Ben and Kelly are creating this guide for a class project. Our company, Your Time Social Media Services is an experiment in Social Media Marketing Services. Both Kelly and Ben are experienced media and marketing professionals that wanted to take their skills to the digital realm. Oh, and we both love animals—some more exotic than others.

1. Animal-friendly
Digital Marketing
A Resource Guide to Social Media
Marketing for Small-to-Medium Pet-
based Service Providers

2. Ben and Kelly are creating
this guide for a class
project. Our
company, Your Time
Social Media Services is
an experiment in Social
Media Marketing Services.
Both Kelly and Ben are
experienced media and
marketing professionals
that wanted to take their
skills to the digital realm.
Oh, and we both love
animals—some more
exotic than others.
AUTHOR PAGE:
Ben McWhorter and Kelly Dorsey

3. Purpose………………….….………….……… 5
Resources: Books and Guides ….……. 6
Resources: Web Sites………………….…. 8
Resources: Published Studies……….…. 11
Resources: Events and Training….…… 13
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

4. Over the last decade the United State fascination with pets
has continued to rise. Even through the 2008-2010
recession, pet owners continued a steady pace of heaping
millions of dollars on to activities and support of our beloved
furry friends.
As Social Media continues rise as the number one way to
reach folks looking for local solutions and services, it
behooves animal service agencies of all types to dive deep in
to the Social Media waters and reach this target audience
ready and willing to spend over $55 million this year.
As a class project, we’ve collected numerous resources to
help any pet service provider reach their core audience
through digital and social media.
CHAPTER 1:
Purpose
// Page 4
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U.S. Annual Pet Industry
Expenditures
Revenue in $B

5. This quick-to-read unassuming
book is a must have road map for
veterinary practices looking to
start or enhance their web
presence. Brenda Tassava
provides excellent insight on the
art and skill of engaging with
clients and other veterinary
professionals using social media.
This book also provides concrete
step-by-step tips for setting up
and managing social media
within a practice.
CHAPTER 2:
Books and Guides
// Page 8
From traditional books, to eBooks, to White
Papers, there is a plethora of reading material to help
educate you on starting your social media marketing
practice. Here are just a few.

6. Pam Foster and CS Wurzberger
have compiled a great resource
for anyone that is in the business
of marketing pet or veterinary
products and services. From
strategies for understanding your
target market, to effectively
utilizing social media, to
implementing measurements and
metrics, this book is an
outstanding guide.
Brent Cramp is a marketing expert
that specializes in marketing
education and training for all
small businesses. His passion for
seeing pet businesses succeed has
led him to write the most
powerful, and easy to implement
marketing training program
specifically for pet businesses.
After years of not being able to
find a full scale training program
suitable for pet business
clients, Marketing for Pet Business
was written and published in June
2012.
Animal-friendly Social Media Marketing
// Page 9

7. CHAPTER 3:
Web sites
From industry organizations to
marketing service
companies, there are literally
dozens of web sites with valuable
content and education available
for you.
3 Ways Social Media Benefits
Your Veterinary Practice
When used properly, social
media is a great tool to help
expand your veterinary practice’s
business. Not only is social media
here to stay, it is a rapidly
growing medium will constantly
emerging marketing strategies.
Social media networks like
Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
are resources that your current
and potential clients utilize to
learn about veterinary care and
to get to know your practice.
Learn more at:
http://bit.ly/12cpuLe
// Page 11

8. Tools for helping you establish
you Social Media Practice
Veterinary Social Media Marketing
Frequently Asked Questions
Veterinary social media marketing
can be confusing. The leader in
veterinary communications, helps
vet practices master and manage
this opportunity.
http://bit.ly/13gQ47h
Animal-friendly Social Media Marketing
// Page 13
Facebook Marketing Ideas for
Veterinarians
Get ideas for how to market your
veterinary practice using Facebook.
Thissiteshares specific examples of how
veterinarians are successfully using
Facebook as part of their marketing
This guide will show you examples of
what other vets are doing to better
understand what's involved.
http://bit.ly/ZG5Jsu

9. Tapped Out of Marketing
Strategies for Your Pet Boarding
Business?
Now that you have established a
new doggie day care or pet
boarding business, have you
considered a plan to grow your
customer base and get them
excited about your brand? How
do you go beyond one dog at a
time to build a great reputation
for your facility?
http://bit.ly/142HS9B
Animal-friendly Social Media Marketing
// Page 14
Study shows veterinarians using texting, e-mail and social
networking
A new 83 page Veterinarian New Media Usage Study provides
comprehensive insight on the use of new and social media among
veterinarians--including Internet usage, social networking and
mobile phone activities--for business and social purposes.
-- 91 percent of small animal veterinarians check websites related to
animal health, while 92 percent of large animal veterinarians check animal
health-related websites.
--20 percent of both groups have accounts on Twitter.
For more information go to: http://bit.ly/16fNPE5

10. CHAPTER 4:
Published Studies
// Page 15
Market data can be critical for decision
making and content creation. Here are
a few sources we found valuable.
Pet Sitters International Shares
Results of its 2013 Pet Sitters and
Social Media Use Survey
February 1, 2013
Pet Sitters International’s recent Pet
Sitters and Social Media Use Survey
found that nearly 60 percent of its
professional pet-sitter members use at
least one social media platform to
promote their pet-care services. While
seemingly late adopters of social
media and online marketing
opportunities, professional pet sitters
are now increasing their use of social
media for business purposes—and
sharing a variety of information from
clients’ photos to pet-product
recommendations—according to the
survey’s findings.
Go to: http://bit.ly/16fOju4

11. So for 2012 and beyond, the news continues to be good for all
aspects of the pet business. Overall pet industry spending has
held up well the last few years, demonstrating solid if not
spectacular growth, even despite the Great Recession in 2009.
For more information on pet industry trends go to:
http://bit.ly/11RvWFG
Animal-friendly Social Media Marketing
Pet Business Trends 2013
More than ever, pets are
considered a part of the family.
Along with that, the share of the
family budget allocated to pet-
related spending continues to
grow at a healthy rate. During
the past few years, spending has
focused on value for money.
However, in 2012, we saw
discretionary spending on
products and services—from pet
Halloween costumes to travel-
related services—increase
substantially.
// Page 16

12. CHAPTER 5:
Events and Training
// Page 15
BarkWorld Expo was established in 2009 and has continued to
build strong online support for the cause of sharing and
educating pet lovers within social media.
http://www.barkworldexpo.com/
BlogPaws' offers educational, networking, and business
opportunities for the online pet community. The annual
conferences bring together hundreds of pet bloggers, pet
enthusiasts, shelters, rescues, and the brands who serve
them, for social media education, networking.
http://events.blogpaws.com/
For the most up-to-date and personal training, consider
attending one of the many Expositions and conferences
tailored specifically to address the needs of animal service
providers needing training and insight in to social media
marketing.

13. There’s a lot of information out there to get a
good start on your Social Media Marketing
program. But doing an effective job takes
time, tools and manpower. If you want to take
advantage of these growing industry
trends, contact Your Time Social Media Services.
Contact
us on
Facebook
http://on.fb.me/15DuZY3/