While your practice may be incredibly busy today, factors outside your control can shift your client base quickly. Consider a large-scale dairy subdividing their acreage into hobby farms; suddenly you have a whole new group of potential clients with significantly different needs on your doorstep. Or you introduce a new service and want to efficiently roll it out to your current client base.

That’s why even busy veterinarians should prioritize marketing their practice. Marketing can feel overwhelming, so let’s break down a few tactics and see how the pieces fit together.
 

Clarify your brand.

What impression are you making with the appearance of your clinic and ambulatory vehicles? Is your logo consistent and clear? Is your website up-to-date and easy to navigate? Does your signage need a refresh? Consider the key attributes you’d like to emphasize to your clients: Are you the modern, technology-first practice in your town? Or the tried-and-true trusted provider? Consider whether your visual elements reinforce that impression consistently.
 

Meet clients where they are: Online.

The demographics of rural clients continues to shift as farmland is developed. According to an August 2021 report from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service1, 82% of farms have internet access, with 50% of these on broadband and 77% accessing the web through a cellular data plan.
 

Stay top-of-mind with social media.

Social media provides rural clients a quick and easy way to build relationships and interact, which was previously a challenge for animal owners in remote areas. This presents an opportunity for veterinarians, who have access to a goldmine of potential content, to build engagement with their client base. Consider timely tips on topics relevant to your clients, interesting case reports, and photos from days on the road. If that seems overwhelming, create a content calendar to remind you what to post and when, and pre-schedule as much as possible.

Rather than dabbling on multiple platforms, pick one and do it well. Facebook remains the dominant social media for older demographics, with 46% of farmers² and 40% of equestrians³ utilizing the platform. Meanwhile, 95% of equestrians in one study³ utilize Instagram. It pays to understand the audience you’re trying to reach and focus on where they’re most active.

If you already have an active social media presence established, consider adding paid advertising into the mix. One of the strengths of social media advertising is the ability to target users in a very specific geographic footprint and demographic. For example, members of the American Quarter Horse Association living within a 50-mile radius of your practice. These campaigns can start small and be scaled up once success is established.
 

Engage consistently with an email newsletter.

Today email newsletters are even easier to produce than slipping a printed newsletter in along with client statements. Set one up to make consistent contact with your clients. Update them on area events, practice news, and timely animal health topics to bring your services to the front of their minds.
 

Also consider other time-tested and proven offline vehicles to communicate your practice’s strengths.
 

Engage with your local equine and livestock community.

Consider sponsoring events, placing banners, and advertising in the event programs at the local show venue or stockyard to reach a target group of local animal owners. Volunteer to speak to the 4H group or FFA.
 

Bring clients and potential clients together.

An open house or client education night can provide the venue to expose potential new accounts to your current happy clients and showcase your expertise on key topics.
 

Use technology to automate appointment logistics.

The exam is only one part of your client’s impression of your practice. Ease of scheduling, appointment reminders, payment processing options, follow-up communication, and prescription fulfillment are all crucial pieces in your client relationship. This is where Covetrus® software and business services can streamline your client interactions and allow you to focus on your patients.

Pulse™ is an all-in-one system that integrates seamlessly with multiple platforms to provide a single solution to improve efficiency, enhance profitability, and allow you to spend more time on patient care. Designed to be the last veterinary software you’ll ever need, Pulse is Cloud based for accessibility from the clinic or the road.

If a full veterinary operating system isn’t in the cards, Covetrus has solutions for practices of every size and technology comfort level. Rapport™ makes appointment scheduling, reminders, and follow-ups easy. We also offer custom branded online pharmacy storefronts to help you capture prescription and non-prescription revenue, while also maintaining clarity on what medications and products your clients are utilizing.

Specifically for rural clients, large-animal pharmacy drop-ship options make it easy for you to order prescription products for delivery directly to your clients at their farm or competition venue, while our Trainer Concierge program provides customer service support to assist with refills and orders for your busy equine clients.

By starting with your brand, layering online and traditional marketing tactics, and leaning on modern communication solutions to make a great impression on clients, you can both appeal to new clients and keep your practice top of mind with your current base.
 

References:

1. Farm Computer Usage and Ownership. United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. August 2021. Accessed online September 3, 2022.

2. Farm Futures Survey, 2016.  17-143943 Accessed online September 3, 2022.

3. Gutiérrez Aragón, Ó.; Gassiot Melian, A. y Alabart Algueró, J. (2021). Use, acceptance, and the impact of social networks and influencers on the equestrian sector. Doxa Comunicación, 32, pp. 115-142.

4. Andrews FM, Bernard WV, Byars TD, Cohen ND, Divers TJ, MacAllister CG, et al. Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) Equine Vet Educ. 1999;1:122–134.