Marketing Your Pet Service Business

Updated September 21, 2026 · Originally published July 28, 2022

Ready to market your pet service business online but not sure where to start, or how to take it to the next level? The original version of this post was four social media tips. They still work, and they’re still here. What we’ve added is the part that fills the calendar: the search and profile basics that get a grooming, daycare, sitting, walking or pet transport business found by the people already looking for it. We helped Paws en Route grow revenue 350% and generate over 1,000 qualified leads a month, and this is the order we’d do it in.

Start where the appointments come from: Google Business Profile

When a pet owner searches “dog groomer near me” or “dog daycare [city],” the map pack decides who they call. Complete your profile, set the right primary category, list every service, and add a real photo every week (you have the most photogenic clients in any industry; use them). Ask for a review at pickup, while the owner is standing there with a happy dog, and reply to every review in your own voice. Review count and recency are what move you up the map.

A website that books, not just shows

Prices visible, online booking or click-to-call on mobile, a page for each service, real photos of your space and your team, and live reviews. Pet owners compare three businesses on their phone at 9pm; the one that answers “how much and can I book now” wins. Once the site converts, search ads for high-intent terms in your area are a fast way to fill gaps in the schedule, with tracking in place so you know which ad booked the appointment.

Interact with your community

The pet community is welcoming, and we’ve had real success simply commenting on other creators’ reels and photos. Spend fifteen minutes of your marketing time each day on engagement: reaching out, commenting, sharing local pet accounts to your story. You’ll be surprised how many repost, share and follow back. Find the popular hashtags in your niche and city and use them consistently so you show up where local pet owners are already scrolling.

Use good content, and plan it

Good, non-repetitive content is the key to a feed people follow. Plan your photoshoots, get a variety of angles and shots, and screenshot posts you like as inspiration to recreate in your own style. Stick to your brand colours so the feed is recognisably yours.

Make it authentic to your brand

Anyone can repost someone else’s dog video. There’s a place for that, but you need a stream of unique content so your business becomes known for something. Our agency plans and briefs creators to produce content for pet clients across Canada and the US so each location is served with its own brand. Complement it with user-generated content: when a customer posts their dog at your daycare, like it, comment, and send a quick message asking if you can share it with credit. Example: “Hi there! We love your latest photo and wanted to know if you’d be okay with us sharing it on our feed with full credit? Thank you!”

The power of short-form video

Reels and TikTok remain the fastest way to put a lot of eyes on a pet business. We’ve had multiple client videos pass 10,000 views in under a week, which is 10,000 local pet owners who would never have seen the business otherwise. Save trending sounds and use them, and lean on the one format that consistently outperforms in service businesses: a hook (the muddy dog, the matted coat, the anxious first-day pup), then the transformation. Short video builds brand searches and trust; the profile and the website turn that trust into bookings.

The same system, adapted to a very different trade, is what we run for pest control companies; you can see how it’s structured on our pest control marketing page, and the general version for any small service business is here.