How to blog for your pet business- Why it’s so important!
Pet businesses are built on a passion for our favourite animal companions. And it’s through investing in this passion, that petreneurs can enjoy consistent growth, build a happy & engaged audience and establish true business longevity.
So what’s the easiest way to achieve this? A blog. A blog is one of the most amazing online pet business opportunities going; it’s an amazing organic marketing tool.
And while some might run for the hills at the thought of staring at a blank page, not having a blog means you are missing out on some huge (& mostly free) exposure. Specifically, the key benefits of blogging for your business are:
- Establishing your business as an expert in the pet industry field
- Providing potential customers with the answers to their pet problems
- Improving your position and standing on search engines like Google
So to help you get started, we’ve got our top blogging tips at the ready. To help you push through the writer’s block and create engaging content that your customers will love – both the furry and the human kind!
Tip #1 – Create A Roadmap
Creating a roadmap of possible blogging topics is a great way to start your writing process.
It’s going to boost your understanding of your target market, as well as give you a bank of ideas to draw on whenever it’s time to write. This way, you’ll be less likely to be stumped by a blank page!
To create a roadmap, start at the centre with your ideal customer.
You probably already have an idea of who your products or services are aimed at, but if you don’t already – then now is the perfect time to start.
- Think about their age, job title, social life, hobbies, and interests
- Think about where they hang out – both digitally and in person
- And crucially – think about the problems they might have
It’s these interests and possible pain points that make for engaging and highly sought after content.
In other words, what solutions and juicy reads can you offer that perfect pet parent to bring them to your site and keep them coming back (with a smile on their face?). These are the possible roads your blogging can head down.
If you need help finding these possible topics, you can use a few handy tools:
- Use Social Media – Find Facebook community groups or forums with examples of your ideal customers, or even find a real avatar to observe online. See the questions they are asking and the topics they are discussing, and the way they phrase them!
- Try Reddit – Most users on Reddit are between 25-29 years of age, so if that’s your target group then dive into the relevant pet topics there and see what comes up.
Tip # 2 – Find Your Voice
Having a consistent and appropriate tone of voice is an important part of any blog writing.
Again, circle back to your ideal reader. Would they appreciate a soothing and informative read? Or are they looking for light entertainment and some fun GIFs?
Think too about your product. If you are selling medical supplies for cats, then you would perhaps want to establish a trustworthy and authoritative tone. Whereas if it’s doggy diapers, you can probably have a bit more fun!
Feel free to look at some of your competitors here and get some hints. Are they humorous, are they educational? Oh…and do they seem to be missing a trick by not blogging? 🙂
Also – are there any unrelated brands that come to mind? Is there a company in a different sector who could be your inspiration? Is there a fashion blogger, for example, whose tone you think really suits your business? Inspiration can come from anywhere!
Top Tip – Always make sure you are backing up any claims with actual, linked research. Especially if you are looking to become a go-to place for your customers to answer queries. This builds trust, cements your authority & genuinely helps puzzled pet owners!
Tip #3 – Don’t Forget SEO
SEO is a scary looking acronym, but it simply stands for search engine optimisation. All that means, can Google (or other search engines) understand what it is you are writing about, and point customers searching for solutions in your direction?
Your goal here is to do just that – help Google point them to you. Because if your SEO is good enough, people searching for your service, product or a topic close to it, can find you “organically”. That means they are coming to you for free, without you having to spend those hard earned profits on adverts!
So how do you bump up your SEO? Simple. By using the right keywords. These are words, phrases and questions that are being asked by people on the internet, in varying frequencies.
The most straightforward way to ensure you are using relevant keywords is to type your topic into Google and scroll down to the “people also ask” section. Here, you’ll find a bunch of questions and searches around that theme, that you can include in your article.
Top Tip – Ramming your content full of nothing but keywords sadly won’t get you that far. Readability and value are just as important, so be sure to scatter them in as organically as you can. Using them as headings for the different sections of your blog is a great way to go!
Tip #4 – Read, Re-read & Read Again
Never underestimate the importance of a good proofread. Getting those words out can be tough, and sometimes it’s tempting to just throw your post online so that it’s done and dusted.
But pausing and re-reading has huge benefits. Always take a minute to think about what a reader can gain from your post. Don’t just give them the hard sell, that’s not what they are here for. Instead, think about what added value they can gain from reading.
Not to mention, it’s often only on the second (or third!) read that those pesky grammatical errors become glaringly obvious.
Tip #5 – Write From The Heart
Ok maybe this one is a bit cheesy, but it’s also really important.
Hands down all of the best blogs, that have generated amazing growth for pet businesses, are written with passion. After all, that’s why the pet care industry is so strong, because it’s built on the deep love we have for our furry companions.
So if you are staring at the blank page filled with doubt – don’t be! Write from your experience, write with feeling and share your story. Try to let go of the fear, take a deep breath and just start writing. The hardest part is often just those first few words.
Have you experienced the loss of a pet and think overcoming grief would be a relevant topic? Write it! Have you always been frustrated about the lack of accessories for small pets so started your own company? Share that message!
Doing so will connect you to like minded individuals, answer their itching questions and create evergreen, loyal customers for the future. Which is the win-win purpose of a blog for your pet business.
Still not sure?
We get it! Starting a blog can be overwhelming and for many pet businesses it’s at the bottom of the to-do list. But as you can see, there’s plenty of reasons why it needs to be front and centre.
But don’t forget that outsourcing your blog is an option!
Outsourcing to a trusted agency or freelancer can help you find that voice and excel at exciting your audience… Creating content that informs, inspires and draws in a crowd, generating higher engagement, healthy growth and (the best part of all) an empty marketing to-do list. Ahhh bliss!
The Growth Genies are a collective of pet lovers with marketing wizardry. As an Australian creative growth agency, they specialise in supporting pet businesses worldwide, helping them to connect with owners looking for great products and services. Using first hand knowledge of the industry, technical know-how and creative flair, they love to help pet businesses provide real value to their community.
The Growth Genies are a collective of pet lovers with marketing wizardry. As an Australian creative growth agency, they specialise in supporting pet businesses worldwide, helping them to connect with owners looking for great products and services. Using first hand knowledge of the industry, technical know-how and creative flair, they love to help pet businesses provide real value to their community.