Why content planning is important for your veterinary practice in 2023

Planning your content is more important than creating it.

That might seem like a bold statement to make but we’re living in an age of information and you need to make sure that your content and online footprint is going to boost the online visibility of your practice.

Of course, it’s possible to identify an information gap and simply create content to fill that gap.

But why would you do that when you can curate that content to the specific needs of your ideal pet owner?

Don’t forget – there’s already a lot of information out there, so anything you can do to enhance the memorability and shareability of your content will ultimately be beneficial to your overall digital marketing strategy in both the short and the long term.

As we start looking to the New Year, now is the perfect time to start building your content strategy.

What is a content strategy?

A content strategy for your veterinary business should set out a clear vision that explains why and how you are creating content, managing that content, and updating that content.

Your overall content strategy should also set out:

– The audience you want to connect with
– The actions you want your audience to perform after engaging with your content
– How to ensure your content reflects your brand, ethos and values

The advantages of content planning

In addition to ensuring that your content feels cohesive and relevant to your audience and your brand, content planning has numerous other advantages.

1. Set and achieve key objectives

You will find it much easier to define your objectives and digital marketing goals with a clear content strategy. As we know having defined and measurable targets will ensure that you’re doing everything possible to achieve them.

So, for example, if you’re a new veterinary practice and your objective is to boost new client registrations, you can focus on creating educational social media content that explains the value of your services and connects with local pet owners in ways that capture their interest.

2. Find new avenues to explore

The online space is always evolving, which means there are countless possibilities out there that can help you to increase the visibility of your business.

With a content plan, you will find it easier to uncover specific trends and breaking news that will help you to reach new audiences and educate pet owners.

3. Optimise your digital marketing strategy

A clear content strategy will allow you to optimise your approach to digital marketing in ways that will secure more views and engagement.

You’ll find it easier to repurpose content to suit different platforms, which is ultimately what will help you to reach those all-important engagement metrics that drive a positive return on investment (ROI).

For example, you can create shorter-form social and video content from longer blog posts in ways that allow you to share key pieces of information easily for different types of pet owners to digest.

Where to find content ideas

Inspiration for content ideas to populate your content calendar can be found in so many different places.

Asking your reception team for the most frequently asked questions they receive is a great place to start, which can then be augmented by those that are often asked by clients in consults.

An awareness days calendar is another valuable tool to have on-hand because it can supply a wealth of inspiration for timely content ideas that will capture attention and drive engagement across your social media channels.

We have updated our Awareness Days Content Calendar for Veterinary Businesses for 2023 and you can request your copy here