There are many marketing strategies out there, most are backed by rationale and case studies. You can give out free samples, hire influencers, host events, post articles on LinkedIn, rebrand and/or redesign your logo, create referral programs, run contests, and implement lots of other tactics.
Which are the most effective? What should you do to get your brand’s name out there so you can dominate your market?
First, consider your target market to decide what type of marketing will work best for you.
The Millennial population (born 1980 to 1994) now comprises 35% of pet owners, so companies in the pet industry need to reach them. Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) represent 32% of pet owners, and Gen X captures another 22% (born 1965 to1979) of the pie chart.
Photo by Justin Veneema on Unsplash
Table of Contents
1. Loyalty Program
People love free things! They like to know that their patronage is appreciated, and you can demonstrate that you value their business by rewarding them for buying your products continually.
A small token of your appreciation after a certain amount of spending is gratifying and further motivates them to purchase your product over and over again.
A free product, special member discounts, or any similar good will practice, makes your customers feel special and happy.
2. Blogging
A great deal of pet product websites have blogs. There’s plenty of information to impart, and you can recruit expert guest authors to lend additional credibility to your brand. Blogs about nutrition, fitness, health, fashion and more are popping up everywhere.
Here’s an example of how you can provide helpful, original content for your customers.
Pet owners often search the internet for information about their dog, cat, rabbit, ferret or whatever pet they own. Effective keywords in your blog posts will drive traffic to your website. The more topics you cover, the more likely people are to land on your site.
It’s also important for customers to regard you as an authority on pets so they know your products are well-researched and good quality.
3. Sponsor YouTube Videos
YouTube advertisements can be a little annoying, but YouTube is the second most visited website (behind Google). The whole world is watching YouTube videos. Your mission is to grab the viewer’s attention within the first few seconds.
If someone has YouTube on in the background while they are doing something else, they might not even hit the skip button on your video–at least not immediately.
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash
4. Social Mission
Millennials are known to be interested in social responsibility. They care about causes, and some work to help fix injustices and other problems in the world. In addition, animal lovers are impressed when they see pet brands supporting adoption or other non-profit animal causes. A great number of pet brands give back to animal organizations.
Related post: 10 Habits to Teach Your Dog
You can create a bond with customers by showing them that you are in the pet industry because you care about animals and prove it by taking action to help them. Your product is great and making current and potential customers aware that you’re paying it forward makes your company even more appealing!
5. Humor
We all enjoy commercials and print/online advertisements that make us laugh. People respond well to cleverness. Think of the most captivating ads and ad campaigns you’ve seen. Chances are they featured an element of humor.
Humor can draw people to your ad, and it also connects us to each other because we share the same emotion and laughter.
Other advantages of using humor in your advertising campaign include viewers having a positive reaction which helps them remember the ad, and perhaps they will talk about your ad with others. A compelling ad is a good way to create word-of-mouth promotion.
Have you seen the Macauley Culkin “Home Alone” parody commercial for Google? He reenacted jumping on his bed and told Google to remind him to wash the sheets (as he rubbed his back, realizing he was too old to jump like that) and asked Google to remind him to order aftershave.
Then he thwarted the would-be home intruders effortlessly while eating dinner as Google executed “Operation Kevin” by turning on the fireplace and playing Christmas carols while locking the door. It was adorable and witty.
Conclusion
There are many marketing options out there. Your target market and product determine the best way to reach your potential customers.
Pet brands need to appeal to Millennials, while also being attractive to Baby Boomer and even Gen Xers.
Related post: 7 Pet-Friendly Cities in the US
Loyalty programs, blog posts on your website, YouTube videos, sharing your social mission, and utilizing humor are all Millennial-friendly and effective for the other generations as well.
You can bond with potential and current customers by rewarding them, sharing information, showing your dedication to animals, and making them smile.
Leo Wilson graduated from a university major in animal health and behavior. He had over a decade of experience working in the pet industry and has contributed many dogs and pet-related articles to several websites before he decided to start sharing his knowledge on his blog. And when he is not busy working, he and his wonderful wife love spending time at home with their 3 dogs and 2 cats.