Here comes November! It’s time for thankfulness, spending time with family and friends, great shopping deals, and an influx of pancreatitis cases on Black Friday because Spike found his way into the Thanksgiving trash and had a snacksident while everyone was out shopping. Ah, so much to look forward to in November. A feast for the eyes, check out all of these opportunities to educate, entertain, and engage with your clients this month on social media

November 1^st is the perfect time to remind clients that parasite prevention is a year-round effort! It’s also Pet Groomer Appreciation Day, so if you have a groomer on staff or a preferred grooming business that you like to recommend to clients, it’s a great day to show them some appreciation!

Pet parents know that on November 6^th, while everyone else gets an extra hour of sleep for the end of Daylight Savings Time, that their precious fur babies will be ready for breakfast and to go outside and potty at their normal time because pets don’t observe daylight savings! It’s a great day to make a little joke about the joys of pet ownership!

National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day is on November 7^th. As the most common form of cancer in dogs, take this awareness day as an opportunity to share info about Lymphoma, including signs/symptoms, most at-risk groups, and how you make a diagnosis.

Make sure you thank your Veteran followers on Veterans Day, November 11^th!

The world could do with a little more kindness. While we are all gearing up to be grateful and thankful, World Kindness Day on November 13^th is a great time to feature that really nice review you received or that awesome client that brought you donuts last week. Do something kind for one another, for a charitable cause, or thank your clients for being so kind- kindness is contagious!

We speak their language pretty fluently, but for some folks, the secret language of their pet eludes them. World Hello Day on November 21^st is an awesome time to talk about introducing pets to new people or other pets and what a safe “hello!” looks like! Take this opportunity to talk about body language to look for that shows a pet isn’t really into the greeting and what signs they give that point to a new person or pet friend!

Thanksgiving is on November 24^th, and there is A LOT to do in the build-up to the day. I make a checklist for the week leading up to Thanksgiving that covers all the bases, and here is everything I like to cover before the big day:

•             Safety Reminders including toxic foods, information about pancreatitis, safe traveling with pets, and helping pets through the hubbub of the holiday.
•             Something FUN! Look for a Thanksgiving-themed pet comic to share, or play the always popular “Your pet is now named after your favorite Thanksgiving food, what is their new name?” game!
•             A reminder of the days that the clinic is closed and a reminder to order any medications to receive them in time.
•            The big DAY! Let your clients know that you are thankful for them and their pets!
•             Have an in-house retail area? Shift inventory before the new year and offer a Black Friday deal if you can!

Independently owned clinics are becoming increasingly rare. Remind your clients that you are a small business on Small Business Saturday this November 26^th, and thank them for their patronage! The aspects of independent ownership vs. a corporate-owned clinic are very apparent to us in the industry, but something clients might not have considered, so remind them of the value you bring to your community!

Giving Tuesday on November 29^th is the PURRfect time to shout out a rescue or shelter partner! If you are able, make a donation as a clinic and encourage clients to consider animal welfare organizations if they are looking for somewhere to give back!

Speaking of good causes, November 6-12^th is Animal Shelter Appreciation Week! Shout out your local shelter or rescue, talk about your relationship with them, and share some of their available pets looking for happy homes for the holidays!

November is National Senior Pet Month and National Adopt-A-Senior Pet Month! Take this opportunity to give tips about caring for senior pets, promote any senior pet wellness packages you offer, and ask for photos of your gray muzzle community!

November is also National Pet Cancer Awareness Month. With one in four dogs and one in five cats being affected at some point, cancer education is essential for pet owners. Provide information on treatment (Do you offer oncology services? If not, who is your recommended partner for treatment?), signs and symptoms, a heartwarming survivor story if you have one, or a tribute to those lost to cancer.

Just like cancer awareness, Pet Diabetes Awareness Month is also in November and is imperative for pet owners to learn more about!

Did you know that our monthly social media package is available to purchase on a month-to-month basis with no subscription or VHA membership required? If you are just too busy this November, our package could be the relief you are looking for! Packed full of expertly crafted graphics, thoughtfully crafted captions, tutorials to help you make the most of the content, and even templates to customize yourself, November’s social media efforts could be a total breeze. Take your time back this month and give the package a try!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here comes spooky season! What could be better than beautiful fall foliage, pumpkin spice everything, and crisp autumn air? Break out that chunky sweater, cuddle up, and let’s dig into some great ideas to educate, entertain, and engage with your clients on social media this month!

Your October 1st Preventative Reminder gets a bonus this month because it’s also National Black Dog Day! Take this opportunity to encourage engagement by asking followers to share photos of their black dogs or educate the masses with info about BDS (black dog syndrome) and encourage black dog adoption!

World Animal Day on October 4th is a fun opportunity to engage with clients. Ask them to share what their favorite animal is and why, or ask them what other animal their pet reminds them of! If you want to take a more serious approach, ask some team members what they love most about caring for animals and share their responses with your followers.

SPREAD SMILES! October 7th is World Smile Day and a perfect chance to show off your team’s sweet smiles with happy pets. Don’t forget to ask your clients also to show off their favorite smiley photos with their pets as well!

