National Pet Awareness Days (and how to start your own)

A national day or 'holiday' is a specific day every year used to raise awareness of a particular issue or celebration. You can even register your own pet holiday as part of your marketing plan! Read on to find out where to start...

How to use pet holidays in your pet business

National days such as pet holidays are a great way to market your pet business and extend your reach on social media. You might piggyback other national pet holidays, or even create your own!

Have a look at what's coming up and see which may be relevant to your audience or business. How can you make the most of the national day for your pet business?

You might put together a blog ahead of the day, craft some social media posts, or even use them as inspiration for a challenge. Above all, just have fun with them! There are no rules.

For a comprehensive, regularly updated list of pet holidays and awareness days curated for a UK audience, the Vetstoria pet holidays calendar is a brilliant place to start. It covers everything from fun national days to more serious health awareness months, and is updated annually.

A quick note though... double check the date if you are planning to use one, as unregistered days can sometimes shift.

Creating your own Pet Holiday

If you’re feeling inspired and have an idea for your own national pet holiday, then this podcast by Rachel Spencer is fantastic.

Marketing your pet holiday on social media

National pet holidays are generally promoted on social media – but they can also be an opportunity to get your business in the press!

For example, with the help of Rachel Spencer, Kim O’Donnell’s (Leo Charley & Me) 'Twin With Your Dog Day' was featured in her local paper, The Daily Star, Take a Break, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail. And Sarah Jones (My Anxious Dog), again with the expert help of Rachel, had an incredible 11 pieces of national press in just four days!

When planning your own National day, keep in mind that you are using it as a vehicle to promote your business, so all paths should lead back to you and the products and services you offer.

I created the graphics for some of these campaigns consisting of a Facebook page header and social media posts. They are branded to sit alongside your business, making sure your audience make the connection.

Take a look at National Terrier Day for example – there's a Facebook header, and main information posts can be shared in the few weeks leading up to your day, to raise awareness. Then posts on the days itself are a mixture of engagement and promotion.

Jo from Pippin Pets went a step further when marketing her 'Dog Separation Anxiety Day' by having a eGuide designed (by me!) to demonstrate her expert knowledge and attract people to her email list where she could then market to them further.

And Jo from Distinctive Pets did the same when marketing her 'Muddy Dog Day' by having a lead magnet to pull together all of the products she sells that were relevant to the day. This took the form of an interactive PDF much like a digital magazine, with clickable links back through to specific products on her website (mugs, microfibre towels, dog soap etc.)

Isn't it cool how it all fits together so beautifully, whilst staying on-brand and on-message?

And if you'd like to chat further about graphics for your day, give me a shout: alison@number27design.co.uk