Vet Advertising 101: How to Attract More Clients
Digital advertising is a vital component to the success of small and large veterinary practices, but some clinics may struggle to obtain new clients due to their limited marketing budgets. How can you compete with veterinary practices with access to more resources in the current market?
With the right strategies, you can use online advertising to drive in new appointments, sales, and ROI, no matter what size your business is. In this guide, we’ll share vet advertising tips and strategies to help you effectively market your practice online, target local pet owners looking for veterinary care in your area, and grow your business on a budget. Let’s get started.
1. (PPC) Target Local Pet Owners In Your Area Using Google AdWords
One of the best ways to make the most of your budget and increase the effectiveness of your veterinary ads is to reach your business’s target audience, which is pet owners in your area looking for the services you provide.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a type of digital marketing where you can pay to place your practice at the top of search engines in front of pet owners looking for veterinary services. Your ads will contain veterinary keywords that will cause them to appear when someone searches on Google, Yahoo, and Bing for pet care services.
You’ll want your ads to have keywords that are related to the specialties you offer so that pet owners who type in vet near me, grooming services near me, or puppy vaccinations in the search bar will find your ad, click on it, and be directed to your landing page where they fill out the form or contact your office.
Your ads will be placed within the search engine based on a bid price, meaning that advertisers set the maximum price they are willing to pay for a user to click their ad. If a pet owner sees your veterinary advertisement without clicking on it, you won’t be charged.
According to the Google Economic Impact, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. Here are the top veterinarian AdWords PPC keywords you should use:
Learn More: 4 Reasons to Work With a Google Premier Partner
2. Attract More Of Your Ideal Clients Using Mobile Advertising
Did you know 70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from Google? Mobile advertising refers to marketing campaigns that are specifically intended for mobile devices. Your veterinary ads can appear in apps, on veterinary websites viewed from a mobile device, social media platforms, text-based ads, banner advertisements, videos, and even mobile games.
Banner advertisements are very appealing and popular since they utilize vibrant colors, quality graphics, and “Call to Actions.” Here are a few ideas of how to market your veterinary practice on mobile devices:
- New Client Special: FREE Pet Wellness Examination
- Low-Cost Pet Vaccine Clinic
- $5 Off Your Next Pet Grooming
- Pet Dental Cleaning – 20% Off
The more attractive your ads are, the greater reactions you’ll get from potential clients. Keep your vet ad copy and image short and sweet. In fact, images with less than 20% text perform better. Your ads will appear when users in your area search for words related to your services.
You want to be able to capture their attention quickly and get them to understand your message. Whether it’s a free grooming appointment, ten-dollars off vaccine shots, it needs to be clear and easy to consume. Don’t waste time and money on ads that have too many calls to action, graphics, color, and copy. Be concise!
3. Advertise Your Practice on Your Social Media Channels
Advertising your practice on social media is a great way to reach new clients and existing ones. Your ads can highlight your new pet products, services, discounts, events, or any other updates you want to share. You can reach your local pet owners using popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Social media user numbers jumped by more than 13% over the past year, with nearly half a billion new users taking the global total to almost 4.2 billion by the start of 2021.
Facebook’s Ads platform is remarkably effective and targeted, which is exactly what you need if your aim is to reach pet owners. Facebook Ads allow you to pinpoint your target audience based on several categories and find people who will be interested in your practice.
Facebook advertising costs an average of $0.97 per click and $7.19 per 1000 impressions. Some people spend more money on coffee each day than they do on their advertising campaigns.
Just like Facebook, Instagram’s Ads platform offers many opportunities to get in front of your ideal clients. You can even use photo ads, video ads, carousel, stories, and more. On top of creating ads on Instagram to generate more clients, you’ll be able to increase your engagement and connect with your current followers.
Instagram offers promotions that enable you to turn any post into an ad without leaving the app. You can also choose whom to target and how much to spend. Here are some Facebook and Instagram ads you can try for your practice:
- Full-Service Veterinary Practice, Call Us Today
- Out of Pet Food? Visit our Online Store for all Your Pet Needs
- Looking for a Spay and Neuter Clinic? Call Us Today
- Free First Time Dental Exam at (Insert Your Practice)
- Puppy Behavior Training – Let Us Train Your Furry Friend
Each one of your ads should include a call to action. On Facebook, you can choose between Call Now, Contact Us, Get Offer, Learn More, Send Message, Interested, and Watch Now. You can opt not to include a call to action, but it is highly recommended. This will increase your chances of acquiring more veterinary clients.
4. Track Your Performance on All of Your Veterinary Ads
Measuring your campaign’s performance is critical to any effective paid advertising strategy. Before you judge the performance of your campaigns, you should examine every aspect together. You’ll need to look at:
Impressions: Measure the number of times your ad appeared on a user’s screen, rather than just the number of views that you received.
Click Rate: This metric indicates actual engagement from your veterinary advertisement. People who clicked your ad are on their way to becoming clients.
Click-Through Rate: Click-through rate is a different percentage from the click rate as it shows how many viewers clicked on your practice’s ad.
Cost per click: The cost per click (CPC) is the amount you are charged when a potential client clicks on your advertisement.
Conversions: Once someone clicks through to your ad’s landing page, they are more likely to convert to your offer.
Conversion Rate: Indicates how many of those people who clicked on your ad converted on the offer (free pet exam, grooming discount, pet dental services, etc.)
Cost per Conversion: The cost per conversion measures how much your advertisement cost in comparison to how many conversions it generated.
Track these metrics and you’ll be able to see which ads work and which ones don’t. In addition, you’ll be able to see your return on investment and determine if you’re overspending or underspending.
Leverage VetMatrix For All Your Digital Advertising Needs
All this ad talk can be a bit overwhelming especially if you’re planning on doing this alone. Our team of marketing experts can take care of all your marketing and advertising needs. Let us help you dominate your local market, outrank your competitors, and attract your ideal clients.
Call us today at 800.792.8384 or click here to learn more about our services.
