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The summer months are fast approaching—and it’s the perfect time to increase your marketing efforts to reach current and prospective clients who can benefit from your pet-sitting services when they travel this summer.

If your summer schedule is not already fully-booked and you are looking to increase business, check out these tips you can use now to promote your pet-sitting services to local pet owners:

1. Make sure your profile information is up-to-date on PSI’s Locator (and all online listings). One of the easiest ways to maximize promotion of your business for the upcoming summer months is to make sure the information you currently have online is up-to-date. If you are a PSI member, log-in to make sure your information on PSI’s Official Pet Sitter Locator® includes your correct contact information, notes the services you offer and types of pets you will care for and lists all of the zip codes you service. Review any additional online listings you may have to ensure that you can easily be found by the pet owners you want to reach. Not a member? Join today!
   
   
2. Send out a press release. Press releases are still one of the best ways to promote your business. Local media coverage is low cost, can be highly targeted, uses the credibility of neutral third-party endorsements, builds image and can generate leads. Check out this previous blog post with tips for getting your pet-sitting business featured by local news outlets. Make sure your press release is timely and relevant. You could write a press release on the projected increase in summer travel and offer tips for traveling pet owners, or you could share a press release that offers tips on keeping pets safe in the summer months. 
3. Email your current clients. Your current clients offer your best opportunity to increase your revenues this summer. While social media sites like Facebook and Twitter offer an easy way to connect with your current clients, don’t forget about the power of e-mail marketing. Send an eNewsletter out to current clients reminding them to book early for their summer pet-sitting needs. Some pet sitters even offer a special discount for clients who book early. This eNewsletter is also a good time to encourage your current clients to spread the word about your pet-sitting business to their friends and family who may also be in need of pet-sitting services this summer. If you offer any type of referral discount or incentive, be sure to mention it in this e-mail.
   
   
4. Ramp up your local advertising. Now is the time to post your pet-sitting business cards, flyers and brochures everywhere you can think of. Be sure to keep a supply of business cards or flyers with you so that you can post them any time you see a bulletin board—at the local grocery stores, pet stores, post office, etc. Contact your local travel agency to see if you could make your brochures available in their office. Local realtors are a good connection to have as well, as they can distribute information about your pet-sitting services to new home buyers year-round.
   
   Don’t forget to also increase advertising in the specific neighborhoods you want to service. Promotional pet-sitting door knob hangers, like those available at the The Pet Sitter Shop, are great to leave on the doors of homes in neighborhoods you are already servicing. Don’t forget to also take advantage of local events that may be going on—offer a pet-sitting gift card as a door prize or charity auction item. It’s also a good time to partner with your local animal shelter and pet-rescue organizations. Those adopting pets now could likely benefit from your services when they begin planning their summer vacations. Having your business card, brochure or even a coupon in the adoption packet that goes to these pet owners is a great advertisement!
   
   
5. Get even more social online. By now, you probably already have business accounts on Facebook or Twitter. And if you’ve been following this blog, you’ve probably made note of these social media etiquette tips for pet sitters and taken the six steps to improve your pet-sitting business’ social media presence. So now, with the summer months fast approaching, it’s time to increase your online activity. Schedule daily posts that offer timely pet-care tips, feature funny or cute (but tasteful!) pet photos or cartoons and share information about local upcoming pet events. The more you can get your page’s fans to “like” (or retweet) your content, the more people will be exposed to what you post. This is a great way to bring your business to the attention of local pet owners who may be in the process of planning summer travel.
   
   
6. Think outside the box. As you approach the summer months, it’s important to increase the marketing efforts you’ve already been using that are working for you from business cards and flyers to social media promotion. It is also a good time to think outside the box and try new marketing tactics that you may not have considered before. Consider buying advertising in a local school’s yearbook or in a local sports league’s program guide. Both often offer inexpensive advertising options. Is there a spring or summer outdoor concert series in your community? See if there are sponsorship opportunities.
   
   If there is a local family friendly restaurant you frequent, see if you can make coloring sheets available (with your company information included) for the staff to pass out to patrons with children. Depending on where you live and the activities available, there are countless ways for you to reach out to local pet owners through free or low-cost promotions.

Are you already booking summer pet-sitting assignments?

Tell us what works for you. How soon do you begin booking your summer pet-sitting assignments? Have you increased your marketing efforts to help fill your summer calendar?

Share in the comments section below to let us know if you’ve tried any of these ideas—or if you have other tips—to start promoting your pet-sitting services now to summer travelers.