Pawsible Marketing Blog

Free tools to help you monitor your pet business website uptime and downtime.

2012-04-18T09:35:00.008-04:00

When your website goes down, it can really affect your business. That's why I have monitoring services on all of my websites.

There are free services you can use to notify you when your website goes down and when it goes back up. I highly recommend them so that you don't have to worry, monitor yourself, and know the instant your site is down, so that you can investigate.

Here are three free services you can use to monitor your pet business website:

SiteUptime.com - this is the one I use on my main site. One monitored site is free and you can pay a few dollars a month for multiple sites.

Ding It's Up - another free site that monitors sites. I haven't tried this one, but will be I will try out with one of my sites in the near future. With this service you can get alerts via email, text and Twitter.

Monitor.us - another free service for website monitoring, not only uptime/downtime, but application monitoring as well.

We highly recommend you use one of these, and save you time and worry.

The power of Pinterest for pet businesses.

2012-04-12T08:59:00.004-04:00

You may have heard about Pinterest, and you may have signed up and are actively participating. If so, that's great!

If not, you will want to look into Pinterest as a way to boost your brand and traffic to your site, as well as attract attention for your pet business products and services.

At first I wasn't sold on Pinterest because of their early terms of service that stated anything that you pinned, they now owned and could sell. The terms also stated that all the liability of pinning content was on the user.

In the beginning their 'pin etiquette' actually encouraged users to 'avoid self promotion' because they state, "Pinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you're proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion." That statement has also been removed from their 'pin etiquette.'

The old terms, along with Pinterest encouraging users to pin others content rather than their own created a major conflict. These issues have now been revised in their new terms of services released on March 23, 2012.

These early terms statements discouraged me from experimenting fully with Pinterest in it's early days. However since the change in these terms, I've reignited my test Pinterest account that I originally created for one of my other businesses, JohannTheDog.

So what is Pinterest?

Pinterest defines their mission as, "to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests."

Pinterest has been rapidly gaining users over the past year actually surpassing Google+ and Linkedin. Here are the current number of users utilizing the most popular social media tools (at publication date):

1. Facebook: 7 billion
2. Twitter: 182 million
3. Pinterest: 104 million
4. LinkedIn: 86 million
5. Tagged: 72 million
6. Google+: 61 million

Since the change in terms of service, my experiment has been with pinning my own content and sharing a wide variety of blog posts for Johann The Dog and Raise A Green Dog, as well as my Squidoo lenses.

What I've seen has been pretty amazing. Here is an example of one experiment:

While I was not actively participating on Pinterest someone pinned my blog post on Raise A Green Dog that outlines a recipe for Homemade Frosty Paws. The pinning and repinning of that blog post drove a good amount of traffic to the Raise A Green Dog blog; increasing my visits by about 100%. So when I actively engaged with Pinterest after their terms of service update, I decided to create a 'Dog Yums' board and pin that same blog post along with some other recipes. Within just a few days it went semi viral, increasing traffic to my blog by well over 4000%.

So what's key in getting attention from folks on Pinterest and getting your pins, repinned (or reposted)? First, I think you need to understand the audience on Pinterest, so let's explore that.

An infographic from Mashable, outlines the current demographic audience on Pinterest, stating:

87% of Pinterest users are female, 23% male
Primary ages range from 25-54 with approximately 23-25% for each of the three segment breakdowns of those three age ranges.
Two primary income levels utilize Pinterest - $25-49,000 and $50-74,000

See any similarities? Yep, it's primarily the same demographic for pet product and service purchasers, which makes it a super audience for pet business marketing.

With that in mind, here are my top thoughts on what pins are most likely to attract attention for your pet business:

Extremely well written and thoroughly researched original content, whether written on your blog, or your website.
An article, blog post or similar that's unexpected, unique and not a copy of the same old, same old information out there on the web currently.

These items mean more work, but also can reap more rewards. More advice is to stick within the realms of your brand, staying true to your brand; and write about what you know.

Here are a few additional articles that may be of interest:

Seven useful tools that help you manage, view participation and more with Pinterest
How larger corporations have initiated marketing campaigns on Pinterest.
Source for Pinterest tools, including a pin button for your website, blog post and a pin button for your browser tool bar to make pinning easy.

Our new favorite blog traffic builder!

2012-03-12T18:20:00.002-04:00

We've been testing out a few traffic building scenarios for a few of the blogs we manage recently and found a couple of amazing tricks we wanted to pass on to you.

First we signed up for Pinterest, pinning a few of our favorite and most popular blog posts.

Then we added a widget (utilizing LinkWithin) to our blog that showcases related posts just underneath all blog posts on our blog.

The result?

An amazing increase in traffic to our site. And to top that off, they are not only visiting the blog posts through Pinterest, once they read the blog post we are seeing amazing click out traffic on the related posts through the widget, increasing clicks to additional blog posts on our blog.

Give it a try.

How to set up your new pet business Facebook Timeline in five easy steps

2012-03-02T10:36:00.001-05:00

If you have a Facebook business page, you may be aware that Facebook is migrating those business pages to the new Timeline.

Currently, you have the option of migrating to the new Timeline, however on March 30th, Facebook indicates that all fan or business pages will automatically receive the new design.

Here we've put together the five easy steps to migrate your page to the new Timeline, simply and easily:

Here is an example of the new Timeline on Pawsible Marketing's Facebook Business Page. Click to enlarge.

1. Login and navigate to your Facebook page. At the top you will see the message about the new Timeline. Click preview to set up your new look. You can set up your new look without anyone noticing until you click 'publish now'.

While in preview, click 'add a cover' to upload an image for the top of your Timeline. This is a great opportunity to promote your product and/or the branding message of your pet business, but not the place for specials, advertisements. Recommended size of this image is 851 x 315px.

2. Check your profile photo and upload a new image if the sizing is off. This is a where we recommend you place your pet business company logo. Sizing should be 180x180px.

3. A nice change in the new Timeline is the ability to create a custom tab image for apps. These app images are just under the cover photo shown with photos and likes. First, create a custom image for your app (size is 111 x 74px). To upload the new image to represent that app on your Timeline, click on 'admin panel' then 'manage' and select 'edit page.' Select 'apps' on the left, and then select 'edit settings' for the app. Next to 'custom tab image' select change and upload your new image.

On your Timeline page you can also rearrange the apps to the order you would like. Photos and Likes will stay in the same place. To rearrange the apps, simply click the arrow to the right of all the apps and it will populate all your apps in a box. Click the 'pencil' in the upper right corner of each app to move or 'swap' position.

4. You can “pin” status updates to keep them at the top of your updates for up to 7 days. To do this, hover to the right of the top of your status, and click the 'little pencil' to pin a post at the top. You can also 'highlight' a post and make it two columns at the top. Click the * at the top of the post to highlight. This is a great way to highlight a giveaway, fan of the week, contest and more special promotions.

5. This has come and gone over the years, but we are seeing this morning the 'share' button. This will provide you the ability to share your Facebook Page with your personal Facebook friends and family. To share, click the arrow next to the 'Message' to the right of your profile photo. There is a drop down option to share your page.

