12 Unfurgettable Marketing Ideas for Veterinary Practices

Updated 9/4/20. Not sure about marketing your veterinary practice? These veterinarian marketing ideas will get you started! Plus see product tips for COVID-19.

Grumpy cat with fleas? No problem. Dog with a broken leg? No sweat. Marketing your veterinary practice? Ehhh, maybe not something you deal with every day.

That’s where we come in! We’ve gathered 12 veterinary marketing tips that are sure to keep you top of mind with current patients and expand your reach to potential patients. Also we’ve added new ideas for veterinarian marketing during COVID-19 to help keep customers protected at your practice.

New customers: Enjoy free shipping and free setup on orders of $99 or more. Use code FREE for the marketing products below. Returning customers: Please visit our coupon page for all our offers!

Traditional & Digital Marketing for Veterinarians

1. Set Up a Shoppable Area in Your Office

We’d be remiss if we didn’t give you a veterinary marketing tip around selling your own merch in your office. We offer a large array of pet supplies you can customize with your logo and contact info to offer your patients. Custom leashes are a must-have, if you ask us.

2. Get Active on Social Media

Our #1 digital marketing for veterinarians tip is to create social media profiles for your office. Not only are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles free, but they allow you to reach even larger groups through hashtags. The best part? People LOVE animal photos! You’ll get lots of likes and engagement in no time.

Another idea for digital marketing for veterinarians is to invest in paid social ads. With paid social ads, you can target people who have interests in pets and live in the area of your business. This way, your audience will be qualified and more likely to reach out for veterinary services.

3. Sponsor a Pet Event

Our marketing ideas for veterinary practices are focused around being where you audience is, like a pet walk or adoption event. Whether you set up your own booth or sponsor a smaller part of the event, it’s great exposure for your company.

4. Create a Relaxing Waiting Room

Oftentimes, both the animal and its owner are nervous about their visit, so it’s a nice gesture to create a calming environment for them. A study reported that dogs that had waited in waiting rooms that were not chaotic and had sufficient time to calm down were less stressed than dogs that were moved quickly.

Fresh water, calming music, and slow movements by staff are huge in helping. For the owner who is stressed out, a Coloring Book can do wonders for their nerves. Place a few around the waiting room with colored pencils.

5. Hand out Welcome Doggie Bags

Or kitty or guinea pig bags! This veterinary marketing tip is focused on provided your new customers with an experience so welcoming, they’ll definitely come back. Inside a custom reusable tote, place their paperwork, a welcome brochure detailing your services, and a gift they’ll use over and over again. How about a pet food scoop?

6. Pair Up with Local Animal Sitters & Dog Walkers

Chances are, animal sitters and dog walkers get asked if they know of a good local vet—let’s make sure you’re their recommendation. In exchange for their recommendation, offer to place their flyers in your office. It’s a win-win situation when it comes to marketing your veterinary practice!

7. Give a Gift with Purchase

This could be a digital marketing for veterinarians tip if you have an online shop or for your office: when patients purchase a larger-ticket item like flea meds, give them a small gift of thanks. A mini flyer is fun for both the owner and dog!

8. Leave Your Business Cards at Local Pet Stores

This is an oldie but a goodie when it comes to marketing your veterinary practice. Network with local pet stores (other business like coffee shops are great, too!) and leave a stack of your business cards for them to set out at the cashier stand.

9. Place Pet Bags at Dog Parks

While some dog parks offer free pet bags, others don’t—hello, marketing opportunity! Attach a few bag dispensers to the fence and we guarantee people will note your business name.

10. Send Out a Lumpy Mail Campaign

Don’t let the funny name fool you—a lumpy mail campaign can drum up serious business. A lumpy mail campaign is essentially sending prospects or customers mail that isn’t flat so they’re intrigued to open the envelope. We love the idea of sending dog treats to invite them to visit your practice. You gotta get creative when it comes to marketing ideas for veterinary practices!

If you’re intrigued by lumpy mail campaigns, we have even more direct mail campaign ideas.

11. Run a Social Media Giveaway

As we mentioned before, digital marketing for veterinarians is crucial, and giveaways are a fun way to engage with your audience. Host a social media contest were people submit their funny pet photos for a prize. When they post the image on their profiles and tag you, that’s even more exposure you’re getting—for free.

12. Host a Pet Parent Seminar

Invite current and prospective patients for a free informational session at your office. This is a veterinary marketing tip that not only puts you in the position as the expert, but also lets you get in front of people in a more relaxed environment.

Topics could be seasonally appropriate, like hot weather care for pets during summer. As a thank you for attending, give attendees a gift that ties into the topic, like a Collapsible Pet Food & Water Bowl that they can bring with them when out and about on hot days.

Veterinary Marketing during COVID-19

Marketing may be the least of your worries right now, which is totally understandable. As an essential business that never stops (and we’ve heard it’s only gotten busier thanks to more pet adoptions!), there are a few ways of marketing your veterinary practice that also protect your team and customers, as well.

Bulk Face Masks

Since you and your team will be in contact with people all day long, face coverings are a must. Here are a few options you can distribute to employees and customers.

Blank Disposable 3-Layer Non-Surgical Mask

Antimicrobial Cotton Face Mask with Custom Bag

Antimicrobial Pens

Invoices, receipts, checks—you come across a lot of uses for pens in a vet’s office, and right now, those with antimicrobial properties are key. The antimicrobial additive prevents fungi, bacteria, yeasts, and algae from growing and won’t wear off through the years.

Britebrand™ Colorama Pen with Antimicrobial Additive

Britebrand™ Antimicrobial Econo Vision Pen

Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizers are surely nothing new for those in this field, but it may be new in terms of marketing ideas for veterinary practices. Give customers custom hand sanitizers with your info on them for a handy and useful giveaway.

Britebrand™ 1 oz. 70% Alcohol Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer

Britebrand™ 10 ml. Spray Pen Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer