7 Events to Add to your Marketing Calendar

Each individual event and promotion should be purpose driven, meaning has a specific goal for your pet business. No winging it, Pet Boss! 

Purpose driven = SUCCESS! 

If you know what you want your outcome to be, you can engineer your events to reach that goal. Set the goal, then work backward to build your map! 

Not sure what your goal is? Well, here are a few ideas!

1. Activate existing customers.

Focus your event on recurring business rather than bringing in brand new customers. 

2. Build relationships.

Get your name out there! Meet with new people that you can build relationships with, whether that means they become a new customer or a potential partnership. 

3. Get new customers.

Your event might solely focus on bringing in new faces and building trust, so they become loyal customers. 

4. Acquire email addresses and phone numbers to text.

Build your list! Events are a great way to collect information so that you can stay in constant contact with existing or potential customers. 

5. Create opportunities for publicity.

Consider doing a local event that you know will get coverage to build on your visibility. 

6. Generate cash.

Crush your revenue goals by catering your events to them! Brainstorm the ways your event can generate the most cash for you. 

7. Reduce inventory.

Have some overstock you’ve been meaning to clear? Want to make room for new inventory or a new season? An event can help you clear some shelf space! 

But now you might be asking yourself– “How do I figure out what my goal is?!” 

Your goal will be specific to YOU and your pet business. Make it a habit to ask yourself these monthly questions when planning your promotional events: 

1. Are there any important company dates coming up to celebrate? Birthdays, anniversaries, local celebrations? 
2. Have you set any goals for yourself and your business? Ex: Increase revenue, reduce inventory, be more active in your community, etc. 
3. What are your customers up to for the month? Will they be traveling, holiday shopping, sending the kids back to school, etc.? Put yourself in their shoes. 

Put these questions on your calendar and make them part of your routine. Answering them will give you a more clear vision when event planning in your business! 

Now, want to see some examples of purpose driven events?! We thought so. Here are four ideas from our paw-some Pet Boss Club members!

Amanda McReynolds at Pure Pet held a Grand Opening celebration of their 2nd location in Carbondale, IL, and it was the busiest day in the history of Pure Pet! Her event featured a ceremonious ribbon cutting, confetti cannons, and a fun and festive balloon arch. Amanda invited some local Chamber members, State Representatives, and the owners and staff of Pure Pet to join in on the fun. She also offered special perks like a catered lunch, 20% off everything, $5 bath cards, and a spend $75 and get an exclusive 5th Saturday tote deal!

Carly Patryluk, the owner of House of Paws Pet Boutique, wanted to move some dusty merch and boost her summer sales, so she did Mystery Bag sales! In celebration of her pup’s birthday, she listed 12 Surprise Bags on her website at 9 AM, and they sold out in 8 MINUTES! Obviously, she decided to do more, and when she added 10, they sold out in 12 minutes! She made over $1,000 in sales before she even opened her store’s doors that day, and she plans to do another sale like this soon (since her customers have been non-stop requesting it!).

Dani Edgerton, the owner of Paws On Main, hosts 5th Saturday Sales as a way to boost revenue in the months that have an extra Saturday slipped onto the calendar. Dani always sees great success and reaches her revenue-boosting goals, but there was one specific Saturday when she hosted a record breaking sale that produced her largest net sales day EVER. You can read all about it here!

Cynthia McKinney, the owner of Loyl’s Natural Pet in Houston, Texas, attended a vendor fair hosted by a local dog training facility! It was a great success, and Cynthia could get in front of new potential customers to really WOW them and spread the word about her business. Her booth included party favors (with samples of her products), a Giveaway entry (which is a great way to collect emails and phone numbers!), a prize wheel, and Mystery Bags for sale that were exclusive to this event!

So what’s the biggest takeaway? PURPOSE. Everything you do in your pet business has a purpose, and events are no exception. Have questions about events in your business? Join our free Facebook community for pet industry professionals and drop your question there! 

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