Why Your Veterinary Marketing Strategy Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)

Marketing is critical to your veterinary practice’s success, but it might be difficult for veterinarians and practice leaders to find the best strategies for their hospital and team. Your practice’s veterinary marketing strategy can help you retain existing clients and attract new ones that align with your clinic’s values and veterinary services.

If your veterinary marketing strategy or overall efforts aren’t delivering results, it might be time to rethink your plan. Here are reasons why your strategy may not work and how to overcome common marketing mistakes.

1. You’re targeting the wrong audience

One common marketing mistake is marketing to the wrong target audience. Broad, generic messaging might not connect with local pet owners looking for pet care. To target the right demographic:

-       Define your ideal pet owner — What does your ideal client prioritize? What are their values? How do pets fit into their families?

-       Focus on what makes you unique — Your marketing campaigns should highlight what makes your veterinary clinic special.

-       Educate and engage — Use social media marketing and content marketing to educate and engage your audience with topics that matter to local pet owners, such as weather hazards or upcoming events.

2. Your website is lackluster

Your veterinary website anchors your online presence, and user experience is critical. Your veterinary marketing strategy won’t have the desired effect if clients see an outdated website or can’t navigate through vital information on a mobile browser. To fix your veterinary website:

-       Optimize for mobile — Ensure your website features work on mobile devices without becoming distorted or slow.

-       Stand out from the rest — Most veterinary websites use generic stock content that bores potential clients. Hire a designer to make yours stand out, and consider investing in unique features like online booking.

-       Implement search engine optimization (SEO) — Keep your website content fresh and use keywords that link you to the local area to improve Google and other search engine rankings.

3. Your social media posts are inconsistent

Many veterinary hospitals create social media accounts but don’t post consistently. If your social media pages are inactive, they won’t drive engagement or new clients. Clients who visit your social media pages and see they haven’t been updated in months or years will actively avoid your clinic. Here’s how to fix your social media dilemma:

-       Post routinely — Regularly update your pages with high-quality social media posts; use a calendar and make a plan.

-       Educate — Share educational content about pet health, vaccinations, and preventive care to establish your clinic as the local pet care expert.

-       Engage — Posting isn’t enough. You must also engage with the individuals who comment on your posts and with local businesses and pet owners in your community.

4. You don’t value client feedback

People trust word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews when choosing a vet clinic. If you don’t value and take client feedback seriously, you miss out on a powerful marketing channel. You can use client feedback to your advantage by:

-       Soliciting reviews — Ask clients to review your clinic and their experience on major platforms, then post testimonials on your website or socials.

-       Responding appropriately — Develop a strategy for reading and responding to all reviews, such as using a service that aggregates them for you. Thank clients for positive comments and apologize for negative experiences.

-       Addressing concerns — Take client concerns seriously to build trust. Address the specific situation and reassure clients by explaining how you’ll prevent it from happening again.

5. You’re ignoring loyalty

Don’t forget about your current clients—rewarding their loyalty can go a long way. Clients who feel cared for develop a deep connection with the clinic and team and can become valuable word-of-mouth marketing agents. Here’s how to reward your current clients and turn them into organic marketers:

-       Offer incentives — Develop a rewards program for loyal clients who refer friends and family.

-       Partner with local businesses — Work with pet-related businesses to offer combined discounts or incentives that benefit both parties.

-       Promote referrals — Highlight rewards and referral bonuses on your social media accounts or website to ensure clients know about them.

Effective marketing requires a well-rounded veterinary marketing strategy. Focusing on only one area or investing sporadically might work in the short term, but long-term success requires innovation and consistency.  Avoiding these common marketing mistakes can help your veterinary team attract more potential clients, retain loyal clients, and grow your veterinary practice.