Flodesk’s Email Deliverability Tips and Email Marketing Strategies for Pet Businesses
- ekrorkx
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
I’m a firm believer that email marketing is one of the most powerful (and underused) marketing tools for local service-based pet business owners. While social media posts disappear into an algorithm, emails land directly in your client’s inbox making it a direct, personal line of communication.
But, there’s also the issue of landing in the spam folder, whether it’s an email marketing email or an important email to a client! Both are HUGE issues!
That’s why I invited Dawn Richardson, Product Education Manager at Flodesk, to join me for a conversation all about email deliverability, how local pet businesses can use email effectively, and how to prepare for the holiday season marketing wise.
Whether you’re a dog walker, pet sitter, dog trainer, pet photographer, or daycare owner, these tips will help you make sure your emails reach inboxes and give your clients a reason to keep opening them, especially during the holiday season.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE NOW:
Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
WATCH THE INTERVIEW:
What Is Email Deliverability and Why Does It Matter for Pet Businesses?
Email deliverability is your ability to actually reach your client’s inbox. Inbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook use strict filters to decide whether an email is safe and wanted, or whether it’s spam.
If you’re sending to inactive subscribers or not following best practices, your emails can get flagged as spam.
For pet businesses, deliverability matters because:
It determines whether clients even see your emails.
Poor practices can damage your sender reputation over time.
Engaged, active lists help boost open rates and trust.
Before we continue, what is email sender reputation?
Think of your sender reputation like a credit score for your email marketing. The higher your score, the more likely inbox providers like Gmail or Yahoo are to trust your emails and place them in the inbox.
Three keys to better email deliverability:
Consistency: Don’t ghost your list and then suddenly pop in around the holidays. Dawn recommends sending at least one email per month to keep your domain “warm.” If you go longer than 4–6 weeks without sending, your domain can go cold, and your next email may be more likely to get flagged as spam.That means you don’t need to email every week if that feels overwhelming. Just once a month can keep you consistent and can help protect your sender reputation.
Active subscribers only: Platforms like Google prioritize emails that people open and engage with. If too many ignore your emails, your sender reputation suffers.
Authenticate your domain: This is a pretty much necessary component of landing in people’s inboxes!
Improve Email Deliverability with Domain Authentication
What is domain authentication?
Authentication is like your ID badge for email. It proves you are who you say you are. By sending emails from a custom domain (like hello@yourpetbiz.com) instead of bizname@gmail.com, you show inbox providers you’re legitimate.
How to set up email domain authentication in Flodesk
Flodesk makes this process simple. You’ll copy a few verification records into your website’s domain settings. Once complete, inbox providers recognize your emails as trustworthy, drastically improving your chances of hitting the inbox instead of spam.
👉 Pro tip: If your emails keep landing in spam, lack of authentication is almost always the culprit.
Why Cleaning Your Email List Boosts Email Marketing Results
It feels counterintuitive, but keeping unengaged subscribers can hurt your email marketing. Inbox providers track whether your emails are opened. If too many go ignored, your future emails may automatically be flagged as spam. This concept blew my mind when I first learned it, but it’s so crucial.
Cleaning your list means potentially deleting non-active subscribers, or putting them in their own segment to not email anymore!
On another tangent similar to this, I have to mention that it’s okay to see unsubscribes in your email marketing! It can sting to see someone unsubscribe, BUT they are honestly a GOOD thing!
When someone clicks “unsubscribe,” it keeps your list clean and signals to inbox providers that you only want engaged readers. What’s worse is if they ignore your emails (hurting your open rate) or mark you as spam (which damages your reputation).
So instead of fearing unsubscribes, welcome them. It means the right people are staying, and those are the ones most likely to book your services.
How often should you clean your email list?
Every 3–6 months is best practice.
Use Flodesk’s filters to see who hasn’t opened in your chosen timeframe.
Remove, unsubscribe, or move cold subscribers into a separate segment.
Think of it like trimming a plant: pruning helps your list thrive. Healthy, engaged subscribers mean higher open rates, stronger deliverability, and better results for your business.
Text vs. Images in Emails: What Really Matters
There’s an old myth that emails should be mostly text and avoid photos. That used to matter, but inbox providers have evolved.
Engagement beats ratios:
Pet photographers, pet sitters, and dog groomers can use plenty of images without worry - which thank goodness because so much of what you do can rely on photos of pets or examples of your work. What matters is whether people open and engage. Starbucks and Chewy don’t send plain-text emails, and neither should you if visuals help tell your story.
