New Year’s resolutions: How to promote your practice in 2024
Happy New Year!
The festive season is over, we’ve had enough turkey to last until next Christmas and January is here.
In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, there’s never been a better time to reflect on how you promote your practice – except any changes we make now we’re going to stick to!
I’ve put together a few simple tricks that you can master to help boost positivity and to re-energise your team after a challenging year.
Hopefully any one of these six tips can help you to start 2024 with a smile.
View your practice through the eyes of a pet owner
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Take a fresh look at your practice and imagine what impression it would make on a potential client.
Start off by standing on the opposite side of the road – what does your building look like, and does it reflect the level of care your team provides inside?
Is the frontage free of weeds, dog poo and wonky banners? Are the windows clean and are team members’ cars occupying the best parking spaces?
Practice reception areas are notoriously cluttered with posters and signs that use language that isn’t tailored to clients.
Can you declutter notices which have been stuck to the reception desk and walls with blu-tack? Can you reduce the number of leaflet holders balanced on the reception desk?
Post your before and after photos onto the practice management Facebook groups you're a member of to inspire others.
Boost your reviews
Google reviews are vital in helping pet owners find a vet. For small animal practices your target is to have over 100, five-star reviews on your Google My Business listing.
One of the most effective ways to get more Google reviews is for the clinical team to ask for them at the end of the consult. This is when the client bond and gratitude is strongest.
Try saying: “Google reviews are really important to our practice as they help pet owners find us online. If you’re happy with how we’ve looked after Jasper today I’d be really grateful if you’d leave us a review on Google, or on Facebook, if you don’t have a Google account.”
Challenge your team to do this in every consult this week and see if you can add ten Google reviews to your listing.
We’ve put together a guide that goes more in-depth into why Google reviews for veterinary practices are crucial, and how to ensure you’re racking up those precious five-star entries. And we also talk about...
Review your Google listings
Your practice listing on Google generates more phone calls than your website, so it’s vital you fill it with great content.
Type the name of your practice into Google and spend a few minutes reviewing the content.
Do you have 10 great pictures which represent your practice? Are the address and opening hours correct? Is the map pin in the right place? Is the description accurate?
It’s an easy, one-off job that could make a massive impact to how your practice is perceived online.
Digital Marketing panel @London Vet Show
L-R: Gudrun Ravetz - British Veterinary Association, Tracey Morley Jewkes - Linneaus, Justin Phillips - Practice Made Purrfect, Lisa Robb - IVC Evidensia
Think about how to maximise your Pet Health Plan
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Pet Health Plans are fantastic for pets as they ensure they receive the preventative healthcare they deserve.
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They’re also great for owners as they help them take the best care of their family pet. And they’re great for the practice as they ensure the client keeps coming back to you.
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Is your practice recommending your Pet Health Plan to every client, every time? Is your plan growing? Would your team benefit from refresher training? Are you considering adding unlimited vet consults to your plan?
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This is something that I’m really passionate about, and we’ve covered the who, what, when, where and hows of health plans in lots of detail in a trilogy of blog posts, starting here.
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Hit the headlines
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Amazing things happen inside your practice every day, and it’s important that you know what to look for.
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People love stories about animals. They’re a great source of happiness.
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Whether it’s heartwarming recoveries, heartbreaking accidents, or simply funny tales from the coal face of practice life, there’s an audience out there for the stories you have to tell.
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If you’re struggling to identify PR opportunities, or don’t know how to get them out there, we’re here to help.
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So if you’re caring for an unusual species, if a pet has done something extraordinary or if your practice is going out of its way to make a difference in your community, you need to let us know.
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Contact our veterinary PR experts at Practice Made Purrfect by calling 0113 347 0057 and we’ll do the rest.
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Be social – you’ll be amazed how many people want to talk to you!
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Posting regularly onto your practice Facebook and Instagram pages is a great way to show the local community how much your team cares about the wellbeing of your patients and clients.
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Make 2024 the year your page showcases the incredible things your vets, nursing and support teams do in the pursuit of pet wellbeing.
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The best way to achieve this is to empower your practice team to post photos of the pets you care for each week.
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Get creative! There’s usually a reason that you’ve got involved in the industry – because you love it and you’re passionate about it.
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Think about why you care so much, look around the practice for concrete examples of how that manifests itself, and then take to social media to tell the world! You’ll find a much more captive audience for your stories than your family may have been around the Christmas dinner table...
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Good luck!
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You will be shocked at how making a few small changes to the way you approach marketing your practice will make for a happier and more rewarding 2024.
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Have fun with it, and show your passion for your practice and pets.
Get in touch to let us know how you’re getting on or to ask any questions you may have.
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We can’t wait to see how you all get on!
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Let us help you create a marketing plan for your veterinary practice in 2024
0113 347 0057
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