World Mental Health Day is on October 10th. Before we get started on what that means for social media, please know that if you are struggling, you are not alone. The Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI) is an amazing resource that offers free, professionally facilitated peer support groups. You can learn more by visiting: https://www.shanti.org/programs-services/veterinary-mental-health-initiative/ If your need is immediate, visit https://988lifeline.org/chat/or call 1-800-273-8255  to speak with someone now. You matter, and your health is important.

Pets are such miraculous little souls, and amongst everything else they provide us, they also manage to ease loneliness, relieve depression, lower anxiety, and help us better manage stress (is there literally anything they CAN’T do?!). Take an opportunity to talk about how our fluffy miracle workers positively impact mental health!

It’s National Pet Obesity Awareness Day on October 12th. While it’s commonplace for people to giggle at fatty felines and portly pooches on the internet, we all know the battle of the bulge is no laughing matter. Help owners paws and consider their pet’s waistline with some cold hard facts about the rate of obesity in pets and the negative impact it can have on their quality of life. Do you have a recent weight loss success story? It could also be a great time to share them with the world!

Fetch is a favorite game for many dogs and even some cats! Celebrate National Fetch Day on October 15th by asking clients to share a photo of their pet playing fetch, by educating them on why pets love to fetch, or by reminding them to play a little longer today!

Give your clients some insight into your clinic and the folks that work there on Boss’s Day, October 16th! Highlight your leadership team with photos and fun facts about them, especially if they aren’t always client-facing!

Is your leadership team harder to wrangle than a feral cat? October 16th is also Feral Cat Day and a chance to talk about the differences between strays and ferals and how to help ferals! If you are a rural clinic, remind farm owners that feral cats make for WONDERFUL pest control!

National Cat Day is October 29th and the purrfect time to encourage clients to share their favorite photos of their feline family!

Halloween is here! October 31st is probably my favorite day of the year 😊 Encourage your team to dress up and share some photos on social media! You are bound to have at least a handful of followers who dress up their pet, so encourage them to share their photos too. Don’t forget some MEOWloween and HOWLoween safety tips (Friday the 28th is a good day to do so!) I like to include:
•    Costume Safety
•    Candy Dangers
•    Ding-Dong Fright  
•    And reminders to secure pets to avoid escape attempts!

Walk Your Dog Week is celebrated October 1st – 7th! Highlight some great walking spots in your area and give your clients some information about why walkies are SO important to their pooch!

Buckle up, it’s Vet Tech Week October 16-21! This year’s theme passed down from the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America is (drum roll!) Veterinary Technicians’ Resilience is the Heart of Veterinary Medicine! Feature your VT team this week on social media by highlighting stories of resiliency, emphasizing the fact that your tech team is the beating heart of your clinic, and celebrating the essential role that Technicians fill on your team.  You can learn more, find resources, and celebrate with NAVTA here.     

October is Adopt A Dog Month and a great time to help your local shelter or rescue get more eyes on their available dogs! Share photos of adoptable dogs in your stories or page – you never know who might fall in love with a dog in need!

National Pet Wellness Month is a perfect time to explain the pillars of health that your clinic believes in! You can address topics such as preventative medicine, nutrition, mental well-being, dental health, emotional health, and regular wellness visits!  

It's Pit Bull Awareness Month! Take a little time to bust up some myths surrounding bully breeds and rally around your love-a-bull owners to shed some light on these misunderstood snuggle bugs! If you have a passionate and responsible pitty owner or a pibble-obsessed team member, ask them for an interview!  

There is A LOT going on this month! Why not take a little break by using our premade social media content this October? Included in the package are 16 posts, including templates to feature technicians for Vet Tech Week, an infographic-sized post about pet obesity, a seven graphic feature on pets and mental health, and so much more! Make October as simple as adding a logo, copying and pasting captions, and scheduling everything out in advance to free up your time for what really matters to you – helping pets!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, send us an email!

September is right around the corner! A fresh start and a new season are exactly what the veterinarian ordered. Keep your clients educated, engaged, and entertained this back-to-school season with these helpful social media ideas for vet clinics!

September 1st is a great time to remind clients that fleas and ticks aren't going anywhere anytime soon and it's time for preventatives! It's also Ginger Cat Appreciation Day, so spice things up a bit with some fun facts about orange cats, or showcase some ginger feline patients!

National Wildlife Day is September 4th. Let's talk about those all-important 3 E's and how we can apply them to this observance:

Education: Throw out some information about keeping pets and wildlife safe by keeping distance, or chat about diseases that the wildlife in your area can carry or the other dangers they pose to local pets.

Engagement: Every pet has that one wild critter that stirs their animal instincts, so ask your clients what wild animal drives their pet nuts!

Entertainment: Do you have a clinic cat that likes to chirp at the birdfeeder through the window? A video of them in action will certainly entertain the masses!

