Elevate your marketing and entice your audience with the near-universal appeal of companion animals.

Traditionally, family-themed messaging has dominated many organizations’ marketing strategies. Copious social media posts feature jovial parents and children, while numerous banner ads use clickbait language that triggers parents’ nurturing instincts. (“What could be lurking in your home’s drinking water?”) But family content might not be the only method to reach your target audience, as another category of content has proven incredibly lucrative over the years: pets. Pet parents might be a greater populace than you realize—over two-thirds of American homes include at least one pet, according to the American Pet Products Association, and even those without a four-legged friend may find it difficult to resist their adorable faces. Therefore, pet owners could be an enthusiastic audience in search of content they find relevant to their lifestyles and interests. Done well, unique and endearing pet-themed marketing could stir greater consumer interest and generate more leads for your business.

Steal the screen

Attracting eyes to your social media content or targeted ads can be challenging—consider that over half of businesses spend 15 percent of their marketing budget on Facebook ads alone, according to marketing data experts at WebFX. So featuring adorable animals may be a tantalizing way to stop viewers from scrolling and increase engagement to boost your ROI.

Think of incorporating animal imagery into marketing like squeaking a toy at a frenetic pet; a tongue-wagging dog or curled-up cat is practically irresistible to the human eye. Therefore, leveraging such content could make your product or service more attractive in an overwhelming barrage of near-constant advertising. Why would your audience bother to read text-based ads when a cute animal is lingering on the other side of their feed? Lock in their focus, then hook them with appealing messaging about your organization. (Just don’t go overboard with the pet puns.)

Win more appeal

A common recommendation to transplants in new towns is to get a dog, go to a dog park, and strike up conversations with potential acquaintances (with the aid of their canine, who may likely be more eager to approach strangers). When pet owners talk about treats, behavioral quirks, and other animal-care topics, they form an instant bond with one another, even if only a mild one. Leverage this type of dog-park parlance in your own marketing, and you can bridge the difficult gap between being a stranger and being someone your audience should know, like, and trust.

In other words, pet messaging and imagery may help you kindle a connection with new leads who have never heard of your business, let alone considered purchasing your goods or services. Try sending email newsletters with pet-themed subject lines and related imagery to increase engagement. For a real-life marketing example, take your pets to events like trade shows and hand out treat bags branded with your service details and contact information. Once you resonate with your audience, you can strike up conversations, boosting opportunities to guide people down the lead funnel and to conversion.

Bolster your brand

Incorporating animal companions into your marketing also boosts your brand identity. Spotlighting employees and their pets in social media posts, for instance, could not only make your company relatable to a large swath of your audience but also enhance your team’s public image. Leads may view them more as caring, sympathetic, and authentic people, an impression that can reflect positively on your entire organization.

You can even strategically select pet-based imaging like a logo or website layout that closely aligns with your brand identity. Are you an all-American, family-oriented organization? Golden retrievers are practically synonymous with wholesome family life. To cement your business as cutting-edge and contemporary—excellent traits of a graphic design or software company—feature snakes and other unconventional “alternative” pets. This may not be a subject you have pondered in the past, but doing so can help you cultivate a unique identity and heighten your brand’s visibility.

Tap into geotargeting

Pet marketing is especially effective when reaching out to certain communities. In 2023, Forbes Advisor tallied the best cities for pet owners based on metrics like access to petfriendly spaces and affordable veterinary care, and it found an impressive distribution of pet meccas across the nation. Tucson topped its list, followed by Raleigh, Nashville, Wichita, Cincinnati, Plano, and Albuquerque. Other highly ranked cities represented a great swath of the United States. What does this mean for your marketing strategies? Clearly, businesses in Forbes Advisor’s ranked communities should understand the potential impact of pet-themed marketing. But even those with a broader or nationwide audience can geotarget communities based on their appeal to pet owners and drum up consumer excitement in these areas.

For example, an insurance agent aiming to geotarget Nashville might vary typical country musicthemed marketing with pet content in their rotation of ads, social media posts, email newsletters, and more. Phrases such as “You Can Both Woof under a Safe Roof” over an image of a pet owner cuddling their canine may read as particularly relevant to Nashville homeowners who are considering adding pet liability coverage to their homeowners policies. Such messaging could increase post engagement, website traffic, and, eventually, revenue as well.

How to market with pets

Given the multiple advantages to mine from pet-themed marketing, you may be eager to start tinkering with your existing methodology and integrating animal content. Consider some of the following tactics for your organization, which could inspire activities suitable to your brand.

Pet-of-the-week posts
Encourage employees throughout your organization to submit images of themselves with their pets—or, if a viable option, invite them to bring their pets to work for special events. Team members will likely enjoy showing off images of their four-legged friends, which you can then borrow to post across various social media platforms (with prior notice, of course). It bears repeating that pet content is popular—as of this publication, there are over 300 million results for #dogsofinstagram on the platform—so pet-themed posts can draw new leads to your brand and also endear existing clients who already follow your socials. If these posts garner successful engagement, you could even consider adding photos of your team with their pets to the “About Us” or ”Meet the Team” page of your website.

Educational content
Content marketing is integral to targeting your audience, providing it with items of value and ultimately drawing new traffic to your website. The most effective content is that which educates about relevant topics, establishes you as an expert in your industry, and, of course, engages your audience. And one creative way to develop click-worthy, endearing content is to incorporate pet subject matter and imagery.

Contemplate how you can marry your business’s mission with pet-relevant topics to increase clicks. For example, a financial professional could publish blogs about budgeting for pet-care expenses, while a business owner in the health-care or beauty industry could explain the wellness benefits of living an active lifestyle with a pet.

Try working animals into various types of content and tracking the results. You may find that your clients are more likely to keep direct mail products that feature charming pet photos or open emails with animalthemed subject lines. Continually brainstorm other concepts to find ones that heighten your appeal to targeted demographics.

Client-appreciation events
Hosting or appearing at live events is an excellent way to demonstrate client appreciation, greet new leads, and promote your brand. Consider aligning your business with organizations centered on pets, such as free heartwormvaccination services, or hosting a clients-and-their-pets appreciation event at a park. If you truly wish to get hands-on with your marketing, consider washing some dogs at a pet-grooming event to start conversations with their owners. Remember, every single chance to position your organization before the public is an opportunity to guide prospects down the lead funnel.

Pet events like these are sure to turn heads and offer greater exposure. “Look at all those dogs in that parking lot!” passersby might remark. Promoting these occasions on your social media or in your email newsletters can even help drive traffic. Additionally, engaging existing and potential clients in such a personal manner can help build gratitude toward your brand, particularly if you provide a community service like complimentary grooming at your event. This feeling of gratitude may convert into excellent customer ratings and referrals—treats that any organization would roll over for.

TAKE ACTION:
Incorporate petthemed content across several marketing mediums, including your emails, social media, and website. Then perform metrics like A/B testing to gauge their performance.