In the fledgling days of the internet, digital marketing used to be very simple. Today, everything has evolved and there are multiple moving parts that each seem to require regular attention. We have seen many veterinarians with their head in their hands wondering why marketing on the internet seems so confusing. The answer is: because it IS CONFUSING. How do you navigate it and come out successful and sane on the other end of the process? 

The Biggest Digital Marketing Headaches

We’ve heard plenty of complaints about the difficulty of keeping up with digital marketing from our clients over the years. Some of the most common we’ve heard are:

• Why does Google have to be so confusing?
• Why do I have multiple sign-ins for Google?
• Why do I need marketing?
• Why does Facebook reject my ads?
• How do Google ads work?
• Why does Facebook look different today?
• Why does Nextdoor only show my neighborhood?
• How does Nextdoor work for businesses?
• Why does Google change and not let me know?
• Why do I need a website, five types of search engine optimization, multiple social media platforms (depending on where I live), and reviews all over the internet? 
• Why does marketing seem like a full-time job?
• Why do I need to keep my marketing consistent? Can’t I just do something once in a while? 

We get it; it’s a lot. Here are some of our top tips on keeping up with all the requirements of a strong digital marketing plan:

Make Priorities and Follow the Data

Trying to figure out the ins and outs of digital marketing when your specialty is veterinary care is a tall order. Before you attempt anything, it can be helpful to define a list of three or fewer priorities to tackle in your marketing. Narrowing your focus helps you create clear and attainable goals that you can work toward with your marketing dollars. 

Heads up! If you are already overwhelmed with gathering data, looking at that data, and figuring out the weak areas of the business and what to do about them, it’s time to bring in outside help. Do not think, “Oh, I will come back to this task when I have time.” It won’t happen. However, you still need to understand the process. 

Doing okay? If you are okay with digging through data, have found your priorities, and feel invigorated to move to the next step, keep reading!

Figure Out Who Does What

Unless the practice has a full-time marketing person on staff, multiple people will need to do the work. If your veterinary marketing is kept in-house, the team will need to take the goals and implement them to gain results. If some of the work is kept under the hospital roof and some is outsourced, decide on which work can be consistently done by staff and which should move to a marketing agency. 

Heads up! Are you noticing that marketing seems to always be the last item on the to-do list? When was the last time you checked the Google Ads you set up and promptly ignored? If the behavior pattern within the business shows dropped balls, then that is the warning sign that marketing should be moved completely out-of-house. This is especially true this year because people on staff are already stressed, exhausted, and maxed out. 

Doing okay? If you have figured out a marketing plan, based on the priorities discovered above, and it can be consistently implemented, congrats! Next up is to monitor the results. 

Measure Your Results

 Marketing should be bringing animals through your door and dollars to your bottom line. Is it? Have you noticed an increase in bookings for the service(s) you are marketing? If you aren’t noticing an uptick in those appointments, then the marketing program you are using needs to be revised. 

Heads up! If you are not getting results, then give yourself permission to change up the marketing plan (whether it is in-house or outsourced). Sometimes, marketing is akin to throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks and what doesn’t. It can take a few months to hone in on the sweet spot in a marketing campaign, and to determine what will drive the most business. 

Doing okay? Fantastic! That means the marketing program you’ve implemented is WORKING and that you should be seeing an uptick in business where there was a dip. Time to look at the numbers and reset your priorities, and then start the process all over again! 

You can successfully navigate the “whys” of marketing! As the internet grows, matures, and changes, you will need a marketing team to manifest results. 

If you need a collective of people who understand the complete marketing cycle and can drive results to increase your bottom line, Beyond Indigo Pets is here to help you. Our full-service marketing packages make it easy for you to maintain a relationship with your current clients and reach out to new clients so you can grow. They adjust as your goals shift, which allows you to see results. We are here to help with all your marketing needs. Call (877) 244-9322 ext. 100, or go to https://www.beyondindigopets.com/contact/ to learn more.