Why not all 3 E's? Combine all of them into one fantastic National Wildlife Day post! For example:

Cricket is on PIDGEON PATROL! For most dogs and cats, wildlife like squirrels and birds trigger their urge to hunt. National Wildlife Day is a great reminder that while our pets may take a special interest in wildlife, it's in their best interest not to allow chasing or killing. From scratches and bites to parasites and diseases, wildlife can harm your pet! Always enjoy wild creatures from a distance (or, like Cricket, through a sliding glass door). Certain toys like cat wands, flirt poles for dogs, and games like hide-and-seek and treat or toy treasure hunts can help satisfy their hunting desires in a safe and controlled way!

So we all know it's the birds for Cricket. What wild animal drives your pet nuts?

Time to soak up that last little bit of summer on September 5th, Labor Day! You are sure to have tons of clients venturing out for the long weekend but don't forget to remind them if you will be closed (and to fill prescriptions sometime before 10 minutes before you close up shop before the long weekend!). Safety tips are also a great topic, and I suggest making points about BBQ safety, water safety, creepy crawlies, and safe traveling!

Hooray for Autumn! The First Day of Fall is September 22nd and as with any change in season, it's a great time to review seasonal safety topics. I also really enjoy asking clients what their pet is looking forward to most with the change in season!

World Rabies Day is on September 28th and a good time to remind clients that rabies is not something from the distant past or a problem only in faraway places. On the contrary, rabies cases in the US are rising (up about 11% in wildlife), and there were even 5 cases of human rabies last year, the most yearly human cases in the US in over a decade. Check your state's health department website to help share facts and numbers relevant to your clients.

September 18th-24th is National Dog Week, so feature K9 patients and other dog-related content all week long! This would be a fantastic time to hold a doggy photo contest, throw out some dog facts, or share some funny dog comics.

As you can see on the calendar above, there are a TON of pet-related monthly observances in September. Here are some ideas for the big ones!

Happy Cat Month: Cats can be hard to read, so help your clients understand the subtle ways their cats are telling them they are happy! If you have a clinic cat, this would be great information coming from them.

Food Safety Education Month: Not specific to pets, this is still a great opportunity to once again help educate clients on safe and unsafe foods and diets.

Pet Insurance Month: Does your clinic take pet insurance? Talk about the options clients have in regards to insurance.

Responsible Dog Ownership Month: Dogs require whole dog care! Being a responsible dog owner means keeping dogs happy, healthy, and safe by taking care of their basic dietary, medical, physical, and psychological needs, and so much more. Ask your clients what being a responsible dog owner means to them!

Animal Pain Awareness Month: Highlight signs that pets could be experiencing pain and common unseen conditions that could be causing pain!

    Let VHA take some of the stress out of September with our premade social media package! Included in your purchase ($60) are 15 posts that you can customize with your clinic's logo, captions to go with them (it can be as easy as copy + paste if you want!), templates to supplement the content with patient photos and tutorials to help you get everything knocked out to free up your time for what really matters to you - helping pets!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Happy DOGust and welcome to the dog days of summer! With no signs of slowing down anytime soon, August is absolutely packed with great pet-related observances and opportunities to engage, entertain, and educate your clients! Let’s get barking:

You know the drill! August 1^st is the pawfect time to remind clients to give those all-important monthly preventatives! August 1^st is also recognized as the Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs and can be incorporated into your preventative reminder!

Nothing is better than a little slobbery kiss from a happy pet—except if they are behind in oral care and their breath smells putrid. Harness the power of Fresh Breath Day on August 6th to remind your clients that if their pet's breath is horrible, it could be time for a dental!

Celebrate feline friends on International Cat Day on August 8^th! Feature feline patients, ask for feline photos, or throw out some feline facts- whatever whiskers to your heart!

Get ready to encourage a little pooch pampering! National Spoil Your Dog Day is on August 10^th and a great way to educate your clients on healthy and safe ways to spoil their dogs. Encouraging sniff walks, extra playtime, brain-building puzzles, a luxurious pup massage, or healthy treats!

     It’s Tell a Joke Day on August 16^th and I love nothing more than a cheesy pet joke. Here are some of my faves to entertain your clients (and potentially make them roll their eyes!)

Black cats get a bad rap, but we know better! Celebrate tiny house panthers on August 17^th, National Black Cat Appreciation Day, by featuring black cat patients or asking clients to share photos! Don’t forget to incorporate the best Sir Walter Scott quote that feels especially true for black cats – “Cats are a mysterious kind of folk"

World Mosquito Day on August 20^th is a great time to get into the details of the dangers mosquitos pose to pets and serves as an excellent reminder that year-round heartworm prevention is so important.

Take Your Cat to The Vet Day on August 22^nd is an important observance. Because of their aloof and independent nature, a lot of well-meaning cat owners tend to practice reactive vet care with their cats, whereas dogs are more likely to receive routine preventative care. Some topics to touch on regarding this observance are reactive vs. proactive care (and the costs!), helping cats be more comfortable traveling to your office, the steps your clinic takes to reduce cat stress, and the importance of regular and consistent cat vet care! This topic would be purrfect for a blog!

