Effective Veterinary Advertising for Your Practice
Updated: Jul 23
Veterinary Advertising
Truth be told, veterinary professionals would all prefer to focus all of their professional time and attention on working with patients. After all, it’s the reason we got into this field in the first place. However, if we are to be successful and profit from our passion, we mustn’t forget about the business side of the veterinary industry, particularly the task of veterinary advertising.
The bottom line is regardless of how well you run your practice, you still need good veterinary advertising. A quality veterinary advertising campaign will help you to stand out amongst other practices in your area and help spread the word about your services to potential customers. It’s a necessary part of new client acquisition and critical in maintaining your competitive edge.
Types of Veterinary Advertising
The process of veterinary advertising is constantly evolving and comes in many different shapes and sizes. The four main types of veterinary advertising include:
Print – Yellow Pages, newspaper, fliers and brochures;
Outdoor – Billboards, tradeshows and events;
Broadcast – Radio and television;
Online – Internet banners, search engines, emails.
What Type of Veterinary Advertising is Right for Your Practice?
It’s important to remember that the art of veterinary advertising isn’t one-size-fits-all. To truly be effective, you will need to strike a balance. By employing a combination of each of these mediums, you can reach a much larger market and realize a better return on your veterinary advertising investment. It’s important to note that in today’s electronic age there has been a steady movement toward veterinary advertising online. Yet other methods may still prove to be effective in the long run. The key is determining which methods achieve the best results and adjusting your budget and activities accordingly.
For instance, while placing a print ad may attract the attention of those who still use the phone book to locate a business, improving search engine listings on the Internet will effectively reach the growing number of potential clients who prefer to use the web as a resource instead of the Yellow Pages. Finding a balance between the two will make your veterinary advertising more effective by increasing the chances of your practice being found by potential new clients.
What Not to Do in Veterinary Advertising?
As with everything in business, there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct your veterinary advertising campaigns. To avoid possible ethical and legal issues, you should heed the following advice:
Never guarantee results.
Don’t make claims that are false, misleading, or deceptive in your veterinary advertising.
Avoid comparisons or conveying an attitude of superiority.
Never imply that you’re a specialist unless you actually are.
Whether we like it or not, veterinary advertising is a necessary part of running a successful practice. The good news is, you don’t have to go it alone. You may choose instead to work with an expert or firm that specializes in veterinary advertising and can help you achieve the results you want so you can get back to doing the work you love.
