Helping Companies Connect with Veterinarians

Veterinarians are truly a unique group. They have an amazing love for animals of all kinds, and their work is rooted in compassion, combined with a staggering level of knowledge and intelligence. Unlike human doctors who specialize in one field, veterinarians must master a wide range of diseases, conditions, and treatments across many species. It’s no wonder we hold them in such high regard.

But, despite their compassion and expertise in animal care, many veterinarians find themselves navigating uncharted waters when it comes to running a business. The “business of veterinary medicine” is rarely covered in veterinary school, leaving many practice owners overwhelmed when it comes to managing operations, staff, and profitability. All they really want to do is heal animals.

This gap in business acumen is one reason why the veterinary industry is full of great consultants and vendors — professionals who truly want to see veterinarians succeed and thrive. If you’re a B2B company offering solutions to veterinary practices, you face a unique set of challenges in reaching and resonating with this audience.

Companies that market their products or services to veterinarians often come to us with a mix of challenges, but at the end of the day, these challenges fall into three main categories:

Sometimes startups and established companies alike struggle with low marketplace awareness. Startups are just getting their feet wet, but more established companies may have a new product or service to launch. They both struggle with the same questions … How do we make veterinarians aware of the problem we solve? How do we build credibility and visibility in this space?

This problem is different than low marketplace awareness. Awareness of a product or service may be growing, but is the core value proposition resonating? Is it solving a known problem that veterinarians struggle with? And does it solve the problem in a credible, compelling way, designed to generate some sort of return in exchange for the purchase? Businesses struggling with this problem wonder which messages will resonate most with veterinarians and how can they differentiate themselves from competitors.

Perhaps a business has marketplace awareness and clear positioning, but it needs a steady flow of leads and sales. The question here is not “How do I get the word out,” but “How do I get prospects to act? How can I generate more leads and sales without overspending? How do I make the most of limited marketing resources—whether that’s staff, budget, or technology?” Optimization of marketing spend is a never-ending challenge.

It’s important to note – these challenges aren’t mutually exclusive. Companies can struggle with combinations of two of these categories – or even all three at once. We’ve worked with companies that struggled with both low awareness and unclear positioning, or both unclear positioning and ineffective marketing strategies, for example. These challenges often lead to even more frustration when marketing professionals need to present results to their C-suite and justify their budgets and plans.

When you’re unclear about your value proposition, core differentiators, or how to tell a compelling story, the ripple effects can be damaging. Confusion in your messaging leads to marketing that doesn’t hit the mark. Without clarity, your campaigns are less likely to resonate with veterinarians, resulting in fewer leads and, ultimately, fewer sales.

And let’s face it—standing in front of your boss trying to explain why the marketing budget didn’t deliver the expected results is an uncomfortable position for everyone.

The good news? These challenges aren’t insurmountable. With the right approach, you can build a strong foundation for marketing success.

What’s the best way to build awareness and credibility? A robust veterinary trade media and content marketing program. This can involve a mix of tactics depending on your goals and budget, but we typically recommend a program that includes news releases, PR editorial opportunities (earned media), and advertising (both print and digital). All three of these work together to position your company as a trusted resource for veterinarians.

Clarified positioning includes a strong value proposition, key messaging, and a brand identity that illustrates what you offer to veterinarians, and why they should care. The best way to achieve this is through research (to understand the mindset of the veterinary audience) and creative strategy (to compile the right messages that are compelling and differentiate you from your competition). The best branding includes messages, tone, and visuals that all work together.

For effective B2B lead generation within the veterinary industry, we’ve found that a multichannel approach combining internet search and retargeting, social media, trade media, email marketing, and trade shows is key to driving cost-effective, sustained lead generation. (That may sound like a lot, but the right mix doesn’t have to be a budget-buster.) By using the right tools and strategies, you can turn interest into action.

In future blog posts, we’ll break down each of these solutions in more detail. From crafting compelling content to refining your brand message and executing powerful lead generation campaigns, we’ll show you how to connect with veterinarians in meaningful ways.

Stay tuned—and if you’re ready to solve your marketing challenges, let’s chat! We’d love to help you stand out in the veterinary space.