9 Ways to Help Your Pet Business Stand Out from the Crowd
The pet industry is booming, and there are so many opportunities for pet parents and pet lovers to grow their own successful businesses. With that said, the industry can also feel crowded at times. How can you make your business stand out from the competition?
Here are 9 ways to help differentiate your pet business and bring in more customers.
1. Understand Your “Why”
There are many dog trainers, groomers, and pet sitters in the world, but there is only one you. Your brand story and your “why” for starting your business are unique to you, and owning that story can help you stand out from your competition.
People like doing business with people they know, like, and trust. Leaning into your “why” and clearly expressing it on your website and your marketing can help more people connect with your story and build trust.
2. Research and Understand Your Target Market
One of the best ways to differentiate your business is to get specific about your target market. As a dog trainer, for example, you may think that your target market is “dog owners,” but not all dog owners will be right for your business.
Think deeper about who your ideal customer would be. If you could create a perfect customer and only work with that one customer, what would they be like? What would they care about?
As a dog trainer, maybe you’re passionate about working with pet parents of German Shepherds who spoil their dogs like children. They believe exclusively in positive reinforcement training, and they have no problem spending whatever it takes to get their fur baby the training they need.
This description paints a much clearer picture than simply “dog owners,” and it will help you better align your services and messaging with what your ideal customer is looking for.
3. Focus on All Aspects of Your Business, Not Just the Service
Yes, your service needs to be top-notch to bring in business, but many other parts of your business can set you apart from your competition. In addition to having a high-quality service, consider investing in improving:
- Your client onboarding process
- The customer service experience from start to finish
- Ways to offer support after you've completed a service
- Your online booking or checkout process
- Your ability to maintain contact with clients and encourage repeat business
- Your email automation process
All of these are touchpoints for your customers, and they can all affect the way a potential customer feels about your business. Going above and beyond on any or all of these services will make you stand out from the crowd.
4. Partner with Other Local Pet Businesses
While you may think of these other local pet businesses as your competition, it’s better to view them as your community and support system. There are more than enough clients and customers for all of you to succeed, and through collaboration, you can all benefit.
There are endless opportunities for business collaboration and partnerships that can help you stand out. Maybe you partner with another business to offer a discount program, or maybe a group of you can organize a local event to spread the word.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and think of ways you all can benefit.
5. Position Yourself as an Authority
When you position yourself as an authority in your particular niche, you add credibility to your business, and you become the go-to person when someone has a question or needs your services.
You can position yourself as an authority in several ways, but one of the best ways is through content marketing, especially creating a blog or long-form video content. Through content like blog posts or YouTube videos, you can provide helpful (and free) resources to your ideal customers.
Not only are potential customers thankful for your free knowledge and expertise, but this content also has the added benefit of being perfect for SEO. The more authoritative, helpful content you create, the better you’ll show up on Google and reach more potential customers.
6. Share Your Glowing Customer Reviews
If you have great reviews from your clients, share those front and center on your website and all of your social media platforms. You can position yourself as an authority and market yourself all you want, but nothing builds trust like hearing positive opinions from real customers.
Reviews are especially important in service-based businesses, and they can be the one thing that leads a customer to choose you over your competition.
7. Diversify Your Business
One great way to stand out from the crowd is to diversify your offerings. This is especially great for service-based businesses where you may feel capped on your income because you only have so much bandwidth to take on new clients.
In addition to the service you offer, consider other streams of income that you can create. For example, if you’re a dog trainer, in addition to your in-person classes or one-on-one training sessions, you can also create a virtual course on a specific type of training and sell that course online.
Think about what would be the most helpful for your target audience, as well as what skills you have to offer, and don’t be afraid to get creative!
8. Let Your Personality Shine
The great thing about starting your own business is that you have a built-in differentiator already: You! Your voice and your personality are different from anyone else’s, so don’t be afraid to let that voice come across in all aspects of your business.
Many people think that, as a business owner, you should be "all business," sound professional and get to the point quickly, but it's also important to be human, to be warm, friendly, and approachable. People don’t like to do business with companies—they like to do business with other people.
Infuse your personality into your business and have fun! If you’re having fun, your customers will have fun too.
9. Don’t Be Afraid to Think Differently
If everyone in your niche is doing things the same way, you may feel like you need to follow the pack and fall in step to meet the expectations of your customers. Sometimes, however, it pays to think outside the box and do things differently.
Look carefully at your competition, their marketing, and their business offerings. How can you shake up the status quo with your business?
There are many ways that you can stand out from the crowd, but the most important thing to remember is to always be yourself. Think about why you started your business and what you have to offer, and then lead with that story in everything you do.
It's important that you are relatable, down-to-earth, and authentic in every interaction you have with your customers. You'll put your customers at ease, and they'll be more likely warm up to you, to trust you, and want to work with you.
