The vet office is certainly not the most exciting environment for a pet owner, let alone the pet. However, using digital signage at the vet is a great way to enhance that experience. Digital signage can provide invaluable information to pet owners to ensure their companions stay in peak shape and health. Apart from directly providing information, it is also a means to inspire and open up new possibilities. As you’ll see below where we’ll discuss ways to use digital signage to share success stories, encourage action, and promote pet-related events and opportunities.
Invite people in
Starting at the storefront, use digital signage to display a variety of content to catch the eye of pet lovers. They’re a special kind of audience that isn’t driven by what usually drives consumers. Any product or service is not for them, but for their loyal companion. For instance, testimonials are one great example of content for the storefront, as pet owners really care about quality service for their pets the most. Consider social media content, seasonal tips, promotions, alongside other content elements we’ll mention below.
Share instructions
As any pet owner knows, waiting is a regular part of the vet office experience. At times, there might not even be any staff present upon entry. Such a case typically happens when there is a sudden spike in traffic and everyone gets busy. This is only one example where a newcomer might not know what to do. They might feel neglected, or that they’re expected to hunt down staff themselves. A really simple way to solve this is to dedicate a banner on the waiting room display which shows a message along the lines of “Please wait. We will be with you shortly!”
You may even instruct them to take the usual steps required. If, for instance, there is a form to fill out with the most common information the vet needs to know—such as age or previous medication taken. To make it simpler than filling out a paper form, you can include a QR-code or a link which will take the visitor online to a digital form.
Provide business information
A rather generic use, but important nonetheless, is to use digital signage to display work hours, contact details, and qualifications of practitioners. You may even display the staff’s work schedule across the week. This is useful information as it makes the process easier if the same vet treats the same pet consistently. Not only is it easier for the vet as they’ll already be familiar with the owner and the pet, the pets themselves will feel at ease seeing a familiar face.
Educate and remind about proper care schedule
Animals, dogs especially, need to be regularly vaccinated. Sadly, there are many pet owners who don’t take vaccinations seriously. It is a common misconception that if a dog gets sick, they can simply be treated with the right medicine. However, without proper vaccination, some illnesses are extremely difficult and expensive to treat. Digital signage at the vet office waiting area, for example, can rotate display information about each vaccination, as well as the potential risks of not having them regularly.
Apart from important medication, consider which pets take up the majority of the visitors base. Every pet has a set of needs that need to be met. For instance, outdoor cats and dogs will typically wear out their claws, but if they spend most of their time indoors, they’ll need to have them regularly trimmed. Sadly, it is not uncommon for owners to hurt their pets by trimming their nails too much as they don’t know how it’s properly done. Use digital signage at the vet office to educate about grooming requirements, alongside other guidelines. Inform about diet and nutrition, physical activity, dental care, parasite control, emergency preparedness, etc. You may even include tips on how to quickly recognize if there’s something wrong with a pet, such as a loss of appetite.
Highlight seasonal tips
Summer is just around the corner, and pet owners must make sure their furry friends are protected from high temperatures. Compile an infographic with a list of tips to deal with heat to display on your digital signage, perhaps best used for particularly sunny days.
This can include tips on hydration, providing shaded areas in the yard, avoiding hot pavement, never leaving pets unattended in parked cars, water activities, sun protection, and grooming tips. A very important one is keeping an eye on any signs of heatstroke. Excessive panting, drooling, or collapse are signs to quickly get to a cool area and seek vet assistance.
Do the same for the winter season, once it rolls around.
Have fun with animal facts
Leaning more into the fun ways of using digital signage at the vet office, prepare to show an extensive playlist of content with fun information about animals. Our OnSign TV database already contains one such list which will rotate images and information about various animals. Once again, consider what your core audience is. If it’s mostly dog owners, focus on dog-related facts.
Display social media content from owners
Invite owners to share their photos on social media, and have them use a matching tag. Then you can simply set up your digital signage to show all posts with that tag. Another way to gradually collect photos of satisfied clients and pets is to ask for permission to take a quick snapshot after their visit. Many vet offices do this in a more traditional way, where they print out the photos and put them on a big billboard. This results in a beautiful pet collage.
Share success stories
Testimonials and success stories are extremely important when it comes to health. After asking for permission, share photos and the recovery journey from your furry patients. This will put their human parents at ease, knowing that there is care put into the recovery process and that it was indeed healed.
Consider using statistics and general health information. For example, once symptoms of rabies appear in a dog, there is no way to treat it, leading to needing to put them down to prevent the spread. However, it’s easily prevented through regular vaccinations. Keep an eye out for what is happening in your area and adjust information accordingly. In case you notice a spike in a certain disease that might be spreading among animals in the area, digital signage can help inform about prevention and proper care.
Promote community events and pet-friendly resources
Use your digital signage to bring the community together and give pet lovers a heads up on exciting opportunities. This is a great way to inspire owners to visit more regularly. For a start, share information about local events taking place. Pet adoption fairs, exhibits, competitions, fundraisers, educational seminars, workshops, or volunteer opportunities at animal shelters.
Also promote local businesses and establishments, such as dog trainers, pet grooming salons, pet-friendly restaurants, nearby dog parks, or pet supply stores.
As you see, there is a ton of information to include on digital signage in the pet office. With digital signage software, you can slice up your display into several sections, providing a variety of content for visitors. Try out OnSign TV, and you’ll find quite a few possibilities!
Cover image by Andrew Umansky.
