The power of social media for pet brands

Pet brands are increasingly using social media to engage directly with customers and connect with potential new ones. With consumers bypassing official websites in favor of social channels, a brand’s social media presence now offers everything from customer support and guidance to direct sales.

The power of social

A 2021 survey from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that 22% of Gen Z and 26% of millennials believe social media has influenced them to buy pet food and supplies – and that doesn’t include those who have been influenced on a subconscious level.

Furthermore, recent research from leading pet and veterinary PR firm FWV Fetching concluded that 1 in 5 pet parents use human or pet social media influencer pages to discover new pet products and brands. Only 14% admitted not using any marketing channels for those purposes.

“Social media is great for pet lovers,” says Hannah Page, Social Media Manager at Inspired Pet Nutrition. “We’re not just trying to cram a product in your face – it’s demonstrating that we know what we’re talking about because we are pet owners and we really care.”

Different platforms for different customers

An aggressive sales approach (or a hard sell) is generally not well-received by social media users. However, the type of content that does gain traction may be somewhat surprising.

Emily Wardle, Associate Director at UK-based spottydog communications, recalls a series of videos the firm did for dog collar brand Canny. “Even though they’re really educational, we got 100,000 views and 2,000 likes – so obviously, it’s tapping into the fact that a lot of people are struggling with their dog on a lead.”

For Hannah Page, the core 3 channels are Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. While Facebook has a slightly older audience, Instagram has more millennials and TikTok is more Gen Z.

“But there’s obviously a crossover on all platforms,” Page admits. Instagram performs the best, she adds, especially at reaching new pet owners.

Pros and cons

While Instagram offers reliable and effective pet marketing, done right, TikTok and its eerily reliable algorithm can put you in front of younger customers eager to pamper their pets. Here, the key is to keep an eye on the trends and jump on them when you see them.

“There’s one video going around at the moment to do with ‘your dog’s red flags’,” says Page. “Because people are just hopping on the trends, ones like that do really well.”

But it’s not for those too precious about brand messaging. “If you try to put product messaging out though, it generally won’t perform as well,” says Page. “It’s got to be very relatable. It’s got to be reactive content. It’s got to be funny and engaging.”

The unknown success

And even then, it’s hard to predict success. “I just think TikTok is a bit more hit and miss,” says Wardle. “Sometimes you’re surprised that something goes viral, and sometimes you think, ‘Oh, this is quite funny’, and it falls flat. The key is to keep going with it.”

“You’ve got to be on it every single day, and it’s quite a lot of effort,” agrees Page, who acknowledges the luck involved. “Unless you’re posting regularly, TikTok just doesn’t push your videos out there, so you’ve got to be on it 24/7.”

Costs

With all the social media platforms to manage, things can get expensive, running into thousands per month – but it doesn’t have to be. Wardle says her agency works with clients for as little as £200 ($251 / €233) a month.

“Organically, you can do it very cheaply,” says Becks Brockwell, Co-Founder and Director of digital marketing agency eCollective Digital, adding that with user-generated content, you no longer have the considerable costs of photo shoots.

“Our ability to be agile with costs is probably one of the most exciting things for brands,” she continues. “We can and do work with everyone from huge global companies with 99% brand recognition, right down to someone who’s just decided to launch the most spectacularly beautiful leads for dachshunds.”

Becoming viral

To an extent, social media is an equalizer because anything can become a viral sensation. But as a rule, the more you spend, the more eyeballs you can get in front of your brand, especially with Facebook, where paid promotions are essential.

However, according to Brockwell, virality isn’t something to necessarily aspire to anyway. “I think viral is maybe not all it’s cracked up to be,” she says, explaining that smaller companies may be unprepared for the sudden rush of orders that dries up as quickly as it appears. Consistency and steady growth are better aspirations.

Influencers versus brands

Influencer culture has exploded in recent years, and it’s hard to imagine many brands sidestepping influencers entirely. “If you do, you’ve just got to accept that your results won’t be as impactful,” says Wardle.

“People trust influencers more than they do brands. So if you can build that relationship with the influencer, and they can get your message out there, it’s like old-fashioned PR, really,” she adds.

This trust comes down to a word that crops up a lot when talking to social media agencies in the pet space: authenticity.

This isn’t just a case of finding a celebrity pet with the most followers. Micro-influencers – those in the 5,000 to 10,000 follower range – may have a smaller audience, but it’s often more engaged, and they won’t necessarily require payment beyond product samples or affiliate income from the sales they drive.

“If you send them a product and they post about it, 5,000 followers might get 1,000 likes – a fifth of their audience,” Wardle says. This can prove more effective than a giant influencer with a less engaged following.

These micro-influencers – often regular pet owners who had no ambitions to become Insta-famous – offer authenticity in spades and can instinctively know what works better than risk-averse brands.

Threads, the new platform

While conducting interviews for this piece, a new social media venture was born: Threads, a Twitter (now: X) rival from the owners of Facebook and Instagram. It’s too young for brands to pay much attention to at the moment, but that could change – after all, TikTok wasn’t worth much attention once.

“I think if we were to do Threads properly, we’d probably give more people access,” muses Page, who sees it as a more conversational platform. “Like nutritionists can share stuff they’re thinking about: ‘Hey, we’re thinking of launching this new flavor, what do you think?’”

Whatever the future of Threads and other channels that may spring up, historically speaking, the pet side of social media has been defined by its friendliness and joy, which makes it especially conducive to an engaged brand.

“That’s what’s so refreshing about this part of the social media world,” says Brockwell. “It isn’t toxic. It’s actually rather beautiful. Who would have ever thought that you’d end up following a sausage dog?”