As the year 2011 comes to a close, I’d like to cast my vote for the best pet video of the year.
Before I reveal what it is, I’m happy to share some staggering facts with you regarding this video and a few others featuring pets… and then provide some ideas to boost your pet business outlook in 2012.
First, the facts:
This weekend, I was browsing through some pet retail magazines and came across a new report that might interest you. It’s called Strategies for Effective Facebook Wall Posts for the Retail Industry, and it includes a number of fascinating facts that may well be worth considering for your pet business Facebook page, whether you’re marketing pet products or services.
Last spring, I was driving my dog to doggie day care and came upon this hilarious scene in a neighbor’s driveway. I had to pull over and snap a quick photo from my phone.
Everyone I’ve shown this to gets a big kick out of it, so I thought I’d share it with you.
What do these turkeys have in common with your pet business or veterinary practice website?
And what lessons can be learned from this photo when it comes to optimizing the images on your site?
I see 2 key take-aways for you.
1. Try to use distinct images for marketing your pet products or services.
This quartet of Tom turkeys are strutting their stuff in full regalia to attract the lone female who happens to be strolling by. Sadly, it’s hard to tell them apart, except the one on the right has some torn tail issues.
So how does the female know which one is her soul mate, or if any of them belong by her side? Hmmm. I wish I knew how that works. All I know is, it leads to an important point.
Are people looking for your dog bowls… or do they call them dog dishes?
Are pet owners searching for a great pet throw, or do they call it a blanket or car seat cover?
And are pet parents searching for a local veterinary hospital, clinic or practice? Or perhaps it’s an animal hospital or clinic… or veterinarian hospital, clinic, etc.)
When you write your pet business web content to attract the people who seek your products or services, be sure to focus on the key phrases THEY use.
This is critical for two reasons, whether you’re marketing to pet owners, veterinarians or other pet businesses.
I recently watched a video where a Google expert talked about quality content and what really stands out when it comes to GREAT sites. He used the words “amazing” and “wow” to describe web content that is truly powerful.
So what does “amazing” and “wow” mean for pet business websites? Or even veterinary websites? In general, it means offer a great visitor experience on every page; something worth sharing.
Here’s my interpretation of 3 things you can do right now to offer your site visitors an amazing experience they’ll want to share:
Ah, summer. Hot sunny days. Warm balmy nights. Fun for everyone, including pet business owners and marketers.
Why?
Because pet owners have seasonal needs that you can solve! Summer brings a mix of joyful outdoor activities with their pets… and also some dangers. For example, seasonal allergies, vacation travel and hot outdoor settings can be tricky for pets.
This means it’s an ideal time for you to market your business with a seasonal slant that meets your customers’ needs.
Let’s look at some examples of seasonal pet business marketing ideas.