Americans love their pets. In the United States there are about 88.5 million pet cats and 74.8 pet dogs. Of all American households, nearly 63% have pets. The typical dog owner spends $219 every year on vet care for their dogs. It has been estimated that the vet industry is worth about $14.37 billion. From sending veterinary welcome cards and devising a good social media campaign, there are ways to spread the word about your practice and bring more clients in the door.

1. Send veterinary welcome cards to new clients. This is a great way to welcome new clients to your practice. When you have a new person bring in their pet, send out veterinary welcome cards. Sending direct mail is a great way to let people know about your services. Sending veterinary reminder cards helps get people back in for their pets’ check ups. People are forgetful. At least 39% of people in the United States admit they forget one piece of basic information a lot. In the past week, they forgot one basic piece of information every day. Getting veterinary reminder postcards is a good way to help them remember their pets need to get their shots. When you send veterinary sympathy cards, you show your clients how much you care about their pets.
2. Try using social media in new ways. You should use all of your social media channels to engage people in your community. Put in informative posts, posts that showcase a staff member or client’s pet (people love seeing their pets get attention) and contests that encourage participation and feedback. You can use any number of free social media tools to schedule posts to go out over the course of a month. People can enter to win a host of prizes ranging from free flea treatment to pet food or grooming services. Give discounts for liking your pages, following you and sharing your content.
3. Use text messages to communicate with your clients. People read text messages when they come in. Make sure you are only sending to clients who are ok receiving messages this way. You can send offers, tips for pet care, contest information and vet appointment reminders as text messages. This can be a very effective way to communicate with your clients.
4. Develop helpful materials for your clients. People always want to know they are doing the best things they can do for their pets’ health. This is why sending veterinary welcome cards are so helpful. Create infographics and other helpful materials that will give your clients tips for taking good care of their pets. An infographic about how flea protection products work on cats, for instance, can be something your clients want to see. Put this on your social media and include with your veterinary reminder cards. If you have a new client who has a cat, sending them information on cat care with the veterinary welcome cards will leave a good impression.
5. Promote videos and photos of your clients’ pets. Put these on your website and on your social media channels. Images and video are very popular online. Cat videos are ridiculously popular. Invite your clients to share their photos and videos with you on your Facebook page. People love seeing images and video of their pets.
6. Highlight your staff. People like it when businesses treat their staff well. They also like the idea of getting to know the people who take care of their pets. By promoting your staff through your social media channels and website, you create a connection between your clients and staff but also it shows how you run your business. There is no downside to showcasing the skills and experience your staff have.
7. Ask for testimonials. If you can get your clients to take video of themselves talking about the customer service you provide, that is great. If you can put video or even text from your clients recommending your services and talking about how they like taking their pets to you, it can do a lot for your reputation and help you grow your practice.

Growing your veterinary practice may seen like a daunting task. By spreading the word about the services you offer, you can get more clients.

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