February is chock full of holidays that pair perfectly with Astro Offers, Sharing the Love Adoption Programs, and My Promotions. We have added new Astro Templates and Astro Images to your Marketing Suite that you can use to showcase your store's special promotions for the month. Our Knowledge Base is also full of helpful Social Media Tips.
Are you on etailpet? We have started adding Holiday Banners to the Astro Image Library that you can use to decorate your online store. There are two new Astro Image Filters, "etailpet Shop Now Banners" and etailpet Secondary Banners". Show Now Banners are 1350x350px and Secondary Banners are 1350x290px.
Astro will start sharing our designs with you via Canva links so you can add your own flourishes before posting or using them in your Campaigns. You'll start seeing these peppered throughout these Marketing Guides. They are especially useful for social platforms like Instagram that require you use your phone in order to post.
Canva's basic account is free to use. It can be accessed from your browser via Canva.com or you can download their Desktop App to Windows. They also have a mobile app (Andriod, Apple) that can be used to publish your designs direct to Instagram. They even offer fun design ideas for their mobile app users.
Editor's Note: Since February has so many Month-Long Holidays we have decided to only include the holidays on this guide that relate the closest to Neighborhood Retail, Shopping Local, Natural Pet Foods, Holistic Health. As the month progresses we may add additional materials for your use - so check back periodically. (psst, I'll be adding Canva links as the month progresses!)
Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month pairs perfectly with Sharing the Love. Oxbow and Carefresh by Healthy Pet both have programs on the Sharing the Love platform.
The Oxbow Sharing the Love Program, (a.k.a. Have a Hay Day) is private and only available for local retailers who are a part of their Preferred Store Program. As a member, Oxbow will provide your store with additional support and promotional opportunities via Astro. If you are a Preferred Store member don't miss out on this opportunity to promote your Oxbow Adoption Program!
Carefresh's Sharing the Love Program is available to all Astro Members and rewards new rabbit parents with a complimentary bag of bedding. Enroll today and don't miss this opportunity to promote Sharing the Love at your store!
That's not all! Both Oxbow and Carefresh have Exclusive Offers for February! These Offers are available to All Astro Members!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Element and Sharing the Love. Astro Images under Holiday, etailpet Shop Now, etailpet Secondary Banners for eTailPet e-comm retailers, Facebook, and Instagram Image Libraries.
Astro Offers Pairing: Adopt a Rabbit Month Offers
Canva Links: Instagram Image
Social Media Fun: Ask your customers to share pics of their rescue bunnies. Invite local rabbit rescues to share posts about their adoptable rabbits - make sure they know about your Sharing the Love platform! Post your Sharing the Love > My Astro Webpage Flyer to your Facebook page.
Dog Training Education Month falls perfectly onto the coattails of January's National Train Your Dog Month. This means that the promotions you began in January can rollover into February. Just think of all of the pet parents that made New Year's Resolutions relating to training their puppies, or adult doggos! February can be all about keeping these pet owners on track and encouraging them to stick with it!
Are you a dog trainer? Do you have dog trainers on staff? Are you friendly with a local dog trainer? Are there some training tips that have worked for your dog? Does your store carry training treats and other dog training supplies? I'm sure there is some way that you and your shop relate personally to the world of dog training!
There's a bunch of fun stuff you can do for this holiday:
You can design a Dog Training Essentials display in your shop that includes the Training Treats that are a part of February's Astro Offers.
Launch a Pre-Paid Membership Loyalty Program for customers who sign up for your training classes to get them to commit to a structured training program.
Host a Facebook Live with a local trainer to answer any questions your customers may have. Include a reward for anyone who attends!
Create a My Promotion for a free training consultation! Are you participating in Sharing the Love? A free training consult would be a fantastic coupon to include in your New Dog Welcome Home Care Packages. What a great way to support new pet parents and keep them coming to you for their pet care needs!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer & My Promotion Elements. Astro Images under Holiday, etailpet Shop Now, etailpet Secondary Banners for eTailPet e-comm retailers, Facebook, Instagram, and My Promotions Image Libraries.
Astro Offer Pairings: There's a bunch! Some key ones to look out for: Vital Essentials has a Buy 3 Get 1 Free (it's the perfect stock up Offer!) on their highest value freeze-dried treats. Lotus, Grandma Lucy's, Raised Right, West Paw all have $Off Offers on their yummiest treats. Nandi Pets is also running a BOGO!
My Promotion Idea: Free Dog Training Consult - this is a great way to encourage your customers to engage with you and commit to a series of classes. You can even give them a tease by showing them some leash training techniques, or a simple "shake" "sit" "stay" "place" technique.
Here it is folks! The holiday that reminds us of what we should be doing on a regular basis for our pets, caring for their teeth!
I'll admit, I'm not always the best about regularly brushing my dog's teeth, and forget about being able to brush my cats' teeth - yikes.