Bow WOW! It’s International Dog Day on August 26^th! My favorite idea for celebrating is asking for a then and now! Ask your followers to share the oldest photo they have of their pooch and them now!

Give your clients a platform and outlet to share photos and treasured memories of their beloved pets that have passed. Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28^th and a great outlet for grieving owners to reflect on the incredible joy that was brought into their lives by the pets who are waiting for them on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Engagement will be important on this day, so remember to reply to comments.

What is Give A Dog A Bone Week? Officially, it’s a week (August 10-16th) dedicated to helping stray animals and pets that belong to people who are unhoused and is the awareness project of Pets of The Homeless Organization. If your clinic participates in any kind of this work, be sure to highlight it on this special week! You can also use this map to locate donation centers or even sign up to become one yourself!

August is National Immunization Month! While this observance is not specific to pets, it is a great time to highlight your clinic's recommendations for vaccines. If you want to take it a step further, break it down in a blog!

If you are running short on time, give the package a try! Included in your purchase ($60) are 15 posts that you can customize with your clinic's logo, captions to go with them (it can be as easy as copy + paste if you want!), templates to supplement the content with patient photos, and tutorials to help you get everything knocked out to free up your time for what really matters to you - helping pets!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Welcome sweet summertime! Swimming, barbeques, family adventures, and outdoor escapades – what could be better? How about some ideas to educate, entertain, and engage with your clients on social media this July? Keep reading for some July-spiration!

It's time for that all-important Preventative Reminder on July 1st! Play into a summertime theme like backyard BBQs and picnics to remind your clients that they do not want their pet to end up on the menu for hungry fleas, ticks, and heartworm-infected mosquitos!

July 1st is also ID Your Pet Day. Have you seen the trend recently of people having their pet's ID tags be informational AND funny?! My cat, Cricket, currently has a tag that reads "Holy Hairballs! I’m definitely lost." with my contact information on the back of the tag. Turning something important like pet ID tags fun can help inspire clients to update and replace worn tags. I love the idea of creating a graphic that takes a poll on the funniest tag and allows clients to vote for their favorite using Facebook reactions.

You've informed clients to arrange medication pick-ups, and you've given tips for comforting firework frightened pets (are you following VHA on Facebook? We created some fantastic pieces free for clinics to use on these two subjects!) So now it's time to celebrate! Wish your followers a Happy Independence Day on July 4th, and ask them to share photos of their festive pets! Don't forget to update clients on your hours if you're closed.

Sweet, curious, cuddly- Kittens are just the best! Celebrate National Kitten Day on July 10th by asking clients to share photos of their adorable little kittens!

Pet-obsessed parents DEFINITELY took some great photos of their pets celebrating the 4th! All American Pet Photo Day on July 11th is a great time to get client participation by asking them to share their favorite photos of their pet!

Utilize Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15th to go over how pet parents can help prevent pet-related fires and the steps they can take to help ensure their pet's safety in a fire emergency. Sweeten the pot even more and give away pet rescue emergency stickers! There are many aspects to unpack here, so this topic would be great for a blog!

It's World Emoji Day on July 17th! This game is ALWAYS fun - feel free to recreate it or save and share it! 

Encourage some conversation on social media for Get To Know Your Customers Day on July 21st! For example, ask them, "What is one thing about your pet that we may not know?" to learn more about your furry patients!

We like big (and little!) mutts, and we cannot lie! Celebrate those unique mutts on National Mutt Day on July 31st! Ask your clients to share a photo of their mutt in the comments of your post and make it even more fun by encouraging a guessing game to see if other clients in your community can guess the mixes!

It's a pet owner's worst nightmare – their cat slips through the front door, their dog digs under the fence, and they bound off into the unknown - losing a pet is terrifying. But, with statistics like 1 in 3 pets going missing at some point in their life, it's essential to provide information about steps pet pawrents can take to help prevent a lost pet situation in honor of Lost Pet Prevention Month!

National Feed a Rescue Pet Week runs from July 27^th-August 3^rd. This week is the perfect opportunity to bring your clients together as a community to collect food donations for a local shelter! If you are able, consider offering a small reward such as a free nail trim or $$ off their next appointment, or a donation match option. Don’t forget to update clients about how much was raised and to share photos of your team dropping off the donation!

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! July is Pet Hydration Awareness Month and the perfect time to educate your clients on the signs of dehydration, the dangers of dehydration, and tips and tricks for keeping their pets adequately hydrated this summer!

It's Independent Retailer Month! Take some time to thank clients for choosing you as their veterinary care provider and for shopping your online or in-house pharmacy!

Take some time to learn more about your analytics tools in the Meta Business Suite this month! These tools can tell you SO MUCH about your audience, your efforts on social media, and even how you are stacking up against your competitors. There are tons of great free resources on YouTube that can help you get to know these tools and how to translate the information you can glean from them into results. If you would prefer a more one-on-one conversation about analytics, schedule some time with me!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Your purchase will give you access to my support and assistance in making this month your best month yet on social media!

