5 Strategies for Upping Your Social Media Game

Think Tank

By Fernando Camacho

o matter how you feel personally about social media, it continues to be a vital tool for pet businesses looking to engage with their audience without the added cost of paid advertising. By leveraging the power of social platforms, pet businesses can significantly enhance their visibility and connect authentically with pet owners.

Here are five strategies you can use to optimize your organic social media efforts:

1. Understand Your Audience.

The first step in any social media strategy is to thoroughly understand who your audience is. This means recognizing not just the demographics of pet owners, but also their behaviors, preferences and the types of content they engage with most. If your main clientele is in the 40-year-old and up range, then I would focus on Facebook and Instagram. If, however, you have younger customers, 25 years old or under, Tik Tok might be your main platform.

You can’t be everywhere and it’s not a good idea to post the exact same content on all platforms since each one is very different. Pick the platform (or maybe two) where most of your customer base is and don’t waste time on the others that have a smaller percentage of your audience. You only have so much time and, like most in this business, you’re probably pretty busy.

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Be creative, vary the camera angles, and write some interesting copy about the dogs and how they are enjoying your services. Videos, behind-the-scenes content and educational content on pet care can also increase engagement.

2. Create Engaging Content.

They say content is king, and nowhere is this more true than on social media. Content that showcases pets, highlights customer stories or provides valuable information tends to perform best. Don’t just dump a bunch of pictures each day and say, “Here are the big dogs for today.” Posting the exact same types of images of the exact same dogs in the exact same place gets old really fast. Be creative, vary the camera angles, and write some interesting copy about the dogs and how they are enjoying your services. Videos, behind-the-scenes content and educational content on pet care can also increase engagement.

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3. Post Consistently but Thoughtfully.

The frequency and timing of your posts can significantly impact their visibility and engagement. Try to post daily images of dogs combined with some education and fun content. Mix it up and experiment with different times of the day—don’t keep posting at exactly the same time every day. Develop a content calendar to maintain a consistent posting schedule without overwhelming you or your audience. Consistency keeps your brand at the top of mind, but it’s important to focus on the quality of content over quantity.

4. Interact with Followers.

Social media is not just a broadcasting platform; it’s a two-way communication tool. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages and posts. Interaction not only boosts your posts in social media algorithms, but it also helps build relationships with your followers. Ask questions, invite interaction and post discussion topics to get people to engage with your content. The more people like, comment and share your posts, the more likely they are to get your page’s content served in their news feed.

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5. Monitor and Adapt.

Finally, continuously monitor the performance of your posts to understand what works and what doesn’t. Tools like Facebook Insights and Instagram Analytics can provide valuable data on engagement rates, reach and more. This will tell you what people like so you know what to do more of in the future.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your organic social media presence and build a stronger online community. Remember, the goal is to connect authentically with pet owners and provide content that is not only engaging but also enriching to their experience as pet parents.

Fern is the founder of Overdog Digital, a digital marketing & consulting agency that helps dog daycare and boarding facilities attract, convert, and keep more customers by creating winning marketing campaigns and providing the business guidance to build momentum and spark long-term growth. Fern also has programs to train daycare staff, is a dog behavior consultant, and has a dog training business in New Jersey. He is the author of eight books and a popular speaker at national conferences and private events. To join The Dog Daycare Business Think Tank or ask a question, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/dogdaycarethinktank

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