Common marketing problems for vets

If you read Deb’s Desk, you’ll notice that I’ve been discussing the roadblocks that vet practices and specialist vets encounter when it comes to their marketing. In recent blogs, I’ve examined topics such as “What’s stopping you from marketing your vet practice” and “Should You Be Writing Articles for your website”, which highlight some of the issues we discuss with vet practices when they are considering a marketing strategy.

This year, I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with many veterinary professionals across a broad spectrum of the industry, each at various stages of their business development. Some were ready to approach a professional and tailored marketing strategy, while many were in the investigation stage, and a small percentage were still some way off being in a position to commit to a comprehensive marketing strategy.

While each practice and service is unique and has its own defining characteristics, I observed two common hurdles that were stifling their potential to grow and the opportunity to stake a claim in their respective fields of expertise or localities. In this article, I will address those challenges and provide a few tips to help you move forward into 2026.

Independent vet practices operating in local areas are often well-known in the communities they serve. They have a loyal client base, their “brand” is recognisable, and business is steady. For these types of operations, it is easy to think of marketing as a small-scale appendage. Sending out the occasional flyer or mass email to the database twice a year seems to be effective. This approach is lip service, but when you have a steady stream of clients and a reasonably predictable schedule, marketing is not a high priority.

The dangers in this situation lie in competition, attrition, and a loss of visibility in the digital ecosystem. Competition is inevitable; we have seen it even in small rural towns, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent in mid-sized to larger villages and suburban areas in major cities. The additional threat from corporate chains should not be ignored, and they do their homework.

Attrition is often not discussed, but it must be considered. Clients will drop off due to age, the passing of their pets, or lifestyle changes. Vet clinics must find ways to replenish their client base year on year. With pet ownership soaring among younger Australians, it is essential that a practice adapts with the times and has the recruitment plans in place to engage this audience, understand their “buying” profiles and can be found where this cohort looks, online.

Attrition makes for a nice lead into the visibility. Digital marketing is the cornerstone of your online visibility. Without it, your practice is invisible. Clients will search for a vet online, either traditionally via Google or using an AI bot such as Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity or another. If you don’t show up, you don’t exist. Even if you do show up, but your website is outdated, slow to load, lacks information, doesn’t answer questions, etc, they will move on and find another. It is a first impression that lasts.

At the very least, ensure your Google Business profile is up to date. If your website is outdated, lacks content or isn’t optimised for SEO or GEO, please book a discovery with us for 2026.

Lack of time or expertise is a common roadblock. We’ve met with numerous veterinary practices over the course of this year,  who understand the need for quality marketing and upgrading their digital presence; however, time is an issue, and a lack of understanding of the level of expertise required has prevented many from taking the initiative.

The modern reality is that the rise of AI search and people’s increasing reliance on it have meant that time is no longer a luxury, and digital marketing expertise is more critical than ever. To meet the demands of this new era, digital marketing requires a well-researched and budgeted plan. It is not simply a case of scheduling and paying for Facebook or social media posts; this strategy done in isolation may give you a slight boost, but it is expensive and will dry up without any long-term legacy.

I never expect a veterinary practice owner to have the time or expertise to handle their own marketing. It is a specialised discipline and requires a diligent and consistent approach to ensure it returns on the investment. It is the primary reason why vet practices need to engage a specialist marketing agency. A specialist digital marketing service that understands the veterinary landscape has the firepower to take charge. At Specialist Vet Marketing, our role is to give you back time. We handle everything from brand identity to strategy, content creation, SEO and GEO, newsletters and social media campaign creation. Our job is to keep your practice visible, relevant and growing so you can do what you do best.

Establishing an online presence on Google and with the AI bots is a process. The longer you leave it, the longer it takes to penetrate. With our help, you can achieve visibility quickly and efficiently. We work with time-poor business owners every day and are fully aware of the urgency and how to take control and ease the time burden.

While time is a hurdle, it can’t be an excuse. My tip: competitors will find time, and AI search is moving at a rapid pace. Even if you have a functioning website and a healthy content calendar, it must be optimised for AI search (GEO) at a minimum to remain relevant. We can help with a complimentary audit and offer an affordable, efficient and expert solution that returns your time and fills the expertise gap.

As a business owner, we are always looking forward and making plans. If marketing is on your to-do list but you’re unsure if you need it, feel you don’t have the time, are concerned about the expertise required, or are unsure where to start, we can help. I urge you not to put marketing on your to-do list. The veterinary landscape is changing rapidly: clients expect more, and how they find and perceive you is critically important to sustainability and growth.

We are one of the few digital marketing agencies in Australia that specialise in the veterinary industry. Our team is excited to hear your story and apply our technical expertise and creative approach to bring it to life, sharing it with a researched audience that becomes your next long-lasting client base.

Book a discovery meeting and make 2026 the year of growth.