For most pet owners, the health and happiness of their furry companions are not something they take lightly. In fact, research from Gingr on top pet industry trends found that 51% of owners consider their pets to be just as much a part of their family as human family members.
Acknowledging these strong emotional bonds is essential for connecting with your pet business’s customers. Show your commitment to providing their four-legged family members with the best possible products and services by sharing compelling stories about your business.
Storytelling and narrative building allow you to stand out and connect with customers. In this guide, we’ll explore top storytelling tips for pet businesses.
4 Key Components of Effective Storytelling
Some brand stories are more effective than others, and compelling narratives tend to share a few key elements. For your pet business’s marketing stories, include these components:
- Consistent brand narrative. Stories help customers better conceptualize your business’s purpose, benefits, and goals. Some of your stories may include explanations of how and why your brand formed, whereas others may focus on your values. No matter the case, all stories you tell about your brand should present one cohesive image.
- Emotional appeal. Many people make their buying decisions based on their emotions. This is why commercials use swelling music, funny jokes, or heartwarming visuals. These moments create an emotional connection, which can motivate customers to make a purchase.
- Social proof. “Don’t just take our word for it” is a phrase you’ve likely heard before due to so many brands understanding the power of sharing testimonials from customers and professionals alike. For instance, a pet store might share quotes from a vet about their products’ hygiene standards or highlight a customer review about how much their pet loves their new food dish.
- Visual aid. Pictures and videos allow customers to visualize what your story is trying to tell them. For instance, UpMetric’s guide to storytelling shows off this eye-catching image from a story by the World Wildlife Fund:
To paint a narrative for your brand, you will likely need to share many stories with supporters. As such, have your marketing team assemble graphic design elements, facts, and major talking points they will likely reuse.
How to Tell Your Pet Business’s Story
Step 1: Define your “why.”
Stories should explain two key “whys.” These are:
- Why your business operates. Introductory marketing materials, like your website’s “About” page, should explain your business’s origins, goals, and vision for the future. This “why” should include both basic facts and your aspirations, such as your value to provide sustainable goods to pet owners and shelters.
- Why customers should buy from you. Your stories are a sales pitch for your business and should encourage consumers to buy your products or services. This might include discussing your benefits or highlighting a value your business knows will resonate with your audience. For instance, many businesses run cause marketing initiatives where they donate a portion of their profits to a nonprofit, encouraging customers to buy from them to make a difference. Many pet businesses engage in cause marketing by offering customers the opportunity to donate to an animal shelter or rescue group when making a purchase.
While it isn’t necessary to explain your whole “why” in every piece of marketing copy, it should be easy for your audience to find and understand. For instance, you might create dedicated “About” and “Values” pages to spell out your purpose and goals. Then, you would leverage more subtle storytelling to communicate your “why” by featuring pictures of happy or energetic pets in your visuals.
Step 2: Highlight personal, authentic stories.
Audiences resonate with emotional stories. However, they can also sniff out inauthentic ones. Engage your customer base by telling true, relatable stories that humanize your brand.
For the most part, these stories should be about individual customers so prospective buyers can put themselves in their shoes. For instance, a dog boarding business might tell a story about how a dog came to their shelter with separation anxiety. However, through their expert staff, careful monitoring through their kennel software, and commitment to creating a safe environment for all pets, they were able to help the dog calm down and have a relaxing stay while it waited for its family to return.
Step 3: Center customers & build trust.
Your stories should be about your customer and include details and examples that help you build authority and trust.
For instance, while you should tell emotional stories, that doesn’t mean leaving research and facts by the wayside. Balance these aspects of storytelling by finishing up a specific anecdote and tying it to larger trends that impact your customers. For example, if you offer a delivery service option, you might tell a story where a speedy delivery was essential for a pet owner. Then finish with details about local pet stores shuttering their doors, making a delivery option a must for maintaining access.
Step 4: Stay consistent.
While you should always tell different stories, all communication from your business should use the same tone, voice, and branding. This ensures you present a consistent, coherent narrative that reinforces your business’s core mission and values.
Maintain consistency by:
- Creating a style guide that provides references for creating visuals and written copy.
- Reviewing and approving all marketing materials before they’re pushed live to ensure they meet your quality standards and align with your brand.
- Changing branding only when completing a formal rebrand, which should be an organized and deliberate process that includes announcements to your audience about your decision to rebrand and the new brand direction.
Consistency doesn’t mean zero variation from story to story. After all, a story about fun cat toys will likely have a different tone than an overview of your business’s founding. As such, your brand should include room for flexibility so you can smoothly respond to multiple situations without deviating from your brand identity.
Businesses with a strong narrative tend to attract loyal customers. These customers feel a personal connection to your brand and can easily identify your materials and messages at a glance. Cultivate this audience by telling stories that evoke emotion, pitch your business in a compelling manner, and maintain long-term consistency.
