Marketing a new veterinary practice might seem daunting, but with a well-structured plan, you can effectively promote your services and attract clients. This guide walks you through essential marketing components from creating a logo to leveraging social media.
Who does marketing?
When it comes to marketing, veterinary practices have several options. Let’s examine the pros and cons of each:
Ad hoc, non-specialist marketing done in-house
This may be affordable, but the return on investment could be low due to a lack of specific marketing skills and it might not make the best use of your marketing budget.
Marketing specialists in-house
This option offers a strong brand custodian. However, it only makes sense if the practice is large enough to justify a full or part-time marketing manager. The limitation here lies in relying on a single person’s expertise, potentially leaving gaps.
Marketing agency
A marketing agency can offer dedicated resources and specialised skills, particularly in digital marketing. This approach can optimise return on investment and ensure consistent growth for the practice.
Your logo and branding
Your logo and branding are the first things potential clients see. They need to stand out in the right way, sticking in people’s minds, inspiring trust and motivating clients to consider registering with your practice.
Step 1 – understand your identity
The first part of the branding process is to think about how you want your practice to be perceived and what you want to be known for. You need to understand your target market, your practice’s selling points, and how these fit in the context of your practice’s local area.
Your logo needs to express your practice’s identity, quality and core values: are you a farm or companion animal practice? Is your practice traditional or looking to adopt more modern, approachable branding that caters to ‘pet parents’? Do you have a specific story or background you want to get across to clients?
Step 2 – study your competition
It’s also worth taking a look at the competition in the local area and how your practice can stand out. Is there a need for a practice that seems more approachable and friendly? Or one that can provide lower cost care? Or even a ‘gold-standard’ type practice able to offer more advanced procedures? Think about whether you can capitalise on any gaps in the local market.
Once you’ve got a good idea of your practice’s goals, values and identity, you’ll need to start on your branding – and your logo is the first thing to focus on.
Step 3 – design your logo
As part of your branding efforts, it can be helpful to work with a marketing professional and graphic designer to help to define your brand identity and go through the branding process, including designing some logo options.
A compelling logo has the following characteristics:
It stands out – your logo should be unique and memorable. Avoid copying other logos.
It looks professional – invest in a professional designer to avoid an amateurish appearance.
It’s clear and simple – simple logos perform better and are easier to scale across various materials.
It uses an eye-catching colour pallet – vibrant and high-contrast colours grab attention, with veterinary practices typically choosing greens and blues for a caring image. That said, it still needs to be effective in black and white formats.
Step 4 – beyond the logo
Your branding isn’t just your logo, however. There are a few other things to consider:
- Colour palette – keep it consistent across all materials.
- Typography – use clear, modern fonts consistently.
- Your story – share the background of your practice to build a connection with potential clients.
Cohesive branding not only helps to get clients through the door, but also helps to build trust and gives the impression of a well organised, well-run practice. Great branding from the outset can start you off on the right track, building awareness of your practice and boosting client loyalty.
Creating a practice website
Every practice needs a website and there are also a number of specific integrations, such as PetsApp and Vetstoria, that can improve the functionality of your site.
Options for website creation:
Template-based websites – platforms like Wix are user-friendly but may lack flexibility and perform poorly in search engine optimisation (SEO).
Agency-designed websites – often built on WordPress for its flexibility, plugins, and easy-to-use content management systems (CMS) that allows you to make your own updates quickly and easily without waiting (and paying for) a third party.
Additional costs:
- Domain name and annual renewal
- Website hosting
- Support packages to address any website issues
Consider investing in an SEO package. Many factors affect SEO, including:
- Site issues – ensure your website is well-built.
- Social media and backlinks – increased activity boosts your site’s ranking.
- Content – regular, high-quality articles improve site authority. Use a specialist agency for veterinary-specific content.
You may also explore want to explore Google Ads or Pay-Per-Click campaigns to drive traffic to your site.
Adding E-commerce
Adding an e-commerce function, like WooCommerce for WordPress, is feasible. Other platforms like Shopify offer low setup fees but higher ongoing costs. Advanced custom builds using ecommerce specific applications like Adobe Commerce are expensive and probably not justified for most practices processing lower volumes of transactions.
Social media
Facebook and Instagram remain popular platforms among pet owners and TikTok continues to grow, with video content particularly popular at the moment. And no matter that your practice has not yet opened its doors. People love behind-the-scenes footage. So, tell them about you, your vision for the practice and the services you will be offering. Updates on the building work and projected opening dates go down well too.
As the opening date nears, you can start to build interest. How about mini competitions with a voucher for a free consultation? Cutest cat, happiest dog, or best wildlife photo? Encourage likes, shares and maximum engagement.
The power of the press
Use the local media to raise your practice profile too. Regional press are invested in creating a thriving local economy and love a local ‘good news’ story.
How to use the press effectively:
Build relationships – establish a positive rapport with local journalists by sharing positive stories about your practice. This can be beneficial in the long run if you ever need favourable coverage.
Location and credibility – a strong presence in local media positions you as the local authority on pet care, increasing credibility and trust.
In conclusion, by thoughtfully considering each aspect of your marketing strategy, you will set a solid foundation for your veterinary practice. Consistent branding, a strong online presence, and active engagement on social media and local press will help you attract and retain clients.
Read more….
For more comprehensive information and to ensure you cover all aspects necessary for a successful launch, we invite you to read our Modern Veterinarian’s Guide to Opening a New Practice. An invaluable tool crafted by industry experts, it provides you with essential insights, best practices, and practical tips to ensure your success.