Here comes summer! 🥳 From hot weather safety to National Best Friends Day, there are tons of opportunities to educate, entertain, and engage with your clients on social media!

It’s time for that all-important Monthly Preventative Reminder on June 1^st! As schools let out for the summer, you can bet your clients are making plans for outdoor activities. Remind clients that spending more time outdoors means more chances for their furry friend to pick up pesky fleas and ticks, along with the dangers of those annoying mosquitos!

Who doesn’t love giving their feline friend a little snuggle? National Hug Your Cat Day is on June 4^th and is the perfect opportunity to engage with cat-owning clients! I love asking for selfies of clients snuggling their cats or asking clients to rate their cat’s level of snuggly on a scale of 10, 1 being NO TOUCHY and 10 being an absolute clinger!

Pet Appreciation Week starts on June 5^th and runs until June 11^th. This week, cover all of the essential elements of successful veterinary social media and educate, entertain, and engage on this subject. You could create a piece of media that highlights ways to show your pet appreciation, entertain with some in-clinic photos of pets that you appreciate, and engage by posing questions such as “how do you show your pet appreciation?” or “

It’s National Best Friends Day on June 8^th! The particular friendship we share with our pets and that our pets sometimes share with other pets is worth celebrating! Ask clients to share photos of their pets with their best friends! You will get a few selfies, some adorable pet duos, and maybe even a pet and their favorite toy!

One of the most complex parts of veterinary medicine and pet ownership is when a pet's life comes to a close, and they journey over the rainbow bridge. World Pet Memorial Day is June 14^th and a time to pay tribute to all of the beautiful memories made and love shared between owners and their pets. Allowing space for owners to share stories and photos of their beloved companions can be truly healing for both pet owners and the staff that played a role in the pet's life. These topics can sometimes be hard to navigate, so here is some messaging that I hope you will find helpful when crafting your post:

“Today, we honor and remember all of the pets waiting for us on the other side of the rainbow bridge. Pets change and shape our lives in so many amazing ways, and we are so thankful for the small role we got to play in your life together. Feel free to leave your memories and photos of your gone but never forgotten pets in the comments; we love remembering them with you. But, if it feels too soon or too hard to share, please know that all of our love and thoughts are with you today and always.”

Hooray for Dads! Father’s Day is June 19^th so remember to celebrate all of the great dads and dad-like figures out there!

Do you have a clinic cat? Then, take Your Cat to Work Day on June 20^th could be an excellent opportunity to describe their on-the-job duties like official treat tester, client greeting services, and seat warmer!

IT’S HERE! Summer starts on June 21^st, and it also happens to be National Selfie Day! Celebrate both by asking clients to share their favorite selfies with their pets and ask what their pet is looking forward to most this summer! 

Who runs the world? Cats. Cats are indeed poised for world domination, from internet sensations to being the center of their households. Cat World Domination Day on June 24^th, and just for fun, ask your clients what new laws we would have to follow if their cat was in charge of the world!

Did you know that all of us social media gurus have our day? June 30^th is National Social Media Day and a time to celebrate how social media has revolutionized communication and how we interact. So here are some thoughts for posting:

•            Gain some social insight: have you ever made a post asking your followers what they enjoy seeing on your clinic's social media? Gather some valuable information by asking them for their feedback!
•            Celebrate the brain behind the keyboard! Not always the most manageable topic to post about but make today all about you- social media extraordinaire!
•            Calling all pet accounts! Check with your following to see if any of their pets have their own accounts so that you can follow them! This is a great way to interact with clients outside of the clinic's page 😊

There are lots of monthly observances to sprinkle into your calendar! Here are my suggestions:

Adopt-A-Cat Month and Social PETworking Month are two observances that you can tie together! What is Social PETworking, you may ask? Social PETworking uses social media to help pets in need by sharing and promoting information about them to help find their FURever FURmilies! This is the PURRfect opportunity to partner with a local shelter or rescue to help PETwork their available animals and give a little focus on their available cats for Adopt-A-Cat Month!

Microchips are so vital that we are double-dipping. Last month was National Chip Your Pet Month, and with a turn of phrase, June is National Microchipping Month (I don’t make the rules, I write about them 😉) Get more eyes on the information you shared about microchips last month by resharing or further elaborate on what you discussed in May!

June is National Pet Preparedness Month, so be sure to get some information out about the steps pet owners need to take to be prepared. Take a moment to consider situations that your area could be faced with and elaborate from there. For example, here in Minnesota, we frequently receive tornado warnings in June, so tornado preparedness is essential to us! If you are in Florida, you might want to talk about hurricanes or earthquakes in California.

The start of summer means a whole new set of safety considerations for pet owners. There are tons of topics to touch on throughout the summer from swim safety to hot pavement. A blog is a great place to compile all of the necessary information for pet owners, and from there, you can post on these particular topics throughout the season!

Not trying to toot my own horn here, but our monthly social media package is simply the bee's knees. We have been gathering feedback from current users, and the results have been excellent. One clinic using the package reported all of their Facebook insights are double and, in some cases, even triple digits in the green! They said that their clients like, share, and comment more than ever, and they finally feel like they are gaining traction with the algorithm – I feel like one proud momma! We have also been taking feedback on how to make the package work best for clinics and are pleased to let you know that this month will have MORE Canva templates to help you truly personalize your content.

