Email marketing is still one of the most successful and cost-effective strategies for obtaining new customers, as well as selling and upselling existing clients. Veterinary marketing via email can be highly effective in attracting new clients, as well as maintaining relationships with existing ones. Although statistics vary on how popular email marketing has become, most top marketing companies consider it to be one of the surest methods to contact the masses.
Email marketing is a valuable digital marketing tool for veterinarians who aren’t already using it. It’s definitely worth considering if you’re not already utilizing email marketing. Let’s look at why email marketing is such an effective marketing strategy, as well as some ideas on how your veterinary practice may reach out to more possible and current clients through email.
Why does email marketing for veterinarians work?
Email marketing campaigns as part of a good digital marketing strategy have a high success rate because they’re able to reach a large number of people with minimal effort. Email marketing is also an affordable way to advertise, since you can reach out to thousands of potential customers without spending a lot of money.
Search engine optimization should be a top priority for your veterinary website, but you can’t rely on SEO alone to bring in new business. Email marketing complements your SEO strategy by helping you reach out to people who may not be actively searching for a veterinarian through search engines, but would be interested in your services if they knew about them.
Additionally, email marketing is one of the most direct ways to reach your target audience. Because email marketing is commonly an opt-in connection between a vendor and a (potential) buyer, it works on a psychological level. Because people who receive email marketing communications have given their consent to be sent them, they’re far more willing to read them than an unsolicited commercial would be.
Spam emails that aren’t approved by consumers—you’ve undoubtedly received a few of those—are far more likely to be opened and read. This increases the likelihood that any calls-to-action, such as clicking on links, signing up for a newsletter, or making an appointment, will be completed.
Consumers are more willing to listen to what you have to say and take action on it since they perceive your brand as a trustworthy, helpful organization. In contrast, the strong skepticism and defenses that come with an unauthentic marketing style cause consumers’ natural suspicion and defenses.
How do I get email addresses?
Asking for email addresses to include on your list may seem challenging, especially since you’ll need explicit permission to add a customer or lead to any kind of list. There are plenty of ways to request a signup, however:
- When someone makes an appointment over the phone
- When you get a walk-in who wants to ask you about your services or products
- When someone comes to your website
- When someone visits your social media page
- When you’re at a local event, such as a puppy bowl or walk-a-thon
- When a vendor comes to your practice
In no time, you’ll have a slew of interested leads who are seeking answers to your problems. It’s time to write emails for them once you’ve started developing your list.
7 email marketing tips for veterinarians
Whether you’re just getting started with veterinarian email marketing techniques, or you’ve been sending a list for some time, it’s critical to plan your activities in a strategic manner. Follow these seven steps to develop and expand an engaged and interested email list.
1. Monitor the results of every email
There are several email marketing software to choose from. Each platform is intended to provide you with extensive information about the behavior of your email marketing consumers, such as open rates, clicks, and more.
Regardless of the email marketing solution you choose, you should be prepared to track the effects of every message you send. Those findings may provide you useful lessons that you can apply to future communications. You’ll be able to give your subscribers with more tailored content if you stay on top of campaign results.
2. Provide unique, relevant content
What should you put in your emails? That is up to you, but veterinary practices often find success when they send feel-good content about pets. This might mean including things like:
- Surgery success stories
- Photos of some of your favorite animal visitors
- Information on local shelter events, like adoption days
- Suggestions on new pet food, toys, or equipment to try
- Advice from your vets on how to handle seasonal issues, like how to keep small dogs warm in the winter or ways to prevent heatstroke in the summer
Although this type of material does not “sell” your practice, it does boost your subscribers’ trust in you. It demonstrates that you are concerned with their best interests rather than simply as customers. This can substantially enhance your professional reputation!
Another suggestion: try to make your emails as compact as possible. Most individuals read their emails rapidly rather than reading them thoroughly, so using bullet points and shorter statements should help them spot the most essential parts of your communications quickly.
3. Send emails on a regular basis
You don’t need to send emails to your consumers every day or even every week, but sending them once a month is a good place to start. Make it the same day or week each month, and your recipients will begin to search for new emails in their inboxes.
To make your life easier, set up a calendar with your send dates on it. Prior to the event, schedule out your topics and ensure that everyone who will be speaking is aware of their responsibilities.
Marketing automation can help you stay on top of your regular monthly send, too. There are several marketing automation tools that can drip content to your list over time or send it all at once—whatever you prefer!
4. Add calls to action
If you explain to people what you want them to accomplish, they will act. A call to action (or CTA) in an email is any request for people to take action, and a successful call to action may entice more of your email subscribers to perform the activity that you find appealing. After all, how can they understand what you want unless you tell them?
Calls to action might be anything from a request to click on a link, print out a coupon, or join your veterinary practice on Instagram. However, don’t include too many CTAs in one email: you risk distracting your readers, diluting your primary calls to action, and getting fewer responses.
5. Include images
Veterinarians have a fantastic opportunity to include emotionally-moving images in their email marketing. Why not use a “pet of the month” in your communications, for example? Or call attention to adorable puppies and kittens who have just come for their first vaccinations?
It is an excellent method to pique readers’ interest, or perhaps encourage them to submit images of their own. Visual material, on the other hand, is a fantastic method to break up your email’s text sections and keep your subscribers engaged for significantly longer than a text-only message can.
6. Send personalized messages
One of the most appealing features of email is that it lets you to personalize your communications. In your email software, you may make custom lists or groups based on variables such as name, location, signup date, or even other data you input yourself, like when a pet’s next shots are due.
It’s also useful to be aware of some trends in texting with pets. For example, you may start using email to notify your clients about scheduled appointments. While many veterinarians use mailed cards for this, there’s no reason not to go digital instead. You’ll save money on postage and production expenses, and you’ll almost certainly get more attention from owners as a result!
Creating a system to deliver customized emails may be difficult, but it’s definitely worth your time in the long run, especially since customized emails are read and acted on more frequently than non-personalized communications.
Along with digital marketing channels, like your website and social media marketing and content marketing, email should be a fundamental part of your veterinary practice’s marketing strategy. Your digital marketing efforts will only be as successful as the weakest link in your chain, so make sure all of your channels are working together to create cohesive digital marketing campaigns that supports your business goals!
7. Experiment and try new things
The wonderful thing about email is that it works for everyone. This may sound terrible, but don’t be concerned: all it implies is that you may start with your expertise and apply it to your marketing efforts before playing around with different methods.
You’ll discover the relevant elements to enhance the likelihood of your emails being opened right away rather than remaining in an inbox or being immediately erased with a little practice.
Attract more pet owners with veterinarian email marketing
It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to email marketing. However, it is one that may result in more bookings and cross-selling opportunities, as well as referrals from pleased clients! Marketing expertise like a veterinary marketing company can help you take your email marketing to the next level.
It’s time to start emailing your patients if you haven’t already. The profits will develop over time, so keep an eye on the effectiveness of your emails. You can learn a lot by monitoring things like open and click rates in order to figure out how to improve your messaging going forward and what areas you need to modify in order to satisfy more of your subscribers.