Other changes and what's gone:

As of this date, you are not allowed to select a default tab as a landing page.
Custom tabs are now 780px wide inside Facebook’s container which is 850px wide, with a 35px left margin, larger than before.
Left navigation for apps and tabs is gone, replaced with the apps listed after the photos and likes images under the cover photo.
Reduced size of the profile photo.
Thumbnails at the top of the previous page are gone.

Once you have completed customizing your new Timeline, just press publish for it to go live.

Have fun!

Why updating your pet business website is now key for Google searches.

2012-02-22T09:19:00.001-05:00

Your pet business website is going to need frequent updates to keep its position with Google, according to the company.

After Google's announcement of "Panda," Google's new search algorithm that puts a higher priority on high-quality content last year, they announced a new update in November that aims to provide users with "the most up-to-date results," according to the company.

"Given the incredibly fast pace at which information moves in today's world, the most recent information can be from the last week, day or even minute, and depending on the search terms, the algorithm needs to be able to figure out if a result from a week ago about a TV show is recent, or if a result from a week ago about breaking news is too old," Google indicates in a blog post last November announcing the big change.

So what can you do? Keep your website fresh with current content by:

If you have a blog, post at least once a week, preferably 2-3 times per week.
Update your front page with news related to your pet business.
Refresh content within your website that lists recent featured products/services, news, new stores/service providers and more.

The fresher your pet business content, the more likely Google will be more search friendly with your site.

2012 Pet Industry Trade Shows and Events

2012-01-18T08:05:00.011-05:00

Pet Industry Trade Shows
2012 Events
Trade/Industry Events

Industry Trade Shows

Feb.29-March 2
Orlando, Fla.
Global Pet Expo
Orange County Convention Center

April 18-20
Atlantic City, N.J.
H.H. Backer Spring Trade Show
Atlantic City Convention Center
Contact: 312-578-1818

May 3-4
La Jolla, Calif.
Pet Industry's Top to Top Conference
Hilton at Torrey Pines
Contact: 202-452-1525, x107

Sept. 11-13
Las Vegas, Nev.
SuperZoo
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Contact: 626-447-2222, x317

Oct. 12-14
Rosemont, Ill.
H.H. Backer Christmas Trade Show
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Contact: 312-578-1818

Distributor Events

Jan. 23-26
Bonita Springs, Fla.
Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) 2012 Management Conference
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point

Feb. 10-11
Atlanta, Ga.
Southeast Pet Open House
Cobb Galleria Centre

Groomer Events

Jan. 7-14
Miami, Fla.
Barkleigh Pet Pro Cruise
Carnival Liberty cruise ship
Contact: 717-691-3388

Jan. 27-29
Las Vegas, Nev.
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ (NAPPS) 2012 Annual Conference & Small Business Forum
Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel

Feb. 2-5
Pasadena, Calif.
Groom & Kennel Expo 2012
Pasadena Conference Center
Contact: 717-691-3388; info@barkleigh.com

March 1-4
Atlanta, Ga.
2012 Atlanta Pet Fair
Hilton Atlanta Airport
Contact: 770-908-9857

April 19-22
Orlando, Fla.
International Association of Canine Professionals Educational Conference
Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld
Contact: 877-843-4227; iacpadmin@mindspring.com

Consumer Shows

Jan. 13-15
Oaks, Pa.
Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo
Greater Philadelphia Expo Center
Contact: 800-677-4677

Jan. 27-29
Timonium, Md.
11th Annual World of Pets Expo & Educational Experience
Maryland State Fairgrounds
Contact: 800-882-9894

Feb. 4
San Jose, Calif.
2012 Bay Area Pet Expo
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Expo Hall
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

Feb. 10-12
Edison, N.J.
2012 Super Pet Expo
New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center
Contact: 301-564-4050

March 3-4
Brentwood, N.Y.
Long Island Pet Expo
Suffolk County Community College
Expo Center, Grant Campus
Contact: 800-677-4677; petexpo@optonline.net

March 10
Tampa Bay, Fla.
2012 Tampa Bay Pet Expo
Florida State Fairgrounds
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

March 16-18
Chantilly, Va.
2012 Super Pet Expo
Dulles Expo Center
Contact: 310-564-4050

March 16-18
Reading, Pa.
Reading Pet Expo
Greater Reading Expo Center
Contact: 800-677-4677; petexpo@optonline.com

March 24
West Palm Beach, Fla.
2012 South Florida Pet Expo
South Florida Expo Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

April 14
Houston, Texas
2012 Houston Pet Expo
Reliant Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

April 21-22
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Colorado Springs Pet Expo
Colorado Springs event Center at Rustic Hills
Contact:TiphaniR@rjpromotions.com; 800-756-4788, x12

April 28
Glendale, Ariz.
2012 Phoenix Pet Expo
University of Phoenix Stadium
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

May 12
Charlotte, N.C.
2012 Charlotte Pet Expo
Park Expo and Conference Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

June 9
Anchorage, Alaska
2012 Anchorage Pet Expo
Sullivan Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

June 23
Dallas, Texas
2012 Dallas Pet Expo
Tower Building in Fair Park
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

July 21
Villa Park, Ill.
2012 Windy City Pet Expo
Odeum Expo Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

Aug. 4
San Antonio, Texas
2012 San Antonio Pet Expo
Freeman Coliseum Expo Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

Aug. 18
Denver, Colo.
2012 Denver Pet Expo
Merchandise Mart
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

Oct. 6
Portland, Ore.
2012 Portland Pet Expo
Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center
Contact: 800-977-3609, x107

International Events

Jan. 26-27
Berlin, Germany
Global Pets Forum
Hotel Concorde
Contact: 31-33-422-5833

Jan. 27-29
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
India International Pet Trade Fair (IIPTF)
Birla Institute of Scientific Research Statue Circle

Feb. 12-13
Kortrijk, Belgium
Anido 2012--Trade Fair for the Pet Care Market
Kortrijk Xpo

Feb. 17-19
Moscow, Russia
ZooRussia 2012
Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre

March 7-9
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Middle East Aquariya Expo 2012
Crown Plaza Hotel

March 20-21
Esher, Surrey, United Kingdom
PATS 2012--The Pet and Aquatics Trade Show
Sandown Park

April 20-23
Hong Kong, China
World of Pet Supplies 2012
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

April 28-May 1
Rome, Italy
PetworldExpo Rome 2012
Fiera Roma

May 17-20
Nurnberg, Germany
Interzoo
Messezentrum Nurnberg

June 24-26
Lyon, France
ExpoZoo 2012
Eurexpo, Hall 1

June 28-29
Guadalajara, Mexico
Mexico Pet Expo 2012
Expo Guadalajara, Mexico

June 30-July 1
Westpoint, Exeter, United Kingdom
2012 British Pet Expo
Westpoint Arena
Contact: 44-(007872-440131

Sept. 5-6
Dublin, Ireland
PetEx 2012
Burlington Hotel

Oct. 5-7
Athens, Greece
Pets Today 2012
EKEP Expo Centre

Other Industry Events

Jan. 14-17
Seattle, Wash.
Birdwatch America
Washington State Convention Center
Contact: 678-285-EXPO (3976)

Jan. 28-Feb. 2
New York CIty, N.Y.
New York International Gift Fair
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Piers 92 & 94
Contact: 212-204-1060

Aug. 15-17
Los Angeles, Calif.
Hispanic Retail 360 Summit
JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live
Contact: 201-855-7610

Aug. 18-23
New York City, N.Y.
New York International Gift Fair
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Piers 92 & 94
Contact: 212-204-1060
Information provided by Pet Product News International.

