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Have you wondered whether you should be marketing your pet store? How would you get started?
The answer is yes, you should be marketing your pet store — and luckily, you’re in the right place!
Marketing can be intimidating and overwhelming for pet store owners, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach.
In this blog, we’ll map out seven simple marketing ideas for pet stores. Each idea includes actionable steps and tools you need to get started. Trying these marketing strategies can help you drive more traffic and sales to your store — and build new and customer relationships.
Local SEO for Pet Shops
Local search engine optimization (SEO) plays an important role in nearby customers finding your business. It allows you to reach the people who are actively searching for pet products and services in your area. With a Google My Business listing, your pet store will appear in local search results, and you’re able to manage customer reviews.
This localized targeting attracts high-intent customers who are ready to visit the store and make a purchase, because they’re likely searching for specific products or a pet store nearby.
Independent pet stores have the challenge of competing with large chain retailers, and local SEO makes it easier for small pet stores to compete online. With this strategy, you can capture an audience that is looking for a local, community-based pet store rather than a large chain.
Getting Started With Local SEO
If you’re ready to try local SEO, consider starting with these two steps:
- Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing.
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave online reviews.
Common tools used for local SEO:
Related Read: Understanding the Demand for Pet Services in Your Area
Community Events
Staying involved with your community of animal lovers is vital in building trust and loyalty with your customers. Hosting or participating in community events allows you to engage with local pet owners and increase visibility (and hopefully traffic!) to your pet store.
Community events for pet stores can include:
- Adoption days
- Pet care workshops
- Pet costume contests
- Charity runs or walks
- Pet photography sessions
Look into opportunities to collaborate with local shelters, veterinarians, and pet food brands for cross-promotional opportunities. These partnerships can enhance your store offerings and give additional value to your loyal customers.
Community events also provide a great opportunity for you to showcase your unique selling points, specialized products, and knowledge on all things pet care. Show your customers how your business and team would provide their pets with the best care and products.
Getting Started With Community Events
Here are three tips for planning community events:
- Partner with local shelters and pet care providers.
- Promote events through social media and local flyers.
- Offer exclusive in-store discounts during the event.
Tools for event management:
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing allows you to build awareness for your pet store and connect with local pet owners online. Use your platforms to advocate for animals and share your business mission with pet owners. With the (free!) increased visibility that social media provides, you can attract new customers while retaining existing ones.
You can promote your pet products and services, as well as any events you decide to host, on social media. Staying active on your platforms can help you get in front of new eyes to drive more interest and foot traffic to your store.
Social media also creates a direct line of communication between you and your customers. These platforms allow your customers to ask questions, provide feedback, and seek advice. This helps you build stronger relationships and improve customer satisfaction at your pet store.
Getting Started With Social Media Marketing
Start with these four actionable steps:
- Create social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) that best fit your business and target audience.
- Publish engaging content featuring pet tips, new services, and events you’re hosting.
- Run targeted ads to reach local pet owners.
- Engage with followers through comments and direct messages.
Tools for social media marketing:
Related Read: Improve Your Customers’ Shopping Experience: Tips to Create an Effective Store Layout
Email Marketing
Email marketing can help retain customers and drive sales. Communicate with your customers regularly to nurture those relationships. It’s common to use email marketing to promote your products and services, keeping customers up to date on new offerings. You can also create special offers or discounts to keep customers coming back to your store.
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to engage customers and promote your store. You can personalize your communication and build trust in the pet community.
Getting Started With Email Marketing
Begin with these three steps to try out email marketing:
- Build an email list through sign-up incentives or a loyalty program.
- Send out regular newsletters with pet care tips and promotions.
- Segment your email list for personalized promotions.
Common tools for email marketing:
Loyalty Programs & Memberships
Loyalty and membership programs can help you build stronger customer relationships, encourage repeat business, and gain valuable insights from each customer. Offering these programs encourages more loyal and repeat customers. If they can come back and buy their pet products at your store to gain discounted or free items, this can motivate people to stay loyal.
These programs allow you to collect valuable data about your customers as well. You can better understand their behaviors and preferences to personalize promotions and increase customer satisfaction.
Getting Started With Loyalty Programs & Memberships
Steps to help you get started:
- Set up a point-based loyalty program
- Offer special discounts and rewards for members.
- Promote the program in store and online.
Tools for loyalty management:
Related Read: Pet Loyalty Programs: Top 5 Software Providers
Unique In-Store Experiences
Creating unique in-store experiences can look different for each pet store owner. The main goal of this marketing strategy is to help you increase customer engagement and personalized relationships. These experiences can be personalized to your preferences, but some ideas may include:
- Product demonstrations and sampling
- Pet wellness workshops
- Pet toy workshops
- Pet photo booths
While these experiences are unique to your preferences, they allow you to differentiate your store from other competitors. Fun in-store experiences will not only help you maintain current customers, but attract new ones. Make your pet store the destination for customers with the best pet products and memorable experiences.
Getting Started With In-Store Experiences
Here are some ideas to get started:
- Set up pet grooming or training sessions.
- Create a pet photo booth area.
- Design interactive product displays.
Tools include:
- Event planning tools
- Customer feedback tools
Content Marketing
Similar to many other marketing strategies, content marketing helps increase sales, build customer relationships, and helps you showcase your products and services. With content marketing, you can share your pet knowledge and tips with the industry. Try to create engaging and helpful content to tell your customers the story behind your pet business and highlight what sets you apart from the competition.
Creating unique pet industry content helps build trust and authority. Publishing new and consistent content on your website can also increase the number of online visitors you receive. Make sure you address common questions and provide value so your pet store is top of mind when it’s time to make a purchase online or in store.
Getting Started With Content Marketing
Try content marketing with these three ideas:
- Start a blog with tips on pet care and product reviews
- Create video content showcasing your store events and tutorials
- Share user-generated content from happy customers
Content marketing tools:
Marketing Ideas for Pet Stores
There are many avenues that you can use to get started with marketing. You don’t have to try them all, but be sure to pick the strategies that you feel are best for your pet store. As you try new tactics, collect the data you need and monitor the success of your efforts.
If you’re looking for more tools to get started, eTailPet is a pet store all-in-one point of sale system that makes marketing easy. The software has automated marketing tools baked in, plus everything you need to manage the data around each strategy. If you would like to learn more about the marketing tools that are included with eTailPet, schedule a live software demo!
