In the last few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has relentlessly changed practically everything—for all of us. Veterinary conferences and events have been canceled or postponed, marketing campaigns have ground to a halt, and our workdays are often tainted with uncertainty.
Although much remains outside of our control, our team’s focus endures: We’re committed to helping our partners in the veterinary industry reach and support veterinary professionals.
How Veterinary Professionals Are Responding to COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has sparked widespread change for veterinarians and their teams. Here’s what you need to know.
Veterinary practices named essential businesses
States and municipalities across the country are starting to explicitly name veterinary practices as essential businesses that can remain open despite shelter-in-place mandates. This decision, while crucial to the continued health and wellness of veterinary patients, has left veterinary teams around the country scrambling to deliver care without jeopardizing the safety of clients and team members.
FDA pauses enforcement of VCPR requirements to allow for increased telemedicine
In order to allow veterinarians to better utilize telemedicine to address animal health needs during the pandemic, the FDA has temporarily paused enforcement of several requirements for the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Many veterinary practices are expanding existing services or offering these services for the first time in order to meet the rising demand.
Veterinary professionals in 20 states can now obtain 100% of their CE online
Widespread cancellations of veterinary conferences and CE events have put pressure on states to allow veterinarians to obtain most or all of their required CE credits online. Currently, 20 states allow licensees to earn 100% of their CE online, and 6 states have temporarily adjusted their regulations to help licensees meet renewal deadlines.
Veterinary professionals seeking authoritative pandemic information online—and from mobile devices
Veterinarians are grappling with a flood of questions around doing business and delivering patient care during a pandemic. In response, the Clinician’s Brief team has been working quickly with industry experts to provide authoritative answers to these questions via the COVID-19 Resource Center on cliniciansbrief.com. Last week, more than 17,000 users visited the website in a single day (more than doubling daily averages), part of a 3-day traffic record that saw a total of 72,000 users. We also saw a 45% growth in mobile sessions on cliniciansbrief.com.
What This Means for Veterinary Marketers
Business-as-usual may be a thing of the past, at least for now, but the veterinary profession’s need for authoritative, essential content has never been stronger.
Think about it this way: A veterinary conference might see a few thousand attendees over the course of a couple days. The Clinician’s Brief website saw over 17,000 users in a single day.
Record website traffic during this crisis makes one thing clear: Veterinary professionals trust Clinician’s Brief.
We’re in this together. As you look for ways to generate leads, deliver continuing education, and establish your brand as a thought leader, join us in our support of the veterinary profession during this time of unprecedented change. Let’s find the right way to connect your brand and crucial products with the prospects who need them most.
We welcome the opportunity to consult with you and your team about connection opportunities in the digital space—from podcasts and custom articles to webinars and virtual events. You can reach out to us here.
We’ll be sending weekly updates from this new blog. Follow along for veterinary marketing tips, expert insights from the data, and new opportunities to extend your reach. This week, we have tips for shifting your message tone during the COVID-19 pandemic and generating leads without in-person events.
In the meantime, take a moment to breathe (and take a break from your email, if you can). We will get through this—and we’ll do it together.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Green
CEO & Founder, Brief Media
Naomi Murray, DVM
Director of Sales, Medical
Shelley Hurley
Director of Sales, Operations