We are so confident that this package will help you get your time back that we’ll let you take it for a test drive! If you’re on the fence about your first purchase, send me an email, and I’ll send back a handful of pieces from the month for you to try out! If you like the results you see, see us in July to purchase your entire month of content!

On the menu for this month is:

12 Pieces of Content (including a summer safety video and a larger infographic piece!) that span the gamut from educational to entertaining and engaging. You can even add your logo to make them your own.

12 Captions pre-crafted to make posting a breeze, including captions specifically crafted for IG - it can literally be as simple as copy and paste!

30 Canva Templates to easily drag and drop to share photos from inside your clinic to add a personalized touch and a collection of tutorials to assist you in getting the most out of your package!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Your purchase will give you access to my support and assistance in making this month your best month yet on social media!

Way back in the day, signing up for a business page on Facebook did not require a personal Facebook account. For example, your clinic manager circa 2008 saw the value of Facebook, so they created a business page for your clinic. It wasn’t linked to the clinic manager's personal account because they didn’t have one. Whenever the account needs tending to, you simply log in with the email and password associated with the page. This is a gray account.

If your page has been operational for years as an independent business page that is not directly tied to a personal account as the owner of the page, it will likely be deleted on or around June 1^st.

Why is this happening? Gray accounts do not have access to the same security features as standard accounts and Meta has decided that in order to uphold the security of Facebook, the

sunsetting of these accounts is necessary for improved security and account safety on Facebook.

If you are currently operating a gray account, you have likely been receiving notifications from Facebook about deactivation and the next steps. Here is what you can do if Meta has notified you of your gray account:

• Use the existing standard account that represents you as an individual (or create a new one if you do not already have one) to continue using Facebook.
  • Remember: Facebook only allows an individual to have one Facebook account. You can create an alternate account – your clinic cat might be a good option!
• Transition ownership of your clinic’s business page by granting your standard account full access to the page (or group) and using your standard account to manage them moving forward. Access can be granted by logging into your gray account page, selecting settings from the left-hand menu, and then Page Roles from the now expanded settings menu. From there you will be shown a search box where you can locate your personal or alternate account and grant full access.

 Additionally, VHA can assist! If you are receiving notifications about your clinic's gray account and simply don’t have time, or if you have any other social media needs, our resident social media fanatic This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you are like most clinics and are too busy to have a cup of coffee, let alone create or source relevant content for your social media channels, our premade social media package might be a good fit for you! This content is PURRfect for small animal practices that are looking to post relevant content regularly and throw in some personalized posts as well like photos of your adorable patients. Not a VHA member? No worries! Just enter SS-VHA in the account number section.

On the menu for this month is:

18 Pieces of Content (including a larger infographic style piece!) that span the gamut from educational to entertaining and engaging. You can even add your logo to make them your own!

18 Captions pre-crafted to make posting a breeze - it can literally be as simple as copy and paste!

11 Canva Templates to easily drag and drop to share photos from inside your clinic to add a personalized touch

1 Video for Facebook and/or Instagram Stories

and a collection of tutorials to assist you in getting the most out of your package!

We use Microsoft OneDrive for large file transfers, and a link will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you are experiencing any issues with purchasing or receiving your content, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Your purchase will give you access to my support and assistance in making this month your best month yet on social media!

If you are interested in creating your own content, keep scrolling for some helpful ideas!

Don’t forget to send out a preventative reminder on May 1^st!

Specially-Abled Pets Day is May 3^rd and the perfect time to tell a story! Chances are you have more than one wheelie dog, triPAWD, or other specially-abled pet that is living life to the fullest and THRIVING! Reach out to their owner and ask if you can feature their pet and their incredible story. Get some of their favorite photos of their pet and tell the story about their condition and how you help them. This kind of story brings awareness to pets with differences and knowing that we can help them live long and fulfilling lives makes these stories just feel SO GOOD!

May the 4^th Be with You on Star Wars Day! I don’t know about you, but I am a HUGE fantasy nerd, so this one is just for giggles! Here are some of my favorite ideas for the day:

·        If your pet were a Star Wars character, would they be on the dark side or the light side?

·        If your pet could use the FORCE, what would they do with it?

·        If you are extra handy in Canva and have the time, you can ask clients to share photos and then Star Wars-ify them in replies (buns and helmets optional!)

Cinco De Mayo is a fantastic opportunity to talk about breeds that hail from Mexico! Do you have a Xoloitzcuintli that visits? If not, you are bound to have tons of Chihuahuas! I love the fun facts and great information that the AKC provides about these two festive breeds! https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/mexican-dog-breeds-xoloitzcuintli-chihuahua/

The most common anxiety-inducing situations are the 3 S’s! Separation, sound, and strangers! Dog Anxiety Awareness week runs May 1-7^th and is a great opportunity to highlight anxiety in dogs. I love the idea of talking about the signs in a regular post and sending anyone who is interested in learning more to your stories to check out information on combating anxiety!