The Top Pet Industry Trends for 2012

2012-01-03T08:01:00.002-05:00

Throughout the year I work with many pet business owners, including pet related service providers, pet product manufacturers, online and offline retail shops, and new product and services companies entering the pet industry market. In addition, I speak with a variety of industry analysts to keep up with trends in the pet industry.

A major part of strategic planning with my clients involves discussing what current, and future, trends I see coming in the pet industry, and how they can utilize this knowledge to be more successful in their business.

Top Pet Industry Trends for 2012

The pet industry continues to rise above other industries in viability, success, health and resilience, despite the ever-present challenging economy.

The Facts/The Market

All indicators point to a continuation of this trend in the next year with the report, “U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2011-2012,” from Packaged Facts looking at the US pet market retail sales and trends overall. The report indicates that "sales of all pet products and services rose 4.3% in 2010 to US$55.07 billion; and expects the annual sales rate to recover to approximately 5% in 2011 and to nearly 6% in 2012, reaching US$61.4 billion."

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) indicates in their 2011-2012 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, "62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 millions homes. In 1988, the first year the survey was conducted, 56% of U.S. households owned a pet as compared to 62% in 2008." The APPA information indicates "total U.S. pet industry expenditures for 2009 was $45.5B, 2010 $48.35B and estimates 2011 at $50.84B."

Mintel "expects the industry to maintain a steady pace of growth, increasing by 33% over the next five years to reach $67.7 billion in 2016."

While the total numbers may vary slightly among various reporting agencies, there is no doubt that the pet industry overall is still a growing industry.

2011 is showing good signs for continued impermeableness to the slip in the economy. We expect this trend to continue as baby boomers play a role in these growth trends and look to pets to fill the void left by empty nests, as pets increasingly grow in their position as strong family members, as well as the increase in life expectancy of pets.

With pets heightened status in the family growing to more and more families comes an increased awareness and interest by more pet owners for information on how they can best care for their pets, integrate them more in their busy lives, and make their pets lives more happy, healthy, rewarding and engaging.

For the future, we do, however, see leveling off and selective purchasing of pet owners as the economy continues to takes it toll on the family budget. In addition, pet ownership growth is beginning to level somewhat because of shifts in pet ownership of early baby boomers now reaching senior age and consequently having less pets in their family, as well as a bit slower growth of pet ownership in the overall middle age market as related to several years ago.

Packaged Facts agrees as indicated in their report that states "from 2009 to 2010, the overall rate of pet ownership decreased slightly, from 54% of US households to 53%. Dogs, reptiles and fish were the only segments to increase, and the dog increase from 36.7% to 36.8% was almost negligible."

Retailing, online and offline

Although the brick and mortar segment of the pet market has been driving most purchases from pet lovers, online purchasing will continue to increase as online retailers provide increased price and shipping deals to rival the cost of a trip to the pet store. A growing number of sites are now offering free shipping options for pet food, as an example. This new 'trend' will drive pet owners to increase their price comparison shopping for pet products and look for more convenience in their lives, consequently increasing their online purchasing.

According to Packaged Facts, "nearly three-quarters (74%) of pet owners look for lower prices, special offers and sales on pet products, and about half (47%) shop for pet products at a variety of stores.

There will be more challenges ahead for the smaller, independent pet retail businesses, online and offline, as competition continues to grow from a wide variety of sources including big box, mainstream retailers and large pet retailers. Those small retailers that specialize in niches, as well as provide the ultimate in customer service and retention programs, will be the ones that continue to survive.

Larger pet retailers will need to continue to expand into licensed and private label products and diversify in other service related areas in order to keep and grow their customer base.

Quality trumps quantity

As the economy continues to be a challenge for all segments including pet lovers, shoppers will increase their price consciousness, and hold longer term value in high regard, allowing them to stretch their pet spending dollar.

Overall, indulging their pets will still be a priority, but with smaller dollar purchases like toys and treats, rather than higher dollar luxury items.

Jumping on the pet business bandwagon

Larger non-pet related companies and retailers continue to jump on the pet bandwagon, developing and offering products and services directed to the pet lover. Examples include Omaha Steaks offering pet treats, Kroger offering private label health insurance and pharmaceutical services for pets, Walmart offering grooming services, and more.

We'll see increased private labeling and co-branding of a wide variety of products and services - everything from pet food, treats, toys, services and more - as companies aim to increase their offerings targeting the pet loving market to increase their prospective customer base, and reap the benefits of being in a more sustainable market.

Gobble. Gobble.

Like many industries in this stage of development, acquisitions are increasing as larger companies gobble up smaller pet companies in an effort to gain market share; and smaller pet businesses stand to 'cash in' on their growth. We expect to see continued acquisitions throughout 2012.

Improved Health and Care

Developments in pet healthcare have grown dramatically in recent years as new innovations mirroring the human realm grow in the pet market.

Just as in human healthcare, advances create opportunity for our pets to live longer lives. We'll see more drugs, procedures and treatments developed, tested and released, as well as facilities that cater to specific issues related to our pet's care.

Consequently, we will see an ever growing market for 'senior' specific pet products and services; including supplements, toys, clothing, services, safety and mobility products and services, specific age appropriate diet and food choices, and more.

In addition, we will see more and more pet related and non-pet related companies offering services such as private label insurance, pharmacy and drug products and services, long-term care options, specific 'senior trained' service providers, flexible spending accounts, trusts and more.

Food and Goodies

With the seemingly ever present recalls from a variety of food and treat manufacturers, we see an overall small, but ever growing trend in an the number of pet lovers turning to independent and reliable sources for information about the ingredients and manufacturing processes of their pets foods and treats. This 'trend' is still in it's infancy, as the majority of pet lovers continue to believe strong marketing claims of a wide variety of pet food and treat companies.

As concerned pet owners seek out more information about the food their pets eat, they will be exposed to more variety and availability of different types of foods for their pets; everything from strict raw, prepared and cooked meals, dehydrated meals and improved super premium kibbles and feeds; driving growth in the 'healthier choice' food and treat market. We expect pet consumables companies to continue to improve the ingredients of their pet foods and treats, and concentrate their marketing efforts on these products.

Green and Healthy Continues as the New 'Black'

Green, healthier and holistic products in the pet market have been around for several years now, as pet lovers search out healthier and more environmentally friendly products and services for their pets.

Pet lovers are becoming more and more educated about the health of their pet's products as information becomes available through a wide range of sources via the Internet and therefore are demanding eco-friendly, healthier, natural and organic options. In addition, as a result of increasing questionable ingredients and materials from foreign countries comes to light in pet products, consumers will look for more 'Made in the USA' products for their pets.

