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Social media has transformed from a way to connect with your inner circle of friends to a go-to medium for marketing. More than 90% of brands turn to social media to connect with their audience or target market. Plus, 76% of consumers say they purchase items they see on a brand’s social media.
Social media marketing for pet stores can transform how you engage with your community and increase foot traffic to your store. You have to do more than post pretty pet pics (although popular). Depending on which platforms you use, you can create and share different types of content.
In this blog, we’ll cover 15 creative ideas for your social media to boost engagement and gain new customers.
How To Make Your Pet Store Stand Out on Social Media
Your social media accounts should reflect your store’s personality, build relationships with local pet owners, and give customers a reason to interact. Below are 15 effective ways to use social media marketing for pet stores.
1. Host a “Pet of the Week” Contest
Ask your followers to submit photos or short videos of their pets using a product from your pet store. Pick a winner each week to feature on your social pages and offer a small in-store prize. This social media strategy creates user-generated content (UGC), encourages tagging and sharing, and keeps customers coming back to participate.
2. Share a Behind-the-Scenes Look
Post photos or short clips of you and your staff getting new inventory, setting up displays, or preparing for events. You can also show your team cleaning tanks or restocking popular items like dog treats and toys.
For specialty products like supplements, pet clothing, or leashes, consider sharing unboxing videos or “how it’s made” segments. People love seeing the origin of what they’re buying — it develops trust, adds transparency, and strengthens their emotional connection to your brand.
3. Highlight Rescue Partnerships
Feature adoptable pets from local shelters and promote donation drives for supplies like food, toys, and bedding. It builds goodwill and gives customers another reason to follow and support your business.
Take it a step further by using your point of sale (POS) system to enable roundup donations at checkout. Customers can choose to round up their total to the nearest dollar, with the difference going to local animal charities or rescues you partner with. It’s a simple, seamless way for people to contribute — and even small amounts add up fast.
Highlight the impact of these donations on social media to show customers how they’re making a difference, just by shopping with you.
Related Read: 10 Best Animal Charities for Your Pet Store To Partner With
4. Offer Quick Pet Product Tips
Create bite-sized videos or reels showing how to use a slow-feeder bowl, how a new cat toy works, or the benefits of a certain type of dog food. This information educates customers while positioning you as a helpful, knowledgeable source.
You can also share breed-specific tips, like the best brush to prevent matting on your goldendoodle between grooming visits, or the top shampoos for dogs with sensitive skin — like pit bulls or bulldogs. These tailored recommendations build trust and make your content feel more personal and valuable to pet parents.
5. Use Polls and Questions
Use Instagram Stories or Facebook polls to ask fun questions like, “What type of pet do you have?” or “Do you celebrate your pet’s birthday?” It gets people tapping and engaging — and gives you valuable insight into your customer base.
And don’t be shy about going deeper, ask your followers what kinds of content they want to see more of, or which products they’re curious about. Content creators do this all the time — it’s a great way to spark conversation and see what resonates.
Remember: your audience is a resource, not a replacement for your brand voice. Use their feedback as fuel, but keep steering the ship with your own ideas and expertise.
6. Celebrate Pet-Themed Holidays
When it comes to social media marketing for pet stores, tapping into pet-themed holidays is an easy win. Days like National Pet Day, Take Your Dog to Work Day, or Hug Your Cat Day are fun excuses to post themed content that appeals to your audience.
Use themed occasions to offer flash sales, run lighthearted polls, or showcase products like travel carriers, calming sprays, or seasonal collars. Sharing pet trivia or running photo contests tied to these dates can also create buzz and boost engagement.
Related Read: 9 Pet Store Marketing Tools To Improve Your Online Presence
7. Go Live With Q&As
Live content is an underrated gem in social media marketing for pet retailers. Host short live videos to answer common pet care questions, highlight new arrivals, or bring in a local expert — like a groomer, trainer, or vet — for a quick, informative chat.
Promote your livestreams in advance to maximize turnout, and make the most of the real-time interaction by taking questions from the audience. Live videos feel authentic and engaging, which helps you build trust and community in a way that static posts can’t.
