Are You Pushing Clients Away or Pulling Them In?
Updated: Aug 31
"Trust is the scarcest resource we have left." Seth Godin
I opened the door and four dogs of various sizes jumped and scratched all over me. It was chaos and confusion on 16 legs. At 5’3” and 105 pounds, I was having a hard time hanging on to my dignity.
Finally, my sister marched into the room and said, “GIT DOWN! GIT DOWN ALL Y’ALL!”
And like the proverbial tide, those mutts retreated and went about their business.
She thinks I don’t like dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love dogs, especially well-behaved dogs.
That’s when I realized this (recurring) event had a lot to do with pet wellness marketing.
Push vs. Pull Marketing: What's the Difference?
There are two kinds of marketing. According to Hubspot, push marketing is targeting prospects who are looking for your solution, product, or brand. Think social media ads, billboards, and even direct marketing.
With adults seeing roughly about 5,000 ads per day (push marketing), that means, on average, consumers see 2,000,000 ads yearly. That’s a lot of dogs jumping up on you trying to grab your attention.
The problem? Consumers tune out.
Why Pet Parents Choose Businesses They Trust
Highly motivated clients, whether you're a vet, a dog rehab clinic, pet retailer, or horse trainer, are all looking for a business quality that's hard to find.
These clients treat their pets like children. So, they want a genuine connection with their provider. Just sending digital email ads won’t tie them to your brand.
For example, a small canine non-profit I work with, The Mosby Foundation, has a subscriber list of less than 800. With my feature story, their quarterly paper newsletter pulls in over $17,500 with some donors giving between $1,000-$4,000.
That’s the power of pull marketing. It builds connection and trust. So how can you build that kind of trust and generate more revenue?
Ask yourself:
Is Your Website Pushing Prospects Away?
Does your headline speak to the prospect?
Does your copy focus on the problem?
Is it obvious what happens next?
"Honey, Honey, Can't You See" (Barry White) for the header--Before you write another word on your website, make sure your header tells prospects what you do for them and what problems you solve for them. For example, are you a pain-free groomer? A holistic veterinarian? What do you have that your audience wants? Keep them reading!
"Stayin' Alive" (The Bee Gees) for the body copy—This is a biggie and much abused. Your body copy has to keep the prospect interested or poof! They're gone. Remember, to keep the love going, address their specific problems and show them your unique way of solving those problems.
"With a Little Help from My Friends" (The Beatles) for Optimization—Your website needs strong SEO fundamentals so search engines and AI-powered search systems can understand, discover, and potentially surface your content when prospects are looking for answers. Both work together! But don't forget to interact with your audience on social media. These days, visibility is the name of the game.
"Start Me Up" (The Rolling Stones) for Blog posts—And keep it going. Build trust and authority by answering commonly asked questions you hear. For example, "Why does my dog eat poop?" or "Why does my cat pee outside the litter box?" "What is the right pet food for my allergic dog/cat?"
Showing your clients you understand them and their pets builds trust and authority. Provide solid advice with a call-to-action link to buy something.
"I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton) for Success stories—This is how you build even more trust, authority, and sales. Success stories share how you helped an animal and how it made a difference in the life of the pet and pet parent! This is a soft, believable way of selling your services. (Just like Dolly.)
Why Newsletters Build a Fence Around Your Audience
"Don't Touch My Hat (Lyle Lovett) for Monthly e-newsletter—Don't let anyone poach your clients. E-newsletters keep your tribe engaged with you. A monthly e-newsletter with seasonal pet tips, a limited time offer, a client appreciation corner, (see how fast your newsletter gets shared), and more, strongly differentiates you from your competitors. (Seriously, how many pet businesses actually put out a meaty newsletter? And the real catch? It helps grow revenue.)
"Dear Abby" (John Prine) for Social Media—Love it or hate it, the point is to use it the right way. Write 80% of your posts to make yourself relatable. What did you do over the weekend? What questions can you ask that gets people responding? The other 20% pitch what you have to offer.
How Do You Know Where to Start or What to Start With?
That depends entirely on the growth stage of your business. Do you need more exposure, credibility, clients? Is one area of your business languishing and you don’t know why? Or are there new services you want to promote?
Whatever it is...
I do recommend you tread carefully with the pack of hounds (push marketing) and integrate a strong pull marketing strategy.
Stick with inviting people into your world. It shifts your business from being a vendor to a trusted advisor. Sure, have some ads, if you want to, just make sure they speak to what your prospects are looking for.
Just don't paw all over your audience and expect a tail wag in return.
Want to get some marketing direction in your business? Talk about what you want to grow and what you want to let go of. Grab a cup of coffee and let's talk for 30-minutes. It's on the house.
You can also take my free quiz to find out if your pet wellness marketing is building loyalty or costing you clients. It only takes two-minutes and you'll get a free report plus a free short video from me with tips on how to improve your marketing.
My Signature Framework—The TRUST Method
The TRUST Method
T – Tell a compelling story-Prospects connect with your business, growing your sales.
R – Remove buying friction-Reduce hesitation. Increase sales.
U – Understand the customer-Speak to what matters most to your audience.
S – Show proof-Build confidence with evidence, testimonials, and credibility.
T – Turn customers into advocates-Increase repeat purchases, referrals, and lifetime value.
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