If you work in a veterinary practice or in the pet industry or in a business that supplies goods or services to the industry and you have something to say - why not become a 'Guest Blogger'?
For more information click here to read our: Guidelines for Guest Bloggers
Vets often hold a very special place in pet owners’ hearts. Being the go-to person in their community throughout their pet’s life, when they are ill, injured or nearing the end means your clients can feel quite a strong connection to you as their vet.
This means that when choosing a vet clinic, pet owners want to know they’re making the right decision for their beloved cat or dog.
A one-off advertisement or special offer won’t attract many pet owners. They don’t want the hard sell – they want to feel connected with the clinic they’ve chosen to look after their pet, and build a trusting relationship.
How can you do this? Read on…
When people are looking for a vet – whether they’ve just got a pet or aren’t happy with their current one – most will look at your website and social media. They will pick up on your tone, personality style, values, etc. If people know you better and what your brand is all about, you’re more likely to attract people to your clinic.
A key attribute pet owners are looking for in a veterinary practice is trust. And what better way to show that you are a trusted professional than by providing your client and potential clients with key information and advice about the best way to care for their cat or dog? A recent survey showed that vets are by far, the most popular information source for pet owners looking for pet care advice.
The best way to educate your clients is by sharing longer-form articles and social media posts on a wide range of topics, from pet care advice to warning signs of common health conditions. Articles such as these can take some time to write, however, this is one task that is quite easy to outsource.
In today’s digital world, the easiest way to be engaging is by being active online. Sharing regular content on social media, keeping your vet clinic website updated and sending regular newsletters or updates by email are all great ways for connecting with your client community.
Once you’ve established that connection, you can then further strengthen your community by attending pet fairs and events in your area or even holding your own meet-ups in dog parks or at your clinic.
But it can’t all be a one-way street. It’s important that you take the time to understand what your clients want from your vet clinic, and how you can improve the services you provide.
This can be done in a number of ways, including proactively approaching your clients and undertaking some basic research.
We know that as a vet clinic owner, you’re flat out looking after your business, staff and patients, and most likely don’t have the time to focus on connecting with your community.
That’s where VetDigital can help. All of the marketing and communication activities we deliver are focused on helping you to connect with your local community of pet owners through information, education and engagement.
Want to know more? Give us a call on 1300 75 75 22 or send us an email.
This post first appeared on the VetDigital Blog: Connecting with your community as a vet
Ian Shapland is the co-founder of VetDigital. He’s a man of many talents, with expertise heralding from 30+ years working in marketing and business development across the veterinary, dental, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors. So, you could say he knows a thing or two about traditional and online marketing! A member of the Australian Veterinary Association, Ian is passionate about driving your practice’s growth by getting your brand to work for you.
Connect with Ian:
The future of veterinary care isn’t coming. It’s already here. The question is, are you ready to make the most of it? The pace of technological progress has never been faster. AI, automation, and integrated software solutions are transforming every industry, including...
