The job of content creator is not for the faint of heart, as B2B veterinary marketers know all too well. The content engine is a hungry, complex beast, and you have to decide what to feed it next, which often comes with questions like:
What topics will resonate?
What formats will veterinarians gravitate toward?
How can the content be repackaged for added impact after its initial launch?
With a list of questions this long, content alignment can get lost in the mix.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there!
Let’s discuss ways to maximize alignment so your shiny content gets its moment in the sun. But first, the eternal question.
Quantity or Quality?
Of course, we all have our ideal content schedules, filled with great content to share, but ask yourself this: Is it better to publish 4 poorly aligned pieces of content per month? Or 1 piece of high-quality content that grabs the market’s attention? We’ll take 1! And then, we’ll find creative ways to repackage it to extend its life and reach veterinarians across multiple channels.
Here’s why: Veterinarians are busy and on more channels than ever. In this current climate, it’s often better to find a quality topic and iterate on it until the industry has had the time to digest it. Repackaging and redistributing 1 piece of content can be a more attractive strategy than sharing multiple topics and messages each month.
Creating 1 high-quality piece of content with a key opinion leader can feed your hungry content schedule for a whole quarter (if you plan correctly).
Why Aligning Your Message with Trending Topics Matters
As we mentioned, veterinarians are tight on time, so they prioritize the content they consume. However, as recent research shows, 67% of veterinarians will take educational courses without RACE accreditation, so we know that well-aligned content (not just any old content) is still king.
Aligning your message with trending topics also gives your brand credibility. Even covering topics adjacent to your product shows you have a pulse on the market—and, therefore, the veterinarian.
VetMedux research also revealed that veterinarians will engage with short-form content first and then dig into the details with long-form content when time permits. This trend makes a strong case for creating 1 pillar piece of anchoring content and then breaking it into shorter formats to generate interest and approach the topic from different angles.
Finding the Right Topic
B2B veterinary marketers have a few ways to uncover the content topics that veterinarians want to hear about. The first is simple: Just ask them! But in addition to asking them directly, you can:
- Add a question or two at the end of a webinar on what they’d like next.
- Deploy a complete survey on your own or through Clinician’s Brief.
- Use poll questions on cliniciansbrief.com to gather quick insights.
- Read industry publications to identify trending topics.
- Publish quizzes designed to identify knowledge gaps.
- Query your data to see which topics get the most engagement.
Or, you can take advantage of the new Clinician’s Brief research sponsorships!
Research Sponsorships with Clinician’s Brief
Sponsors contribute two relevant survey questions to the hot industry topic being researched. These questions help sponsors uncover deep insights on burning questions, provide critical data points for content alignment, and show where opportunities for content synergies exist.
Ultimately, research findings are packaged into digestible insights from the 10-question research study. Packaged insights include an infographic illustrating key survey findings and a video of a VetMedux veterinary officer or KOL speaking to the results. Sponsors also have the opportunity to email survey participants after the infographic and video are published. Use this opportunity to align your message with the insights from the research.
Topics You Can Sponsor
| TOPIC | SUMMARY | HOW TO HARNESS THE RESEARCH |
| Spectrum of Care | Uncovering new perspectives on therapeutic options that challenge traditional paradigms by acknowledging veterinary care as a multifaceted continuum. | Determine where your product fits in the spectrum of care and hot topics synergistic with your offering to align your message with current trends better. Create a webinar, treatment algorithm, or cross-channel educational program about a relevant clinical topic. |
| Technology and AI Applications | Exploring the transformative potential of technology in the veterinary space and monitoring where cutting-edge technologies, artificial intelligence, and the art of healing animals intersect. | Identify the technology trends adopted to support your product development strategy and augment your product features. Leverage findings to create content highlighting the synergies between your product and emerging technology. |
| Cost of Care and Pet Insurance | Tracking the financing options available to support pets and owners and sparking productive dialogue for the future of accessible pet healthcare. | Use the findings of this research to further thought leadership or to engage the industry in a very pointed conversation about the cost of care. |
| State of the Profession | Monitoring the state of the profession with an emphasis on recent industry challenges. | Identify existing challenges and where progress is being made in the industry to show how your product can help. Dedicated research or survey projects can be used for thought leadership reports or to guide your future content strategy. |
| What Vets Wish Pet Owners Knew | Delving into the communication divide between veterinarians and clients and the solutions to help bridge the gap. | Use these findings to improve veterinarian-pet owner relations by creating client-facing materials that support veterinarians in bridging the communication and knowledge gaps. |
Content Formats That Optimize Message Alignment
Content alignment isn’t just for articles and editorials. Content format matters, too! Here are a few formats to consider when aligning your content to key market messages.
Webinars
Webinars are the perfect long-format content for repackaging into smaller tidbits. If you focus on alignment from the start, you’ll have strong content to reuse across different channels.
3 ways to create webinars:
- Option 1: Create your own.
- Use the findings from the sponsored research or other data on trending industry topics to create your webinar.
- Option 2: Partner with VetMedux on a custom webinar.
- The content and medical experts at VetMedux can help find the right topic and KOL and execute a top-notch webinar.
- Option 3: NEW! Sponsor a turnkey VetMedux editorial webinar.
- Now, you can harness the power of Clinician’s Brief and Plumb’s alignment by sponsoring a quarterly webcast. The VetMedux team handles the content and event production, and your brand enjoys the lift from the co-branded webinar and 1,000 guaranteed leads.
Social Media
Always think about social media! Video snippets from webinars for reels, social ads, and organic posts are great ways to engage your audience. You can also repurpose infographics into social-friendly polls and hard-hitting data points.
Quizzes and Interactive Content
Use trending topics as the hook for your quizzes and interactive clinical content or sponsorship of Clinician’s Brief’s Daily Challenge poll, quiz questions, or even Daily Rounds videos. This strategy can help you uncover next-level insights and identify knowledge gaps for future content creation.
NEW! VetWords, A Fun Daily Challenge
Clinician’s Brief has a new daily interactive tool made just for veterinarians–VetWords! It’s the guessing game (think Wordle!) that challenges veterinarians to puzzle out the words they hear in the clinic every day. Check out VetWords.
Start Aligning!
Ready to align your content strategy with your audience? Contact the VetMedux team today! From an editorial sponsorship to a brainstorming session, we can help.