You’d think that veterinary practices are one business that can’t fail to thrive; after all, people’s pets get sick on a regular basis. It’s not easy starting a new practice, but there are some simple strategies and ideas you can implement to quickly and effectively promote your new medical practice.
Website
It’s really important that you have a professional-looking website including a well-written blog with fresh content. You also need a Facebook page and Twitter account, both of which must be active. Aim to post on Facebook and Google+ at least 10 times per week and try to put four times that amount on Twitter. Make your posts and tweets interesting and relevant to your practice or to industry developments; shameless self-promotion won’t cut it!
Branding and visibility
You must have a ‘face’ in the local community. Make sure your clinic is represented at pet fairs, sporting events and village carnivals. One really effective way of encouraging people to remember you is by creating a range of branded promotional literature and giveaways.
PrintUK.com accomplishes this by providing easy to personalise, design agency-quality templates that you can use to create your own eye-catching, memorable giveaways. You could let your creative juices loose on leaflet design and leaflet printing, posters, businesses cards, even greetings cards, all of which could be taken away by visitors. If you prefer, why not take advantage of Print UK’s bespoke service and ask them to design your products for you? Fully personalised promotional products are kept affordable through Print UK’s top-quality printing service in addition to our DIY design facility.
Open house
Another very effective strategy is to hold an ‘open house’ event including refreshments and free draw prizes for all those who attend. Advertise extensively in your local press and shops and invite colleagues, referral coordinators from local vet hospitals and specialist clinics, and of course the public and their pets.
Why not donate a prize to a raffle or charity auction? Offer a free flea treatment, physical health check, or nail clip; this is a great promotional tool with proven effectiveness at drawing new patients to your clinic. And don’t forget to hand out plenty of branded giveaways, too.
We would also recommend joining a larger group such as the Blue Cross who will not only help you get customers through the door but will help promote your services under a nationwide umbrella which will instill trust and professionalism with your customers.
Interested in reading more about veterinary and feel good stories? Check out the Blue Cross Blog.
A medical clinic without patients is clearly not going to survive for long! Promoting your practice is like throwing a pebble in a pool; if you do it right, the ripples will quickly spread and your practice will grow and flourish. Contact PrintUK.com today to get started.