Using Google + Pages for your pet business: A get started guide

It's taken a little longer than expected, but Google finally announced the availability to create Google + Pages this week allowing businesses and brands to join the Google + social network.

We've learned over the past months that Google has been very particular in allowing only 'real people/real names' to join their new social network, deleting those that created personal Google + pages previously to represent a business (or even a pet).

If you have a pet business or a pet related brand, we highly recommend that you join Google + now that the business and branded pages are available. We believe it's going to be a very good way to connect with potential and current customers in the coming years. And getting in early will provide your pet business with a certain edge.

It's actually incredibly easy to create a Google + branded business page for your pet business. Here are the necessary steps:

• Login to your Google account (Note: if you plan on having multiple people administrate your Google + Business Page then we highly recommend you create a Google account for your business rather than use your personal Google account.).
• Create a page by starting at this link for Google + Pages.
• You then select your category, choosing from:
• Local Business or Place - for businesses that are local in orientation
• Product or Brand - preferably the most utilized category for national/international pet businesses
• Company, Institution or Organization - great for non-profits
• Arts, Entertainment or Sports - would work well for blogs, pets, informational websites and the like.
• Other
• After selecting your category complete the basic information, including your business name, website url, category (there is one for pet supplies and services under the Product or Brand classification,) etc.
• The next step is to customize your public profile. Add your pet business brand tagline and your logo or brand image.
• We recommend skipping the next step of 'promoting your page' until you fully customize and have begun sharing some information so that visitors will know more about whether you are worth adding to their circles. However it would be good to save this url for directing individuals at a later date.
• At this point our recommendation is to upload photos in the scrapbook photo section at the top of your profile. Remember to utilize these photos for creating a unique, informative and fun way to represent your brand. Unlike Facebook Business Page photos at the top of FB pages, these photos will stay static, so you can really have fun with them.
• You can post from the Home tab and begin sharing information with potential followers.

Benefits:

• Hangouts in Google + can provide you a high-quality, real-time video chat opportunity with customers, potential customers with a single click.
• You can group your followers into smaller segments (prospects, customers, vendors, etc.) utilizing the Circles function allowing you to communicate when you post to only those groups or multiple groups instead of publicly - this will be a great option for providing couponing to current customers, for example.
• Google + Pages will be indexed and added to search results in Google allowing for further link backs for your business. Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location which will also be indexed.
• Your customers/fans can +1 your Google+ Page, recommending your brand directly to their friends.

Items of note:

• Remember that all the posts on your Google + Pages will be public, it is the default setting.
• At this time you won't receive notifications via email relating to those adding you to circles, or posts; so checking the notifications link will be important.
• Pages can't +1 other pages.
• Google provides a couple of website badge options to promote your page on your website.

Holding contests and promotions:

As with Facebook, Google does prohibit running contests and promotions directly on Google + Pages. To paraphrase from Google's Terms and Conditions:

You may not run contests, sweepstakes, offers, coupons or other such promotions (“Promotion”) directly on your Google + Page. You may display a link on your Google + Page to a separate site where your Promotion is hosted so long as you (and not Google) are solely responsible for your Promotion and for compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations in the jurisdiction(s) where your Promotion is offered or promoted.

Visit Google's Terms and Conditions for more information.

Below is a screen shot of the Pawsible Marketing Google + Page. Be sure and add us to your Circles!

News from H.H. Backer's 45th Annual Christmas Trade Show

News coming out of H.H. Backer's 45th Annual Christmas Trade Show & Educational Conference in Chicago this weekend.

Invenstar LLC will debut its TouchSuite(R) Pets all-in-one pet care management system at this year's H.H. Backer
Dog Gone Smart, a Global Household Name in Nanotechnology-Based Pet Beds, Apparel, and Accessories, to Debut New Products at H.H. Backer
Beer-Bones to Exhibit at the H.H. Backer Christmas Pet Show
Wyld’s Wingdom to Exhibit at H.H. Backer’s Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show
Nordic Naturals® Brings Exclusive Omega-3 Products for Pets To H.H. Backer
Pet Greens Pet Products Cross the Border to Canada, Showcased at H.H. Backer’s Christmas Show
 
Follow H.H. Backer on Twitter, Facebook and H.H. Backer TV.
Other Links: Exhibtors and Floor Plan & Product Finder via PPN International

Ethics in the pet business world

Ethics...It's a very difficult term to define, but yet one of the most important aspects of your pet business.

In running your pet business, whether is be an online store, developing or manufacturing a product, blogging, or providing a service to pet lovers, you make 100's of decisions throughout the day. Some of these decisions are easy and some are very difficult.

What criteria do you use to help you make the right (and ethical) decisions for you and your business?

In my early years of working in the corporate environment, I was required to attend several seminars on business ethics. While I didn't dwell much on what I learned at these seminars at the time, I have come to value the information I garnered and have utilized the advice all throughout my career.

Actions on Wall Street and by corporate big business over the years have created an environment where ethics seems to be thrown out the window in many cases. Nearly everyday I hear or see actions by others that are unethical in nature. And in my opinion, the Internet, with it's readily available amount of information, material and opinions from a very wide range of sources, has exacerbated unethical behavior.

According to Dr. Max H. Bazerman, a professor at the Harvard School of Business, "...many people aren't aware that they're doing unethical things." Source

Yes, I'm sure there are bad people in the World. But why do good people do unethical things? Dr. Bazerman goes on to say in his article that there are several reasons. One main reason is because individuals are very busy and have much pressure on them to perform and succeed in their every day demands of life and business. But, when they allow themselves time to really think about the decisions they are making, they are more likely to make more ethical ones.

What are ethical decisions and what are ethics?

Here are two great videos from the Markkula Ethics Center of Santa Clara University, California.


