A well-crafted newsletter can be a powerful tool for vet clinics, helping to build client relationships, encourage repeat visits, and educate pet owners. But let’s be honest—most people’s inboxes are already overflowing. How do you make sure your newsletter doesn’t get tossed into the digital abyss, unread and unloved?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a vet clinic newsletter that pet owners will actually enjoy reading (and maybe even look forward to—imagine that!).

1. Define Your Newsletter’s Purpose

Before you start writing, get clear on why you’re sending this thing out in the first place. Are you looking to educate pet owners? Shamelessly plug your services? Tug at heartstrings with adorable pet stories (see right)?

(Hint: all of the above is totally acceptable.)

Common objectives include:

Educating pet owners on pet care and wellness
Promoting clinic services, special offers, or events
Strengthening client relationships with engaging stories
Encouraging appointment bookings and preventive care visits

2. Know Your Audience

Your audience is pet owners who already trust your clinic. Think about what they’d actually want to read. Dare we say it… ask them! Are they looking for seasonal pet care tips? Do they want updates on new services you offer? Or even just a funny story about a mischievous clinic cat? You can always test and learn what works.

Segmenting your audience can also work wonders. Dog owners, cat lovers, and exotic pet enthusiasts all have different needs—so why not tailor your content accordingly?

3. Create Compelling Content

Your newsletter should be informative, engaging, and easy to digest—like a delicious treat, but for the brain. Here are some content ideas to get started:

Educational Articles: Write about frequent concerns you see in clinic, common pet health myths debunked, or “Why Your Cat Secretly Thinks They Own You.”
Clinic Updates: New staff members, behind-the-scenes peeks, or fun facts about your vet team.
Success Stories: Heartwarming tales of pets you’ve helped. Bonus points for dramatic before-and-after transformations!
Special Offers & Promotions: Discounts on services.
Pet of the Month: Feature a client’s pet with a short story and an adorable photo. Maybe even throw in a title like “Most Dramatic Howler” or “Fluffiest Overlord.”
Q&A Section: Answer common pet care questions. (Example: “Why does my dog stare at me while he poops?”)
Staff Spotlights: Introduce your team members with fun facts—like who has the most pets at home or who can mimic a parrot’s squawk with terrifying accuracy.
Seasonal Topics: Think “Helping Your Dogs Anxiety on Fireworks Night” or “Why Your Cat Is Judging Your Halloween Costume.”

4. Keep It Engaging and Readable

Use a Friendly Tone: Talk like a human, not like a robot programmed to dispense veterinary facts. Imagine you’re chatting with a client at the front desk—minus the barking in the background.
Keep It Concise: People are busy. Give them the good stuff in bite-sized chunks.
Use Visuals: High-quality pet photos = automatic engagement.
Include Calls to Action (CTAs): Encourage readers to book an appointment, follow your social media, or share the newsletter with their pet-loving friends.
Make It Interactive: Polls, contests, or “caption this photo” challenges keep people engaged.

5. Optimise for Deliverability and Readability (Because If No One Sees It, What’s the Point?)

“Wooahh Geoff have you seen this great newsletter from my vet clinic?”

Mobile-Friendly Design: Most people read emails on their phones—so make sure yours looks good and is easy to read.
Clear Subject Lines: Avoid sounding like spam. Try something fun like, “Your Dog Wants You to Read This” or something attention grabbing like “We Have A Big Announcement”.
Personalisation: A simple “Hi [Pet Owner’s Name]” makes a difference. Extra points if you personalise it with their pet’s name—because let’s be honest, that’s who they really care about.
Consistent Branding: Your clinic’s colours, logo, and style should be instantly recognisable.

6. How to Measure Success (Beyond “Did Anyone Reply?”)

To make sure your newsletter is actually working (and not just vanishing into the void), track these key performance indicators (KPIs):

Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who opened your email. A strong subject line and cute dog emojis might help.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures how many readers clicked on links (e.g., “Book an appointment” or “See our ridiculous clinic cat”)
Conversion Rate: How many readers actually followed through and booked something? That’s the real MVP metric.
Unsubscribe Rate: If this is high, you might need to tweak your content, tone, or frequency.
Engagement Metrics: Track which sections get the most clicks. Do people love pet memes? Give them more pet memes.

7. Best Practices for Sending Your Newsletter

Choose the Right Frequency: Monthly or bi-weekly is usually a sweet spot. Too often, and you’re annoying. Too rarely, and people forget you exist.
Send at Optimal Times: In contrast to what' research says, we’ve found Mondays and Sundays work well early in the morning (around 07.00 - 08.00. However research would have you believe mid-week, mid-morning emails perform well.
Test and Improve: Experiment with different subject lines, content styles, and send times. If something flops, tweak it. If something works, do more of it.

Final Thoughts

An engaging vet clinic newsletter doesn’t just inform—it entertains, builds trust, and makes pet owners feel like they’re part of your clinic family. So have fun with it! Inject personality, add humour, and make it something pet parents actually want to read.

Need help with your Clinic Newsletter?

Our team specialises in veterinary marketing and can help you craft the perfect email strategy. Get in touch at matt@heedly.co or 07876 022 498 for expert veterinary marketing support.

Have a marketing question? We’ve got answers!

Send it to matt@heedly.co, and we might answer it in a future blog post!

Email Marketing for Veterinary Clinics: 7 Tips on How to Keep Clients Engaged