Web-SEO Content & Consulting For Pet Industry Marketers
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Wildly Profitable Marketing for the Pet Industry
Finally — a how-to Marketing Success Guide for all pet and veterinary businesses. Co-written by PetCopywriter.com's Pam Foster.
PetCopywriter.com owner
Pam Foster is a SuccessWorks
Certified SEO Copywriter
3 Blog Topic Ideas for Marketing Your Pet Business
March 5, 2012
By now you may know that a pet business blog can be a very powerful way to add fresh content to your website and bring more customers to you via the search engines.
But “Blogger’s Block” (What do I write about this week?) is very common. Therefore I’m happy to provide you with some blog topic ideas to use for marketing your pet business or veterinary practice.
As you consider using these topics, have fun working them into a relevant angle for the pet services or products you provide. I have a few suggestions to help you tie these ideas to your unique offering. (more…)
Must Love Blogs for marketing your pet business
February 4, 2012
If you’re frustrated with your pet business website and you’re thinking, “What can I do to bring in more traffic and sales?” — consider the blog.
In spite of the explosive social networking platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and others, blogs are still extremely helpful for attracting customers via the search engines.
Here’s proof. A client I now work with was unhappy with his search engine rankings for certain important phrases related to his services for pet professionals. Simply put, he was upset that, “My ideal prospects aren’t finding my website.”
So we started blogging tips about his pet-business services, and just after 6 blog posts — voila! The blog appeared on page one, second spot in Google results. Not bad for just 6 posts.
Is this a fluke? No way! I’m getting the same results for THIS blog, and many of the blog experts I follow are enjoying similar results or better.
Consider these 3 reasons why blogging is a fantastic strategy, whether you’re marketing to pet owners or other pet businesses: (more…)
Pet Video of the Year and What It Means to Your Pet Business
December 12, 2011
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: (more…)
Original content ideas for marketing to pet owners
October 20, 2011
Today I was on a conference call with Heather Lloyd Martin, SEO Copywriting pioneer, mentor and friend of mine. She was talking about some of the things that are critical to web success today and I immediately thought of how these tips can be applied to your pet marketing strategies or pet SEO success (of course!). So I’ll address each one in my upcoming blog posts, starting with this one:
First of all, original web content is an absolute MUST these days for marketing to pet owners –whether you’re marketing pet products, pet services or both.
Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.
1. If you manage a pet ecommerce website and you’re using the manufacturer’s content for each product you carry… I’m afraid your online store’s content might be invisible to search engines. You’re missing out on oodles of traffic from potential customers.
That’s because Google’s Panda update has clamped down on “copycat” websites that have the same content as others. Their latest search algorithms are focused on finding original, fresh content for people searching online for answers… and Google rewards websites that offer something unique and highly relevant.
What you can do right now.
Find ways to offer original content on your website so you can attract more pet-friendly customers via SEO. This means revising each of the manufacturers’ product descriptions with your own spin.
For example, if your online store includes a particular line of pet products because they’re eco-friendly and they reflect your commitment to green products – say so! Tell your visitors why the products are favored by you and treasured by your customers. Make a point to add your own brand voice to the copy. No-one has the same brand voice as you, so this will help make your content unique. Customer reviews can also help, but if you’re just starting to offer those, start revising the product descriptions ASAP.
2. You need to find a way to add fresh, original and highly relevant content to your site each week.
You’ll be delighted and amazed at the search-engine traffic power of writing helpful blog posts, for example. I just started helping a client add blog posts each week, and suddenly after 6 posts or so, the client’s site is turning up on top of Google’s page one for the keywords we targeted. These blog posts are getting attention and driving site visits — all with just a few posts for starters. Great stuff, right?
What you can do right now.
Map out an Editorial Calendar for blog posts or new articles that you commit to adding at least once a week. You could start with a “how-to,” “best-of” or “seasonal tips” blog series that drives people to check out the products on your site.
