Are you stuck in the cycle of posting, engaging, and trying to keep up with social media trends, but not seeing any real results? You're not alone! Many petpreneurs feel the pressure to keep up with Instagram, only to find themselves burnt out and questioning if it's even worth the effort.
But here’s the truth: social media isn’t the end-all-be-all for growing your business. In fact, did you know that on average, less than 3% of your followers actually see your Instagram posts?
Yep, that’s right—your social media efforts may not be the game-changer you think they are.
If you're tired of trading hours for likes, it’s time to shift your focus to more effective, less overwhelming strategies. In this post (and in our podcast episode), Pet Marketing Unleashed is diving into six powerful alternatives to grow your pet business without the social media hustle. Get ready to optimize your time and efforts while still attracting your ideal clients.
Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
But first, let’s evaluate…
Is Social Media Really Working for Your Pet Business?
Before jumping into these alternative strategies, let's take a moment to evaluate if social media is actually working for you. While some businesses thrive on platforms like Instagram, others may find themselves spinning their wheels. If you’re unsure where your clients are coming from, it’s time for a check-in.
Here are three ways to evaluate whether your social media efforts are truly paying off:
Track Where Your Current Clients Are Coming From: Are you asking your clients where they found you? Adding this simple question to your contact form or during your initial consult or discovery calls can give you insights into which platforms are really driving business.
Use Analytics: Check your social media insights and Google Analytics to see if your efforts are translating into website traffic, inquiries, or bookings. If your website is getting traffic but not converting, it may be time to revisit your website’s content or user experience.
Ask Your Best Clients: Direct feedback from your most loyal clients can help you identify which marketing channels are working best. This can give you a roadmap for where to focus your energy moving forward.
If social media isn't delivering the results you're looking for, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to grow your business without relying on Instagram or Facebook. And we’ve got a great blog post on why Instagram may not be getting you more clients for your pet business that I highly recommend checking out!
Let’s get into the 6 strategies to growing your pet business without social media.
1. Build Strong Referral Networks
One of the most powerful ways to grow your pet business is through referrals. Word-of-mouth marketing works wonders—people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any social media post or ad. But, to truly harness the power of referrals, you need to be intentional about it.
Here’s how you can build a referral network that works for you:
Leverage Happy Clients: If your clients love your services, don’t hesitate to ask them to refer friends and implement a referral program. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to help, especially when you make it easy for them. Track referrals to identify your top referrers and thank them with special offers or gifts.
Partner with Local Pet Businesses: Team up with local groomers, trainers, or pet stores. These businesses serve the same audience as you, and a partnership can be mutually beneficial. If you’re not sure where to start, check out our free Partnership Email Template to get your first email drafted.
Attend Local Pet Events: Get out in the community! Whether it’s dog walks, pet expos, or charity events, face-to-face interactions build trust and create lasting relationships. These are opportunities to meet potential clients AND partners who may not have found you online.
2. Boost Your Email Marketing Game
Email marketing may feel like just another platform to manage, but it’s still one of the highest-converting strategies available today. In fact, did you know that for every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return is $35 (and some resources even tell us a higher return than that)?
Here are some email strategies to consider:
Nurture Existing Clients: Email isn’t just for building your list. It’s also a powerful tool for staying in touch with your current clients and keeping them engaged. Regular emails with helpful content, promotions, or updates can keep you top-of-mind and encourage repeat business.
Send Value-Rich Newsletters: Instead of just promoting your services, create value for your local pet community. Think about sending newsletters that offer tips, insights, or even pet care resources. These can help build trust and turn potential leads into long-term clients.
Segment Your List: Not all clients are the same, so segment your list into groups (e.g., current clients, new leads, or past clients). Tailoring your emails to specific segments ensures your messages resonate more and drive better results.
3. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO
Social media might grab all the attention, but your website can do a lot of heavy lifting for you. One of the biggest advantages of focusing on your website is that it’s a constant, organic driver of traffic. By optimizing your site for local SEO, you can attract clients who are actively searching for your services in your area.
Here’s how to get started:
Optimize for Local Keywords: Use keywords that your target audience is searching for. Think about terms like “dog walker in [city name]” or “pet sitter near me.” These local-focused terms will help your site rank better in search engine results.
Create Quality Local Blog Content: Blogging is a great way to attract organic traffic to your site. General content about ‘why you should choose a professional pet sitter’ is not local content! For this, you want to focus on your community. These can be posts like pet-friendly restaurants or hikes in your area, common ailments pets experience in your community, etc. Not only does this position you as an expert in your area, but it also boosts your SEO rankings and connects you with other business owners when you feature them in your posts.
By mastering your website and squeezing ALL you can out of it, you’ll see MUCH more results than posting more frequently on social media, I am telling you!!