Pet Dental Health Month is the time to educate your customers and show them that caring for their pet's teeth, gums, and gut (which also has a direct relation to a pet's breath) is not as complicated as they may think!
The most important thing a pet parent can do for their pet's teeth and gums is anything at all! It may be difficult to get a pet parent to commit to brushing their pet's teeth every day, but most will be willing to commit to brushing once a week. While others may be more inclined to incorporate dental chews, raw bones, water additives, or dental sprays/gels into their pet's routine. The idea is to get them on the dental care bandwagon in one form or another, and as their new dental routine becomes achievable they can start to add other elements.
If you have a vet on-sight, or have a good relationship with local vets in your area, this is a good time to recommend a dental check up to your customers. If your vet is on-sight set up a My Promotion for a discounted or complimentary dental checkup so your customers will be more inclined to schedule a follow-up dental cleaning. If you do not have a vet on-sight see if one of your local vet offices will join you in a cross-promotion/referral program. Ex. Every customer referred to your store after receiving a cleaning gets a free/discounted dental care item. If your vet friend agrees to offer their own discount for your customers even better!
Dental health is so much more than teeth brushing! We are all aware that overall health begins with a good diet, and many dental health issues are caused by malnutrition. That's why we have included February Offers for Supplements and Complete Diets in addition to the Offers most directly related to Dental Health Month, such as Chews and Gut Supplements.
Our Offer Spotlight for Pet Dental Health Month has to go to Earth Buddy and their Offer for their Gut Health supplement which helps to heal the gut and freshen breath. Runners up include Etta Says Chews (yup, dental health can also be yummy!), and West Paw's Chew Toy and Treat Offer. That's just the tip of the icey fresh iceberg, click the Astro Offers Banner below for more!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer/My Promotion Elements. Astro Images under Holiday, etailpet Shop Now, etailpet Secondary Banners for eTailPet e-comm retailers, Facebook, Instagram, and My Promotions Image Libraries.
My Promotion Ideas: $/% Off Dental Care Items. $/% Off Dental Exam with on-sight vet. Free Dental Consultation - this should be a discussion/educational session that you have with your customer in order to show them how they can incorporate dental health into their pet's routine.
Astro Offer Pairings: Natural Chews, Supplements, Complete Diets to build up their nutritional foundation. Flyer Link to enroll.
Social Media Fun: Share links to educational articles. Share tricks you have learned (if you know how best to brush a cat's teeth I would love to know!)
Now is the perfect time to pose these questions to your customers...
"What's your cat eatin'?"
"What's in your cat's bowl?"
"What's in your cat's food?"
Cats are obligate carnivores. They need the meats! Matching a cat with their ideal diet can be tricky. We who have spent any time advising pet owners in natural pet food shops know this to be fact. Cats tend to imprint on their food, and they are often picky when it comes to texture and temperature.
There are the cats who were introduced to kibble young - and they will not deviate from their crunchies! Then there are the cats that love their wet food when it is at room temperature, but they give you that look when you try to serve the exact same food to them cold. (Revenge is best served cold, not my food hooman!)
I have to say I am pretty lucky. Both of my cats will eat their raw nuggets directly from the fridge (and there have been times they've licked them like meat popsicles when they weren't completely thawed). They will also eat their baked food from their food robot, and they will happily lap up their goat milk and bone broth snacks with freeze-dried "meat-marshmallows", or enjoy the occasional canned or pouched delicacy. (I'm knocking on all of the wood right now!)
But what about those pet owners that are struggling to transition their cat from [insert icky food here] to something healthier? Or the ones that were hoping to introduce a new supplement, or try a natural cat litter. Now is the time to offer them some support and guidance. If you do not already offer a satisfaction guarantee then try one out for the month of February for your picky cat customers. Advertise Free Cat Nutrition Consultations using My Promotions. Make sure they are aware of the Cat Health Themed Offers you are running for the month - we are featuring Offers for Complete Diets, Toppers, Treats, Supplements, and Litter.
Cats can be prone to dehydration, so introducing additional moisture into their diet is of huge benefit. This month Lotus, Nulo, and Victor all have Astro Offers that reward free wet food with a purchase of their dry diets! Customers can also try moisture rich raw or dehydrated diets thanks to Grandma Lucy's and Primal Pet Food's generous Offers. Koha even has an Offer on full cases of their wet diets!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements and My Promotion Element. Astro Images under Holiday, etailpet Shop Now, etailpet Secondary Banners for eTailPet e-comm retailers, Facebook, Instagram, and My Promotions Image Libraries.
My Promotion Ideas: Free Nutritional Consult for Cat Parents
Social Media Fun: Ask the question, "What's in your cat's bowl?" and share some fun facts about cat nutrition and health. The key is to not make anyone feel bad about what they are currently feeding, but to empower them to be a proactive participants in their cat's health routine!