As a veterinary consolidator, one of your biggest priorities is to acquire veterinary practices and make them as profitable as possible. Acquisition can be challenging enough, but building up multiple successful vet practices is extremely challenging as well. This juggling act isn’t something your firm should be doing on its own. You need a skilled, experienced marketing partner to help you grow your practice portfolio and keep all those practices highly profitable.
Below are some of the most important things to look for when choosing a digital marketing firm.
Deep, Ongoing Knowledge of the Veterinary Industry
Marketing doesn’t always mean more calls and more appointments. In a world where COVID has greatly increased demand for veterinary services, staffing shortages are rampant and veterinary professionals are experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue, most marketing agencies that don’t understand the veterinary industry from top to bottom won’t be able to guide you toward the best strategies. Are you currently working with a marketing partner who understands the complex issues and demands you have as a consolidator, and which your practices face in their local markets?
Veterinary consolidators often have to contend with operational and financial issues at their newly-acquired practices, along with outdated software, management issues, and incompatible processes. For the veterinary practices, COVID has only compounded issues of demand for services far outweighing what can be supplied, with staffing shortages and a much higher degree of burnout among veterinarians and other staff.
Simply put, your marketing budget is going to be best utilized by a marketing partner who knows how to navigate and provide solutions unique to the veterinary industry’s rapidly-changing landscape. And you’ll want to be confident that whoever you choose can actually help you grow your existing practices and position your organization to attract and retain the best veterinary professionals.
A Complete, In-House Marketing Team to Provide the Services You Require
A digital marketing agency that has experts working in-house is better equipped to satisfy your company’s needs. You need a fully functioning marketing team that knows the best practices for website development and maintenance, provides speedy response times, and offers clear and comprehensive performance reporting.
With SEO, website design and development, Google Ads management, branding, social media, copywriting, and dedicated account managers all working and communicating together, you’ll receive more cohesive and effective marketing strategies to help you achieve your goals.
Ability to Analyze the Data
How do you know if your marketing efforts are paying off? It’s essential to gather metrics on business and campaign performance, and then use that data to optimize and adapt your strategies to ensure success. You’ll want to work with a firm that not only understands the data and how it relates to veterinary business, but can also show you the data through personalized reports and provide actual, workable insights.
They can compare the health of your practices online to the rest of the industry. By showing what’s actually driving results, your marketing firm empowers you to know what’s working and how you can improve your efforts well into the future. They can also analyze your portfolio and focus on how well each practice is prepared to serve today’s pet owners, and how their position relates to other practices within their specific local market.
Stellar Communication and Quick Response Times
Guaranteed response times and thorough discussions with experts who understand the veterinary consolidator industry and your unique business model are essential to your success. Do you have an immediate need to focus on new client and employee acquisition, or are you looking to take a more blended approach, which involves obtaining new clients and employees and retaining existing clients?
And how can you be sure that your chosen marketing partner will communicate with your team reliably? How can you get an idea of what it’s like to work with them?
One word: Referrals. Ask if you can connect with a few of their clients so you can hear directly from them about what it’s like to work with the firm you’re potentially going to choose. There is no better endorsement for a company than the words of its satisfied clients.
Choose a Reliable Marketing Partner to Help You Scale Your Business
There’s no reason not to take your time and choose wisely if you’re looking to partner with a digital marketing agency. You’ll want to work with someone who has industry knowledge, marketing know-how, and a knack for stellar customer service.
At InTouch, our experience in the veterinary industry predates Google. We’ve spent over 25 years empowering veterinary practices and helping them grow, and as marketing avenues have changed, we’ve adapted and expanded our efforts to help our clients stay on top of their local markets. Additionally, we have the privilege of working with incredible veterinary consolidators who strive for integrity, progress, and quality in all their practices, and who care deeply about pets and people.
We understand the needs and struggles veterinary consolidators and practices face today. We know what they need to do to adapt in these rapidly changing times. Our knowledge can help you excel at managing and growing your practices. Get InTouch by calling (800) 493-9003.