Did it happen if it wasnt posted on social media? How veterinary professionals behave online

In our annual study* of “What Vets Think” we took a hard look at how veterinary professionals are managing their work and life online. Like much of the world, the industry relies on digital resources to function. And while veterinary professionals across generations are using social media at about the same rates year over year, we see that frequency has increased. Last year, 50% of veterinary professionals checking their feeds several times a day. This year, that rose to 55%, with about 19% of respondents reporting they check it “(So) many times a day.” 

Given it's a competitive market, where vet professionals are constantly bombarded by messaging from all sorts of competing sources, we wondered: What are the go-to resources, platforms and channels? What serves them best? 

Which media channels are veterinary professionals using most? 

How much of the market is using social media?  

How do different generations prioritize their social media use? 

Here the generational breakdown is particularly interesting, with millennial professionals classifying peer connections as much more important than connecting with clients (although that percentage has increased slightly since last year). Another generational split to note is how millennial professionals are looking to social media to follow industry influencers at a much higher rate than previous generations.  

Which platforms are favorited by different generations?

We're particularly excited to report that millennial veterinary professionals are using Instagram as much as they are-13% more than last year, and 12% more than the rest of the survey respondents. At the moment, @dvm360mag Instagram has over 4,000 followers (currently blowing the competition out of the water). 

*The 2018 What Veterinarians Think study was distributed in September 2018 and garnered 1,057 total responses. The margin of error is 3%.