   

One of the most important points to take away from these two videos is when making a decision, keep others in mind. Look at both sides of those affected and whether your decision is fair to all. And look at whether your final decision keeps the greater good in mind, not just the good of your business, but good for those you work with, your industry, the World and it's people, in general.

How do we apply ethics to our busy, demanding lives?

One of the most important points I've garnered over the years is to take a step back when making a decision and don't succumb to pressure. Yes, we're all very busy...but the decisions we make on a daily basis are not only important to our business, but the business of others. Wait, take a deep breath, and weigh both sides fairly.

Why do we want to?

Our decisions affect others, pure and simple. When we write a blog post, tweet, present a Facebook message, compose an email or communicate in any form, we are affecting others. When we decide on the direction our business will take, we are affecting others. Most all decisions we make, day in and day out affect others. That's why making ethical decisions is important.

And, people want to do business with companies that have high ethical standards and do the right thing. And they will most definitely stay away from a company that doesn't.

So what are the lessons here for running your pet business?

When faced with a challenging decision about your pet business, working with a client, business associate, or partner, think before you proceed. Take into consideration the advice given in the video of how to make ethical decisions, think about how you want to be treated.

Within the past month I have seen several unethical decisions made by well-meaning pet business owners and pet business company employees. Some of those have affected me, some have obviously affected others and their business. But who is it really affecting? Yes, the pet business that's created unethical behavior in the first place.

We're not perfect. On the contrary, we are all human. But I do think if we all take a step back, take more time in making the decisions about our pet business and how it will affect others, I believe we can make a very worthwhile difference in our industry and in our pet business companies.

Images courtesy of Nosha and Justin Baeder on Flickr.

News from SuperZoo 2011

News coming out of SuperZoo going on this week in Las Vegas.

• PupGear Corporation (Literally) Rolls Out the Latest Innovation in Indoor Dog Potties
• Dog Gone Smart Pet Products to Display its Nanotech-Based Pet Products at Superzoo
• FamilyPet Network Announces Launch of Pet Daily Deal Site – Coupaw.com
• Pet Greens Li’l Treats for Training and Small Dogs Unleashed at SuperZoo
• Customer Referrals Go Social With New Facebook Integration From Store Vantage
• Self-Cleaning Litter Box Company Launches OdorIndependenceDay.com
• LeashLocket™ Retractable Leash in a Locket lets the Dog Carry the Leash for a Change

Listing of new products via Pet Product News.

Leslie May, founder of Pawsible Marketing, featured as one of "12 Amazing Pet Lifestyle Experts" in American Dog Magazine.

Leslie May, founder of Pawsible Marketing, was featured as one of  "12 Amazing Pet Lifestyle Experts" in the Fall 2011 Issue of American Dog Magazine.

American Dog Magazine's mission focuses on everything the enthusiastic dog parent needs to know about taking the ultimate care of their best friend and family member for life!

View a portion of the article or see the entire Fall 2011 issue of American Dog Magazine.

Red Ocean vs Blue Ocean marketing strategies in the pet business market.

The pet business market has been strong for several years now.

Fueled by the ever growing outlook of  'pets as part of the family' and 'empty nester seeks four-legged companions,' the pet industry has become a growing, innovative and highly competitive market.

Like many industries in this stage of development, a market at some point begins to get crowded, extremely competitive and takes on the copycat and 'nothing is new and innovative' hue; fueling reduced pricing, highly competitive strategies, deals and steals, and more....all marketing tactics designed to help a company stand out from the crowd and capture the current customer pool.

The pet business market has become a 'Red Ocean,' a term that's been around for years describing a market that's highly competitive and overly saturated; akin to sharks on a feeding spree in open waters.

So what's a pet business to do? Can you be different enough, less expensive enough, bring more value than others, and remain competitive for long term survival? Good question...and one I've been pondering for a couple of years now.

Are differentiation marketing tactics to your current customer pool the right and only strategy you need for your pet business? I think not.

So, what does a business do when nearly everything in the present market has been done? How do you stand out from the competition and continue to compete in a busy market?

Think about the other customers out there, those customers you are currently not targeting, the other markets within the pet business, the current non-customer, the uncontested customer. Think about how you can structure your business, products and services to reach entirely different audiences with value-added products and services.

In 2005, a new and innovative business strategy book, Blue Ocean Strategy, written by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, explored the idea of a 'Blue Ocean;' a strategy for thinking out of the box, focusing on increasing the potential size of the market, attracting people who have never purchased in that specific niche market, and creating a market that's unobstructed, free of major competition, and ripe for success; avoiding the bloody shark infested waters of Red Oceans and creating Blue Oceans. A book that I think is very relevant to the pet industry today.

Here's an overview of the differences between Red and Blue Oceans as outlined by authors Kim and Mauborgne:

RED OCEAN STRATEGY	BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY
Compete in existing market space	Create uncontested market space
Beat the competition	Make the competition irrelevant
Focus on existing customers	Focus on non-customers
Exploit existing demand	Create and capture new demand
Make the value-cost tradeoff (create greater value to customers at a higher cost or create reasonable value at a lower cost)	Break the value-cost tradeoff (Seek greater value to customers and low cost simultaneously)
Align the whole system of a firm’s activities with its strategic choice of differentiation or low cost	Align the whole system of a firm’s activities in pursuit of differentiation and low cost.

This type of thinking is what pet businesses need to do now in this crowded market. Think out of the box, think about the customers you're not reaching, think about your products and services in a different way, how you can structure your business and develop new products and services to reach Blue Oceans, while creating value for the mass market, at reduce costs to you and your business.

For more information about how Pawsible Marketing can help with your pet business and develop a winning marketing strategy, email us for a free consultation.