8. Run Social-Only Flash Sales
Create excitement and urgency with exclusive, limited-time offers designed exclusively for your social media followers. Think: “Show this Story in store for 20% off dental chews today only,” or “Get a free bag of treats with any toy purchase — online only with code WAG.”
Flash sales are an effective tactic in social media marketing for pet stores because they reward your online community while driving immediate action. Make sure to include a call-to-action and clear terms to keep it smooth for customers and staff.
9. Post Customer Reviews and Testimonials
One of the most powerful tools in social media marketing for pet stores is UGC — especially reviews. Share testimonials in the form of quote graphics, Stories, or short videos. Bonus points if the customer’s pet is featured, too.
A post with a happy pup and the caption, “Charlie gives the salmon treats two paws up!” feels far more reliable than a product photo alone. These reviews offer social proof and show that your store is a trusted, valued part of the pet-loving community.
10. Feature Staff Picks
Highlighting staff favorites is a simple yet effective way to add personality and product education to your content. Post something like:
“Lena’s Pick: ZYMOX® Enzymatic Ear Cleanser — gentle, vet-recommended, and a must-have for allergy-prone pups!”
These quick features are a smart addition to social media marketing for pet stores, as they showcase your team’s knowledge while offering relatable product recommendations that customers can trust. You can even make it a weekly series to keep it consistent.
11. Repost Customer Content
Encourage your followers to tag your store when they post about their pets — and when they do, repost with enthusiasm. Sharing customer content helps you reach new audiences, shows appreciation, and adds authenticity to your brand. It’s also one of the easiest forms of social media marketing for pet stores, since your customers are doing the heavy lifting by creating fun, heartfelt content you can repurpose.
12. Create Themed Content Days
Make your content calendar easier (and more fun) by establishing themed days your audience can look forward to. For example:
- Treat Tuesday: Offer weekly treat deals or spotlight your best pet snacks.
- Fun-fact Friday: Share educational tidbits about animal care, behavior, and nutrition.
- Spotlight Saturday: Dive deep into a featured product, vendor, or rescue partner.
This consistent approach keeps your followers engaged and positions your business as an organized, reliable source of pet info — key goals of any social media marketing plan for pet stores.
13. Collaborate With Local Influencers
Build brand awareness through partnerships with local pet influencers, groomers, trainers, or even well-known pet parents. Invite them to your store, collaborate on giveaways, or have them try out your products and post about the experience. Social media marketing for pet businesses thrives on these relationships — just make sure the influencer’s audience aligns with your customer base for the best return.
14. Showcase New Arrivals
Nothing gets pet parents more excited than fresh inventory. Use unboxing videos, photo carousels, or “staff first impression” reels to introduce new products — whether it’s handmade collars, limited-edition toys, or a line of holistic treats. This type of content performs well in social media marketing for pet stores because it keeps your feed dynamic and shows your business is always evolving to meet pet needs.
15. Offer Exclusive Social Promotions
Give your online community a reason to stay connected by offering follower-only perks. This can include early access to sales, buy one, get one (BOGO) offers, or promo codes shared only in Stories. Not only do these promotions reward your most loyal fans, they also help you track which social platforms drive the most conversions — an essential part of optimizing your social media marketing strategy.
For pet stores, social media marketing works best when you stay active, experiment with content, and listen to what your audience responds to. Not every post needs to be perfect — just helpful, genuine, and on-brand. It’s important to keep showing up and test what works, so you can build a loyal community over time.
Enhance Your Social Media Marketing With eTailPet
Social media marketing for pet stores is a must for connecting with customers and building a strong online presence, but the right tools can take your strategy to the next level. eTailPet offers integrated social media management features designed specifically for pet businesses. With tools for social media management like Share It!, eTailPet makes it easy to streamline your social media communications and stay engaged with your customers.
This feature allows you to efficiently manage your posts, schedule content, and analyze your social performance — all in one platform. Plus, eTailPet’s POS system is built to handle the unique needs of pet stores, from inventory management to personalized marketing campaigns.
If you’re ready to boost your social media efforts and optimize your store’s operations, schedule a free demo with eTailPet today.
