I've been wanting to write this blog post for a while now because if there's one thing that pet business owners are hesitant about when forking out marketing dollars or their own time, it's BLOGGING.
Of all of the marketing tools and strategies, pet industry entrepreneurs are SO reluctant to start blogging. I mean yeah, it does require an investment, whether they are paying someone to write posts or if they are spending extra time on their part to produce longer pieces of content. They may write one blog post, not see an increase in sales, and then think it's not worth it!
This could not be more false!!
When I first started my business, I knew that I had to do more than invest in a simple website. As a digital marketer, I understand the importance of incorporating blog content on your website. And when you have evergreen content to support your business online, you’ll have an easier time marketing yourself and staying visible every single day.
I don’t think I can name one client of mine or business owner I’ve met who has consistently implemented blogging into their business and thinks it wasn’t worth the investment of time and/or money.
If you’re not convinced that blogging is the right route for you to take, here are 10 reasons why you cannot afford to NOT blog in your pet business.
1. You have room for exponential growth
The thing with blogging compared to other forms of marketing like social media is that it has room for exponential growth. Obviously, you can grow your social media following exponentially, but what I’m talking about here is each piece of content.
For example, if you post on Instagram, not only is a small % of your audience seeing the post on a good day (I’m talking like 10% or less), but that post will be automatically hidden as other people post to the feed. Once even a day has passed, people won’t likely see that Instagram post again unless they’re taking time to thoroughly stalk your page.
Blogging, on the other hand, the more views you get on a blog post, the more it will grow and be likely to be seen in search results. For example, I have a blog post on my website, 33 Creative Instagram Post Ideas for Pet Businesses. I posted this back in 2018, but maybe in the last year, it has brought in the most web traffic for me than anything else or any other blog post and it keeps growing exponentially because the more it’s clicked on, the higher it is in search results and the more people click on it, etc.
So, with blogging, you have the opportunity to increase search rankings each time someone clicks on your website.
2. It’s already ON your website, so you own it
When you blog, that’s your domain. Nobody can take it from you, unlike on social media. That’s right. You don’t own your social media content and Instagram can delete you and your content whenever they want. And let me tell you, it’s happened!
And don’t forget, the goal of marketing isn’t to just get more followers or more Instagram engagement. The goal is to get people TO your website to actually make purchase decisions, right?? Blogging DIRECTLY helps with that.
Need a new website that shows off those power packed blog posts with style? At the Pet Marketing Unleashed shop we have website templates geared specifically towards pet businesses so that you can rock your content, nail your SEO and copywriting, and attract your dream customers all while saving yourself time! Check out the shop for our pet biz templates so you have a beautiful home for those awesome blog posts!
3. It easily links to where people can buy from you
CTA’s (call-to-actions) are what you use to ask your audience to take an action. On your website, it could be signing up for your email list, filling out a survey, or booking an appointment. You can also include similar CTA’s in your blog posts.
This doesn’t mean that every single post needs a “Book Now” button. It should be related to the post and most of the time, the easier the CTA, the more likely a potential client will take the action. A CTA can be something simple, like asking readers to follow you on social media or clicking on another related blog post. Regardless, you get to decide what the next step would be for them to take after reading a blog post, which is crucial in helping them down the path of a purchasing decision.
4. It brings in the majority dog owner
Millennials research online (not just on social) before purchasing. It’s just what they do. Don’t forget that Millennials are now the majority dog owner in the USA which means it’s time to start appealing to them in your marketing. If you aren’t giving them information online, why would they trust or purchase from you? They definitely won’t go out of their way to call you (who uses phones to call businesses anymore, right? 🤪). Millennials want to do things in their own time, which means researching before taking action.
5. It allows you to become known for being an expert in your field
This is required when you’re putting your pet’s lives in someone else’s hands. You best show me you’re an expert or I won’t hand over my dog for daycare! How can you handle X situation? Are you legit enough to have a good process and a modern website filled with knowledgeable content? What is your system? How does it work? How can I get started? What about my dog’s behavior problem - can you address that?
These are great ways to connect and answer questions via your blog (not to mention the time you would save here). Think of how much time you spend on the phone with clients addressing concerns. Imagine if they were all answered via blog posts before even hopping on the phone.
OR, again, back to Millennials. If those questions weren’t answered online, they probably wouldn’t go through the hassle of calling. They’d be on to the next business who has that information on their website!
Want some content ideas for your blog?? I've got some for you below!
6. It’s a way to connect
Studies show that millennials appreciate authenticity and informational content. They appreciate brands that are useful. You can be useful by proving valuable content to your audience! If you prove yourself to be a trustworthy and educated industry expert through your blogs, you’ll be seeing more bookings in no time!
Also, realize that when you publish your own content, it establishes you as an expert. Your clients will have questions, and plenty of them. Imagine how easy it would be for you to send them a blog post that you wrote that can answer their question in depth. Or, when a customer searches for something more general in regards to hiring a dog trainer and you have a blog post that answers their question, they’ll be more likely to check out the rest of your website, realize you’re a trainer near them, and want to book your services! It’s like its own sales funnel!
7. It saves you so much time & reduces your stress.
As I mentioned earlier, blog posts can be a great way to answer common questions potential clients may have before booking with you. You can have blog posts that go over your process, what it’s like to work with you, how to get started and book a Meet & Greet. The best marketing, in my opinion, is the marketing that works FOR you while you’re sleeping or away from the office. Blogging is one of them.
If clients are struggling with the same thing or ask the SAME questions that waste your time, answer it via a blog post. Your blog content doesn’t have to be all fun and abstractly educational. It can directly help YOU. Be selfish - it’s likely it’s not selfish after all!
8. It boosts your SEO!
This is a no-brainer. When web design clients come to me and ask me about what I do for their SEO, I, of course, tell them what we do during the website SEO set up, but I also let them know that the VERY BEST THING you can do for SEO is to consistently update and change your website.
The worst thing for a website is stagnancy. So, by uploading content and blog posts, you’ll do wonders for your search engine optimization (SEO) and increase that web traffic over time.
9. It’s a large supply of repurposed content just for you
A 600-800 word blog post can be the foundation for MANY content pieces on other platforms, whether it’s sharing the post on your Facebook page, taking a quote out of the blog post for Instagram, or creating graphics on the post that you can share to Pinterest, etc. Summarize your blog post into an email. It can be repurposed, shared, promoted, and re-shared all over again. That’s the beauty of creating blog posts.
Not only that, but by analyzing which blog posts are most popular can give you great insight into what other blog posts to create, what topics your audience likes to learn about, etc.
P.S. If you want some tips on how to get set up with Google Analytics to see which pages are performing best on your website (and so much more), check out my blog post on how to connect your website to Google Analytics & key metrics to evaluate!
10. Because everyone else is, which immediately puts you behind the curve
If someone can learn about your competitor’s business but has no information about yours, you can bet they aren’t going to take the time out of their day to try to set up a call or email you to learn about the things they already know and like about your competitor. It’s a client lost. Simple as that.
A lot of clients that I’ve worked with want to focus primarily on sales content. They want to push sales and ask clients to buy or book or use a coupon. But, as a smart and successful business owner, you actually have to give, give, give! A great way to do that is through blogging.
Your customers will have constant and easy access to it, and when you have great content, they will be more likely to come back to read more posts and eventually make a purchase decision.
For those looking to get started with a blogging strategy or those looking to create a process behind regularly blogging that DOESN'T add more stress to your plate, check out my Blogging For Your Pet Biz course!
