August in San Antonio means one thing for families: back to school. And when the kids go back to Northside ISD, North East ISD, or any of the surrounding districts, daily routines change…including pet care.
Dogs who had kids home all summer are suddenly alone. Parents who walked the dog at lunch are back at the office. Families who traveled all summer now need regular grooming and care schedules again. This is your email marketing moment.
The “Back to Routine” Email
Send an email the first week of August with a subject line like: “School’s Starting…Is Your Pet Ready for the New Routine?”
Inside, address the real concerns pet parents have:
- Dogs experiencing separation anxiety when the house goes quiet
- Pets who got off their grooming schedule during summer
- The need for midday dog walks while everyone’s at work or school
Position your services as the solution. A doggy daycare in the Stone Oak area can promote daily care packages. A groomer near Huebner Oaks can push “back-to-school grooming specials.” A dog walker serving the Medical Center neighborhood can offer new-client discounts.
Segment by Service Type
If your email list includes both dog and cat owners, or both grooming and boarding clients, send different messages. A boarding facility should focus on upcoming fall travel plans. A groomer should focus on getting pets cleaned up after a summer of swimming and outdoor play. A trainer should promote fall obedience classes.
Relevant emails get opened. Generic ones get deleted.
Create a Limited-Time Offer
Urgency works. “Book your back-to-school grooming appointment by August 15th and save 15%” gives people a deadline that encourages action. Keep the offer simple and make the booking process easy…one click from the email to your scheduling page.
Set Up an Automated Welcome Email
If you’ve been collecting emails over the summer at events, farmers markets, or through your website, make sure every new subscriber gets an automatic welcome email. Introduce your business, share your most popular services, and include a first-visit discount. This email runs on autopilot and converts new contacts into paying clients.
Plan Your Fall Email Calendar
Back-to-school is the beginning of a busy season for pet businesses…fall travel, Halloween, holidays. Use August to plan your email calendar through December. One email every two weeks is manageable and keeps you visible without overwhelming your list. We covered more segmentation tactics in our 2023 back-to-school email guide for pet services, and for Halloween, our social media guide for pet businesses has ready-to-use content ideas. Make sure your local SEO is solid year-round.
Ready to build an email system that grows your pet business? Visit gift.growmysmallbusiness.com and let’s get started.