Burned out on trying to bring in new customers for your veterinary practice? Sick of spending time and money on marketing and not seeing enough of a return? You think you've tried it all, but you're running low on new veterinary marketing ideas that will actually interest potential customers and current customers.
The great news is that there are lots of new ways to interact with your customers and potential customers that are truly the cat's meow. These new marketing strategies are efficient, cost-effective and they work!
Also, check out the updated version of this blog we wrote as part of our Flashback Friday series: 10 Pitfalls to Avoid with Veterinary Marketing.
10 Veterinary Marketing Ideas You've Never Tried
1. Social Media Contests
Posts on social media that feature contests are shared much more frequently than other types of posts, and are more often liked and commented on. Easily run social media contests by scheduling a series of automated posts to go out over the course of a month. Most veterinary practices offer products for sale in addition to their pet services. Feature a contest that lets visitors enter to win a year's supply of pet food, a pet goodies basket or even a non-veterinary item. Your messages will be shared with visitors' friends and followers, increasing the amount of people who will see your content.
2. Text Message Shortcodes
Most people open text messages very soon after they receive them, making them a great veterinary marketing tool. Use text message short codes as a way to get people to quickly and easily interact. Shortcodes are shortened numbers or words that people can text to in order to take an action. This could be donating money, gaining information or entering a contest. Try using shortcodes for donation campaigns for animal health, contests, promotions on products and services and more.
3. Create Infographic for Pet Needs
People love infographics because they include both visual and text content. Develop an infographic that focuses on pets' needs as they move through life. Or one that provides statistics about different types of pets and their owners. You can make an infographic about almost anything. Infographics enjoy high interaction rates, so post them on your social media pages and your veterinary website.
4. Share Pictures and Videos
Visual content gets very high engagement rates. Share pictures of pets who have been treated at your practice, videos of pets playing with their owners, and touching pet stories. Build up a reputation of caring and trust with this type of content, which will build loyalty among your customers.
5. Get Customer Testimonials
All you have to do is ask satisfied customers to give you a customer testimonial. Lots of customers will agree to provide testimonials if they have had a great experience. You can share customers testimonials anywhere: on your website, on social media, in magazine ads and so on.
6. Create a Loyalty Program
How do you keep customers coming back even if they find cheaper veterinary alternatives? A loyalty program is a great way to build loyalty. Offer points on purchases, coupons or special discounts after a certain amount of time.
7. Start a Blog
A blog is a great way to add quality content to your website. You have a lot of veterinary expertise. Now just share it with the world! Blog about pet care tips, customer stories, veterinary news, whatever you want. Create blog posts that are interesting, focused and not too long. A blog is also great for raising your website's SEO (search engine optimization) ranking. This ultimately makes your website more visible when customers search for vets online and increases your exposure. A blog is great for veterinary marketing without sounding overly salesy.
8. Offer a Free or Discounted First Time Visit
Draw customers away from the competition by offering a great deal for first time visits. This will hook customers and once they come in they will see how great your services are!
9. Offer Discounts or Freebies for Customer Referrals
We can't leave out current customers! Whenever a customer refers a friend to your vet, provide the referring customer with a coupon, small free product or other incentive. Word of mouth is a powerful veterinary marketing tool, and many new customers will come in based on the advice of their friends.
10. Profile Your Stars
Getting to know your staff makes a huge difference for customers who are thinking of bringing their animals in. Create profiles that highlight your individual staff members' talents and accomplishments. Share the stories on your website and social media pages. By introducing your staff members to your customers on a more personal basis, you create a real connection, build trust and let your customers know that your staff is competent and knowledgeable. This is a great way to increase customer interaction and grow loyalty.
These marketing ideas will increase your exposure online, bring in new customers and grow repeat business. Many of these strategies can easily be implemented with an automated Customer Flow Communication solution to save time.
Want to see the difference automation can make for your veterinary marketing and advertising? Check out the SimplyCast 360 platform and click the button below to sign up for a demo to see what it can do.