Celebrate Mom’s of all types on Mother’s Day, May 8th! Human children? Check. Dog Mom? Check. Kitty Mommy? Check! If you have a mom vet or tech that your clients frequently connect with, and they are comfortable with an online presence, consider featuring a FURmily photo of them with their human kids and children with fur and four legs!

The role of pets in the lives of their owners is changing. It’s common for people to consider themselves PAWrents to their pets, so celebrate all the Dog Momma’s out there on May 14^th, National Dog Mom’s Day! Stay relevant and aware and recognize that Dog Moms aren’t just women-anyone who loves and cares for their pooch as part of their family qualifies for this noble title! This is a great opportunity to call for “Ussies” or photos of Dog Moms and their pooch!

National Rescue Dog Day is May 20th! Adoption by the numbers are (drumroll please) 62% of dogs! That’s right, according to APPA National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association, and the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the majority of pet dogs were either adopted from a shelter or rescue group, taken in directly as a stray, or acquired from a friend or relative. With any observance having to do with adoption or rescue, I highly recommend reaching out to a local rescue group to work collaboratively in sharing information and adoptable pets!

It is coming to a walk in the park near you- HEAT! Heat Awareness Day is on May 27^th and if it isn’t already hot as heck where you are, it likely will be soon. It’s a great time to talk about the signs and symptoms of heatstroke! Save whatever you make in Canva because heat will be an issue you’ll want to touch on again throughout the summer!

If your clients are anything like me, their dog is definitely included in the Memorial Day festivities on May 30^th! Ask clients to share photos of their pet enjoying Memorial Day weekend and be sure to give some safety reminders a little bit beforehand. My favorite ones to remember are:

• ·       Bones at the BBQ and other dangerous foods
• ·        Fireworks and large gathering safety
• ·        Safe swimming and spending time around water practices for pets

There are lots of monthly observances to sprinkle into your calendar! Here are my suggestions:

Pet Month: I mean, we celebrate pet month every month, but consider a series this month that highlights the benefits of pet ownership!

Foster Care Month: Do you have a foster-based rescue near you or one you work with? Talk to pet owners about the realities of foster care and help them get involved in this amazing line of volunteer work!

Chip Your Pets Month: Let’s scream it from the rooftop “CHIP YOUR PET!” I love the idea of telling or sharing a lost pet reunited with their owner thanks to a chip kind of story. Remind clients “it’s hip to chip!”, show them how easy a microchip is placed, and break down the real cost and process of registering and anything else you feel they should know about microchips!

Asthma and Allergies Month: Pet owners can get confused about what allergies and asthma actually look like in pets! If you have an itchy boy or wheezy gal that can help demonstrate allergies and asthma- show them off (with owner approval, of course!) to help other clients recognize what allergies and asthma look like in real life!

 To Blog or not to blog, that is the question!

 Blogging is a great tool to get more information out there to help pet owners learn about various topics. It is also a great tool to help get your website to pop up higher on the list when prospective clients google “Veterinarians near me”. While Search Engine Optimization (or SEO for short) is complex and based on many different variables, it never hurts to help your website get hits through blogging about topics pet owners are hungry to learn more about.

 My colleague Chris recently took a peek at some of the google searches driving traffic to one of his clients’ websites. The most common searches leading people to the website were questions about pet health- in particular, questions about poop and what is normal vs. abnormal (think google searches like “yellow dog poop” or “clear jelly in dog poop”). A great place to start with blogging seems to be poo! Be sure when writing blogs to consider the terminologies that clients would use and keep the language simple!

 You can find additional topic ideas here in the monthly blog (pick your favorite above and elaborate!) or take note of real questions or concerns brought up by your clients during appointments. Don’t have time for blogging? We can write original content curated especially for your clinic, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to talk about it!

“May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, may this blog contain helpful information inside!” – An Irish Proverb…sort of.

Happy March! Let’s talk about what’s coming up this month and how to harness these dates and observances to entertain, educate, and engage your clinic’s clients!

Kick off the month with a Preventative Reminder! Spring will be here before you know it, and so will those pesky fleas, ticks, and mosquitos!

Employee Appreciation Day is on March 4^th! Your clients LOVE the staff at your clinic - they trust them with some of their most precious and treasured friends! Celebrating your staff today is good for employee morale AND engagement with clients. Here is a fun idea: Have you heard of the Full House trend? Not only is this viral video trend hilarious, but you can easily apply it to the clinic setting! Essentially, you stitch together video clips of your staff doing work or funny things and then looking up at the camera to smile and wave, Full House intro-style. Overlay the song, add employee names, and you’ll have a great piece of content that will be entertaining and helpful for both your existing and future clients, as well as fun for staff! (Shout out to Jordyn at VHA member clinic Anderson Lakes Animal Hospital for the great idea- Thanks Jordyn!)

