First 100 customers · Melbourne
How to get your first 100 customers as an AI automation agency for veterinary clinics in Melbourne
To win your first 100 customers for AI appointment, reminder and recall automation for veterinary clinics in Melbourne, go where vets and practice managers already vent about no-shows and phones ringing out instead of buying ads. The highest-fit communities are r/Veterinary and veterinary practice-manager Facebook groups (where missed recalls and front-desk overload are constant gripes), the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Victoria division and local vet-nurse networks (warm, hyper-local), and global vet-practice-growth groups. Lead with the lost-recall and missed-call problem, not 'AI', and a zero-audience founder can fill a pipeline for free.
The 12 communities, ranked by fit
| # | Community | Why it fits | Engage | Self-promo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | r/Veterinary reddit · 100K+ members | Vets, nurses and practice owners actively discuss reminders, recalls, staffing shortages and phone coverage here — exactly the pain your automation solves. Win by answering 'how do you handle no-shows / overdue recalls' threads, not pitching. | 8/10 | strict |
| 2 | Veterinary Practice Managers / Vet Front Desk groups facebook group · 20K+ members | Practice managers and reception leads here are the exact people drowning in reminder calls and recall lists — and usually the internal champion who recommends tools to the practice principal. | 8/10 | moderate |
| 3 | Veterinary practice owners / 'Vet Business' growth groups facebook group · 15K+ members | Owner-operators focused on profitability respond to ROI framing like 'one filled recall slot a day pays for the month' — the core sell for veterinary front-desk automation. | 8/10 | moderate |
| 4 | Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) — Victoria division & member directory directory · Hundreds of Victorian vets | The national professional body's Victoria division, CPD events and member list are a warm, geo-targeted source of Melbourne practice owners you can reach with a local angle and referrals. | 7/10 | moderate |
| 5 | Australian veterinary nurses & receptionists groups facebook group · 10K+ members | Vet nurses and reception staff carry the manual reminder/recall grind and feel the staffing shortage most; problem-led posts about saving them phone time land well and build internal advocates. | 7/10 | moderate |
| 6 | r/melbourne (local business & recommendation threads) reddit · 500K+ members | Locals run 'recommend a vet' and small-business threads that surface Melbourne clinics by name; useful for local credibility and spotting growing practices, though direct promo isn't tolerated. | 6/10 | strict |
| 7 | Melbourne / Victoria small-business owner groups facebook group · 20K-60K members | Local owner groups include independent vet-clinic operators and let you build a Melbourne reputation and referral base before approaching clinics directly with a local case study. | 6/10 | moderate |
| 8 | Global veterinary practice-growth & 'profitable vet practice' groups facebook group · 25K+ members | Growth-minded principals worldwide swap tactics on filling the book and reducing no-shows; recall reactivation is a measurable win you can demo to a receptive, ROI-driven audience. | 7/10 | moderate |
| 9 | Veterinary practice management / corporate-group operators (LinkedIn) linkedin group · 30K+ members | Reaches multi-site and corporate vet-group operators (Greencross, VetPartners-style) who can buy automation across several Melbourne clinics at once; better for thought-leadership than cold posts. | 5/10 | moderate |
| 10 | Veterinary practice-growth & vet-business channels youtube · Tens of thousands of subscribers | Their comment sections and communities are full of growth-minded owners; collaborating on a 'reclaiming overdue recalls' episode reaches your exact buyer with built-in trust. | 6/10 | permissive |
| 11 | Melbourne / Victoria vet CPD evenings & practice-manager meetups meetup · 20-80 per event | Local CPD nights and practice-manager catch-ups gather decision-makers in person; presenting a short 'win back no-shows and overdue recalls' talk puts you in front of buyers face-to-face. | 6/10 | moderate |
| 12 | Nextdoor — Melbourne neighbourhoods nextdoor · Melbourne-local | Local vets run Nextdoor pages and residents recommend clinics; a soft way to spot which Melbourne practices are actively marketing and may invest in front-desk automation. | 5/10 | strict |
FAQ
Where do veterinary clinics gather online in Melbourne?
Nationally and globally, vets and practice managers cluster in r/Veterinary, veterinary practice-manager and vet-nurse Facebook groups, and vet-business growth communities. In Melbourne specifically, look to the AVA Victoria division, local CPD evenings, Melbourne small-business groups and r/melbourne 'recommend a vet' threads to find and warm up clinics by name.
What's the fastest way to get the first 100 customers for an AI automation agency for veterinary clinics?
Lead with one painful, measurable problem — overdue recalls, no-shows and calls ringing out during consults — not 'AI'. Answer real questions in r/Veterinary and vet practice-manager groups, offer a free recall-reactivation audit to a handful of Melbourne clinics, and let those case studies (with hard numbers) drive referrals inside the same communities.
Do I need an ad budget?
No. These are organic communities and local associations a founder with zero audience can engage for free. The winning motion is helpful, problem-led posts plus a free audit, not paid ads.
Are these communities specific to Melbourne?
It's a mix. The AVA Victoria division, local CPD meetups, Melbourne small-business groups, r/melbourne and Nextdoor are Melbourne-local; r/Veterinary and the practice-manager and vet-business groups are niche-global, so the same playbook scales to any metro you expand into.