Well, the world is a pretty weird place right now, isn’t it? We know that many of our clients are struggling to keep their businesses afloat, as safety and work-from-home have quieted demand. Once the world goes back to normal, it is bound to be business as usual again, so we might as well use some of this downtime to work on our marketing efforts.
Email is a great way to stay engaged with your client base during the quarantine. With that, we’ve created a few email templates around the topic of coronavirus that you can use to stay top-of-mind with your clients during this quarantine.
If you’re a Scout customer, you can send these templates directly to your clients using Messages, our integrated email messaging center.
Email #1: Indoor Activities To Keep You And Your Pets Active
Dear {Customer Name},
We’re assuming that you’re stuck inside right now, because who isn’t, amiright?! And although you have Tiger King to keep you entertained, how is your dog doing? Does he seem bored? Has she been trying to get your attention during Zoom calls for work? If so, we’ve collected suggestions from the American Kennel Club for how to keep your pup occupied and active despite all the time spent at home.
Activity #1: Hidden Treasure
This is a game that activates your dog’s powerful sense of smell. Simply collect a few boxes, turn them upside down throughout the house in areas that would be accessible by your dog. Pick one of the boxes to place a treat under and encourage your dog to start sniffing around. When they eventually discover their hidden treasure, congratulate them and watch them enjoy their treat.
Activity #2: Set Up An Obstacle Course
This activity allows you to join in on the fun, should you run out of shows to binge watch while you’re stuck at home. You can get as creative as you want, but the basic gist is to set up an obstacle course for your dog to race through/over/under/jump on using household items. You can use empty boxes, couch cushions, pillows, chairs, and even books.
Activity #3: Cardio Twist
Dogs who are training for competitions are familiar with this activity, as weave poles are used in the sport of agility. Similar to the obstacle course, you can use household objects to create your own weave poles (essentially like the pole version of orange cones that little kids would use for soccer practice). The goal is to get your dog to weave through the poles or cones or chairs (or whatever you decide to use) while changing their pace and direction. This is a great activity for coordination, and also can provide you with a cardio workout if you choose to join in!
Have you been making your own fun with your pup at home? If so, send us pictures and videos of how you’ve been entertaining yourself during this time.
Stay sane,
{Your Name}
Email #2: Working From Home: How to Be Productive With Pets
Dear {Customer Name},
In this new work-from-home reality, pets have proven to be very difficult coworkers. From cats sitting on top of computers, to dogs who simply cannot understand why you are not paying attention to them while you are home, we’ve seen that the struggle is definitely real. And with federal social distancing guidelines extended through the end of April, it seems like we’re going to be sharing a workspace with our furry friends for a while.
If you’re finding it hard to be productive while working from home with your pet, here are some tips to help you:
- Create a pet-free work space. If you’ve been wondering why it’s hard to get work done while parked on your couch with a laptop, it’s because that’s not a workspace that’s conducive to productivity. Find a quiet pet-free room in the house where you can set up a work space. It will make your life infinitely easier, and will also limit the amount of barks your coworkers hear on those video calls.
- Schedule breaks for playtime. This is as much for you as it is for your dog. Sitting in front of the computer all day is no good for anyone, so be sure to schedule in some 15-20 minutes breaks throughout the day to get up, stretch your legs, and play with your dog. Think of it like walking to the water cooler at the office.
- Maintain your sense of humor. Things are not going to go as smoothly as they would in the office when working from home, and that’s okay. Lower some of your expectations and try to laugh about the things that go wrong. These are weird times and there’s no right way to navigate it!
- Keep your dog active with games and walks. There are plenty of indoor activities you can do with your dog at home to have them get a little energy out. And of course, you can always add an extra walk or two into your daily routine. Both you and your dog will appreciate the fresh air.
- Don’t give them too many treats (unless your training). Just because you’re home now, doesn’t mean it will be like this forever (even though it does seem that way at times). You don’t want to create bad habits for your pet that will be difficult to correct when life returns to normal.
If you happen to have some funny pics from your experience working from home with a furry coworker, we’d love to see them! Email us at inbox@yourbusiness.com
Stay sane,
{Your Name}
Email #3: Practice Social Distancing While Walking Your Dog
Dear {Customer Name},
Since you aren’t in need of our services while you are working from home, we thought we could share some tips with you about how to properly practice social distancing while out walking your dog. Making sure that you’re following CDC guidelines can not only help keep you healthy, but it can help keep your neighbors healthy as well. Here’s what you should know about social distancing while out on walks with your dog:
- Maintain 6 feet of space between you and passersby on the sidewalk. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes social distancing as “deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness. Staying at least six feet away from other people lessens your chances of catching COVID-19.”
- Don’t let people pet your dog right now, and vice versa. This pretty much falls into the category of keeping 6 feet of distance between you and other people, but we don’t want to assume that anything goes without saying these days!
- Steer clear of dog parks. Many parks are being physically locked up by municipalities, but even if your regular dog park is still accessible, we recommend avoiding it. It’s a high-traffic area, which means higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
- Keep your hands clean. Bring hand sanitizer with you when you leave the house, and wash your hands thoroughly once you return home. Be sure to wash with soap and scrub your hands under the water for at least 20 seconds before reaching for a towel.
Although this seems like a lot to process just to take your dog out for a walk, we are all better off safe than sorry. We have to do our parts to flatten the curve!
Stay healthy and safe out there,
{Your Name}
You can use all of these templates as is, or edit them as you see fit to inject more of your business’ personality into it. Just copy and paste. It’s really that simple!
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