Enhancing Customer Loyalty for Pet Stores (Part 3)
To grow your business, you must consistently attract new and retain existing customers. This is what many small independent pet stores struggle with most because:
There are a ton of options for pet parents to choose from these days
Marketing has become incredibly complex and can be difficult to do well
There are a billion other things for pet store owners to do
Our philosophy for pet store clients is to maintain a continual focus on attracting new business, but also maximizing business from current existing customers. To do that, we need to enhance their loyalty to their pet store and continue to build loyalty from customers that are not as far along in the customer journey. There are a variety of ways to do this! If you want a more in-depth look at what we do and how we do it, schedule a discovery call with us at your convenience!
Making your customer’s experience better and increasing visit frequency and purchase size is the goal: a local community made better by your pet store. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of enhancing customer loyalty and join our free community for pet store owners to stay up to date on all of this juicy information.
Enhancing Customer Loyalty
For Pet Stores
To get closer to your customers, we have to make them feel special. Part of that is in your as the pet store owner in regards to the in-store experience and what customers feel, see, hear, and do once they step in the door. But, what about when they’re not in the store? How can your pet store’s marketing strategy continue to build on that loyalty?
The answer? Personalization and attention.
Birthday Coupons
Does your pet store utilize marketing automation software for birthdays? This is a great way to collect customer data as well as personalize some of your pet store’s marketing messages.
Hint: you can double this by creating a birthday coupon for the pet, and another for the pet parent!
Anniversary Gifts
Another good way to use customer data, as well as set up marketing automation where once it’s going you don’t even have to touch it!
For customers that have been in your loyalty system for 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, give them a gift or coupon to express your thanks for shopping with you for so long! These are the types of customers that keep you in business!
Thank you notes
Have you ever heard of the 80:20 rule? That 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers? Or that 80% of your productivity comes from 20% of your time? There are many iterations, but let’s apply it to your pet store and use it with your pet store’s marketing.
Take your top 20% of spenders in the store, or your top 50 customers, and write them a handwritten and personalized thank you note saying that you appreciate their business at your store and that they are a valued member of your community.
Don’t be afraid to be human and get personal! These folks shop at your pet store! They are the lifeblood of your business. Thank them earnestly, and watch them bring more customers in through brand advocacy.
Social Media Takeover
Last but not least, select one of our customers (probably younger) that brings their dog in frequently and offer them to spend some time doing a social media takeover with their dog. It can be in-store or not in-store, but have them document their day spent with their dog.
To do it right, you may want to give them some free branded toys, treats, or goodies to paint the full picture!
Conclusion
That’s it for now! A bite-sized portion of enhancing customer loyalty for pet stores. Most of these activities should take you (or your marketing team, hint hint) only a short time before you start seeing immediate impacts in your store and online!
What have you done to enhance customer loyalty for your pet store? We’d love to hear and chat about it!
