Small and large animal veterinarians are actively texting and emailing for business and personal reasons, according to a new study conducted by Nicholson Kovac Inc., a marketing communications company. The Veterinarian New Media Usage Study, which surveyed 425 small and large animal veterinarians, revealed that more than half of small animal veterinarians and almost three quarters of large animal veterinarians have sent or received text messages for business reasons during the past year. About 91 percent of small animal veterinarians check websites related to animal health, while 92 percent of large animal veterinarians check animal health-related websites. Both groups have websites established related to their practices, 70 percent of small animal veterinarians versus 43 percent of large animal veterinarians. In addition, 85 percent of both groups have visited Facebook, 33 percent have visited MySpace and 20 percent have accounts on Twitter. “This eye-opening research shows that veterinarians are using a number of new tools to communicate with their customers and staff,” said Sheree Johnson, senior vice president, director of media services at Nicholson Kovac. “Many of them send text messages to practice or clinic staff and other veterinarians. “We also found it interesting that text messaging may serve as a customer service tool—a growing number of veterinarians, especially those who work with large animals, are also sending texts to their customers, possibly about the status of their animals.” The Veterinarian New Media Study also sheds light on how dog and cat owners are using the Internet compared to the average U.S. population. For example, cat owners are 31 percent more likely to use social networking sites every day versus the average adult; dog owners are 15 percent more likely to use social media sites. “Pet owners really seem to be online more often than the average U.S. adult,” Johnson said. “In an age where more and more people are developing their pets ‘personalities’ online, we felt this data sheds light on some key online behaviors within this population. It certainly shows a difference in the way dog owners versus cat owners operate.” The online survey was completed in September and October. <HOME>