We will see a continuation of greener, healthier and holistic options for pets in the market in categories such as pet food, toys, services and more.

On the Go

As the number of pet lovers increase who regard their pets as part of the family, products and services marketed toward pet related travel will continue to grow and evolve.

We will see more and more products and services come to market through transportation services, hotels, lodging, and automotive industries targeting the pet lover market; as well as products related to ease of transport and travel including carriers, bags, portable essentials and more.

Products and Services

The toy category will continue to grow. We see strong growth and focus on interactive, intelligent and treat dispensing puzzle type toys for cats, dogs, birds and other pets; as well as tougher toys for dogs and greener, eco-friendly, 'Made in the USA' and healthier toy options for pets. We also see growth in general private label, licensed, and co-branded products.

The pet services industry in general is in a growth mode, however many businesses within this segment of the pet industry have seen difficulties. Pet sitting, dog walking, doggie daycare, and and other similar pet services are challenged because of the down economic turn. Pet services who are expanding and broadening their offerings and marketing strategies are seeing more success.

A growing segment of the pet owning population will seek out human type of services for their pets including massage, body work, swimming, and other spa-related services for several reasons including pampering and athletic aspects.

In addition, pet products that have been segmented for specific pet loving audiences and their lifestyles, like dog/cat sports, will begin to be available to the mainstream pet lover through various retail and online channels in an effort to satisfy a new trend from pet lovers seeking new and fun activities they can enjoy with their four-legged family member.

New and innovative pet product launches are on the decline as the market has been flooded over the past years. Larger, well-funded companies lack the initiative, talent and means needed to bring extremely, new and innovative pet products to market; and smaller independent individuals lack the funds and margins needed to bring these types of pet products to wide launch.

We will see, however, very determined smaller companies and individuals that will have the talent and means to bring highly unusual, innovative, and what we call 'why didn't I think of that' products and services to market. We will also see many of these smaller companies and individuals, without the means, licensing products to larger pet companies, as larger pet companies look for innovation.

In conclusion...

These are just a few of the trends we see affecting and directing the pet industry in 2012. As an aspiring pet business owner, or current owner, we hope that these trends will help you increase your business and your sales in the coming year, and provide pet owners with the products and services they want and need.

Sources:
Market Report: Pet owners seek new information sources
Market Report: Growth in US pet ownership slows with economy
US pet owner buying trends
Pet Market Outlook 2011-2012

Help planning your pet business retail and consumer promotions for 2012.

2011-12-29T07:13:00.004-05:00

Here's a great tool that will be very helpful to every pet business in planning their retail and consumer promotions for 2012.

It's a Squidoo Lens and Google Calendar that outlines all the days of the year honoring dogs. You can follow the instructions on the Dog Days Squidoo Lens to add these days to your Google Calendar to help in your promotion planning for the coming year..

Check it out, it will save you hours of time.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T12:04:00.001-05:00

Your 'Call to Action' can make or break your marketing communications.

2011-12-21T09:31:00.001-05:00

However you communicate with your audience - customers, prospects, potential partners and more - a good, solid 'Call to Action' is key to the effectiveness of your marketing communications.

A 'Call to Action' is the part of your message that encourages your reader to do something specific.

Without a powerful and direct 'Call to Action' the reader may not know what you want from them quickly and easily, and may leave, click out, or ignore your message.

What makes a more powerful 'Call to Action' than another? Urgency and visibility.

Here are some of my top action words to gain the most traction from your 'Call to Action':

Read
Subscribe
Visit
Buy
Donate
Register
Click
Share
Call
Order

And to create more urgency, you can add a:

Deadline
Expiration date
Offer for a limited time
Get it now

Make sure that your 'Call to Action' is very visible in your message, as well as available everywhere your visitor may land. Make it stand out, create it in another color, and/or add an image for more visibility. Place it in a prominent spot on the page, within the message, and on every page or document your visitor may see.

Firefox has a perfect example of a great 'Call to Action':

Having worked in the B2B tech sector for years, I've learned these types of technology companies are notorious for little or no 'Call to Action' (they could take a tip from the B2C tech companies):

Who are you encouraged to buy from?

Having an effective, powerful and urgent 'Call to Action' can and will increase the success and return on investment of your marketing program and/or promotion.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T14:19:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We are very grateful to be able to spend time with all of you and hope you have an amazing holiday with your friends and family, whether they be two or four legged!

- Gracie, Johann and Leslie

Using Google + Pages for your pet business: A get started guide

2011-11-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

It's taken a little longer than expected, but Google finally announced the availability to create Google + Pages this week allowing businesses and brands to join the Google + social network.

We've learned over the past months that Google has been very particular in allowing only 'real people/real names' to join their new social network, deleting those that created personal Google + pages previously to represent a business (or even a pet).

If you have a pet business or a pet related brand, we highly recommend that you join Google + now that the business and branded pages are available. We believe it's going to be a very good way to connect with potential and current customers in the coming years. And getting in early will provide your pet business with a certain edge.

It's actually incredibly easy to create a Google + branded business page for your pet business. Here are the necessary steps:

Login to your Google account (Note: if you plan on having multiple people administrate your Google + Business Page then we highly recommend you create a Google account for your business rather than use your personal Google account.).
Create a page by starting at this link for Google + Pages.
You then select your category, choosing from:

Local Business or Place - for businesses that are local in orientation

Product or Brand - preferably the most utilized category for national/international pet businesses

Company, Institution or Organization - great for non-profits

Arts, Entertainment or Sports - would work well for blogs, pets, informational websites and the like.

Other

After selecting your category complete the basic information, including your business name, website url, category (there is one for pet supplies and services under the Product or Brand classification,) etc.
The next step is to customize your public profile. Add your pet business brand tagline and your logo or brand image.
We recommend skipping the next step of 'promoting your page' until you fully customize and have begun sharing some information so that visitors will know more about whether you are worth adding to their circles. However it would be good to save this url for directing individuals at a later date.
At this point our recommendation is to upload photos in the scrapbook photo section at the top of your profile. Remember to utilize these photos for creating a unique, informative and fun way to represent your brand. Unlike Facebook Business Page photos at the top of FB pages, these photos will stay static, so you can really have fun with them.
You can post from the Home tab and begin sharing information with potential followers.

Benefits:

Hangouts in Google + can provide you a high-quality, real-time video chat opportunity with customers, potential customers with a single click.
You can group your followers into smaller segments (prospects, customers, vendors, etc.) utilizing the Circles function allowing you to communicate when you post to only those groups or multiple groups instead of publicly - this will be a great option for providing couponing to current customers, for example.
Google + Pages will be indexed and added to search results in Google allowing for further link backs for your business. Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location which will also be indexed.
Your customers/fans can +1 your Google+ Page, recommending your brand directly to their friends.

Items of note:

Remember that all the posts on your Google + Pages will be public, it is the default setting.
At this time you won't receive notifications via email relating to those adding you to circles, or posts; so checking the notifications link will be important.
Pages can't +1 other pages.
Google provides a couple of website badge options to promote your page on your website.

