7 Pet Owner Statistics for Animal Care Business Marketing

When it comes to marketing any small business, knowing your target audience is critical to spending your precious resources wisely and achieving a good ROI. Your animal care business is no different. You want to make sure you’re not barking up the wrong tree. So, we’ve put together a list of 7 pet care industry stats to help you understand your target audience and grow your animal care business.

1. 2% of American households have at least 1 pet. This means that, for example, if you use a direct mail campaign, you know that, on average, 62% of your mail pieces will be received by households in your target market. Similarly, community involvement can be a great way to touch potential customers. Statistically, 62% of the people you encounter at community events are likely to be pet owners. In addition to gaining visibility in your community, distribute promotional materials such as magnets or pens to help your business stay top of mind with potential customers.
2. High-income households account for about 60% of total consumer spend on pet products and services, meaning that more affluent neighborhoods are likely to be your best target for your direct mail campaigns.
3. Among households with a pet, the average number of dogs per household is 1.6, and the average number of cats is 2.1. A focal point of your pet care marketing should include services for multiple-pet households.
4. Households with a dog make an average of 2.6 visits to the vet per year; those with a cat make 1.6 visits. This means that developing relationships with local vets and distributing marketing materials through their offices can be a great way to reach a large number of potential customers in a very targeted way.
5. 90% of pet owners consider their “fur babies” to be a part of the family. This is a trend known as “humanization.” Your audience wants to know that your business will treat their pets as if they were your own. In both digital and print animal care marketing, use images depicting employees interacting with pets in a loving and playful way.
6. Over 50% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight. Market your dog-walking services as a way for pet owners to keep their pets healthy.
7. In 2017, it’s estimated that Americans will spend over $69 billion on their pets. Pet industry spend breaks down like this:

• Food: $29.69 billion
• Supplies/OTC medicine: $14.93 billion
• Vet care: $16.62 billion
• Live animal purchases: $2.01 billion
• Other services (e.g. grooming, boarding): $6.11 billion

The animal care industry is a very big pie, so to ensure your get your paws on a slice of it, it’s essential that pet owners feel confident when leaving their furry family members in your care. Images in both print and digital marketing can be a great way to help your target audience feel confident.

Distributing marketing materials—business cards, brochures, or pens, for example—at local vets’ offices is an effective way to reach a wide audience. Pet owners want their pets to be healthy, happy, and well cared-for, and the successful pet care business is the one that helps them achieve that.

Consider a direct mail campaign that targets pet owner households to promote your pet care business and offer new customer incentives, such as discount coupons.

Get Started Today:

• Capture images of you and your employees interacting with animals. Ensure that the images depict happy, playful pets, as well as employees. Use the images in both print and digital advertising
• Develop relationships with local veterinary practices. Place brochures and other promotional materials in waiting and exam rooms. Veterinary offices are a particularly good place to promote dog walking services
• Begin a direct mail campaign to targeted pet homes in your business area

Valpak offers 50 years of direct, local marketing for small businesses. Need help with your next marketing campaign? We’re right there in your neighborhood.

3 Crucial Keys to Creating the Best Coupon Design
Direct mail response rates rebounded sharply in 2016. According to the DMA, the rates were the highest since 2003. House list response rates were 5.3% and prospect list rates responses were 2.9%. With numbers like those, competition for both print and digital coupon redemptions will only increase in 2017.That means it’s more crucial than ever that you design a coupon that will reach out and grab the attention of your target audience.

Yes, 81% of consumers use coupons regularly according to NCH. Sure, you have your loyal clientele that will always support you regardless of your offer and will use your coupon. But we’re betting your primary reason for using coupons is to entice new prospects to give your business a try. So it’s time to roll up your sleeves and make sure the coupons you create are as effective as possible.

Valpak developed The Best Practices to Creating Coupons that Get Results: A Coupon Lookbook to help you with your coupon creative from start to finish. Here are the highlights of how to create an effective coupon, but to benefit the most from all the best practices and successful coupon examples, be sure to download the FREE Coupon Lookbook.
To increase response and redemption of your coupons, you’ll want to consider three things: the headline, the design, and the offer.

Key 1: The Coupon Headline
What makes your coupon stand out? It starts with the headline. It’s the first thing potential customers see, making it the most important piece to get right. It’s typical for consumers to just take a quick glance at the headline, so you need to make sure the consumer wants to read the rest. There are a few things you want to remember when creating your headline:

• Answer the question “What’s in it for me?”
• Know your audience – Produce a headline that creates a need or desire
• Keep headlines concise – 8 words or less
• And of course, your headline should be at the top of your layout

Key 2: The Coupon Image
The best coupon design includes an image that will reinforce your headline and offer. It’s almost always good to use photography when advertising by mail as it taps into consumer emotions. That said, it’s important that your images are positive, happy, and identifies with the consumer, creating a connection. A positive image will not only associate happiness with your brand, but it makes your ad that much more appealing and it’s more likely that the consumer will take action. Remember, a single, large image is better than multiple small images. The best coupon designs will build desire and persuade consumers to take immediate action.

Key 3: The Coupon Offer
Now that you’ve got their attention with the headline and the image, keep them engaged with a clear, concise and valuable offer. Your specific offer is going to depend on your audience and your industry, but the goal is always going to be the same: To increase the value of your brand for consumers. You may want to try multiple offers to speak to a wider audience or to test effectiveness. Be very specific on your expiration date to inspire customers to act fast. Also ensure that your disclaimer of limitations is clear, so you don’t set yourself up for potential problems. Avoid a “bait and switch” approach. It may bring consumers in, but it will rarely convert them into customers.

Create The Best Coupons Today
Spend some time reviewing your previous direct mail advertising and coupon designs. Are there ways you can improve them in the future using these 3 tips for the best coupon design? If you focus on getting these 3 crucial aspects right, you’re bound to have a higher success rate. Are you interested in learning more about designing your coupons and direct mail ads? Would you like to see some successful examples and learn coupon best practices? Download our FREE Coupon Lookbook and use it as a guide for creating your future direct mail advertising. You can also reach out to your Valpak sales representative for help.