3 Pet Product Marketing Tips for Dog Grooming Products

You’ve officially launched your successful pet grooming business. You’ve got a good client base built up, and what’s more, you’ve created a few homemade dog grooming products your clients just love. So what’s the next step for your well-received supplies? Great dog grooming products deserve to be seen, known, and purchased. Our clients love their pets, and they love the product you’re using on their pets- so whatever you’d created must be great!

How about selling it? Any doubts you might have been understandable. After all, the world of pet product marketing (like most types of marketing) can be very competitive but doubt your product not! You can, and you will conquer the game of pet product marketing. Below, we’ve listed and explained three essential steps you need to take to sell your product.

Dog Grooming Products Marketing Tip #1: Patenting and Distributing

The Local Level

First, make a list of all aspects of your product. Include things such as size, shape, color, and dimension. Attach a list of instructions for the product. If possible, take pictures of any prototype or demo you’ve developed. Next, check into any industry regulations your product will need to meet. (For example, pet food will need to meet certain ingredient and labeling standards.)

After this comes the scary part: you need to get a lawyer. A lawyer who specializes in patenting products, to be exact. Be sure to ask about any documents you will need to sign or fees you need to pay to get your product on the market. Additionally, you should get a CPA who can help you project costs for creating and patenting your product.

Here’s where things start to get exciting: Your next step will be designing your product’s packaging and look. If you have an eye (and the software) for design, you can do this yourself. However, it’s advisable for you to work with a design firm to hammer down your product’s visual brand.

After this, you’re ready for production! To produce a small line of your product and distribute them to a small pool of people–friends, family, and the like. Listen to their feedback. Consider adjusting the product based on that feedback.

When your product passes small production, make a larger production that includes samples. Give these samples to local pet stores, pet magazine editors, veterinarians, and others who can help bolster your product. From them, gather feedback and testimonials. These are key to selling nowadays.

The Regional Level

Move from the local level to the regional level. Distribute your product at big shows and events hosted by the likes of the RSPCA or the Humane Society. While at these shows and events, take the time to network with other booth runners so they’re aware of and can distribute your product.

The National Level

Now it’s time to move from the regional level to the national level. Connect with nationally known distributors and shopping networks who can easily push your product.

Dog Grooming Products Marketing Must #2: Digital Marketing

An unwritten rule of the pet product marketing world (and, well, every marketing world) is you need to have a pronounced digital space. By the time you reach the national level, you’ll want a place where customers can check out you and your brand online. Sure, in-person appearances at shows and the like are a top priority when it comes to pet product marketing, but in this new digital age, having that online space is also a top priority.

Get a Website

First, you will need a high-quality, professional-looking website. If you don’t possess the skills to make one, then you’ll need to hire a professional web developer. Make sure the website is on-brand and matches your product’s theme, colors, and voice. Also, include high-quality photos and graphics.

If at all possible, include a purchasing platform so potential customers can buy your product right off the website. Reviews, videos of your product in use, links to retailers who sell your product, and links to affiliates should also be featured on your website.

Adding a blog and/or your personal story of what inspired you to develop the product makes for a nice, human touch. It makes your customers connect with you personally, and by extension, your product.

While creating your website’s content, don’t forget to optimize it for high search engine rankings. Search engine optimization (or SEO) entails utilizing a set of keywords that enables search engines (and in turn, your customers) to find your site more easily. But be careful with how many of certain keywords you use. Using too many of one will make your content sound robotic and cause search engines to read it as spam, thus skipping over it. While optimizing your content, don’t forget to hit on not just the content’s body, but also its subject, headers, metadata, and alternative image text.

Open Social Media Accounts

Another area to hit on is social media. On the digital landscape, the importance of establishing and maintaining a presence on social media cannot be overstated. Many potential consumers will check Facebook or Twitter to find out about a business before visiting that business’s website. Plus, social media is a free platform–one that allows you to interact with your customer base, no less. So you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by actively participating in it.

Dog Grooming Products Marketing Must #3: Establishing Relationships With Clients

Remember what we said about making potential customers feel connected to you, and therefore, connected to your product? Above everything else, making your customers feel connected to you personally is the most important step you can take to make your product a success.

Customers buy your product, which means they fuel your wallet and business. More so than money, they are your blood. Your business will not succeed without a loyal customer base. The best way you can give back to them (and guarantee they’ll stay) is by being human. That means taking the time to get to know them and their needs. Regardless of how they feel about you, they won’t buy your product if they don’t want or need it.

It also entails keeping an open line of communication with them so, respond to their e-mails. Reply to their comments on social media. Get to know them when you meet them in person.

Still unsure? We’re here to help! Feel free to contact us or download a free trial of Daysmart Pet Software and we’ll set you on your way to conquering the volatile world of pet product marketing!