This can work in the following way. Let’s say you write a blog post about Daylight Savings Time and the importance of pet safety. You could mention that the arrival of shorter days/darker commutes can spell trouble for pets being walked at dinnertime. You might list the top 5 reflective dog products that can help pet owners solve this problem… and link to the reflective leashes, collars and vests you offer in your store. See how cool that could be? And then, when someone types “reflective dog collars” in Google – voila! Your blog post could be smiling right at them on page one of Google. It’s certainly worth a shot.
If you’re marketing pet services such as dog walking, you could have the same type of blog post about Daylight Savings Time except discuss the ways you pledge to keep dogs safe during their walks. Then link to your services page where you feature your dog-walking options. Be sure to include a mention of the towns you serve so your local prospects find you.
Are you stumped about adding original content to your pet website? Or do you have a tip to share? Please let us know. I promise to respond.
Until next time,
Here’s to a profitable website!
Cheers,
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com
Promote your pet business with something FUN
May 20, 2011
Pet owners are certainly an enthusiastic bunch, right? Honestly it doesn’t take much to entertain pet owners and engage with them.
Recently I posted a photo of an adorable Maltese puppy I met at the Jacksonville Airport — added it to my Facebook page, and created quite a flurry of comments.
So why not promote your pet business by offering something fun, entertaining, or out of the ordinary? Here are some pet promotion ideas whether you’re marketing to pet owners, pet businesses or veterinary practices: (more…)
How to know exactly what your pet business customers want
April 5, 2011
Ah, the web. It’s a fantastic tool for market research. Through social media, online news sources, blogs and more, you can find a ton of useful information about your customers and their biggest desires or problems you can solve through your business. Then you can turn that insight into powerful web content that lets visitors know, “Wow, you really get me!”
Here are 3 ways to use the web for quick, free market research… whether you’re marketing to pet owners, other pet companies, or veterinary practices: (more…)
What makes the MyPetED fan page and pets apps popular
February 22, 2011
If you’re trying to determine how to tap into the hearts and minds of pet owners, pet businesses and the media, consider the successful approach that MyPetED has taken.
MyPetED is all about helping pet owners keep their pets healthy and happy at all times.
Everything MyPetED does is focused on that main goal… from their core website www.MyPetED.com to their Facebook Fan Page (4,097 fans in just 6 weeks) to last Friday’s launch of their pet apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
Their message is clear and consistent across all channels: MyPetED helps you support your pet’s well-being 24/7 with access to important pet and vet info… online and on the go.
A clear, beneficial, consistent and audience-focused message is a major key to audience engagement and lasting success, whether you’re marketing to pet owners, pet businesses, pet-product manufacturers or veterinary practices.
An important message about marketing pet products
February 21, 2011
New numbers from the February 2011 issue of DELIVER magazine, published by the U.S. Postal Service, point to a very healthy pet economy. Here are just a few indicators of a strong pet industry (printed by the USPS from various sources):
- Millions of families have pets: 62% of American households own a pet! (Wow)
- Millions of pet owners have the income to spend on pet products: 30% of pet supply-buying households have an income of $100K+, and another 20% have incomes between $50K and $74K.
- Consider the ramifications of this in pet-food purchases alone: $10,377 is spent on dog and cat food during a pet’s lifetime (U.S.). Canada is next at $8,038.
So how can you get more of that market share for your pet business? How can you stand out in the cluttered marketplace and attract more customers?
There’s no single, simple answer to these questions. But it’s clear that all pet businesses have an exciting opportunity to grow in this healthy climate.
Today I offer this suggestion to help you stand back and take a fresh look at your pet business messages: (more…)
Successful pet website content is much more than writing text.
January 14, 2011
Today I’d like to provide insight into exactly what goes into optimizing a single web page for search engines and sales these days.
Why? Because a couple of people asked me recently, “What goes into writing optimized content anyway?” In other words, why should I pay you the big bucks to do this? 
It has become so much more than you’d ever expect… and every tiny detail matters.
Believe it or not, it can take up to 4 hours to craft and optimize each page. The reason is, the content writer must consider the following factors to make a web page great:
- Page strategy: What do we want people to DO on this page… and what’s the business mission?
- Context: Which other pages on the site are affected by this particular page?
- Keyword research: What words are people using in search engines to find the solutions you offer?
