As the weather starts to warm up, it is a good time to reach out to patients to keep revenue flowing into the practice and tails flowing through the door. Many of the tried-and-true methods still work. However, there is also room for new concepts to make flea, tick, and heartworm season a success. Let us look at some of the ways digital marketing can be of assistance in this endeavor. 

Google Ad Extensions

Google has expanded its real estate to give more options on how and where to advertise, including with Google Ad Extensions. Basically, this enables more features when placing a typical search ad on Google. Besides the typical ad copy found in a search ad, Google ad extensions allow you to show more about a promotion. For example, you can make your ad more enticing by adding information like “50% off Heartworm Tests” and the dates of validation. This example is shown for a mobile device and you can see how it makes the ad pop out more. 

Blogging

A blog is a solid place for any type of marketing focus. Since they regularly add new content to your website, Google adores blogs. Blogs give you great fodder for new social media posts, they allow you to educate clients, and you can include visually-stimulating pictures to grab attention. Examples of possible topics for your hospital’s blog are:

• The Importance of Preventives
• How to Properly Remove a Tick
• Which Preventive is Right for You?
• Natural Flea and Tick Treatments to Avoid
• Lyme Disease—A Real Threat to Your Pet
• Keeping Fleas and Pets Separate

Remember, blogs are typically 300-500 words in length with small paragraphs separated with subheadings and bullet points so they are easy to scan. Try to post at least one blog per month. If you need some assistance, we can help!

Monthly Reminders on Social Media

Time has entered the twilight zone in 2022. Days blur together and it is easy to forget about a date-based medication such as a monthly heartworm pill. Reaching out with gentle reminders through text, emails, and social media can be a good way to help nudge pet owners toward compliance. You can make creative graphics or link posts on social media platforms to blogs to remind people it’s time to give their pets their preventive medication.

Posts with gentle or vague reminders are effective even when people give their pets these medications on different days during the month. If you want to reach a greater pool of pet owners than just the people who like your page, try boosting your monthly reminder post or set up a formal ad campaign for it on Facebook. 

Educational Posts on Social Media

Educating pet owners on what ticks and heartworm actually are, and why they matter, can be impactful. You can use social media for longer discussions around the nature of the diseases. You can post polls, ask questions, share blogs, and create simple graphic posts that show the types of ticks that are most dangerous to get pet owners involved in the conversation. Not only does this improve your engagement, but it also gets them interested and aware of the topic.

Make It Extremely Easy

People are exhausted, both hospital staff and pet owners. Marketing can help, but it will fail unless it is easy for pet owners to receive the medication and care that they need.  Take a quick inventory of how easy it is for pet owners to receive medication and make an appointment. For example, has your hospital moved to online medication ordering? If you haven’t, how do people quickly and easily pay you and receive their purchase? Is there a way a pet parent can come in for a quick heartworm test without waiting 3 hours? The word will spread about your business if it is easy to receive care from your hospital. 

If you are exhausted and done trying marketing on your own, give us a call. Beyond Indigo Pets is here to help you and your business through these changing times. 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 whether you are open, reopening, or adjusting to the new normal. Call (877) 244-9322 to get started.