Best practices for formatting emails
Add alt text to images for accessibility. Accessibility isn’t just about doing the right thing for those using a screen reader (though it absolutely is). It also impacts how inbox providers view your emails. Adding alt text to images and making your design easy to read tells inbox filters your content is clear, safe, and user-friendly.
Watch email size. If your email is too large, Gmail may “clip” it.
Best practices for email engagement boosters
Ask for replies. Even something simple like “Hit reply and tell me your pet’s favorite snack!” boosts your engagement signals.
Avoid spammy subject lines. Too many exclamation points, all caps, or words like “FREE $$$” can land you in spam.
Make your links secure. It’s so important to always use https:// so you’re only sending legit links, and ensure you’re double-checking for typos.
My Fave Tip of the Convo: The Secret Strength of Email Marketing is It’s Exclusivity
I lovedddd it when Dawn mentioned this in our interview. This is what can separate email marketing from any other marketing avenue or platform. Social media is like a handshake, but email is the coffee chat. It’s where you deepen relationships and make clients feel like insiders.
Examples of email exclusivity for pet businesses
Give your list first dibs on holiday pet sitting spots before you announce publicly.
Offer exclusive seasonal deals or bundles only to email subscribers.
Share behind-the-scenes stories
Exclusivity keeps subscribers opening, clicking, and staying engaged—exactly what inbox providers want to see.
Holiday Email Prep for Pet Businesses
The holidays are one of the busiest and most profitable seasons for pet care providers. On average, businesses make 30% of their revenue during this time. Crazy, right?
Here’s How to stand out during the holiday rush
Start early. Don’t wait until Black Friday. Warm up your list now, especially to encourage deliverability for when it counts!
Segment by interest. Use Flodesk’s link actions to learn who owns dogs, cats, or both, then send targeted offers.
Use countdown timers. Build urgency when spots are limited (this is a free feature you can use inside Flodesk).
Be creative. You don’t have to send a “Black Friday” email if it doesn’t fit. Position your services around what clients really need during the season.
Why Flodesk is a Great Choice for Pet Business Owners Looking to Build and Market Their Business
Flodesk was built with small businesses and service providers in mind, making it a perfect fit for petpreneurs.
Key Flodesk features that save time and stress
Beautiful templates for professional emails without the need for a designer.
Advanced filters and link actions for easy segmentation. Essentially, you can easily tag subscribers based on what they click (dog vs. cat owners, training vs. boarding clients).
Free forms to start collecting subscribers, even if you’re not ready to send emails yet. So if you’re not ready to pay for email marketing, you should STILL be collecting email addresses, and Flodesk allows you to do so. That way, you can start when you’re ready and already have a list of subscribers! Test it all with a free trial before committing.
And my personal favorite? It’s so dang easy to use. You don’t need to be a professional in order to master Flodesk. You can send emails quickly and easily with how easy their system is to use (compared to other softwares out there!)
👉 Ready to give it a try?
Make Email Work for Your Pet Business
Email deliverability is the foundation of whether your marketing even reaches the people who matter most. By authenticating your domain, cleaning your list, using the right balance of content, and making subscribers feel special, you’ll build an email strategy that works year-round.
And, the good news is you don’t need to struggle with clunky tools (MailChimp, anyone? 😬). Flodesk was built for small business owners like pet sitters, dog walkers, dog trainers, and pet photographers who want a platform that’s simple, beautiful, and effective. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your inbox presence (and your bookings) grow with email marketing.
Here’s your recap and 5-step email deliverability checklist for pet business owners:
Authenticate your domain so inboxes trust you. Follow the instructions Flodesk has for how to do this based on your domain provider.
Send one email a month to stay consistent.
Clean your list every 3–6 months to keep sending emails only to active subscribers.
Use secure links and alt text for accessibility and trust.
Make your email content more exclusive so clients feel special and keep opening.
Follow these five steps, and you’ll be ahead of most small businesses when it comes to email success.
Honestly, the time investment that goes into email vs. social media is incredible, especially when you factor in the incredible ROI email marketing typically has in comparison. It’s a no-brainer to get started with something as effective as email marketing!
Don’t wait until the holiday rush or your next big launch to figure email out.
Start your free Flodesk trial with our special PMU link and lock in a whopping 50% off your first year of Flodesk.
Your future self (and your inbox-loving clients) will thank you.
Looking for more email-related tips for pet businesses? Check out what we’ve got for you:
