It's not easy running
a profitable, independent veterinary practice or premium pet retail store, is it?
The Challenges Facing Non-Corporate Pet Businesses
Staff stretched thin...costs keep climbing...and pet parents are looking at every charge twice! These are the challenges facing non-corporate pet businesses.
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And yet, to grow, it costs 3-5 times more to bring in new customers than it does to keep your current customers happy and spending.
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The good news is strategic marketing can help solve many of these problems. Not only are these challenges fixable, but they are a lot less costly than you might think!
How to Attract New Customers
for Independent Pet Businesses
"In the last 3-4 months, since launching the website Susan wrote, I've generated over $6,000 in income with 70%-80% of my clients recurring. Thank you!" Tyler Randolph, DC
To attract new customers to your veterinary practice or your premium pet retail store, these 4 strategies are essential.
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Re-write your homepage and services page for human readers AND AI-powered search. Include real questions, real answers, and clear local references. Be specific!
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​Build a small library of local, authoritative content on your website. Earn trust; then keep it.
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Add FAQs to important pages, e.g., homepage, services page. This makes them "sticky" for AI mentions and helps turn browsers into customers.
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​And the most forgotten, and yet usually most effective, is to send targeted postcards or flyers to targeted neighborhoods.
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Bring Back Lapsed Pet Customers. Make More Revenue.
For Independent Veterinarians
Lapsed customers of 14+ months are still warm enough to bring back into the fold. Use a channel mix of email, SMS, plus direct mail, in order of cost-effectiveness, works well.
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Be sure to use a sequence of 3-4 touches over 4-6 weeks.
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Pets overdue for vaccines and flea/tick treatment are easier to reach out to because there's a real medical reason for them to return. Send a friendly email reminder!
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Pets overdue for a wellness exam needs a softer touch. Offer a free nail trim or a discount on a senior wellness panel.
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For Premium Pet Retailers
For premium pet stores, to re-engage lapsed customers, lead with the pet, NOT a discount.
A 3-part win back email sequence is usually the backbone for winning back lapsed clients
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First email: "We miss you, Buddy!" makes it warm and personal.
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Second email: A value-add email with expert tips and new products Buddy would like.
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Third email: A soft offer if there's no response.
Space these 1-2 weeks apart to avoid looking pushy.
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Keep Clients Loyal
Once you get new customers, how do you keep them loyal?
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The best way is to build a fence around your tribe. Most pet care companies send out vendor product emails to customers.
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That's okay but what customers are seeking today are connection and trust with their provider. Here are 2 tips that can work extremely well.
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Newsletter-Send out a monthly or bi-weekly newsletter filled with tips and seasonal advice. Spotlight a client's pet. Add an offer but focus on providing expert information that helps build that fence!
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Build a real referral system. Loyal clients are your best sales force! Give your clients something easy to share, a referral card or QR code--and give them a reason to use it!​​​​​​​​​
According to Veterinary Sciences, Increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%.
"Susan's words jump into the mind of your customer, immediately creating images that people can see themselves taking part. Susan's work on newsletters and campaigns returned $81,708.00 in new reservations to the Iris Inn in 2019."
Heidi Lanford, former co-owner of the Iris Inn.
As a strategic marketing consultant, I help independent veterinarians and premium pet retailers grow, differentiate, and compete without going corporate.
I Provide Independent Pet Businesses Tried-and-True Marketing Strategies.
Persuasive. Non-salesy. Results-driven content.
Bring in your ideal clients looking for your products and services.
Earn the trust and loyalty of your clients
Retain clients longer while gaining new ones.
Protect your vet practice or premium pet store from consolidation.
There are many ways to keep you growing
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Find out how to attract the ideal clients to your veterinary practice.
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Find out how to attract health-conscious pet owners to your business.
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Keep your business on solid ground. Grow beyond social media.
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FAQS
What marketing strategies work best for independent vet practices? Some of the best marketing strategies for independent vet practices are a personable newsletter with an offer, optimizing your website for SEO and AIO, sharing expert info clients are looking for. There's a lot more. but these are just a few.
What should a premium pet retailer focus on with digital marketing? For digital marketing, premium pet retailers should focus on having a monthly personable newsletter with health-conscious tips for pet parents' dogs or cats, and an offer. (Talk about brand distinction! How many pet retailers do this?) Start a loyalty program to keep clients coming back. There are more options but these 3 are a great place to start.
What types of content do both natural pet retailers and independent vet practices really need to succeed? Most independent pet care businesses benefit from: -Lead magnets -Educational blog posts targeting high-intent search questions -Conversion-focused landing pages -Email nurture sequences -Product spotlight campaigns -Subscription refill messaging -Loyalty program messaging -Staff training materials You need content that drives repeat visits and higher average order value.
More in-depth FAQs here.