Is it just us, or does the arrival of spring make you want to clean out or “refresh” everything? Including your marketing strategies!

We’re talking much more than dusting off some shelves or organizing your leashes! Whether you run a retail store, grooming salon, pet sitting business, training business, or anything else in the pet space, your marketing deserves some refreshing attention to make the second quarter of the year (and beyond!) one to remember.   

At Pet Boss Nation®, we see so many pet businesses hit a slump during this transition between winter and summer. But this season is actually BURSTING with opportunities to connect with customers, drive traffic, and boost sales—if you know how to spot them, harness them, and give your marketing the right kind of refresh. 

Why Your Pet Business’ Marketing Might Need a Spring Refresh

This is the time of year when pet owners emerge from winter hibernation ready to get out, get active, and have new adventures and experiences with their pets.

Spring is a time when they might be: 

• Planning outdoor activities with their pets
• Noticing increased shedding and grooming needs
• Shopping for new seasonal toys and gear
• Thinking about preventative care like heartworm treatments and flea and tick prevention
• Starting to dream up summer plans for themselves and their pets

Is your pet business positioned to meet these seasonal needs and desires? A marketing refresh is what you need to be visible AND irresistible. 

Clear out some marketing cobwebs to start your spring cleaning 

Before jumping into planning new promotions, take inventory of what’s working and what’s gathering dust! 

Start with a thorough audit:

✅ Review last month’s marketing efforts. What worked, what flopped, what needs tweaking?

✅ Check your social media headers and website homepage. Do they reflect the current season or what’s currently going on in your pet business? 

✅ Update your Google Business profile with any seasonal hours or service changes

✅Review your email list and consider a re-engagement campaign for inactive (or barely active) subscribers

It’s kind of like cleaning out your closet. Make a “keep” and “toss” list! 

Now, map out what you’ll do to refresh your marketing 

The best marketing is PLANNED. Inside Pet Boss Nation University™, we provide marketing planners that help our members map out their marketing 90 days (or more!) in advance. 

We make it a super simple process by walking our members through starting with some core business priorities, and then sprinkling in seasonal holidays and elements to make their marketing timely and relevant (and fun!)

For April and Q2, consider focusing on:

🌸 Spring renewal themes (like encouraging pet owners to refresh their pets’ gear)

🌳Outdoor adventures (highlighting products or services perfect for warmer weather)

🐩 Seasonal services (grooming for shedding, allergy treatments, outdoor training, etc.)

Let these be your broad themes that lead the way for your specific promotions throughout the quarter.

Sprinkle spring pet-related holidays into your marketing 

April is packed with pet-related themes that align perfectly with a spring refresh. Don’t worry about trying to celebrate everything. Choose some ideas that complement your business and your goals, and you’ll be golden!

Here are a few notable pet holiday themes you’d see inside our Pet Boss Nation University™ marketing planner: 

📆 Heartworm Awareness Month: You could partner with a local vet for an educational workshop or highlight holistic preventative products.

📆 Pet First Aid Awareness Month: Host a workshop on assembling a pet first aid kit or feature certified staff members.

📆 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month: Pledge to match donations to a local shelter for a specific period of time. 

Not sure which ones to choose to highlight in your pet business’ marketing? Ask yourself this question and let it guide the way:

“How does this serve both my customers and my business goals?”

Now, let’s spruce up the marketing visuals! 

There’s nothing quite like a fresh new look, right? (We’re lookin’ at you especially, groomers! You know what we mean. 😉) The fun thing about marketing is it’s very visual… and you can always give it a groom! 

Here are a few ways to give the visuals for your pet business’ marketing a little sprucing up: 

✅ Update your store window displays with fresh, spring-themed elements

✅ Refresh your social media profile pictures and cover photos

✅ Take new, bright, seasonal product photos to use in your marketing materials

✅ Create a special spring-themed email template for your newsletters

If your visuals have looked the same year after year, season after season, then let this be your official sign to switch it up. These visual refreshes signal to customers that your business is current, attentive, and in sync with the season. Plus, a refresh just grabs attention for all the right reasons! 

Now, let’s spring clean your inventory and sales approach! 

New season but same old inventory? It’s time for a clear out! A spring refresh is the perfect opportunity to start moving that old inventory and make room for new seasonal items. 

Inside the Pet Boss Nation University™ marketing planner, we always offer promotional ideas to meet specific goals for your pet business.

Here are a few that can help you with your inventory clear out AND cash flow: 

🌷 Host a “Spring Cleaning Sale” to clear last season’s products

🌷 Create mystery spring boxes containing a mix of products, encouraging customers to try new items while also making room for more new product on your shelves

🌷 Organize a trade-in event where customers can exchange old pet items for discounts on new purchases

Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting creative in order to generate more foot traffic to your business, and therefore, generate more sales! 

Now, let’s plant some seeds for future pet business growth

A refresh might mean getting the garden ready for planting… so what seeds can you plant that you’ll watch flourish later?

Here are some things you can start doing in your pet business’ marketing plan NOW that will start to bloom throughout the quarter: 

✔️ Launch a “Check-in Campaign” with personalized emails or texts reminding customers of seasonal services

✔️ Distribute customer feedback surveys to gather helpful information that will shape your future offerings

✔️ Initiate community involvement projects, like creating a pet-friendly area in a local park!

These are the kind of initiatives that won’t yield you immediate results, but are still important seeds to plant. They’ll strengthen your customer relationships and set future-you up for success and sustained growth! 

Now, let’s put the full spring marketing refresh together! 

It’s not about doing it all, so please–

Don’t stress yourself out if you miss posting on Adopt a Shelter Pet Day (which is April 30th, by the way!)

👉 But it is about not putting your marketing on the back burner if you want your business to continue to grow.

👉 It is about adding new, fresh ideas to your pet business’ marketing calendar to show your customers you’re keeping up with what’s current.

👉 And it’s about tackling this marketing refresh with an intentional and consistent PLAN.

Inside Pet Boss Nation University™, we’ve seen pet businesses absolutely transform their results by following a structured approach to their marketing, and many have used our resource library and marketing planners to do just that. 

The pet businesses that thrive don’t just react to holidays and observances as they pop up on the calendar. They plan strategically and align these seasonal opportunities with their business objectives! 

Want to know what else is inside these fancy, must-have marketing planners our Pet Boss Nation University™ members receive? 

Each month’s planner is about 30 pages and includes: 

🎉 Detailed monthly, weekly, and daily holidays with pet-specific promotion ideas

🎉 Customizable planning templates to map out 90+ days in advance

🎉 Pre-designed Canva graphic templates that you can customize to your branding and needs

🎉 Niche-specific recommendations tailored to different types of pet businesses

🎉 And so much more! 

Instead of scrambling last-minute or missing key opportunities, our members can approach each season with confidence and clarity. 💪

If you find yourself wanting to spring into more support, structure, and pet-specific ideas to make your marketing efforts bloom, consider exploring Pet Boss Nation University™, where you’ll find the most comprehensive resources available to independent pet businesses and a community of fellow pet business owners to support your growth.

🤫 Pssssst! Pet Boss Nation University™ only opens to the public a few times a year… but you just found the golden ticket to join! You can jump in and start reaping the benefits NOW with THIS link. 

More Pet Boss™ resources you’ll find helpful:

📍 Smart Planning Strategies for Pet Businesses
📍Social Media Tips for Pet Businesses to Keep Their Audience Engaged
📍Episode 163: Make Social Media Less of a Chore & More of a Customer Magnet