Social Media Holiday Marketing Ideas for Veterinary Clinics and Healthcare Practices

Two dogs are dressed up as ghosts for Halloween, sitting side by side on the front porch steps. Each dog has a white sheet draped over them, with only their faces showing through cut-out holes. Surrounding them are pumpkins, fall leaves, and a lantern, adding to the festive autumn decor. The scene is warm and playful, perfectly capturing a fun and spooky Halloween vibe.

Hold up! Is it really holiday season already?

Sure, we’ve all seen the early holiday displays in Hobby Lobby, but we know they operate on a different time scale. However, it seems the rest of the world is catching up fast. Halloween decorations, PSLs, and Christmas ideas are popping up everywhere!

Well, no time like the present to get started. The holiday season is a prime time for veterinary clinics and healthcare practices to engage with their communities. And what better way to do so than through eye-catching and innovative social media content?

So, let’s dive in! Here’s a guide full of social media ideas to help your practice stand out and connect with your community during the festive season.

1. Halloween: Spook-tacular Content

Halloween is all about fun and creativity, making it a perfect time to engage with your audience on social media. Here are some ideas:

Pet Costume Contest (Veterinary Clinics): Encourage clients to post pictures of their pets in costumes and tag your practice for a chance to win a prize, like a free grooming session or a gift card. Share the best entries on your page to drive engagement.
Trick-or-Treat at the Office (Veterinary Clinics): Promote a trick-or-treat event where pets visiting your office in costume get a treat. Capture the fun on video for TikTok and Instagram Reels. Don’t forget to add trending Halloween audio for extra visibility.
Candy Buy-Back (Dentists/Orthodontists): Organize a candy buy-back event where patients can exchange candy for money. Share the event on social media, and consider creating a short video explaining the health benefits of this initiative.
Costume Day for Staff (All Practices): Have your staff dress up in costumes and share photos or a short video. This shows your practice’s fun side and humanizes your practice.

2. Thanksgiving: Grateful and Giving

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude and give back to the community, both of which resonate well on social media.

Thankful Thursdays (All Practices): Create a series of posts where you highlight what your practice is thankful for. This could be anything from your loyal clients to the hardworking team members. Encourage your followers to share what they’re thankful for in the comments.Create a video where you ask each team member what they are thankful for.

Are you a vet clinic? Create a video where you ask a pet what they are thankful for and do a funny voice-over for the pet.

Client Spotlight (All Practices): Feature a different client each week leading up to Thanksgiving. Share their story, why they’re special to your practice, and how you’ve helped them. This not only shows appreciation but also builds community.
Charity Collaborations (All Practices): Partner with a local animal shelter or food bank and share how your practice is giving back. Create posts that encourage your followers to donate or participate in the cause. Consider running a local food drive at your clinic.
Holiday Prep Tips (All Practices): Share useful tips relevant to your field, such as “How to Keep Your Pet Safe During Thanksgiving” or “Dental Care Tips Before the Holiday Feasts.” Create videos or use real office photos as opposed to stock images.
Black Friday Offer: Most businesses offer a special offer for Black Friday. Consider running an extra discounted offer for the week following Thanksgiving. This could be discounted gift cards, discounted teeth whitening, or a certain amount off comprehensive treatments costs for orthodontics.
Fun Idea for Doctors Willing to Get Messy: Set a target with your team – give them (relatively) free rein on social media for the month and let them know that if they get to X number of followers or likes, or if your new patient figures hit their target, they get to pie you in the face – be sure to record and post to social for fun!

3. December: Celebrate and Connect

December is packed with holidays, making it the perfect time to ramp up your social media presence with festive content.

Holiday Safety Tips (Veterinary Clinics): Post a series of tips on how to keep pets safe during the holidays. Use hashtags like #PetHolidaySafety and #HolidayTips to reach a wider audience.
Holiday Gift Guides (All Practices): Create posts or short videos showcasing the best gifts for your clients’ loved ones, whether they’re pet lovers or people with braces. Tag local businesses for collaboration and added reach.
Staff Holiday Messages (All Practices): Share short video messages from your staff wishing your clients happy holidays. This adds a personal touch and strengthens your relationship with your audience.
12 Days of Giveaways (All Practices): Host a “12 Days of Giveaways” campaign where you give away a small prize each day leading up to Christmas. Encourage participation by asking followers to comment, share, or tag friends to enter.
Hold a Holiday Party (or Paw-rty for Vets): Invite clients and friends to your clinic for a special holiday party. Or keep hot chocolate, cider or treats in your office throughout the month inviting everyone to stop in and grab some.
New Year’s Resolutions (All Practices): Share your practice’s goals for the new year and encourage your followers to share theirs. This is a great way to start a conversation and keep your community engaged as the year comes to a close.

The image shows a person dressed as Santa Claus having a dental procedure under a microscope performed by a dentist. The dentist, wearing a mask and a black clinic uniform labeled "Modern Care Endodontics", is attending to Santa, who is reclined in a dental chair. The humorous caption indicates that Santa is getting a root canal to prepare for his big night, ensuring his sweet tooth is in good shape.

Giveaways: Applicable for All Months and Practices

Giveaways are great to getting more engagement and there are endless ways to incorporate these in your holiday marketing plan. Factually you can run a giveaway is a monthly themed prize – “Take a picture with the doctor and post to your social media and tag us for a chance to win 4 tickets to the town Fall Festival and Haunted Maze” or “Start treatment before Thanksgiving and be entered to win a Turkey, Pie and Eggnog” – you get the idea.

Each platform has certain rules when it comes to running giveaways – so you should do a quick search for the platforms guidelines or reach out and ask us if you have questions.

4. Bonus: Social Media Audios to Save and Use

Here are some trending audios you can use for your TikToks and Instagram Reels during the holidays. (Don’t know how to use these or even create a TikTok or Reel video? – Let us know and we will send you some training)

Halloween Audios:

Thanksgiving Audio Ideas:

December Holiday Audios:

Conclusion

The holiday season is a golden opportunity for your practice to connect with your community in a meaningful way. By leveraging these social media ideas, you can boost engagement, attract new clients, and spread some holiday cheer. Remember, consistency and creativity are key, so start planning your content now to make the most of the festive season!

If you need help creating or executing your holiday social media strategy, Walker Kreative is here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make this holiday season your most successful one yet!

Christine Leacox

Director of Marketing Operations