SMS Marketing for the Domestic Pets Market
As a nation, we are well known for our attachment to animals and many of us share our homes with beloved pets. According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, in 2016 40% of British households are home to at least one pet and the estimated total pet population was some 57 million animals, although that covers all types and species, including fish, reptiles, birds, rodents as well as cats and dogs. With 24% of households estimated to own dogs, they remain the most popular pets in Britain, closely followed by cats who reside in approximately 17% of households.
For many of us, our pets are considered to be members of our family and we will happily spend money on them to ensure they have happy healthy lives. There is a trend referred to as ‘humanising’ pets, especially dogs and cats, which means people are spending more on accessories and non-food gifts for their pets such as grooming, holidays, day care, toys and clothes. This trend appears to be driving the increase in consumer spending on pets, with the Telegraph reporting in 2015 that spending in this market was set to surpass $7 billion (or 4.6 million GDP).
So with the growth in this market expected to continue not just in the UK but globally, how can businesses selling pet products and services capitalise through SMS text messaging marketing?
SMS Marketing for Pet Products
The obvious product that all pets need is food, which is a huge market in itself, with trends developing in specialist, natural ingredient and organic diets. Then each species of animal requires its own basic accessories such as homes, bedding, bowls and medication, while current trends are creating demand for more luxury items such as designer clothing and ‘beauty’ products. If you run a business selling pet related items then you want to be maximising your sales which is where SMS text messaging marketing can help you. Here are five promotion ideas which could be used in text message campaigns:
- Start a loyalty scheme operated through text messages to encourage return custom. Shoppers tend to be more loyal if they feel they are being rewarded, even if the type of product they buy is something they have to purchase regularly anyway, like pet food.
- Create an exclusive ‘club’ where customers can sign up to receive special discounts or privileges. This could be focussed on higher spending customers who tend to buy more premium or luxury brands to encourage them to buy other related items.
- Update customers on new ranges and give selected ones first choice or exclusive discounts on new items. This will tap into those who like to have the latest fashions or must-have items first.
- Send care or well-being tips, referring the customers back to your phone number or your website for more information and related products. Serves as a reminder to customers of things that might be useful to buy for their pet and of how helpful your business is.
- Offer discounts and promotions by text. This can be planned for specific times to maximise response; for example sending offers on paydays at the end of the month when people are more likely to have disposable income to spend on treats for their pets.
SMS Marketing for Pet Services
Another area that has seen massive growth in recent years is services for pets. From the more traditional services such as vets, dog walking and animal sitting services to grooming, there is now a much wider variety of newer services that can encompass anything from special dog exercise classes to pet weddings. Whatever your own opinion of this may be, they exist because people are prepared to pay for them! Running a pet services business will keep you busy so SMS text messaging marketing is a time and cost efficient way to market your business to the right people. Here are five ideas for promoting your brand through SMS text messaging:
- Promote great customer service and repeat bookings by reminding customers in good time of their animal’s health or well-being needs and inviting them to make appointments.
- Confirm appointments 24-48 hours in advance. This will help reduce wasted time and expense through customer no shows.
- Offer discounts on block bookings or regular bookings, for example; if you offer dog grooming services you could offer a 10% discount if the customer books another 5 regularly spaced appointments.
- Send ‘introduce a friend’ promotions to increase your customer base.
- Advertise other related services or products that you may offer through relevant and targeted care or well-being tips for animals.
These are just some ideas to get you started, your own expertise, a little imagination and SMS text message marketing combined can create successful yet simple and effective ways of improving customer satisfaction, reaching new customers and increasing sales revenue. Don’t forget that you can use SMS text messaging marketing as a quick and efficient way to ask for reviews or feedback on your goods or services. There’s a lot of pets out there with owners willing to spend on them, make sure your business reaches them.
Here at Fastsms, we know exactly what businesses like yours need in order to profit from the power of SMS Marketing. Our low price business bulk messaging packages offer a versatile solution that is fully flexible, highly scalable and can be integrated with all standard CRM systems. To talk to a specialist now, call us on 0800 954 5305 and our award winning customer services team will be happy to help.
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