Community Veterinary Outreach: 6 Ways to Make Your Clinic the Place to Be
Veterinary clinics are trusted resources for pet owners that play a vital role in keeping the community safe and healthy. When your clinic takes an active role in local events and businesses, you can grow your brand and ensure your team’s smiling faces are the first thing pet owners think of when they need care.
Community veterinary outreach can also be a fun team-bonding activity that gives creative, outgoing team members an outlet for their energy and talents. Local events, business partnerships, and educational workshops are just a few of the many possibilities.
Our Shepherd team members come from veterinary backgrounds, and we know how important it is to engage with customers and our community. Here are six practical strategies to help establish your clinic as a community hub and deepen your roots and reach in your city or town.
1. Attend and host pet-friendly events
One way to increase visibility is to get out there and start mingling with locals through community veterinary outreach. You can host an event at your clinic, such as an open house or microchip marathon, or attend a local dog 5K, pet expo, or animal rescue group fundraising event. Keep events simple and fun while also showcasing your team’s talents and charms.
2. Provide low-cost care to needy pets
Teaming up with shelters and animal rescue groups shows the community you care about supporting pets and pet owners in need—not just your bottom line. Partnerships with nonprofit groups can focus on providing discounted care for newly adopted pets, sponsoring shelter pets, or co-hosting adoption events.
In return, your new community partners will generally send more business your way via first exams to new adoptees or word-of-mouth referrals that highlight your team’s commitment to animal welfare.
3. Become the go-to pet care expert
The internet is overflowing with resources for pet owners, but clients crave reliable information directly from someone they know and trust: their vet. Educational events geared toward specific client concerns or questions can reinforce your role as the local go-to pet expert and give clients the tools they need to provide better care.
Tailor the topics to the questions you answer day after day or the complex issues that pet owners find difficult to grasp. Hosting a workshop or pet owner Q&A might interest intrepid support staff and education-focused veterinarians—let them choose the topics and set them loose.
4. Keep pet owners updated
A well-written newsletter or blog keeps your clinic top of mind through digital community veterinary outreach. Leverage your team members’ hidden talents to get the job done—including your resident social media maven, writer extraordinaire, or graphic design genius.
You might choose to highlight team members, share seasonal pet care tips, upcoming community or in-clinic events, or provide quick pet owner education snippets. Cloud-based veterinary software with built-in communication tools or integrated third-party email platforms can help you get the newsletter out each month without a hitch.
5. Nurture the next generation
Engaging with kids and teens helps nurture the next generation of pet owners, animal lovers, and veterinary professionals. Offering to speak to local children for a career week event or sponsoring youth animal shelter programs can have a lasting impact on little ones.
Do you remember how you felt about animals when you were young? How would an experience like this have shaped or supported your career trajectory? Activities like these introduce students to pet care basics and the role of veterinary teams in the community.
6. Be a small business ally
Look for creative ways to team up with other pet-related businesses in the area, such as groomers, trainers, photographers, or pet boutiques. Help out a fellow small business by cross-promoting their services when they agree to display your marketing materials, or by co-sponsoring a giveaway or pet owner education event.
Friendly collaboration expands your reach while also strengthening the support network available to pet parents looking for services that meet their ever-climbing quality standards. Supporting one another and local causes gives you the warm-and-fuzzy feelings we all crave while also promoting your business.
Grow your reach with Shepherd
Community veterinary outreach and engagement is a meaningful way to build trust with local pet owners, strengthen client relationships, and have a lasting impact on your human neighbors and their pets.
Extending your reach beyond the clinic positions your team as the leaders, educators, and partners pet owners want for their furry pal’s care. To learn how Shepherd software can support better client relationships and community engagement, schedule a demo with our team of experienced veterinary professionals.
