Today's Veterinary Business

AUG-SEP 2017

Today’s Veterinary Business provides information and resources designed to help veterinarians and office management improve the financial performance of their practices, allowing them to increase the level of patient care and client service.

Issue link: https://todaysveterinarybusiness.epubxp.com/i/856474

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 42 of 71

37 August/September 2017 • TODAYSVETERINARYBUSINESS.COM are some of its key characteristics? How would clients describe your practice? As you ask yourself these questions, start generating a list of keywords — i.e. compassionate, dedicated, caring — and try to in- corporate them into your overview. A constant snare for advertising is com- ing up with the perfect lead sentence. Here are few samples you can try that start your brochure off with a kick: • "At [Hospital Name], your pet will receive the finest care …" • "[Hospital Name] is dedicated to providing your pet with …" • "The state-of-the-art facilities at [Hospital Name] offer you and your pet …" 3 Market Your Services By and large, most veterinary hospitals offer similar services: well- ness exams, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures and so on. With that be- ing said, mentioning the services you offer — oftentimes in a bulleted list — is a quick way to show current and potential clients that your hospital provides a full range of options. If your hospital offers services unique to your city or something nearby competitors don't have — perhaps acupuncture, obedience training or laser therapy — make sure to include them. In fact, writing a small blurb or paragraph about what makes your services stand out from the competition's is a great way to show pet owners that you've made the extra invest- ment in their pet's health. 4 Introduce Your Doctors Potential clients aren't look- ing for a nameless doctor to ad- minister tests and treatments. They want to feel that their veterinarian has a vested interest in the health and happiness of their companion. To personalize your hospital and connect you better to pet own- ers, you could mention that the staff and veterinarians are pet owners themselves. Another idea is to add photos of your veterinary team or write small bios about your doctors. Regardless of how you do it, bringing your advertising down to a personal level is a quick and effective way to show that your practice cares about a person's pet on a deeper level. 5 Don't Forget Important Facts As you're creating your brochure's content, don't forget essential in- formation. These details include the hospital's name, address, hours and contact information. A few other pieces of information, while not essential, can't hurt you to include. For example, a quick set of driving directions are handy for people un- familiar with your area or who don't use GPS. Moreover, if your hospital provides boarding or grooming services, mention them. Many pet owners look not only for a health care partner but also for a comfort- able and welcoming boarding facil- ity. Marketing these services could be the small push that pet owners need to get them into your clinic. 6 Consider Hiring a Professional For tech-savvy and design-inspired people, creating a brochure can be a fun, low-cost challenge. If that de- scribes you, go for it, and remember to revise and edit as you work. For others, hiring a creative team to craft marketing materials can be the best route. These companies use a team of managers, designers and writers to produce attractive, eye-catching brochures. An all- hands-on-deck approach means that several people dedicate hours to composing and refining a hospital's marketing materials. Costs are typi- cally within any hospital's marketing budget. Throughout the design process, your thoughts and ideas are always honored and considered. Jesse Duthrie is a researcher and social media coordinator at VetNetwork, a veterinary marketing company based in Dover, New Hampshire.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Today's Veterinary Business - AUG-SEP 2017