industry as a whole. Along with the benefits of increased visibility, however, there can also be some not-so-beneficial aspects.

During her lecture, "Avoiding the Digital Doghouse: Social Media Safety in Veterinary Medicine," at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo Conference in Orlando, Florida, Rhonda Bell, CVPM, PCM, CDMP, provided attendees with guidance on navigating the world of social media in a safe and beneficial way.

Privacy and security settings

In order to maintain control over the online presence of your clinic, you must start with a deep understanding and implementation of privacy settings. These settings play a very important part for both the practice's official account and the individual accounts of any team members who could be publicly affiliated with the clinic. For a practice to ignore or underutilize privacy settings can cause the unintended exposure of client data, sensitive information, or internal operations.

Veterinary teams should review privacy tools regularly, especially after a platform update, because these tools allow practices to control who can view posts, send messages, tag content, and access profile information. Bell suggests teams consider using business management tools, such as Meta Business Suite, to centralize roles, permissions, and monitoring, and advises teams not to log into professional accounts from unsecured personal devices. As an extra step for security, teams can also enable two-factor authentication, require strong and unique passwords for each account (updated on a regular basis), and never reuse passwords between personal and professional accounts. If needed, teams can also utilize a secure password manager to store credentials.

Another way to protect your clinic is to have team members trained to recognize phishing attempts, avoid clicking on suspicious links, or sharing login credentials over email or direct messages. Online scammers and hackers can often manipulate individuals into revealing confidential information by impersonating a trusted source or even other team members. Being prepared and trained is a great step toward being as safe as a clinic can be online.

“Use Meta Business Suite. Centralize the management of Facebook and Instagram to make it easy on yourself. You can post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, if you connect those. You can do 2 background authentication. You can also have people on your team able to access it by having them as administrators or editors,” Bell explained.

Finally, Bell warns attendees that if a staff member with social media access leaves the clinic, their access to all digital accounts should be revoked immediately. If this is not done, it can give the former employee access to sensitive data and the possibility to misuse the accounts. Practices should keep a record of everyone who has access to the accounts and review it periodically. Teams can even create a checklist to keep in employee files; each time a password or permission is issued, it should be marked on the list. This helps if an individual leaves because the clinic can easily see which accounts they had access to and ensure they are removed.

Online security is a team effort, so if everyone does their part, there is a higher chance of not falling for these potential schemes.

Employee biographies and safety risks

Employee biographies on clinic websites and social media can be a great way for clients to get to know the staff taking care of their pets, but they can pose serious security risks. Biographies often include personal details including the names of spouses or children, favorite pets, hobbies, and hometowns. Although charming, Bell warns that this information can be a “goldmine for hackers” as they attempt to guess passwords or breach security questions. This can also be dangerous for staff by potentially opening them up to unwanted contact from individuals during emotionally charged situations or personal domestic issues.

Teams can still have biographies on their websites safely if they take a cautious and creative approach to writing them. Instead of direct personal information, Bell suggests practices write biographies from a pet's perspective or use a professional but fun tone to highlight team member roles. This can create a warm and engaging tone without overexposing staff.

Bell also suggests veterinary clinics use pet photos or illustrations instead of headshots. This can help protect personal privacy while making the clinic stand out by reflecting a lighthearted culture.

Biographies walk a tightrope between personal connection and safety, so give team members the chance to approve biographies before they are used and keep the content updated within current privacy best practices to ensure no one is at risk.

Distinguish between professional and personal branding

“It is so critical that your clients can know just from walking in [your clinic], seeing your teachings, seeing your website, seeing your team, hearing you talk, everything. They [should] know exactly who your practice is” Bell explained.

"So much so that whenever they come in, they understand your personality, they understand the voice, they understand the culture, the whole thing.” she continued.

Most people today use social media on a personal level, so it is important that there is a difference between that and professional social media usage. Veterinary professionals should create separate accounts from their personal ones to maintain better control over the content and images being shared. According to Bell, professional accounts should reflect the veterinary clinic’s mission, values, and services along with its logo, colors, and tone of voice. To protect staff, she also encouraged teams to include biographies of their team members but not to overshare personal details.

However, branding is more than logos and colors; it is the personality of the veterinary practice portrayed through visual and verbal cues. Establishing a strong brand online can help current and potential clients remember the practice, so having a unified look across any social media platforms the clinic is using is very important. Teams can even create brand guides with examples to ensure the clinic’s key messages, mission, and statements remain consistent, as anyone contributing to the social media should understand and follow these guidelines.

Bell emphasized that branding is about trust, so a consistent and professional presence online lets clients know that the practice is organized, reliable, and invested in the well-being of their pets.

In conclusion

Social media is constantly changing and evolving, so clinics need to stay on top of their digital platforms. Bell recommends teams conduct regular audits of their social media performance and policies. Team members should also be encouraged to stay informed on online safety and how to protect themselves and the clinic through continuing education, webinars, or professional groups. By focusing on safety and having the team follow guidelines and participate in training, social media can be a great place to help teams and practices grow.

Reference

1. Bell R. Avoiding the digital doghouse: social media safety in veterinary medicine Presented at: Veterinary Meeting & Expo; Orlando, FL. January 17-21, 2026.