Holding contests and promotions:

As with Facebook, Google does prohibit running contests and promotions directly on Google + Pages. To paraphrase from Google's Terms and Conditions:

You may not run contests, sweepstakes, offers, coupons or other such promotions (“Promotion”) directly on your Google + Page. You may display a link on your Google + Page to a separate site where your Promotion is hosted so long as you (and not Google) are solely responsible for your Promotion and for compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations in the jurisdiction(s) where your Promotion is offered or promoted.

Visit Google's Terms and Conditions for more information.

Below is a screen shot of the Pawsible Marketing Google + Page. Be sure and add us to your Circles!

News from H.H. Backer's 45th Annual Christmas Trade Show

2011-10-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

News coming out of H.H. Backer's 45th Annual Christmas Trade Show & Educational Conference in Chicago this weekend.

Invenstar LLC will debut its TouchSuite(R) Pets all-in-one pet care management system at this year's H.H. Backer
Dog Gone Smart, a Global Household Name in Nanotechnology-Based Pet Beds, Apparel, and Accessories, to Debut New Products at H.H. Backer
Beer-Bones to Exhibit at the H.H. Backer Christmas Pet Show
Wyld’s Wingdom to Exhibit at H.H. Backer’s Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show
Nordic Naturals® Brings Exclusive Omega-3 Products for Pets To H.H. Backer
Pet Greens Pet Products Cross the Border to Canada, Showcased at H.H. Backer’s Christmas Show

Follow H.H. Backer on Twitter, Facebook and H.H. Backer TV.
Other Links: Exhibtors and Floor Plan & Product Finder via PPN International

Ethics in the pet business world

2011-10-12T20:24:00.001-04:00

Ethics...It's a very difficult term to define, but yet one of the most important aspects of your pet business.

In running your pet business, whether is be an online store, developing or manufacturing a product, blogging, or providing a service to pet lovers, you make 100's of decisions throughout the day. Some of these decisions are easy and some are very difficult.

What criteria do you use to help you make the right (and ethical) decisions for you and your business?

In my early years of working in the corporate environment, I was required to attend several seminars on business ethics. While I didn't dwell much on what I learned at these seminars at the time, I have come to value the information I garnered and have utilized the advice all throughout my career.

Actions on Wall Street and by corporate big business over the years have created an environment where ethics seems to be thrown out the window in many cases. Nearly everyday I hear or see actions by others that are unethical in nature. And in my opinion, the Internet, with it's readily available amount of information, material and opinions from a very wide range of sources, has exacerbated unethical behavior.

According to Dr. Max H. Bazerman, a professor at the Harvard School of Business, "...many people aren't aware that they're doing unethical things." Source

Yes, I'm sure there are bad people in the World. But why do good people do unethical things? Dr. Bazerman goes on to say in his article that there are several reasons. One main reason is because individuals are very busy and have much pressure on them to perform and succeed in their every day demands of life and business. But, when they allow themselves time to really think about the decisions they are making, they are more likely to make more ethical ones.

What are ethical decisions and what are ethics?

Here are two great videos from the Markkula Ethics Center of Santa Clara University, California.

One of the most important points to take away from these two videos is when making a decision, keep others in mind. Look at both sides of those affected and whether your decision is fair to all. And look at whether your final decision keeps the greater good in mind, not just the good of your business, but good for those you work with, your industry, the World and it's people, in general.

How do we apply ethics to our busy, demanding lives?

One of the most important points I've garnered over the years is to take a step back when making a decision and don't succumb to pressure. Yes, we're all very busy...but the decisions we make on a daily basis are not only important to our business, but the business of others. Wait, take a deep breath, and weigh both sides fairly.

Why do we want to?

Our decisions affect others, pure and simple. When we write a blog post, tweet, present a Facebook message, compose an email or communicate in any form, we are affecting others. When we decide on the direction our business will take, we are affecting others. Most all decisions we make, day in and day out affect others. That's why making ethical decisions is important.

And, people want to do business with companies that have high ethical standards and do the right thing. And they will most definitely stay away from a company that doesn't.

So what are the lessons here for running your pet business?

When faced with a challenging decision about your pet business, working with a client, business associate, or partner, think before you proceed. Take into consideration the advice given in the video of how to make ethical decisions, think about how you want to be treated.

Within the past month I have seen several unethical decisions made by well-meaning pet business owners and pet business company employees. Some of those have affected me, some have obviously affected others and their business. But who is it really affecting? Yes, the pet business that's created unethical behavior in the first place.

We're not perfect. On the contrary, we are all human. But I do think if we all take a step back, take more time in making the decisions about our pet business and how it will affect others, I believe we can make a very worthwhile difference in our industry and in our pet business companies.

Images courtesy of Nosha and Justin Baeder on Flickr.

News from SuperZoo 2011

2011-09-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

News coming out of SuperZoo going on this week in Las Vegas.

Listing of new products via Pet Product News.

Leslie May, founder of Pawsible Marketing, featured as one of "12 Amazing Pet Lifestyle Experts" in American Dog Magazine.

2011-09-08T15:55:00.000-04:00

Leslie May, founder of Pawsible Marketing, was featured as one of "12 Amazing Pet Lifestyle Experts" in the Fall 2011 Issue of American Dog Magazine.

American Dog Magazine's mission focuses on everything the enthusiastic dog parent needs to know about taking the ultimate care of their best friend and family member for life!

View a portion of the article or see the entire Fall 2011 issue of American Dog Magazine.

Red Ocean vs Blue Ocean marketing strategies in the pet business market.

2011-09-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

The pet business market has been strong for several years now.

Fueled by the ever growing outlook of 'pets as part of the family' and 'empty nester seeks four-legged companions,' the pet industry has become a growing, innovative and highly competitive market.

Like many industries in this stage of development, a market at some point begins to get crowded, extremely competitive and takes on the copycat and 'nothing is new and innovative' hue; fueling reduced pricing, highly competitive strategies, deals and steals, and more....all marketing tactics designed to help a company stand out from the crowd and capture the current customer pool.

The pet business market has become a 'Red Ocean,' a term that's been around for years describing a market that's highly competitive and overly saturated; akin to sharks on a feeding spree in open waters.

So what's a pet business to do? Can you be different enough, less expensive enough, bring more value than others, and remain competitive for long term survival? Good question...and one I've been pondering for a couple of years now.

Are differentiation marketing tactics to your current customer pool the right and only strategy you need for your pet business? I think not.

So, what does a business do when nearly everything in the present market has been done? How do you stand out from the competition and continue to compete in a busy market?

Think about the other customers out there, those customers you are currently not targeting, the other markets within the pet business, the current non-customer, the uncontested customer. Think about how you can structure your business, products and services to reach entirely different audiences with value-added products and services.

In 2005, a new and innovative business strategy book, Blue Ocean Strategy, written by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, explored the idea of a 'Blue Ocean;' a strategy for thinking out of the box, focusing on increasing the potential size of the market, attracting people who have never purchased in that specific niche market, and creating a market that's unobstructed, free of major competition, and ripe for success; avoiding the bloody shark infested waters of Red Oceans and creating Blue Oceans. A book that I think is very relevant to the pet industry today.

