Content Savants has had the privilege of working with a wide range of clients and business types, from hotels and restaurants, to specialty manufacturing and services.  One of our more unique clients is with a small pet boarding establishment situated in Kuala Lumpur’s charming Sri Petaling neighborhood. 

Through the generation of mainly graphical social media content and strategic implementation of a consistent meme-based campaign on Facebook and Instagram, the pet services salon has experienced a remarkable turnaround in customer queries and social reach.  What was once a fledgling business, frequently grappling with days of no customers, transitioned into into a thriving enterprise that saw a steady stream of clients. This initial surge in positivity paved the way for sustained growth, culminating in profitability just four months down the line.

This transitional phase marked a significant operational improvement and served as a catalyst for the business’s success.  Content Savants continued to collaborate closely with the business owners, as they expanded their set of services from only pet boarding to also include a specialty retail shop, and in partnership with a local free agent groomer, grooming services for dogs and cats.  As a result of the social media campaign support, the initial results boasted a monthly Return on Investment (RoI) exceeding a remarkable 100% for their social media marketing expenditures.

Content Savants’ content services empowered the pet boarding business to engage in frequent and consistent social media posting, a strategy that drew the attention of their existing following (over 3,000 followers already on Facebook), which had grown organically over the business’s three-year history. The number of followers also showed steady growth, increasing by approximately 5% each month. While this metric hinted at further optimization opportunities, the immediate focus for the business was to enhance their appeal to existing customers, with other metrics taking a backseat to the bottom line. Content Savants aligned their approach with this priority during initial discussions with the business, devising a cost-effective strategy to generate early, positive results.

The social media theme was built upon two fundamental principles:

• Branding:  Fostering a positive association between the business and its customers over time.  The implementation strategy also involved creating content featuring quotes about dogs and cats from renowned authors, actors, and other celebrities, which were then transformed into engaging memes and shared on Facebook and Instagram.  This content not only supported the goal of forging positive associations but also positioned the business alongside influential figures, leaving a favorable impression on customers who recognized these beloved personalities sharing their love for animals.
• Personal Attention:  highlighting the personalized nature of the boarding services, and contrasting these to many of its competitors, which often confined their overnight guests in cages. This theme was brought to life through the inclusion of original photographs taken within the shop, depicting animals in playful and enjoyable settings. A diverse array of images showcased dogs and cats of various breeds, along with the occasional appearance of unique pets that the establishment accommodated from time to time.

While the initial phase of the pet shop’s online presence proved sufficient to propel the business to profitability and achieve a social media RoI that exceeded expectations, a second phase called for a more sophisticated approach, which included management of a marketing campaign that seamlessly blended online social media engagement with regular blog updates on the business’s website.

This more holistic and comprehensive approach is made possible thanks to the foundational efforts of its initial strategy, which relied on simple content development and consistent publishing to its growing audience.  This strategy is available to any business with an online presence.

The key to success with this approach has been proven over and again in the context of nearly every business venture.  Getting started requires the following (easy) steps:

• Pick a Platform:  Deciding on a preferred social media platform as the initial focus of communication and building a mass audience.  Facebook… Instagram… Youtube… these and many others are fully suitable for a beginning campaign.  Start with whichever is most familiar to you. 
• Use it Effectively:  Learn more and more over time about what the platform offers and how to use it effectively. 
• Develop a Theme:  Or rather, an online personality, or a voice through which you will express your thoughts.  This is really about thinking of what to say, then how to say it.  Search similar businesses online for inspiration (not copying!  Remember, search engines are very harsh on copied content).
• Focus on Consistency:  Finding the time and pushing away the distractions to start writing, developing graphics, videos and any other format that will engage your audience and capture their eyeballs.
• Up your game:  Once you have a foundation of content in place, published consistently over an extended period of time, your skills will gradually improve and you will begin to seek out additional, more sophisticated ways to engage your audience. 

The early success of the pet board business and its social media marketing strategy serves as a testament to the immense potential of this medium in elevating business profiles and captivating the attention of online customers.