Episode 456: Maximizing Holiday For Pet Business Marketing

Want the secret to leverage the holidays so everyone knows about you? In this episode, I’m breaking down how holiday pet events can be one of the most powerful and fun ways to boost your visibility, build relationships, and become the pet business people think of first. With these strategies, you'll master pet business marketing like a pro. We’ll talk about why exposure is more valuable than quick sales, how to turn local events into long-term growth, and how to create content from these moments that keeps working for you well into the new year. I want this episode to fire you up, not stress you out, because this strategy is something you can absolutely do, no matter your budget or bandwidth. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: AI is being underutilized by many business owners. Mindset is crucial for success in hosting events. Success is not just about gaining clients from events. Building relationships is key to business growth. Holiday events are a unique opportunity for exposure. Community engagement can lead to long-term referrals. Content creation at events is essential for visibility. Networking with other businesses can yield significant benefits. The ROI of community events can be substantial. Consistency in community presence builds brand trust. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and AI Awareness 02:51 Holiday Pet Events: Building Community and Trust 06:02 Mindset for Success in Events 08:53 The Power of Exposure Marketing 12:05 Strategies for Attending and Hosting Events 15:01 Creating Engaging Content at Events 17:55 Long-Term Benefits of Community Engagement Notable Quotes: "You need to be in my community." "You don't need a huge budget." "It's about relationship building." "Holiday events are shareable." Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube ? Resources & Links: Join the Mastermind for ongoing AI tools, strategies & coaching: jumpconsulting.net/mastermind Need help finding events? Check your local Facebook Events, Nextdoor, or city community calendars Amazon Santa Suits & Backdrops: Just search “Santa costume” or “Christmas photo backdrop” Hosting in a local business? Ask your local pet boutique, groomer, or brewery with a dog-friendly patio! Transcript: And we're back with another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and we've been doing this like on and off week. How do you guys like it? Our statistics show us that you really like it because actually on the off week, when we're promoting a certain kind of topic like AI and giving you three episodes to binge on, y'all are binging. So I hope that this is working out. I would always love your feedback because I do this for you. I don’t do this for me. So go ahead and just shoot me an email, bella@jumpconsulting.net. Well, let's go. It is November. We're in the final couple of months of this year of 2025, and it is amazing. At the beginning of this year, I was trying to get people to actually pay attention to AI, and now I would say that a lot of people are using ChatGPT, but they’re using it as if it's a cell phone that they’re only using for calls. They’re not actually using it for all the things that a cell phone can do. And that's my analogy. I know this because I talk to people all day long. They’re like, “You know so much,” and I'm like, “I don't even understand that,” because I just kind of feel like everyone knows what I know. So right after I'm done with this episode, I'm actually jumping into the mastermind where I'm going to do the AI Lab. Every single month we have a call on Zoom where I teach new AI stuff, answer questions, or we play. It's actually really organic and fun, and we’ve been going over the time limit sometimes because it is so much fun. So I just want to encourage you, if you're using AI, are you using it to the fullest of your capabilities? Right now is the cheapest it's ever going to be. It is going to start increasing. In fact, Sora 2 that just came out last month, that everyone’s been playing with, just slapped a $4 fee on it. So right now you are the product. Right now you are helping all of these language models and video models and picture models learn and get better and better. Once they've got all of that done, the prices are going to go up, and they’re not all going to be as accessible as they are right now. So I'm telling you—you need to be in my community. You need to understand. You need to know the difference between all the different things out there so that you can leverage them, or for when one is acting up, you can jump onto the other one. So come and join us at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Okay, getting into today's show—something that you can literally probably print out this transcript for and just get the SOPs or the Cliff Notes for—this is going to be jam-packed with tons of value. Most of this stuff you probably already know, but I'm here to remind you, excite you, and give you the details you didn’t know. So let’s get into it. We're talking about something that is going to really help get your visibility out there in your community for the holidays. The strategy works all year round; you just plug and play it, but the holidays are the perfect time to implement and even try it out right now. We're talking about holiday pet events. I know what you're thinking. “I'm already overwhelmed. I don't have any time to do anything else.” I get you, but what I need you to understand is that there are very powerful ways to get your name out there, build trust in your community—that’s huge—and position yourself as the pet business everyone thinks of when they need services. And the best part? You don't need a huge budget. You don't need to be at all the marketing events. You really just need to show up. I'm going to show you two ways to do this. I’ll talk about why attending holiday pet events is a game changer if you do it right, and I’m also going to give you super practical, actionable strategies that you can implement immediately and create your own event, like Santa Paws events or Pup Cup stations, and exactly how to leverage these events for maximum exposure. First things first, we need to talk about mindset. Mindset is literally the foundation for anything you do in your business. If you've been with me, you know that. I can tell you the “how to.” ChatGPT can tell you the “how to” now. What I help you with is the mindset. That is my job—especially going into 2026—where most business owners completely miss the boat with events because they think success looks like, “Well, I hosted an event and I didn’t get any clients, so that didn’t work.” That’s not the goal. And if that is your goal, don’t do it. Because that’s salesy. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being sold to. It’s not how this works. It’s about relationship building. The success of your holiday event is not measured by how many clients you get. It’s not a failure if you don’t walk away with new clients. So what is the point? It’s exposure. It’s literally so that everybody sees your logo, gets familiar with your brand, and feels like they already know, like, and trust you because they’ve seen your brand everywhere. That’s what’s going to make you stand out because they feel like you’re in the community. That’s human psychology. That’s how it works. If you think back to how you make decisions, you’re going to gravitate toward the brand that feels familiar. We trust what we know. If you’re hiding in your house or always in your car running from client to client and nobody ever gets to see your business, this is an amazing opportunity. All those touchpoints add up. It’s called the “exposure effect” in marketing—the more times people see you, the more they trust you. So release any pressure about getting instant results. Stop judging events by how many people booked with you afterward. You’re playing the long game here. You’re building brand awareness. Most of the time, people you meet at these holiday events will contact you months later and say, “Yeah, I saw you at an event.” They forget the event, but they remember how you made them feel. You’re establishing yourself as a community leader and becoming the pet business that everyone knows and trusts. Here’s what happens when you do this consistently: later, when people search “dog walker near me,” they’ll remember seeing your brand everywhere. Boom—you’re top of mind. That’s the power of exposure marketing. Why holidays? Because people are already emotionally invested in their pets. They’re buying gifts, taking photos, making treats. They’re in celebration mode. You’re meeting them when they’re already thinking about their pets and wanting to celebrate that relationship. That’s powerful. Holiday events are shareable—people post photos of their pets everywhere. And your business name can be right there in the photo they’re sharing. The holidays give you a legitimate reason to reach out, promote in Facebook groups, post on Nextdoor, or email your list without sounding salesy. People are lonely and looking for festive activities—especially those that involve pets, which are natural icebreakers. You’re not just meeting potential clients; you’re meeting other business owners, veterinarians, pet store owners, and influencers. That’s why holiday pet marketing is a gold mine. These relationships can become valuable referral sources. One veterinarian once referred me $25,000 worth of business in a year. You can’t put a price on relationships. Maybe you don’t have the time or energy to host an event, but you can attend them. That’s the easier option and a perfect way to start if you’re on a tighter budget. Someone else already did the hard work of organizing it—you just need to show up with business cards, a small giveaway, and your game face on. Strategy one: co-promotion. Many event hosts would love for you to help promote their event. It builds goodwill and trust.