As I woke up this morning to a barrage of texts and emails canceling school, closing the clinic and weather safety, I knew one of my tasks for the day could be done quickly-- sharing the closure announcement on social media.
I keep three posts as drafts in my practice’s social media accounts at all times, and I think you should too. Save yourself time and stress by having these branded graphics ready to go, along with a standard caption, so instead of scrambling for an image and wording, you can simply adjust a few details, click “post” and move on.
The “Closing Early” post
The “We’re Straight Up Closed” post
The “Our Phones are Down” post
Below are examples of each of these posts. Copy and paste away! Want the graphics, too?
I think this is so helpful for veterinary clinics, I’ve made you the graphics-- use this Canva template to get you started. Drag and drop your logo and customize how you’d like. Captions are going to be more variable based on the practice and situation, but here’s how to get started:
GATHER SOME INFO
As you get started on drafting the copy, it’s helpful to have the following details handy:
Local emergency clinic phone numbers, social media handles (so you can tag them) and websites
Your book now/request and appointment link
Your telemedicine link (if that’s an option utilized by your practice)
Any on-call information or veterinary triage service information (if relevant e.g. Guardian Vets, PetTriage, etc.)
Weather safety related pet articles (geographic specific but can include cold weather, thunderstorm, hurricane/tornado preparedness, etc). These are best shared from your practice’s blog, but if you don’t have a relevant article I’ve dropped a few trusted resources here:
Second best contact option for your clinic if standard phone service is down: consider what would be the best for your clinic to use. There is no right or wrong answer, but your practice may want to have a “Plan B” contact method(s) ready to use and the team should be aware of it. Possible options to consider/include:
Practice app chat (if available)
Email (and which email address)
Facebook messenger (any team members with the practice Page’s access will be able to respond to messages from the practice Facebook page on desktop or the Facebook Business Suite app on their phones/clinic tablet).
Pro Tip: add your Page’s username to the end of the url m.me/ to get your Messenger Link.
Example: You can message our practice directly through our page or click m.me/yourvetpractice!
Google voice number (this can be accessed via email or a Google Voice app if cell phone/internet access still available). Have this bookmarked on your practice computer’s and/or the app downloaded on a practice cell phone or tablet.
A backup phone number (if the practice has a separate cell phone, etc). Ideally this is not a team member’s phone!
WE’RE CLOSING EARLY
Due to inclement weather, our practice will be closing today at <INSERT TIME> so our team members can get home safely. We’ll be reaching out to anyone with a scheduled appointment directly. If you’d like to reschedule your appointment, please <CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE BOOKING/EMAIL US AT _______/CALL US AT (555) 555-5555.>
If your pet needs emergency medical attention, please contact:
On-call/pet triage information if available
Emergency clinic name (tag if possible with @handle) at (555) 555-5555. INSERT WEBSITE.
Emergency clinic #2 name (tag if possible with @handle) at (555) 555-5555. INSERT WEBSITE.
We’re hoping you and your pets stay safe, and we plan to reopen <INSERT ANTICIPATED TIME e.g. TOMORROW MORNING AT 8 AM> as usual. Check back here for the latest info!
OUR PRACTICE IS CLOSED
Due to inclement weather, our practice will be closed today to ensure everyone’s safety. We’ll be reaching out to anyone with a scheduled appointment directly. If you’d like to reschedule your appointment, please <CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE BOOKING/EMAIL US AT _______/CALL US AT (555) 555-5555.>
If your pet needs emergency medical attention, please contact:
On-call/pet triage information if available
Emergency clinic name (tag if possible with @handle) at (555) 555-5555. INSERT WEBSITE.
Emergency clinic #2 name (tag if possible with @handle) at (555) 555-5555. INSERT WEBSITE.
We’re hoping you and your pets stay safe, and we plan to reopen <INSERT ANTICIPATED TIME e.g. TOMORROW MORNING AT 8 AM> as usual. Check back here for the latest info!
OUR PHONES ARE DOWN
Our phone service is currently down and we are unable to accept calls, but we are still here for you and your pets! If you’d like to reach out, we are open our normal business hours today and can be reached via:
<INSERT PLAN B CONTACT METHOD 1>
<INSERT PLAN B CONTACT METHOD 2>
Check back here for the latest info! As always, we’re here for you and your pets!
I hope this will save you some precious time and energy at your practice. Stay safe out there!
-Caitlin DeWilde, DVM