Creating greater visibility for a small mom and pop pet business that's confined to one local area may seem like a challenge, especially if you have a limited budget and resources, not to mention lots of competition in your own backyard i. e. Big box stores and others that offer similar products and services.
However, the process is actually relatively easy, and can cost little or nothing.
All it takes is some creativity and an investment of time. Here are some tips to get maximum visibility for a small pet business in a local market.
1. ) Get Listed on Local Internet Search Engines
Nowadays, more people than ever turn to the Internet when searching for local businesses, which is crucial to your visibility.
Regardless of whether or not you have a website (and you most definitely should), you can get your business listed on such free local search platforms as Google Places, Citysearch, Bing Local, YellowPages. COM, Yelp and others.
When filling out the forms provided, be sure to include as much information about your business as possible including a link to your website, address, phone number, hours of operation and all other relevant info.
While studies indicate that less than 30 percent of all people now use the good old phone book to search for local businesses, it's still advisable to list your business in your regional Yellow Pages, just to have all of your bases covered.
2. ) Advertise Locally for Maximum Business Visibility
In this regard, doing things the old-fashioned way still pays off. As such, community newspapers remain a great way to get lots of bang for your advertising buck.
While a lot of daily newspapers and other larger publications are in trouble nationwide, with rampant downsizing, community newspapers are alive and well and are a great platform for reaching concentrated audiences.
Ad rates also are less than those of larger publications. So placing at least a small display ad on an ongoing basis in a popular community publication is still a great idea.
3. ) For Small Local Business Visibility, Networking is Key
Of course, it's a good idea to join your local Chamber of Commerce and other related business associations. But it’s not enough to just show up at these events and hand out business cards.
For one, it's wise to actually participate and become actively engaged in whatever activities and events these associations host and worthy causes they support.
For example, many local business associations are involved in district beautification programs, support civic and other non-profit groups and generally give back to the communities in which they are located in various ways. So I strongly encourage all small businesses to get involved in this.
Some other out-of-the-box ways to network are:
Attend charity events and donate products/services
Host in-store events
Attend local trade shows and other business gatherings
Public speaking
As for the latter, I realize that this is not everyone's forte. But if you do feel comfortable speaking in front of an audience, this is a great way to network and increase your local business visibility.
If you are so inclined, you might consider giving periodic lectures about specific areas of pet care (as one example) at schools, community, centers, public libraries and such.
4. ) Get on the Public Relations Bandwagon
If you or an employee have writing skills and know the mechanics of whipping up press releases, this is another effective way to get greater local visibility for your business.
One good place to start is, once again, a local community newspaper. Be sure that your press releases are timely and relevant, and don't just tout your business, which will make you appear to be looking for free publicity (which you are, of course, but you don't want to be too obvious about it), or your press release will more than likely be tossed in the trash.
Instead, give people news they can use. For example, you could write about the importance of brushing pets' teeth at the beginning of February, which is Pet Dental Health Awareness Month. (And be sure to carry pet dental products. )
Or you could include info about how to keep pets safe from common holiday hazards during Halloween and Christmas.
If you don't have the time, writing skills or inclination to do this, you could always hire a local PR professional to take on the task.
This really is not very costly. Depending on the general area in which your business is located and the level of expertise of the professional or agency you enlist, this could range from, say, $25 to $100 per press release.
5. ) Establish Yourself as the Go-To Pet Guru
I have said this many times before. One of the primary ways to set oneself apart from other pet businesses and enhance your visibility, especially on a local level, is to establish expertise about a particular subject or subjects and capitalize on this.
So select a pet-related topic or several that you feel most passionate about, learn as much about these as you can and toot your own horn. People will be far more likely to seek you out, and keep patronizing your pet business for the long haul.