We know you have seen some VERY unique and sometimes downright strange pet names! March 8^th is Unique Names Day and a great time to talk about names! People who name their pet something outside the realm of Bella and Socks usually have a cool story to tell behind the name. So pose the question, “What is your pet’s unique name, what does it mean, and how did you decide on it?” Chances are the unique namers will jump at the chance to talk about their sweet little Beef Shreddington, Sheriff of Snortingham and their feline friend, The Great Catsby.

Shamrocks, pots of gold, rainbows, everything green - what’s not to love about St. Patrick’s Day? I’ll admit it, the Irish saying at the beginning of this blog is not entirely traditional…but these ones are, and they definitely relate to the love we share with our pets!

“When I count my blessings, I count you twice.”

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have!”

Or my personal favorite… “Beware of people who dislike cats.”

Spring is officially back in action on March 20^th! Celebrate The First Day of Spring by asking your clients what they think their pet is looking forward to most in the new season! This is also a great time to drive home your preventative reminder by alerting your clients to the dreaded springtime revival of fleas, ticks, and mosquitos!

National Puppy Day and Cuddly Kitten Day are both on March 23^rd! This is the perfect chance to feature all of those new pets that have come to see you for their first exam recently. Because little puppies and kittens are so irresistible, I suggest a twofer by highlighting recent “My First Vet Visit” photos in your stories, and making a post asking clients to share photos of their pets as puppies and kittens!

Sorry not sorry for the earworm but cats deserve our R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Respect Your Cat Day is on March 28^th and a great time to talk about those finicky felines. There is a lot of mystery out there surrounding cat behavior and good cat care. Pick some topics to post that you feel passionate about (it’s people who expect their cat not to scratch their couch but provide no appropriate scratching surface for me) to help cat parents be better cat parents!

Doctor’s Day is on March 30^th and a great time to feature your veterinarians for many of the same reasons you celebrated your staff on March 4^th! Some fun ideas for featuring your doctors could be “Facts about Dr. X You Might Not Have Known” or, if you have a multiple doctor practice, play match the pet to the vet and feature photos of your doc’s and their various personal pets!

March’s monthly observance is a doozy, Pet Poison Prevention Month!

Here are my suggestions:

Run this as a weekly feature, blog about it, or compile it into a helpful video. There is WAY too much to cover in a single post. A smart move would be to break this information down into the following subcategories:

• Medications: The Pet Poison Control Center reported medications accounted for almost 40% of calls they received in 2020
• Foods: I’m sure you feel like a broken record, but there are still people out there who need reminding.
• Plants: Houseplants are all the rage and spring bouquets will be making their way in soon. Review with clients what plants are okay and what plants are downright deadly.
• Household Items: Common cleaners, rodenticides, insecticides, antifreeze, pool chemicals, and more are all hiding in many households, and keeping them out of reach is our duty as pet parents!

Do you review your reviews? Two of your most important spots to look at reviews are Facebook and Google. When a client has a great experience and feels so impacted by the care that they received that they take the time to leave your business a review, it's good practice to respond! Responding to your reviews furthers your brand voice and has other great benefits. Not only will the reviewer get a notification that you responded (making them feel even closer to your clinic) but people who read reviews before deciding on a clinic will see that you are actively involved, fostering that sense of community we keep talking about!

While responding to the rave reviews is easy enough, everyone gets the occasional not-so-nice review. These can be particularly hard to respond to, and the answer of how to do so is situational. Here are a few tips:

• Be prompt but don’t jump into responding if you are feeling upset, defensive, or haven’t had time to think it over properly. Go back through your files, look at the case and try to set aside those gut instincts you had initially to look at it objectively.
• If the relationship is one you want to mend, give them a call to let them air their grievance. You can quickly respond to the review advising of such. Part of what a dissatisfied customer wants is to feel heard- and talking on the phone with them and listening to what they have to say can be a big help. Ask them how you move forward and come to an agreement together on what to do from here.
• If the relationship is not one you are interested in continuing (which is totally OKAY! You have enough on your plate and making accommodations for clients that bring you unnecessary grief is not a vibe we need to bring into 2022!) thank them for taking the time to provide feedback, wish them and their pet the best and move on with more important matters. While sometimes tempting, never get into a back-and-forth review argument- it just isn’t worth your time or brain space. You are a great clinic full of passionate and caring people; negative Nancy will soon be covered up by tons of great reviews!
• Enlist help. Through my professional years, soft skills have always been an interesting topic for me. Where do we draw the line between the apologetic, empathetic, and accommodating approach vs. the understanding, sympathetic, and diplomatic approach? If you need review help, let’s chat about it.

Don't have enough time to create content for all of these observances? Don't worry, we already made it for you! What does March's package include?

• 14 pieces of content for the month, including a video about Pet Poison Prevention
• A calendar complete with suggested days and text for posting
• Templates to feature photos from inside your clinic, including a fun "My First Vet Visit" template for all of those cute puppies and kittens!
• Tutorials to help you get started!

No one wants to buy something they’ve never seen before, so here is a quick preview of some of the items included in your package!

So what are you waiting for? Fill your clinic's calendar with content for March!