Here's an overview of the differences between Red and Blue Oceans as outlined by authors Kim and Mauborgne:

RED OCEAN STRATEGY	BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY
Compete in existing market space	Create uncontested market space
Beat the competition	Make the competition irrelevant
Focus on existing customers	Focus on non-customers
Exploit existing demand	Create and capture new demand
Make the value-cost tradeoff (create greater value to customers at a higher cost or create reasonable value at a lower cost)	Break the value-cost tradeoff (Seek greater value to customers and low cost simultaneously)
Align the whole system of a firm’s activities with its strategic choice of differentiation or low cost	Align the whole system of a firm’s activities in pursuit of differentiation and low cost.

This type of thinking is what pet businesses need to do now in this crowded market. Think out of the box, think about the customers you're not reaching, think about your products and services in a different way, how you can structure your business and develop new products and services to reach Blue Oceans, while creating value for the mass market, at reduce costs to you and your business.

For more information about how Pawsible Marketing can help with your pet business and develop a winning marketing strategy, email us for a free consultation.

QR codes and how they can help your pet business.

2011-08-25T12:30:00.003-04:00

If you've seen odd looking graphic images popping up on advertisements, packaging, business cards, websites, products and other promotional materials lately, then your not alone. These images are called QR codes.

What are QR codes? QR, or Quick Response codes, are types of matrix barcodes designed to be read by smartphones through smartphone applications.

QR codes are similar, but more powerful than the bar codes scanned at checkout when you purchase an item. Standard bar codes are linear one-dimensional codes, whereas QR codes are two-dimensional and can hold much more information, making them more flexible and powerful. Once scanned they can direct you to a url, text or other data.

QR codes have actually been around since 1994 and utilized for various applications. Now they are gaining some traction with the general population of smartphone users; hence the increase in frequency of visibility of the codes.

Early pet businesses that have adopted the use of QR codes are utilizing them in a wide variety of ways such as:

ID tags for pets that can be scanned and provide information for a lost pet, medical history, special diets, emergency contact info and more.
Placement in advertisements linking to websites where you can purchase or learn more about a pet product.
Added to product packaging and POP displays linking to videos of pets playing and/or enjoying the product or also linking to product instructions, product tips and more.
Printed on pet sitter and dog walker business cards to allow users to add the business to their contact list, to provide additional information about services, or to email to inquire for more information.
At event locations to provide further details about speakers, schedules, location information and more.
Providing coupons or discounts to users for pet products and services.

Benefits of QR codes include the ability to:

Link to digital content on the web - including video, presentations, maps and more.
Activate a number of phone functions including phone calls, email and text, add to contacts, vcards, etc.
Connect the smartphone to a web browser link/url - including websites, custom website pages, pdfs, ebooks, social media and more.

The greatest benefit to utilizing QR codes is the ability to connect with your audience, prospects and customers; and share detailed and specific information about your products and services, quickly, efficiently, effectively and easily; which is all what we want to do with our marketing to increase sales.

You can generate your own QR codes for free, just like we did in this blog post. Here are several sites that provide QR code generators: (each one has it's unique features and functions)

To read the QR codes smartphone users utilize applications or QR code readers, including:

iPhone - NeoReader
Android - BarCode Scanner
Windows Mobile - NeoReader (search in Windows App Marketplace)
BlackBerry - QR Code Scanner Pro (this is the one I use)

The utilization of QR codes in your marketing efforts are only limited by your imagination.

The two most important things to remember when utilizing these codes (as with any new or added marketing tactic) is to fully and completely integrate the use of the codes with your current and planned marketing program(s). And make certain that they work with and supportall of your marketing activities, strategies and implementation. Track the results of QR usage as well; and experiment with different modes of call to action, placement, response, requests and uses, to determine the most effective use of this new and innovative marketing tactic.

In addition you can also create a Microsoft Tag, works very similarly to a QR Code.

And have fun with it!

Getting started with Google+ for pet businesses.

2011-07-13T08:19:00.000-04:00

If you watch and participate in social media with your pet business, you've undoubtedly heard about the launch of Google+.

What is Google+? It's a new social media site from Google that allows you to interact, share, and participate in conversations online with others that you follow and follow you. Sound a little like Facebook? Well, it is a lot like Facebook, but with some twists.

Google+ is currently only available to limited users, those that have been invited by others who are presently participating, or those who have received advanced invites from Google. But the site will be available publicly in the next 4-6 weeks, we understand.

So why participate in Google+ now? We believe it is going to be another great way to (eventually) connect with pet lovers online, connect with them and share information that brings value to their lives and, of course, a way to further market your pet business.

Even though Google+ is very new and in it's infant stage, it could be a good time to get involved, to learn about the system, grow with it, and be an early adopter. I learned that it can be very beneficial to be an early adopter when my dog, JohannTheDog, joined Twitter not too long after it's launch.

Twitter in it's early days, was a great place to closely connect with like minded individuals, and quickly became a great way to promote my other business, JohannTheDog.com, form some exciting business relationships that have lasted over these past few years. Twitter is still a great way to do that, it's just become larger and busier; and sometimes makes it more difficult to closely connect.

Being on Google+ now reminds me of those early days of Twitter. It's currently a very tight community of forward thinking individuals and technology enthusiasts. And yet I have also connected with some of my closest pet loving individuals and pet businesses who have also joined the social media site as an early adopter.

So how do you get involved with Google+? Right now until the sites is available publicly you will need an invitation sent from someone who is already participating on the site.

I've had a lot of questions from pet business individuals to write a post on how to utilize Google+, once you've been sent an invitation, and a little about how Google+ 'works.' So let's get started...

Signing Up

Once you have received an email invitation from a current Google+ participant, you can click on the link and sign up for the social media site.

If you already have a Google Profile, then all of the information (About, +1's, Buzz, Photos, Links and more) will populate into your Google+ profile provided you sign into Google+ with your current Google sign in. Note: Once you sign up for Google+ and it imports your information from your Google Profile, Google+ will then become your Google Profile.

Completing your Google+ Profile

Once you've signed in, Google will ask if you want to connect your Picassa albums, the Flickr version from Google. Since I have uploaded 1000's of photos to Picassa through my blogs, I elected not to connect my albums, but you may want to if you believe these photos are relevant to your Google+.

The first thing you will want to do is complete your profile and make sure you upload a photo to represent yourself on Google+. When completing your profile you can add information such as a tagline, your occupation, employment, education, location, email, gender, etc. You can also set some privacy settings here. Don't worry all the information you complete here can be altered by clicking on 'Edit Profile' from your Profile tab.

Here's a screen shot of my Google+ About Page (you can click on it to enlarge the image).

Once you have completed this information click on 'Continue to Profile' and view your profile. Here you will see your public profile and can edit the information as necessary.

Navigating Google+

Notice the red highlighted area in the image above - listing Posts, About, Photos, Videos, & +1's, we're going to go through these one by one:

Posts - This is the location where you can view all the posts that you share, whether they be links, status updates, photos and more. (More below on how to share these items). These items will be seen by those that are in your Circles (More below on Circles as well) or publicly.

