The document discusses how pet sitters and dog walkers can maximize their use of social media. It provides an overview of key social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and how they are used differently. Specific statistics are presented about pet owners' use of social media and how they engage with their pets online. The document then gives advice and best practices for using different social media platforms to promote a pet sitting or dog walking business and engage with clients.

1. Social Media Unleashed.
How Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers Can
Maximize Social Media
www.strategicpeacock.com / @marisacp51 / #PetConf

2. About Marisa
Chief Strategist at The Strategic Peacock.
I provide resources and information for small
businesses, independent schools and other
professionals seeking to advance their
knowledge of digital media technologies and
strategies.
Owner of 6 year old Pit Bull named Sampson.
www.strategicpeacock.com / @marisacp51 / #PetConf

3. What is Social Media?
Social media refers to the means of
interactions among people in which they create,
share, and exchange information and ideas in
virtual communities and networks
Examples: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
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4. Why Social Media?
Reasons why people follow businesses on social
media:
• Get updates on product 38%
• Stay informed about company activities 32%
• Receive discounts & promotions 31%
• Fun & entertainment 26%
www.strategicpeacock.com / @marisacp51 / #PetConf
Source: Exact Target

5. Who Uses Social Media?
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
% of internet
users 67% 16% 15% 13%
Average Age,
Demographic
18-29
Women
18-26
urban residents,
African-Americans
under 50
women
college-educated
18-29
African-Americans,
Latinos, women
urban residents
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, The Demographics of Social Media Users — 2012, February 2013
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6. Pet Owners & Social Media
• 90% of dog owners take more pictures of their pets than partners
• 45% say they always use a picture of their pet as their social
media profile
• 10% of dogs have a profile on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube
• 16% of pet owners believe that social media can improve their
bond with their cats and dogs.
• 17% of Millennial pet owners use apps designed to help them with
pet care.
Source: Direct Line Pet Insurance, 2013; AudienceSCAN
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8. Why Use Social Media
• It’s an extension of your website
• Tool for 2-way communication
• Channel to deliver information directly to followers
• Share & curate content
• Promote philosophy, mission and values
• Drive web traffic
• Create new connections
www.strategicpeacock.com / @marisacp51 / #PetConf

9. I’m a Dog Walker. I Don’t
Have a Desk.
• Let mobile be your best friend. Your smartphone can be your
mobile office.
• Use Siri and mobile apps to post photos, status updates and
check-in. Set up networks to connect appropriately.
• Streamline your workflows. Explore IFTTT.com for recipes. Set up
alerts and notifications.
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10. Get Started
• Find your audience. Ask your members what social sites they use.
• Repackage subscription content for outside messaging to
showcase your leadership within your industry and encourage others
to join.
• Promote events on social media.
• Promote social media engagement during events. Assign a
#hashtag.
• Start a conversation. Ask questions. Add value.
www.strategicpeacock.com / @marisacp51 / #PetConf

11. Pinterest
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Pinterest Example

14. Pinterest Best Practices
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• See what’s being pinned from your site. Go to www.pinterest.com/
source/yourwebsite.com to see all the pins.
• Learn more about your Pinners. What are the names they give to
boards with you photos, information? Board names like “Things I love”
or “Best companies” can give you insight.
• Always upload pins from your website. When users click on pin
they’ll be directed to your website. Track traffic from Pinterest within
Google Analytics.

15. Instagram
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16. Instagram Example
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6 Emotional Trends of
Instagram Users
• Sharing
• Documentation
• Seeing
Source: Consumer Production in Social Media Networks: A Case Study of the “Instagram”
iPhone App by Zachary McCune
• Community
• Creativity
• Therapy

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Instagram Best Practices
• Keep content fresh, interactive, and aligned with the brand
attributes you want your customers to notice
• Post pictures that have meaning to your users and induce shares
• Encourage users to get involved in your content creation.
• Give followers a better understanding of what happens ‘behind
the scenes’

19. Short Videos
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Why Vines & Instagram
Video Work
• A branded Vine is 4X more likely to be seen than a branded
video.
• Dogs are a Vine favorite. https://vine.co/v/b5HEYV0IQPJ
• Since the launch of Instagram video, there has been a 37
percent increase in Instagram shares on Twitter.
• Instagram videos are creating 2X more engagement than
Instagram photos

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Short Video Best Practices
• Use #hashtags.
• Create how-to videos that inform
• Distribution is key to success. Link Twitter accounts to Vine
accounts. Share Instagram videos on Twitter & Facebook.
• Craft content to match call to action.
• Be creative.
Source: The 7th Chamber

22. Community Management
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What is Community
Management?
• A community is a group of people with shared values, behaviors
and artifacts.
• A Community Manager fosters customer engagement and offers
relevant and useful content to their constituencies.
• Working together, a community and social media manager can
ensure that all voices are heard and brands are appropriately
monitored to provide exceptional customer support and promote
marketing campaigns.

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Community Management
Best Practices
• It’s about the message, not the medium. Your message is not
dependent on a specific platform.
• It’s about organic engagement. Don’t force activities on an
audience. Let it evolve organically.
• Bigger isn’t always better. It’s not about how big your community
is, but how effective it is.
• It takes a village. Share knowledge, responsibility.
• If you don’t care, neither will your community.

25. Thank you!
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