4. Leverage Local Listings
This is somewhat related to our previous point in that we want to target your SEO strategies to the fact that you’re a local business. People call this ‘local SEO.’
These are the things you can do to specifically target the fact that you’re a local business and you’re refining things down to your local area. You can do this in the form of local-specific blog posts, BUT, with this point, we’re chatting about local directories like Google Business Profile and other online directories like Yelp, Nextdoor, or Chamber of Commerce sites.
Things to do:
Claim Your Google Business Profile: A fully optimized Google Business Profile is one of the easiest ways to get noticed in local searches. Make sure to claim and update your profile with accurate information, images, and reviews.
Get reviews on Google: People trust reviews more than they trust social media posts. Ask satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, or other local platforms.
Google likes it when you post FAQs, share resources, and stay active on these platforms, and it really doesn’t take much time AT ALL. If you post a sale or event or blog post say even once or twice a month and go in and add in some FAQs and some pictures to make sure your listing is looking great, AND you’re getting a review or two fairly often, you’re going to see more traffic.
5. Build Relationships through Events and Networking
Connecting in person can be so much more powerful than posting a status update, and I really think things are trending back post-Covid to more in-person connections. So what can you do here:
Attend industry events. Pet expos, community events, and charity events are great places to meet potential clients or connect with other pet businesses.
Consider hosting your own events or workshops, especially for the dog trainers listening in. These are great ways to get your community involved, and build some rapport and trust. Workshops like that can position you as an expert and helps you build connections without ever posting online.
Make genuine connections. Remember, people buy from people they trust. By attending events and building relationships, you’ll naturally see referrals and repeat clients.
Beyond just referrals, consider partnerships with businesses in your area that cater to the same audience. Whether it’s cross-promotions with a local pet store or co-hosting an event with a dog trainer, these partnerships can help you tap into a new audience and grow your reach without relying on social media.
6. Focus on Client Retention (one of my faves!)
When it comes to building a sustainable, thriving pet business, the power of repeat clients cannot be overstated. But how can you ensure that your existing clients keep coming back for more? Enter the 80/20 rule.
The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your business comes from just 20% of your clients. And if that’s not accurate (or even close to accurate) in your business, you may want to consider how well you’re retaining clients.
Client retention is just as important as bringing in new clients, if not more. Keeping your existing clients happy can help you grow without needing to constantly find new ones, and there are so many ways to dip into that because you’ve already had them to commit before and you’ve already helped them. You’ve already made their lives easier, so why would they say no to even better results or care?
Here are some things you can consider to help focus some efforts back on current clients:
Loyalty programs. Loyalty programs reward your clients after a certain number of visits or referrals to help encourage repeat business and build loyalty.
Check-in with past clients regularly. Send personal messages or follow-up emails to check on your clients and their pets. Small gestures like this can go a long way. This goes back to what I wrote about earlier in talking about adding these clients to an email sequence to provide more value, stay top of mind, and make them feel really special!
Make them feel appreciated: Loyalty programs, special discounts, or personalized thank-you notes can go a long way. The key is to make your top clients feel like they are truly valued.
Ask for feedback: When clients feel heard, they’re more likely to stick around and recommend you to others.
Evaluate their next steps: As business owners, we’re the experts. That means we know what they’ll need NEXT. Just because your client excelled in puppy training and their dog is well-behaved doesn’t mean they have to stop there! What else can make their life easier? Do you offer off-leash training or perhaps a fun tricks class? Canine Good Citizen?
Celebrate milestones. If you track client anniversaries or birthdays, that’s a great way to stay top of mind and make your current or past clients feel special!
Nurturing and tapping into your past clients is one of the smartest ways to go when it comes to growing your business. These people are your warmest prospects. They were already sold, and you may be able to help them more! They are easier to convert than a cold prospect who hasn’t worked with you before, so I highly recommend paying serious attention to that.
Ready to Trade the Social Media Hustle for a More Sustainable Strategy?
Social media can be a valuable tool, but it doesn’t have to be your entire marketing strategy. By focusing on these six alternative growth strategies—like building referral networks, email marketing, optimizing your website, and more—you can take control of your time and efforts while still seeing results.
And, if you take nothing else away from this blog post, I encourage you to at least find out where you’re getting your clients. Do more of that, and try to leave the rest behind (that doesn’t mean to have to alienate it and never touch it again), but it just makes sense to focus your time, energy, and money on the things bringing you actual business. Instagram may be getting you business, and if it is, STICK with it! Otherwise, it’s time to re-evaluate and implement some more effective and time-efficient strategies as a busy pet business owner.
Want to learn more? Check out our SEO Course to get started on optimizing your website for the search rankings, or grab our free Partnership Email Template to build strategic collaborations in your community.
Remember, there’s more than one way to grow your pet business, and you don’t have to be a social media master to succeed. Take action today and start implementing these strategies that work smarter, not harder!
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