There are two marketing myths that need to be dispelled immediately. First, veterinarian marketing is not all about coupons, and newsletters. Second, great veterinary marketing ideas don’t always come from the blogs of marketing geniuses. Sometimes, the answers that you’re looking for come from close to home — in this case, they’re going to come from your patients. Try turning these three problems into veterinary practice marketing concepts that help your business and your patients at the same time.
Problem Number One. You see more sick animals in the winter due to ice melt ingestion.
Winter can be a hazardous time for dogs and cats since the roads and sidewalks are often lined with ice melt products. Getting these products onto their bare paws, skin, or ingesting them can mean anything from some mild gastrointestinal issues, such as vomiting, to severe central nervous system failures, seizures, and death. This might not seem on the surface like a veterinarian marketing opportunity, but you could hold an informational session for clients and neighborhood residents, or use social media to spread the word about being vigilant during snow season.
Problem Number Two. More and more pet owners are posting “lost pet” flyers in your reception area.
If people in your neighborhood are trying to find lost pets, then you can do more to help them by using social media to reach more people. A lost pet can be a tragic thing for a pet owner, but you can help others in your region be better prepared with micro-chipping. Stress the importance of collars and I.D. tags, and invite pet owners in to your clinic to learn more about how you can help them make sure that a lost pet is quickly found.
Problem Number Three. Pets brought in for allergies make up most of the cases you see during the summer months.
According to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. the most common medical condition afflicting dogs in 2012 was skin allergies. You can use your blog as an educational tool by explaining the different kinds of allergies (contact, food, etc.) and how your vet clinic is able to help in each case. Allergies are rarely fatal, but they can prove to be incredibly distressing to both the pets and their owners.
You should be able to adjust these veterinary marketing tips to whatever situations are most common at your particular clinic. Of course, having a good web presence, strong branding, and vibrant social network is important to any veterinarian marketing endeavor. If you lack these things, then professionals may be able to help. A Pew Internet study revealed that approximately 58% of people use the internet to research services and products. Having the help of social media and search engine optimization efforts will only make your marketing plans more effective.