Should veterinarians use special offers in their marketing?
The PetDesk Marketing team works with veterinarians worldwide, and many of our customers offer special deals for new clients. These veterinary businesses have seen success from these types of special offers. Special deals can be whether you provide a discount for new clients or just have discounted services on certain days of the week. Special deals are great ways to bring new people into your practice, but veterinarians need to keep some things in mind when offering them.
Veterinarians considering specials should look at their bottom line and whether or not their business can afford to take a hit for a few weeks after the special starts. Specials may attract more than just good clients; they could also attract poor paying clients that will cost your business money. Specials only work if you’re willing to let go of profits during the short term so that you can get quality clients and grow your practice long term. Specials and discounts should ultimately be viewed as a marketing tool and can even be factored into your PNL (profit and loss) statement as such.
Weigh special offers for your veterinary business, and think about the lifetime value of a new client
We covered this in our ultimate veterinary marketing guide, and we believe that special offers can be a solid marketing and new client recruitment tool for your business.
Specials can help you close the deal when acquiring new customers. A survey from RetailMeNot2 showed deals substantially influence customer acquisition, brand loyalty, and brand perception among consumers, especially among millennials:
- 67% of consumers “made a purchase they weren’t originally planning to make solely based on finding a coupon or discount”
- 80% of consumers said they feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a brand that is new to them if they found an offer or discount
- 74% of Americans say offers are a top factor when deciding where and what to buy online
- 81% of Americans say finding an excellent offer or discount is on their mind throughout the entire purchase journey
What type of special offers should veterinarians offer to bring in new business?
If you’re looking to bring new clients into the business or upsell higher-priced procedures, remove the barriers:
- 50% off the first exam: Let’s be honest, this is your chance to get them on a solid schedule of vaccines, parasite prevention, food, dental cleanings, and more. The revenue lost on half an exam may lead to much more in the future.
- Free dental exam: According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, over 80% of dogs and 70% of cats require preventive treatment for oral disease by the time they’re three years old.3 Coming in for their free dental exam will help them book those services with you!
- $10 off the first purchase of food from the clinic: If you want your clients to purchase food and other goods from you instead of Petco or Chewy, show them the convenience with a $10 discount, and they’ll be sure to come back to purchase from you every time. Plus, they’ll get to support your business in the process.
PetDesk can customize everything for you!
Want a banner on the website showcasing your new offer? Done. You can have banners, pop-ups, funnels, special landing pages, or forms that must be completed to download a coupon to receive the offer. With PetDesk Marketing, you get unlimited customizations and changes. We’ll help you launch the perfect advertising campaign, and track the performance of your custom veterinary website. It’s that simple—reach out to us today!
References
1 MarTech: Survey: 91 Percent Have Gone Into Stores Because of Online Promotion
3 Colorado State University: Preventing Dental Disease in Dogs And Cats
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