December is packed, then January goes quiet. Most advice says “run a New Year promotion.” Here’s a better plan, built for Canadian clinics, with a week-by-week timeline and six messages you can copy.
The short answer
Fill January in December: pre-book every active patient before the holidays. In the first week of January, remind patients whose benefits just reset, and reach out once to patients you haven’t seen in a while. Keep a waitlist for snow-day cancellations, and use any quiet hours to fix your website and Google profile.
Why January goes quiet
If your schedule dips every January, you’re not doing anything wrong. Four things usually happen at once:
Many patients rush to use their extended health benefits before December 31, then wait for them to reset.
After December spending, people put off anything that feels optional.
Snow days and icy roads mean last-minute cancellations.
Patients who stopped coming over the holidays don’t restart on their own.
The good news: every one of these is predictable, so you can plan for it.
The Canadian advantage: benefits reset
Annual maximums “reset at the beginning of each calendar year or on your policy anniversary,” and paramedical benefits like physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage are among those people most often leave unused (Blue Cross).
Most slow-season articles online miss this entirely. For a Canadian clinic, it’s the most natural January message there is: not a discount, just a helpful reminder that their coverage is available again.
Not every plan resets on January 1. Say “if your plan renews in January” and encourage patients to check their own coverage, rather than promising it.
The 4-phase playbook
Start in mid-November. Each phase sets up the next.
Winter also brings new patients through the door. The UHN Foundation reports that more than 21,000 Ontarians visit an emergency room each winter because of slips and falls on ice and snow (UHN Foundation). Practical, local winter-safety content is genuinely useful, and it reminds people you exist when something does go wrong.
6 messages you can copy
Keep them short, warm and useful. Name the clinic, never a condition or treatment.
“Before you go, let’s get your next visit in the calendar. January fills up fast after the holidays. Does the week of the 6th work for you?”
Hi [first name], a quick heads-up from [clinic]: if your health benefits renew on January 1, any unused coverage may not carry over. If you’d like to book before the 31st, here’s our schedule: [link].
Hi [first name], happy new year from all of us at [clinic]! If your benefits renewed in January, this is a great time to get back on track. Book online here: [link]. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Hi [first name], it’s been a while since your last visit to [clinic], and we hope you’re doing well. If you’d like a check-in, we have openings this month: [link]. No pressure at all. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Hi [first name], a spot just opened today at [time] because of the weather. Would you like it? Reply YES and it’s yours.
Walking on ice? Take short, flat-footed steps, keep your hands out of your pockets, and wear boots with good grip. Slipped already? We’re here: [link to book].
Stay on the right side of the rules
Two Canadian rules matter for slow-season marketing, and most guides ignore both.
A purchase usually gives you implied consent to send commercial messages for two years; an inquiry, for six months. Every message needs your clinic’s details and an unsubscribe option, and requests must be honoured within 10 business days.
CRTC guidance on implied consent“New Year, new you” discounts and giveaways can count as inducements, which some colleges restrict. Helpful reminders, education and easy booking are safe for everyone.
Our guide to what you can postMake the quiet hours count
If you still have open slots, use them on the work that brings patients in for the rest of the year.
- Refresh your Google Business Profile: new photos, updated hours and services, and a January post.
- Fix your website’s booking path. Can a new patient book on their phone in under a minute?
- Review last year’s numbers: which months dipped, which services grew, where new patients came from.
- Plan one community activity per quarter: a local talk, a workplace lunch-and-learn, or a partnership with a gym.
- Train your team on the pre-booking line and the waitlist routine before next December.
- Write two blog posts answering questions your patients ask every week.
Questions clinic owners ask
When should I start planning for January?
By mid-November. The most effective step, pre-booking January visits, happens in December while patients are still coming in.
Do all benefit plans reset on January 1?
No. Many do, but some reset on the policy anniversary. Encourage patients to check their own plan, and avoid promising that their benefits have reset.
Can I offer a January discount?
Some health colleges restrict discounts and inducements in advertising. Check your college’s advertising standard before you promote one.
Can I email past patients?
Under Canada’s anti-spam law, a purchase usually gives you implied consent to send commercial messages for two years. After that you need express consent. Always include an unsubscribe link and honour it within 10 business days.
How many reactivation messages should I send?
One message, and at most one follow-up two weeks later. More than that feels like pressure.
What if January is still quiet?
Use the time: update your website and Google profile, train your team, plan the year, and review your numbers. Then start pre-booking earlier next year.