- Competitive review: What web pages show up in search engine results for those keywords already; either above your site or near it? And, what do those websites look like?
- Skilled copywriting for sales conversions: What’s the best way to approach clear, persuasive and customer-focused copy that drives action?
- Weaving the SEO (search engine optimization) keywords into the content: How important is it to take an ethical, smooth and balanced approach that avoids keyword-overload… but places keywords in what expert Heather Lloyd-Martin calls the “SEO Power Positions?” (Very important.)
- Copywriting for SEO tags: What’s the best way to craft inviting, strategic sentences (with keywords) in the page’s code (so critical these days to attract visitors via search engine results!)?
- Revisions and tweaks: Does the content flow; is it “on brand?”
- Reviewing and testing: Once it’s placed in the web pages, does the content work exactly as intended?
This isn’t even the complete list!
For web pages to work their magic in marketing to pet owners, veterinarians or pet businesses, the content writer must consider at least 2 dozen different elements (maybe even 3 dozen) in a strategic and thorough manner.
Here’s a pet website I recently optimized by following all the considerations listed above: MyPetED.com.
Now, the value of all this work is RESULTS. More traffic, more sales, more responses = more money for your business. When I explain that investing in web content optimization can bring in extra sales now and for months or even years to come… suddenly all this effort looks very attractive.
Until next time,
Here’s to a clear and prosperous site!
Pam
PetCopywriter. com
The best pet marketing strategies start with the fundamentals
December 9, 2010
Last week, I was going through my pile of marketing books and deciding which ones are keepers… and which can go to charity. Suddenly I came across one of my all-time favorites, Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins.
Have you read this classic gem first published in 1923? I have, and I was motivated to read through it again to see what relevance it has to today’s web content world, and specifically for the pet industry.
Believe it or not, the tested marketing principles presented by Claude 87 years ago are SPOT ON when it comes to writing pet web content that connects with an audience and generates sales orders. I can only assume that it’s because we’re still marketing to people after all. Our basic desires, wishes, needs and wants haven’t changed all that much. It’s very likely that your customers want to help their pets or customers stay well or feel better, solve problems and enjoy life, etc. — just as people did 87 years ago.
Therefore, I’m devoting the next few tips to specific and powerful ideas mentioned in Scientific Advertising; and applying them to web content best practices, whether you’re marketing to pet owners, retailers or veterinary practices. Here’s the first one:
Give prospects enough information to take action
Is it true that we must always be very brief online because people won’t read lots of content? Here’s what Claude has to say about this common misconception that I hear a lot in the web content world:
“Would you say that to a salesman? With a prospect standing before him, would you confine him to a certain number of words? That would be an unthinkable handicap. The only readers we get are people whom our subject interests. Consider them as prospects standing before you, seeking for information. Give them enough to get action.”
Ahhh… thank you Claude! I’m constantly torn between the pressure of being super-concise and also giving people what they need to know before making a buying decision.
Here’s how I answer the question, “How much content is too much for a pet business website?”
It depends. If your prospect is buying a dog leash, she probably doesn’t need much content.
But if you’re asking a prospect to change the way she performs a major business task, invest hundreds of dollars in a new service, switch to a new service or trust an online tool that requires the sharing of sensitive information… you may need to spend some time (and content) explaining why she should bother. You may need to explain how it works, why it’s the ideal solution, how other customers are benefiting, etc.
You need to overcome objections, offer delightful surprise bonus benefits and literally win the prospect over. This takes salesmanship in the form of web content.
Here’s a great way to do this (I use this technique all the time):
Interview your best salesperson and ask him or her to go through a pitch that works well with prospects. Capture what is said, how it’s said, what makes the prospect light up and how much it takes to complete a typical sales call. You may discover that it takes more than a catchy paragraph to sway people and move them to buy.
How much content is right for your pet website? As much as it takes to get the highest number of responses.
Until next time, here’s to a prosperous site!
Pam Foster, PetCopywriter.com
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Posted in Marketing pet products,Pet Business,pet business blog,pet marketing,Pet Website,veterinary blog by PetCopywriter