About - The About tab shows your profile information and links, this is also the location where you can edit this page.

Photos - This is the location where you can view all the photos you've uploaded, albums, and also where you can add more photos.

Videos - Like the Photos tab, this is where you can view videos you have uploaded and also another location where you can upload videos.

+1's - +1's are like 'Likes' on Facebook. As you surf the web, and visit websites and blogs, you may see an opportunity to +1 the site or pages. When you +1 a site, it will show up here, as well as in your stream to share with others in your Circles.

Buzz - if you are signed up with Google Buzz, you will also see your Buzz items in this tab location.

Once you are on your profile you will see what the public will see (as long as you haven't edited your profile sections to be exclusive). Notice the marked navigation areas in the above image, we'll be going through each one.

Home - (little house) this is the button that you click to see your Stream (or as they call it in Facebook, News Feed). You posts, status updates, photos, videos, etc., as well as those items from those in your Circles will appear here.

You will see navigation on the left of middle section of this page with links to Circles that you've created, where when clicked you can and see only status updates from those in particular Circles. The chat button is also located on the left.

To the right you will see suggestions of others to add to your Circles, as well as buttons for going mobile and inviting others to Google+.

Photos - Click this link and you will see photos from those in your Circles, as well as your photos. You can also upload photos from this location.

Profile - this tab shows your profile, your shared items, as well as those in your Circles. You can also edit your profile from this location.

Circles - What are Circles? These are one of the best parts of Google+ in my opinion. You can segment all of your 'followers' and those you follow into Circles. I've categorized mine into Pet Business, Clients, Media, Marketing Experts, Personal Friends and more. The best part about Circles is that when you share information through the Home tab, you can select who specifically you want to share your information with, whether it be an individual, or a Circle. Then that shared information is only available to them. Others can't see your Circles, your Circle names or who you have added to your Circles (so don't worry about offending anyone).

One last navigation section is at the very top in the black bar area, you can see the highlighted areas on the above image.

Clicking your name brings down a drop down menu that includes Profile, Circles, Account settings and Privacy.

In this area you can change your password, edit your email, select your privacy and visibility settings, manage your Circles, set notification preferences, back up your content, and select which accounts you would like to connect (Linked In, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, etc.).

There is also a little box right next to your name which will alert you to notifications such as; new comments, individuals that have add you to their Circles, etc.

Tips and Tricks

Now that you have a quick tour of the site, here are some tips and tricks that I've learned so far. I'm not only sure I will discover more, but am also sure that Google has a lot of development in store for the site. So stay tuned...

Tagging - you can tag specific individuals just like you can in Facebook by adding a + or @ in front of their name when sharing in the status box (from the Home tab). When you tag an individual they will see that post or message.

Hangouts -You can connect with people via video by clicking on the Start A Hangout button on the right navigation of your Home tab. Here is a quick video of the Hangouts feature on Google+ for more information. To utilize this feature you will need a webcam and also sign up for Google Voice and Google Video Plugins.

Sparks - A feature of Google+ that allows you to access a feed from a variety of websites on any topics you choose. Just click Sparks and search for a term of your interest. Sparks are accessed from the Home page on the left navigation.

Extensions - If you use Google Chrome as a browser, individuals have already begun to build Google+ extensions that are helpful, including ones that allow you to share your Google+ posts on Facebook and Twitter. I am sure there will be many more coming along to help make it easier to manage multiple social media networks.

Sharing - When a post is marked Public (green) that means it will be shared with the entire World. So choose and select who you want to share information with carefully. If you want to share with specific people or circles, just click on the x on the Public button (it will disappear), then you can select a Circle or Circles, or you can type + or @(individuals name) to share with just one (or several) individuals through 'tagging.'

Shortcuts - here are a few keyboard shortcuts courtesy of Ranker.com.

Space = Scroll down
Shift and Space = Scroll up
J = scroll down one post
K = scroll up one post
Q = jump directly to chat
Return = Start Comment
Tab and Return = End Comment

Keep private, private and editing - If you want a message to be private, here is a tip. Type the message as usual in your status box, tag them by adding a @ or + in front of their name. Then send the message. To be certain your message stays private you can then click on the little down arrow to the right side of that message and select 'disable reshare.' In addition you can select this arrow and edit your post or message (thank you Google!).

PermaLink - To find a permanent link to individual posts, just click on the time of that post and it will pull up just that post, for sharing, or bookmarking.

Finding Friends - There are several ways to find friends...you can do a name search in the search box, or you can click on those in your Circles and find like minded individuals in their Circles to add to yours. You can also Click on the Circles tab and do a search through your Yahoo and Hotmail contacts.

Facebook Migration - If you've invested a lot of time in Facebook and are interested in learning some tips to help you migrate photos, videos and even exporting your contacts and loading them into Google+, check out this post.

Business Profiles - We understand that Google has asked business to refrain from creating profiles at this time, as they are planning profiles specific for businesses. We'll keep you posted.

That's it for now...stay tuned for updates.

The three key elements needed to run a successful pet business.

2011-07-12T08:05:00.000-04:00

Running a business isn't easy. There is always a lot to do...emails to be read and sent, phone calls to make, accounting to take care of, taxes, inventory, sales, marketing, shipping, servicing...it's all never ending.

Why do we do it? Because it's rewarding, pure and simple!

We get a lot of joy and pleasure in helping people enjoy their pets, don't we?

With all we have to do day in and day out, I like to look at my tasks in three categories - Finding, Minding and Grinding (and sometimes Binding :). Yes, I know these terms have been around awhile, but I like to keep them top of mind at all times, so that I don't let any part of my business slide.

Let's look at them one by one and why they are important parts of running your pet business:

Grinding - yes, these are the grinding, grunt work tasks, but they are just as important as the other categories of tasks. If it weren't for grinding away at the everyday tasks, your business wouldn't run efficiently and effectively. These tasks can be keeping your accounting in order, answering emails, stocking inventory, shipping, even keeping your computers running well, backed up, and virus free.

Minding - these jobs are the jobs that keep the customers happy. It can be the job of pet sitting, talking with those that purchase your products including direct customers and distributors. These can sometimes be the most rewarding part of our jobs, it's when we get to talk with those we serve, connect with them, and help their pets.

Finding - this job seems to be one of the most difficult for many of my clients. It's the job that's charged with finding new customers and clients. It takes a certain personality to convince and win over an individual to create a long term client relationship. This is the category that marketing and marketing strategy comes into play.

Binding - in all companies small or large making sure that all the 'pieces' fit together; whether those pieces are Grinding, Minding or Finding related. It's also what creates the glue that holds the big picture together.

All of these jobs are very important to running a successful pet business or any business, whether it be large or small. All the work that each of these people contribute is key to a well oiled machine; and if you have a one person operation each of these jobs is just as important as the other and all need to work together for the success of your pet business.

How to back up your pet business blog.

2011-07-11T08:02:00.001-04:00

Whether you have a Google Blogger blog, or a Wordpress blog, backing up is a very important part of blog maintenance.

