3 Free Ways to Get More Clients in Your Veterinary Practice

If you’ve been struggling to get enough clients into your veterinary practice, you might be feeling overwhelmed. There are so many different pieces of advice out there, and many of them can be pricey for a non-franchised vet. Not every method you start with has to involve investing in new and expensive ventures, though. You can often get a boost through simple, small and totally free steps. Who knows, maybe they’ll be effective enough so that one day you won’t have to be the one handling your veterinary practice’s marketing all the time.

 

Claim Your Existing Accounts

Go ahead and hop onto Google or Yelp for a moment and look up your practice. Do you see a listing for your business? If yes, do you own and have access to that listing? If no, why on earth not? These are some of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to get yourself seen online. And with 92% of people using online searches to find local businesses, you’re missing out on a major marketing strategy.

 

There can be some speed bumps when it comes to claiming your listing, but it’s always worth it. Perhaps you’ve already claimed it -- but you have no idea what your login is. Maybe you purchased the practice and the previous owner has the information. Be ready to hop on the phone for some complicated games of phone tag and entering in verification codes. If your practice has no presence on these platforms, you’ll have an easy (well, easier) time setting up your account.

 

Note: Make sure you’re monitoring your listings regularly. Since regular users can make suggestions to “improve” listings, you might end up with a totally different website or address on your practice’s Google listing! It’s tough to get clients into your veterinary practice if they don’t even know who you are.

 

Set Up Social Media

Social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, are a good way to foster a community of loyal pet owners. With regular management and upkeep, you can engage with your current clients to get them back into your clinic. If your practice doesn’t have a Facebook page set up yet, go ahead and make one. Make sure you fill out as much information as you can as you go so that your page looks lively. Follow the image size guidelines so that you don’t end up with distorted pictures.

 

Since these pages do require regular maintenance, it might be a good idea to get one of your vet techs to handle postings. That does mean they’ll have access to your business Facebook page, so make sure it’s someone you can trust.

 

Note: If you’re taking pictures of pets and their owners to post on social media, make sure you’re getting proper consent first.

 

Post Announcements

One of the big reasons to set up those social media accounts in the first place is so that you have a spot to post specials and promotions. Want to offer 10% off dental cleanings in February? Or maybe you’d just like to make sure people know that it’s time to think seriously about parasite prevention. Your social media platforms are a great place to get clients into your veterinary practice with offer like these..

 

Did you know that you can also make posts on your Google listing? Once you’ve claimed your account, take a peek around at the different options and see if you can create an offer to post on there for better exposure.

 

Note: Don’t forget to use good images with your offers! Try programs to overlay text onto a free-use image. Just make sure you have the rights to use whatever picture you choose for marketing purposes.

 

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, remember that we’re always here to help! The team here at Vet Marketing Pro is your partner online, from getting you set up to making sure your marketing is running smoothly.