Episode 409: Maximizing Social Media: The Secret Pet Businesses Are Missing

  Are you struggling to stand out in the competitive pet industry? Have you considered how maximizing social media can help you attract more clients, quality employees, and even valuable partnerships? If you've ever thought of social media as merely a client-attraction tool, it’s time to shift gears. In this episode, I’m revealing why social media isn’t just about posting cute dog pics—it’s your GOLDMINE for attracting TOP-NOTCH employees and forging partnerships with local businesses! With statistics showing that 54% of small businesses don’t use social media effectively, you could be missing out on BIG opportunities for maximizing social media impact. Many pet business owners operate under the misconception that social media is solely for marketing. This narrow view can hinder your potential growth. Imagine a platform where you not only showcase your services, BUT also highlight your unique company culture and values. This is what creates an authentic connection with your audience, setting you apart from the competition. Are you ready to kill THREE birds with ONE stone! I’ll walk you through the THREE essential social media goals every pet business should embrace. Plus, I'll share real-life success stories, including how Maggie from Salty Dogs Pet Care is leveraging community connections to DRIVE GROWTH. It’s time to break free from one-dimensional thinking! Let’s make every post count. Tune in to discover how to elevate your social media strategy and watch your business THRIVE. Timestamps: [01:16] The common, short-sighted approach to using social media in pet sitting/dog walking businesses [05:22] Using social media to attract top-notch employees [09:19] Benefits of showcasing employees on social media [12:31] Leveraging social media partnerships with local businesses [1 7:29] The importance of having a strategic plan for social media content [20:36] How the 'Better Marketing With Bella' program can help you [22:37] The value of building long-lasting relationships through social media Notable Quotes: "Relationships will last longer than a social media post." "Social media isn't just for getting clients. It's also a powerful tool for attracting employees and forming partnerships with local businesses." "Businesses that actively post about their company culture are 33% more likely to attract top tier client employees." "If you just try to do it a one off, or you just try to be like, 'Oh, I'm gonna just start posting stuff or whatever, see what happens,' it's not gonna be as successful." "If you decide to do this stuff, which you should, I just want you to sit down, sit down and think about it. Think about what kind of message you want to be putting out there for employees, for partners and, of course, for clients as well. And how are you going to tell those stories? Be really strategic about it." Resources: Better Marketing With Bella FREE 20-Minute Consult with Bella Erika @ Barketing Blog Did you love this episode? Make sure you never miss an episode! Head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify to subscribe to Bella In Your Business. Transcript: If you guys have been with me for a minute, you know that I am all about the easy button. I am all about working smarter, not harder. I am all about strategy so that we're not just throwing spaghetti up against the wall and seeing what sticks. So my most pet businesses that I see, they see social media as a one dimensional tool. And if you're doing that, you're making, like, the biggest mistake. It's. It's not just a tool to get clients. And so why not, like, you know that saying, hit a bird, two birds 1 st. This is three birds, 1 st. If you think about it correctly, and nobody's teaching this, they're just teaching you how to get clients. And it boggles my mind. And sure enough, just like everything else I do, I'm sure in a year from now, it'll be more mainstream. But I really, really, really want to, like, pound this home today that it is not. Social media is not one dimensional. And in this episode, I'm going to be walking you through exactly why and how social media isn't just for attracting clients, but it's also for bringing top notch employees and creating partnerships with local businesses in your community. Ready? We're gonna do this. So let's start with a problem. The way that most pet sitting and dog walking businesses approach social media is, frankly, short sighted. The mindset tends to be, I'm gonna post the cute dog pictures, or I'm gonna just try to, you know, post something that happened today and maybe a client testimony, and maybe that's gonna bring in clients. And sure, it does bring in clients. Secondary. Not. Not like initially, but is that all social media is good for? So think about this. Like, according to a survey by Hootsuite, 90% of marketers say that social media helps them stay ahead of competitors. But only 54% of small businesses actually use social media to the fullest of its potential. And that's almost half of businesses that are missing out on what social media can really do for them. And I would say that those statistics are even higher if we were to pull pet businesses. Why? Because more than half of the pet businesses are solopreneurs. They're trying to do everything themselves. And, of course, we don't have time to be the best at everything, right? We're kind of the jack and Jill of all trades. So the main point that I want you to wake work, walk away from today is social media isn't just for getting clients. It's also a powerful tool for attracting employees and forming partnerships with local businesses. Let's look at three main social media goals every pet business should have. One, getting clients. Obvious, right? You want new clients, and social media is great for that. But the other two that people just forget about or they don't realize that they can get, is employees. Like, why aren't you using social media to showcase your work and your work culture and attract people to your company and business partnerships? This is the hidden gem for growth. Collaborating with local businesses can expand your reach and give your brand more credibility. I can't express this enough right now. At the current time of this recording, in October 2024, Maggie from Salty Dogs pet care is killing it with Shoregate apartments in Jersey, Long Island. I think she's in. And she is getting these people like she connected with the construction company. Okay, we, like, I showed her how to do this, you guys. And this construction company that was building these complexes put her in touch with the right people. Not just once. Twice so far. And then she started doing activities and events there. And then the residents started doing pictures of their dogs at the dog park and tagging her company without her even being there. Guys you can build relationships online. And what does this do? It helps get people talking about your company. How amazing is that? So these are business relations, partnerships. But then think about that as a goldmine for, like, when you're trying to look for people who want to work for you. Maybe there's someone that is. That has a dog in these complexes that are, you know, they pay a lot of money to live there. Maybe 1000, $502,000 a month. It's a posh place. Maybe they are freelancer at home. Maybe they're editing videos for someone, or maybe they're a virtual assistant for someone. Maybe they're. They just work from home. Right? They're a freelancer of some sort. They're a coder, a web developer. But they would love nothing more than to go walk dogs in the middle of the day. And they just happen to know your company, and your company just happens to be, like, advertising for midday dog walkers. And they're like, that's great, because I can do coding or video editing or photo editing any time of day or night as long as I get it done by the deadline. I want you to think about how big this could be. Really be. Like, get excited, you guys. Let me, like, shake you for a minute. Like, let me. I'd be. My hands are on your shoulders and I'm shaking you, and I'm smiling in your face, and I'm like, do you see the power that this could be? Now, in order to do this, you can't have a cheesy feed, and you have to be showing up regularly. Okay, so let's talk a little bit more about this. Like, let's. Let's dive in a little bit with employees. You know, like, the biggest challenge is. This is one of the biggest challenges for pet sitting and dog walking companies. It's getting more clients and getting more employees. Right. Like, almost every one of your main problems can be put in one of those categories. So if you just had a steady flow of people. And when I say this, guys, I am not exaggerating. I am not exaggerating. This is the first time you are joining Bella in your business and hearing me say this. I have clients. Like, guys, our methods work. We have people with extra employees with their. Their problem isn't how do I hire good people? Their problem is how do I keep. Get people more, more jobs? Because they've. They don't want to let go of these great people that are finding them and they want to keep them working. And that's a whole nother episode by the way. And my clients have problems where they have too many good people to hire. Okay? And so remember that 54% of job seekers use social media to find new jobs. Like, so if someone sees that this is a job for you, that might be really cool, or maybe not even just for them, but if you're like, do you know someone who loves to get, you know, jumped on by dogs or walk dogs or whatever it might be. So keep this in mind. And businesses that actively post about their company culture are 33% more likely to attract top tier client employees. Do you know why? Because these employees are getting curious about this company that they want to apply for,