Most pet businesses don’t need dozens of complicated automations, when they just need a few strategic email flows.
The goal of your email flows is to create a better customer experience while encouraging repeat purchases, repeat bookings, and stronger customer relationships.
And most pet business owners aren't email experts. So it's easy to get wrapped up in 'shoulds' when talking to marketing experts that tell you that you should create an email workflow.
Below, I break down what flows/automations/series are, and when you need each one in your pet business whether you are service-based or product-based.
Read this before you ever schedule an automation in your email service provider.
What is an email flow?
AKA “automation” AKAKA “series”
An email flow is a series of emails that sends based on a defined trigger of conditions that they’ve met, ie. someone signs up for your newsletter list, makes a purchase, books, an appointment, or even if they haven't engaged for a while.
You build it and it runs in the background, sending the right message at the right time to the right person without you having to manually do anything.
This is different from an email campaign - which is the one-off email you write and send to a specific segment or list on a specific day - think of your monthly newsletter or a holiday sale announcement.
Campaigns are the conversation you’re having right now while flows are the conversation that’s always happening in the background, one person at a time, no matter when they joined or what they did.
It’s helpful (& important!) to know why the distinction matters: campaigns take ongoing effort while flows take effort once and it keeps paying you back.
Why email flows matter for pet businesses
Pet parents are LOYAL - to their vets, the local pet shop, their groomers, their trainer, their online treat peeps - and that loyalty is a gift, but it doesn’t happen automatically. It happens because the business stayed in touch, showed up at the right moments, and made the customer feel remembered.
That’s what a good flow does - it remembers for you.
A good flow remembers where your people are in the buyer's journey.
For pet product brands, flows are the difference between a one-time purchaser and someone who reorders every month when their supply runs low.
For pet service providers, they’re the difference between a client who books once and disappears, and one who’s on your calendar every six weeks (AND you don’t have to chase them down).
Either way, the ROI on effort is enormous! You build the flow once and it keeps working while you do literally everything else to run your business.
The 7 Essential Flows
Welcome Series
Most pet businesses' attempt at a welcome email results in a dead end.
This is the first impression someone gets of your business after they've already raised their hand and said "I'm interested." Don't waste it on a single "thanks for signing up" email and nothing else.
A good welcome email series does three things: introduces who you are and why you're different, delivers on whatever you promised (a discount code, a free guide, a lead magnet), and starts building the relationship before you ever ask for a sale.
For pet product brands: Introduce your story, showcase a bestseller, and make it easy to browse.
For pet service providers: Introduce yourself (and yes, your dog if you have a Rocky of your own), explain what working with you looks like, and make booking feel like a no-brainer.
Post Purchase or Post-Service Follow-up
Most pet businesses lose that sale the second someone closes the tab.
The sale doesn't end the relationship - it starts it. This flow shows up right after someone buys something or has an appointment, and it's your chance to reduce buyer's remorse, offer helpful next steps, and set the tone for a repeat customer.
For pet product brands: Order confirmations, shipping updates, and a "here's how to get the most out of what you bought" email.
For pet service providers: A thank-you after the appointment, care instructions if relevant (hello, post-grooming coat care tips), and a gentle nudge toward what's next.
Conversion Suite (the Abandonment Flows)
FOR PET PRODUCT BRANDS SPECIFICALLY:
Someone browsing the site, added something to their cart, or already started checking out - and then... didn't finish. Life happened, someone needed something, whatever the reason - these are some of the highest-converting flows you can build, because you're reminding someone about something they already wanted.
A well-built abandonment suite isn't pushy - it's a friendly nudge, maybe with a little urgency or a small incentive by the final email, reminding them their cart (and that new harness for Rocky's walk-obsessed cousin) is still waiting.
Replenishment Flow
FOR PET PRODUCT BRANDS SPECIFICALLY:
Most pet brands wait for customers to remember to reorder.
If you sell something people run out of - food, treats, supplements, litter, flea and tick prevention - this flow is pure gold.
It's timed to arrive right before your customer is likely to need a refill, so you're in their inbox exactly when they're thinking "oh, I should probably order more of that."
This single flow can do more for repeat purchaser revenue than almost any other email you'll ever send, because it removes the thinking entirely.
Winback Sequence
Every list has customers who've gone quiet, whether that's someone who hasn't ordered in months or a client who hasn't booked in a while. A winback sequence reaches out before you write them off, usually with a mix of "we’ve been thinking about ya," a reminder of what they loved, and sometimes an incentive to come back.
For pet product brands: A nudge about what they used to buy or maybe a discount to sweeten the return.
For pet service providers: A "we'd love to see you again" message and reminding them what made their last visit worth it.
Not everyone will return, and that's fine - but recovering even a small percentage of lapsed customers or clients is almost always cheaper and easier than acquiring brand new ones.
Appointment Reminder & Rebooking Flow
FOR PET SERVICE PROVIDERS SPECIFICALLY:
Most pet service businesses lose repeat bookings to 'I'll call and schedule later.'
This is arguably the single highest-impact flow a service-based pet business can have.
It does two jobs: it helps reduce no-shows by reminding people their appointment is coming up, and it makes rebooking easier by prompting clients to get back on your calendar before they've even left.
Groomers, trainers, boarding facilities, and vets all live and die by a full calendar.
Re-Engagement Automation
Life gets busy, priorities shift, and suddenly it's been months since someone last opened an email, ordered, or booked. A re-engagement automation reaches out before that gap becomes permanent, reminding them why they loved your business in the first place.
For pet product brands: A check-in that resurfaces your best content or products, aimed at subscribers who've stopped engaging.
For pet service providers: A "we haven't seen you in a bit" message that makes it simple to get back on the books before the gap turns into "I guess we just stopped going there."
Which email flow should you build first?
If you're starting from zero, don't try to build all of these at once. Start here:
For pet product brands: Welcome Series first, then the Conversion Suite, then the Post-Purchase - those three alone will do the heaviest lifting for new customer relationships and recovered sales.
For pet service providers: Welcome Series first, then Appointment Reminder & Rebooking - that combination keeps your calendar full and your new clients engaged from day one.
From there, layer in the rest as you have bandwidth.
Every flow you add is one more thing quietly working for your business in the background, whether you're at your desk or not.
| Flow | For Product Brands | For Service Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | Introduce your story, showcase a bestseller, make browsing easy | Introduce yourself, explain what working with you looks like, make booking easy |
| Post-Purchase / Post-Service Follow-Up | Order confirmation, shipping updates, how to use what they bought | Thank-you, care instructions, gentle nudge toward next steps |
| Abandoned Cart | Friendly reminder about items left behind, with light urgency by the final email | Not applicable |
| Replenishment | Timed reminder to reorder before they run out | Not applicable |
| Win-Back Campaign | "We miss you" nudge toward what they used to buy | "We'd love to see you again" message |
| Appointment Reminder & Rebooking | Not applicable | Reduces no-shows, prompts rebooking before they even leave |
| Re-Engagement Campaign | Resurfaces your best content/products for quiet subscribers | "We haven't seen you in a while" nudge to get back on the books |
Need help building an email flow for your pet business?
If you’re reading through all seven and thinking "okay, but when am I supposed to actually build this" makes your stomach drop a little - that's exactly what I'm here for!
Whether you need a full strategic roadmap or just help figuring out where to start, a free consultation call is the easiest first step to see exactly what your business needs and in what order.
