Simple Marketing Tools For Pet Business Owners

Everything is a little easier when you have the right tools, and marketing your pet business is no exception.

Marketing can feel like an overwhelming task, but you know it’s wildly important to the success of your pet business. You can’t expect your ideal customer to find you if you’re not hanging out exactly where they are and promoting what you do! In fact, we talked about finding and keeping your ideal client in this previous blog post, so make sure you check that out.

Having the right tools in your marketing toolbox will make building up your pet business’ audience more organized and more efficient.

Less overwhelm means you’ll be able to:

✔Stay consistent with your marketing efforts.

✔Reach new customers regularly.

✔Stay in contact with your current customers so they get to know you, like you, and most importantly– TRUST you!

We know what you’re thinking–

“I’m a pet business owner! Not a marketer!”

“I can’t design emails or social media posts!”

“I don’t have TIME!”

We’re here to tell you– you CAN design, market, and find the time if you know which tools will make it possible.

So let’s get to the types of marketing tools that will make your Pet Boss life easier:

Planning Templates

Having a plan inspires action. If you’ve ever sat and stared at a blank page or a blank computer screen, you know the hardest part is just getting started.

Marketing requires planning so that when you sit down to actually do it, you’re not discouraged by a blank page. Instead, you’re inspired by what’s on the agenda, and you can dive right in.

In the Pet Boss Club (join the waitlist here!), members have access to monthly marketing planners. They’re printable step-by-step instructions with loads of inspiration and ideas about what to post on social media, what to talk to your customers about that month, and how to keep your followers engaged with you. We even include Canva templates and host co-working sessions to knock out marketing planning together!

If you want to create your own planning calendar, you can use apps like Airtable or Trello to organize your ideas, graphics, and copy, or simply create an Excel spreadsheet. If you need a physical copy vs. keeping it digital, you can find great templates from other small business owners on Etsy.

Email and Client Communication Apps

Regular communication with your clients is a reminder to them that they have an expert in their back pocket (or inbox) when they need one. When a question about their pet or a product they might need pops up, guess who will be the first person they go to… you! The pet expert that’s been checking in on them and offering value!

To stay in contact, you’ll need a way to manage all of the email addresses or phone numbers you collect, as well as a way to instantly fire off emails and messages as needed. You can even write your emails ahead of time and schedule them. You can also track stats to see what percentage of your list is opening your emails and clicking your links so you can better judge the type of content that is resonating with your clients and give them more of that!

Here are some of our favorite communication apps:

MailChimp– Easily create eye-pleasing emails, track open-rate success, manage different email campaigns for different offers and events, and tag your contacts to identify specific information they’re interested in.
Constant Contact– Email marketing, contact organization, social media managing, and lots of automation options!
Klaviyo– Email and SMS marketing with the ability to track sales.
HubSpot /Active Campaign– These two tools integrate together to connect to your customers through automation and track website visits and sales to give you insights into your marketing efforts.
NextPaw– Claim your business listing to appear in searches to local shoppers and communicate which brands you carry to your customers.
Astro– Yes, the same Astro Loyalty program you use in your pet retail business doubles as a marketing tool! Astro’s marketing resources are specifically made for pet retailers, so contact their support team to see how they can help you.

Design Tools

If you’re wondering how you’re going to make all of this marketing content look pretty, you are not alone… and you don’t have to be a graphic designer to make it happen!

These days there are tools available to make your graphics and videos look more polished and professional with ease.

Here are a few you can check out:

Canva– Design anything from social media posts to brochures and everything in between. It offers templates and stock photos, and makes it easy to upload your branding customizations! There are even simple printing options if you need physical copies of something.
Splice– A simple video editor that will have you pumping out Instagram reels like a pro!
Photo editing apps- Like Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, and Picmonkey, just to name a few! Apply presets, lighten up your photos, and make them social media feed ready in just a few clicks.

The time and effort it takes to market your pet business are well worth it. You just have to work smarter, not harder! These tools are a great place to start, but you have Pet Boss Nation to fall back on with any more questions you might have (make sure you join our free Facebook community here). Together, we’ll make marketing your pawesome pet business a breeze!

Learn more with us!

Need 1:1 support to make massive action now? Book a discovery call with us to see if working 1:1 with Candace is the right fit for you.

Get on the waitlist! You’re passionate about pets. It’s time to have a business that supports the life you want, too! Learn the specific techniques to find new customers, to increase sales and to build a better team for ANY kind of pet business by joining the Pet Boss Club! Get on the waitlist here.