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A website has always been known as your ‘online shop window’. Nowadays there are even more ways to be visible online, which have equal importance given the rise in popularity of social media. It has become part of our everyday lives and we are now living in a digital world where customers have the expectation of information at their fingertips. We want to ensure that the information which is accessible to your pet owners, is in fact what you want them to know for the best possible outcome for the welfare of their pet.
With so many digital outlets, sometimes it's hard to know where you should be investing your time. Equally, while running your business, you can't be spending your time engaging with pet owners in real-time on the numerous avenues we have available to us.
There are, however, ways and means to ensure you are being smart with your time and engaging in the right way!
Social Media
Facebook continues to reign as the most popular social networking platform and over the years, has developed into a tool for businesses. While your pet business may only serve a small fraction of the billions of users, you can guarantee that the majority of your client and customer base will use Facebook.
A Facebook page is not only a way to showcase your ‘business’, listing opening hours and contact information, for example, it's also a vehicle for you to post information that you want your clients to know and see. In addition, your clients and customers are able to engage with you through ‘commenting’ on your posts, or even sending you direct messages.
It's a fantastic tool, away from your website, to filter and engage with your consumers directly, strengthening their bond to your business and therefore, long-term loyalty. Similarly, Instagram being a more visual/photograph-led version of Facebook, goes hand-in-hand, where you can schedule your posts to go across both platforms simultaneously, with very similar functionality including messaging, comments, likes and shares. Instagram helps you to reach a different demographic of pet owners to Facebook, so it’s worth investing time in both. Having a dedicated person in-house, or a qualified external team to monitor or check the platform daily and create that all-important content, will ensure continuity and consistency for your clients.
Website (Blog/SEO)
We all understand the importance of a website. However, if the words on the page fail it, it becomes nothing more than an online directory when its potential to support your business is vast!
When clients, customers or prospects visit your website, the key is their experience, i.e. their journey through the information contained on the pages. You want to keep them educated and doing all they can to keep their pets happy and healthy with regular, engaging blogs, for example. Adding new content to your site on a regular basis (such as monthly blogs) is great for being found on search engines, too! Blogs can have comments sections, ‘calls to action’, and are perfect for sharing - so, local pet owners can share helpful information they've read in your blog across their social media profiles - fantastic exposure for your pet business and improved welfare for pets.
Email Marketing
Finally, email marketing, which often takes the form of monthly newsletters with various articles and snippets of information, but could also include longer-term email journeys. Sending a beautifully designed, fully-branded newsletter to your mailing list, directly to their inbox, is a fantastic way to engage with your clients and customers and tell them the information you want them to know. Recipients are able to call you directly from the email, reply to you via email, and even ‘click the button’ to find out more via your website. It's a hugely valuable tool to interlink your key messages. Perhaps you want to stay connected with your clients and customers, let them know about your latest blog, update them on business news, promote your services or even delight your clients with something that may help them, help their pets. Maybe, you want to set up an email journey to help guide new puppy and kitten owners through the first year of their four-legged friend's life. Whatever your objective, email marketing can be a game-changer!
With everyone vying for the attention of their target audience, email marketing is a great way to stand out from the crowd, with a defined, targeted, effective and creative campaign. No other strategy compares through its ability to engage your clients and customers with you and your services, and in its ability to harvest detailed data about their journey.
To find out more, drop us an email at hello@join-embark.com
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