We hope those April showers are bringing you May flowers! Between the yearly onslaught of fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes and continuing curbside or reopening
your lobbies and exam rooms to clients, we know your plate is packed! Here are some social media ideas you can use for the month of May to keep things just a little bit easier for you.
These suggestions are pawsitively certain to generate some buzz on your socials!
Preventative Reminder:
This old adage will always ring true! The cost of preventative medicines can sometimes be daunting to customers—but the cost of treatment (both financially and physically) is way more consuming.
Post Suggestion: Happy May! Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are in peak season— make sure your pet is protected with monthly preventatives! #VeterinaryPreventatives #FleaTickAndMosquito
Pet Cancer Awareness Month:
The word cancer evokes a lot of feelings— but the one that we as veterinary professionals want to hold on to is HOPE. If you have treated a pet with cancer recently, reach out to their family to inquire about sharing their story— like how they were diagnosed, the method of treatment, and most importantlyhow the pet is thriving now with their new lease on life. Need some additional ideas? Make a video of your veterinarian explaining treatment options offered at the clinic, or specialists you work with.
PRO TIP: Conduct a Facebook Live with a cancer specialist that your clinic works with or discussing common types of cancer in pets and how they are treated.
Post Suggestion: The signs and symptoms of cancer can be missed easily without routine vet care. Part of our wellness exam is documenting and tracking any changes to your pet’s overall wellness, making early detection possible. #PetCancerAwareness #PetCancerTreatment
Mother’s Day (May 9):
Post Suggestion: Motherhood comes in a lot of different forms, and a mother’s heart is blind to colors, shapes, sizes, and even species. Happy Mother’s Day to Moms of all types today! #HappyMothersDay #PetMom
National Rescue Dog Day (May 20):
To be perfectly honest, I cried crocodile tears typing this sweet poem by M.J. Berry into this graphic! Anyone who knows the love of a rescue will truly be touched as well by this sweet work of art. Celebrate National Rescue Dog Day with this amazing tribute to the angels that are rescues.
Post Suggestion: Today we celebrate the underdogs, the dogs who needed a little extra love, and the ones that understand the value of the bond you share with them. Happy National Rescue Dog Day <3 #RescueDog #NationalRescueDogDay
Memorial Day (May 30):
Don’t forget to remind clients if you will be closed or have adjusted hours for the Memorial Day holiday! Providing the name and phone number for your local emergency clinic is also helpful should an emergency arise.
Post Suggestion: Happy Memorial Day! We hope you have a safe and healthy holiday. #HappyMemorialDay #Thankful
Other Observances to Remember:
- Chip Your Pet Month
- Pet Cancer Awareness Month
- Specially-abled Pets Day (May 3)
- National Pet Week (May 2-8)
- Dog Anxiety Awareness Week (May 2-8)
- National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day (May 8)
- Chihuahua Appreciation Day (May 14)
Need some blog-spiration? Here are some ideas to kickstart your creative writing streak!
May is home to Dog Anxiety Awareness Week (May 2-8)! With vaccinations becoming more widespread, chances are more people will be returning to work and more and more separation anxiety cases will be knocking on your door. Grab the bull by the horns now and break down dog anxiety! From what causes dogs to become anxious to how pet owners can help, there are plenty of facets of this common problem that you can address.
You truly can never be too prepared! National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day (May 8) is the perfect time to run down what every pet owner needs to have in their go bag in case of an emergency or disaster and how to be as prepared as possible should something happen.
Additional Tips
Laura's Social Snippet
- Check out best-hastags.com for suggested hashtags to use regarding the subject of the post you are making.
- Less is actually better with hashtags. Pick 1-3 relevant and popular tags to use in your post.
- Location hashtags are helpful to help people in your area find you.
- Super popular hashtags like #MotivationMonday are a great way to draw in new visitors.
- Don’t fuss with trying to put your hashtags in the body of your text, just drop them at the end, it's cleaner and helps followers understand your message better.
- It’s okay if your hashtags are bringing likes and comments from people outside of your service area- it will help your posts get shown to people who could be potential clients and help followers see more of your posts!
If you have any questions about hashtags, feel free to #ReachOut!
Stephanie’s Marketing Minute
If your clinic is busy and you're short on time for marketing, don't recreate the wheel. Focus on 'evergreen content' that you can repurpose into different mediums. Not sure what that means or how to build a content strategy around it? Join me for a free upcoming webinar on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 PM CST. During it, we'll discuss the term evergreen content, what counts and doesn't count as evergreen, and how you can build an entire marketing and content strategy around it that will help you reach your business goals while saving you time and energy. Register today by clicking here.
BONUS
Check out MN Animal Health Foundation’s free marketing materials. This month they’re featuring social media/website graphics and flyers supporting clinics with announcing Continuing Curbside Care and Welcoming Back Clients. To download these assets, please click here.