Safe content sucks. It certainly isn’t a revolutionary statement. It’s actually a pretty obvious statement. However, the concept becomes extremely daunting when you think about applying it to your veterinary practice’s marketing plan. You’re probably thinking: “Damn it, Jim, I’m a Doctor, not a risk taker.” (if you got that reference, I like you already).
Imagine this scenario: You publish a blog on your prestigious and professional site about….
Dog crap.
The blog offends your clientele, and you even lose a few long time customers.
Not likely, and here is why we know.
Poop Blogs
We wrote and published a blog post for one of our clients, a large, well-known veterinary practice. The title was “They Poop. They Stare. Here’s Why.” I’m not going to lie, the client was a little wary, but they trusted us to be the experts.
The response we received from this blog was nothing short of amazing! In the first week of the blog being published, it received 528% more views than their average blogs do. People commented on the blog post and shared it on social media. We also included a call-to-action on the blog and captured new contact information. To date, this blog remains as one of the most popular of their blogs.
Of course, we’ve posted other well-performing blogs such:
- “Google is not a Veterinarian” which received 285% more views than average blogs
- “7 Activities Your Dog Can Do to Avoid the Winter Blues” 305% more views
- “Keep Your Dog Away From These 10 Substances!” 197% more views
Create Unique & Interesting Content
Not every blog you write has to be edgy, but it does need to be real and fun to read.
Another blog we posted for this veterinary clinic, “Is your Dog Revenge Pooping?” received 128% better than average in the first week, however, this blog is succeeding in another way. Since we posted this blog in December, it continues to improve each month, bringing in new organic traffic from the search engine results. In May, this blog brought in more visitors than it did when it is was first published.
Why am I pointing this out? Because it proves that people--your potential new clientele--are searching for information, every month, about topics most veterinary practices aren’t brave enough to write about. They are seeking out answers and will likely turn to a veterinary practice that demonstrates they are the go-to knowledge base close to them.
It's okay to take risks on your content. Remember, you are talking to regular people, not other veterinary professionals who already know all of the topics you could possibly cover. It’s okay to talk about poop, pee, and why your dog loves to run their butt up and down your newly shampooed carpets. It’s funny. It’s real. And bonus, it’s the information people are most likely searching for in your area.
Written by Nikki Wardle
Nikki has a degree in Marketing from Boise State University and worked as an Inbound Marketing Specialist at Tribute Media from 2014 to 2019. She's a Google Whiz and dog lover, now serving as a marketing director for a local veterinary clinic.
