Internal marketing:
How better communication builds stronger teams
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some brilliant practices over the years – and one thing they’ve all had in common is that they’re full of great people.
But even the best people can’t do their best work if they don’t know what’s going on.
Internal communication might not sound glamorous, but it’s one of the most important marketing tools a veterinary practice has. In fact, it’s the foundation that holds everything else together.
When your team understands what’s happening, why it’s happening and what their part in it is, everything gets easier – from client care to recruitment to culture.
Let’s take a look at how to make it work.
Why internal communication matters
Veterinary practice is a people business. It thrives on warmth, connection and collaboration.
Yet most practices are spread over multiple sites, with people working different rotas, shifts and even species. Getting everyone together in one place rarely happens outside the Christmas party.
That’s why good internal communication is essential. It’s how you share the rhythm of your practice – the values, the successes, the stories and the purpose that make your team proud to belong.
Without it, things can start to drift. With it, you can align everyone around shared goals, keep morale high and create the kind of workplace culture that clients can sense the moment they walk through the door.
How I learned what works
When I joined White Cross Vets back in 2012, we had nine sites and around 85 people. By the time I left six years later, we had 22 locations and 250 team members – and we’d built a strong, consistent culture across all of them.
The aim was simple: take what made the original practice in Guiseley special and spread that magic everywhere.
We started small, with a weekly team email that evolved over time into a full internal marketing system.
We added a biannual magazine, team awards, a charitable trust, an intranet and a recognition scheme. Each piece played its part in making people feel connected.
The key wasn’t to create something perfect from day one – it was just to start. Every edition was a bit better than the last, and after a few hundred issues, the results spoke for themselves.
The weekly team email
If you’ve ever tried to run one, you’ll know that getting content for an internal newsletter can be hard work.
At first, I had to hunt for stories – scrolling Facebook on Friday afternoons to find something worth sharing. Sammii showing her dog at Crufts, team mates at a painting party to help Jenni decorate her first house. But eventually, people began sending their own photos and updates.
The more we celebrated them, the more they wanted to contribute.
I always aimed for a mix of 80% team news and 20% business updates. Birthdays, new starters, CPD achievements, thank-yous and funny moments – that was the good stuff.
I sent it at 10am on Sundays to people’s personal email addresses, because I wanted them to read it when they were relaxed, not rushed.
It became part of the practice’s heartbeat. When I accidentally missed someone’s name, they cared – which told me we’d created something that mattered.
The long-form magazine
Every six months we’d publish a magazine, and that’s where we went deeper.
We shared stories that embodied our values – quality, integrity, responsibility and growth.
We celebrated people at every level of the business. We even mailed copies to local vets and nurses as part of our recruitment strategy, because nothing showed our culture better than those pages.
It wasn’t perfect at first. I still remember paying for professional feedback that described an early issue as “homely but short of professional standards”. It stung, but it also motivated me to learn, improve and make it something special.
By the end, we’d won an industry award for internal communications on a shoestring – proof that persistence pays off.
The tools that make it easier
The good news is that you don’t need a huge budget or a big marketing team to do this well.
A few tools I swear by:
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Mailchimp or Brevo for sending weekly updates (free under 500 contacts).
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Canva for easy, on-brand design templates.
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WhatsApp communities to keep quick communication flowing between teams, with clear boundaries around working hours.
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Slack or similar tools for collaboration and wellbeing check-ins.
The format doesn’t matter as much as the consistency. Choose what fits your practice and stick with it.
Culture isn’t dictated – it’s discovered
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t impose culture from the top down.
It already exists in your practice. You just have to find it, recognise it and give it a voice.
Every day, your team members are living examples of your values.
Whether it’s a nurse who stays late to help a colleague, a receptionist calming a worried owner or a vet mentoring a new graduate – those are the moments that define who you are.
Internal communication is simply the act of shining a light on them.
Start small, start now
The hardest part is getting started.
Don’t worry about making it purrfect – just put something out there. The first newsletter you send will be the best one you’ve ever done, and the next one will be even better.
Keep listening, keep learning, and keep showing your team what makes your practice special.
Because when your people feel connected, your clients will feel it too.
Vet practice marketing
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