Just as you would backup your computer files on a regular basis, you need to also schedule regular backups for your blog (and it's also a good idea to back up your entire website regularly, as well).

Here is how to back up a Blogger blog in three easy steps.

Login and click on the 'Settings' tab. Under the 'Basics' tab, click on 'Export Blog.' (this will automatically download your blog back up (posts, comments, etc.) .xml file into your download folder.
Once that file is downloaded, go to your 'Design' tab and click on the 'Edit HTML' tab, then click on 'Download Full Template' which will back up the template part of your blog, also an .xml file.
Save those files (and back them up) in a safe folder on your computer.

Problogger gives some excellent instructions to back up your Wordpress blog. Here are their instructions through a guest post on backing up your wordpress blog by Jason Tarasi.

Step One:
Go and download the “Word Press Database Backup” plugin here.
Step Two:
Install the plugin on your blog.
Step Three:
Set the plugin to your desired specifications. It really is quite straightforward to setup, but you can always refer to the plugin documentation for help.

There is one other way that I back up my Blogger blogs, since I completely believe in redundancy. I use Backupify.com, it's free, easy to use and allows not only backup to blogs, but Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and more.

Pawsible Marketing can help you plan, strategize and implement your market programs, and we also share a lot of tips, tricks and info to help you run your pet business more efficiently and effectively. Email us today for a free consultation to see if we can help your pet business.

Timing is everything!

2011-07-07T08:12:00.000-04:00

A couple of days after the 4th of July weekend I saw a post on Facebook promoting an anxiety wrap and how great they are for dogs during fireworks...my first thought?

Timing is everything!

When should a store, manufacturer or service provider promote items or services related to the 4th of July? Starting a minimum of two weeks before the holiday (to provide enough time that potential customers can purchase, receive and/or reserve their item or service).

But ideally, it would be much more effective to begin a larger promotion with a giveaway, or contest three to four weeks before the holiday to take full advantage and take great lengths to connect and engage with potential and current customers, and really promote the product or service for increased sales.

Timing is everything...from when you send out your email newsletter, to start and end your promotions, to when you send out a press release...all of these things can be so much more effective if well planned, well thought out, and executed meticulously, effectively and efficiently.

It's the difference between being successful and just plugging along.

Contact us today to help you formulate the most creative and effective promotions for your pet busienss products and services!

Critical moves in the competitive pet business world.

2011-07-06T09:25:00.008-04:00

It's been very interesting following some of the new, large online pet companies cropping up lately.

First I saw the new company PetFlow.com come onto the scene offering dog and cat food, treats and cat litter with free shipping to customers if they sign up for an auto ship program and purchase up to $69.00 worth of product (and $4.95 shipping if under $69.00). This was ground breaking and definitely a very attractive offer for some potential customers. No company that I am aware of had ever offered low cost or free shipping on high weight pet products on a regular basis.

Then came some of the larger big box stores, like Petco and Petsmart, matching PetFlow's offer of reduced cost shipping on higher weight products like dog and cat food. They, to my knowledge had never done this before, and clearly initiated these offers in response to the competitive market.

A few months ago I learned about Wag.com and it's plan to launch (which is today, by the way). Wag.com is being run by the same team behind Amazon.com, and the successful Diapers.com and Soap.com; both who have business models revolving around 1-2 day very low cost shipping and great prices. These online stores have upped the ante and base standard for online stores. Take for example Soap.com's one-up-manship of low cost 1-2 day shipping vs. Drugstore.com's low cost 10-12 day shipping cycle.

Just yesterday I received an email from PetFlow.com and their new offer for free shipping (not just for their auto ship program, but for one time orders, as well) on orders of $49.00 or more, trying to trump the new Wag.com and their launch offer today of 1-2 day shipping on orders of $49.00 or more.

Competition in the pet business world is really heating up!

What does this mean for pet businesses all over the country? You will have to be creative, be different, stand out from the pack and create a niche to remain competitive. You will need to create a good base of loyal customers that come back time and time again; and tell other potential customers just how great you are! You will have to offer promotions that are out-of-the-box of what you've been doing in the past.

It's not going to be easy...it never is, never has been and never will be. The big guys are working very hard to take away your customers by offering them something that's very intriguing...free shipping, quick delivery, and great prices.

You can be competitive...it will take ingenuity, but it can be done. Contact us today to learn how you can compete!

What the passage of the affiliate nexus tax in California means for pet businesses.

2011-07-05T18:18:00.000-04:00

Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new California budget bill which included several forms of an Internet Sales Tax, including a click-through affiliate tax.

That same day, June 29, 2011, Amazon, Overstock, Zappos and other major online retailers began sending out termination notices to some 25,000 California-based affiliates, notifying them that their relationship will terminate on the date the budget becomes law (which was effective immediately).

In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Quill Corporation v. North Dakota that states can compel tax collection from companies with a physical presence in their state. This connection is termed a nexus.

Under this bill, an Internet retailer with no physical presence in California would be considered to have established nexus if they operated an affiliate marketing program that allowed or has California residents participating.

These affiliate programs allow individuals and businesses to place links to retailer's websites. When a shopper clicks through one of these affiliate website links and purchases a product, the retailer provides a commission to the affiliate (usually a percentage of the sale).

California isn't the only state in the US to pass such an affiliate nexus law. Other states include North Carolina, New York, Illinois and more. You can find more information and updates of affiliate marketing laws in each state by visiting the Performance Marketing Association.

What does this mean for your pet business?

If you have a pet business (or any business) that provides affiliate marketing and you have affiliates in California, we highly recommend you consult a tax attorney. There are limits on the amounts of sales and other guidelines that may or may require you to comply in collecting sales tax from sales through affiliate and click-through programs advertised on sites based in California.

If you are a publisher or affiliate and live in California (or other states), please visit the Performance Marketing Association website and keep up-to-date on the status of affiliate nexus laws in your state.

Utilizing your marketing tools the most effectively to market your pet business.

2011-06-22T10:18:00.001-04:00

There are two very important ingredients to be sure that you are marketing your pet business the most effectively and efficiently.

- Utilizing all your marketing tools in your toolbox to their maximum effectiveness, and;

- Working those tools together to get the most of your marketing time and dollar, and bring your marketing and sales to a much more effective and higher level.

There really isn't one marketing tool that can do it all.

Public, press and media relations on it's own won't bring you the desired traffic and sales that you need.
Having a website with good SEO won't be effective on its own in reaching your goals.
Posting on Facebook isn't enough to network and keep in touch with potential customers and current customers.

You get the idea...

The fact is all the marketing tools in your toolbox are very important in your marketing mix, but none of them on their own will help you reach your goals.

In today's busy, crowded market, marketers and business owners need to leverage multiple best practices of the marketing mix to get the job done.

The most successful companies who are garnering the most results from their marketing are the ones who take advantage of a wide range of marketing tools to promote, reach and engage their current and prospective customers to achieve their sales goals.

But, most importantly these companies take it to the next level by utilizing these tools together and in conjunction with each other to really create a very powerful marketing program.

Contact us today to find out how you can utilize an effective and efficient integrated marketing mix to bring your pet business to the next level.