The PetsitUSA Blog

8 Tips for posting to your Facebook pet sitting page

Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:56 PM PDT

I quite often get questions from pet sitters who have new Facebook pages for their pet sitting business. After they get it set up, they have no idea what to post. Sometimes they’re so concerned about posting the wrong thing on their page that they end up not posting anything. Others use it to promote their business in post after post. Neither tactic makes the best use of a Facebook page though.

Writing messages on your Facebook page doesn’t have to be difficult – and shouldn’t be a constant advertisement. Think about what you would talk about with some of your pet-loving friends, and keep in mind that the word social in social media isn’t an accident. Use your Fan Page to interact with your fans rather than just blasting information at them.

Here are just a few types of posts to try out on your Facebook Page:

Post information about local pet events. Whether or not you will be attending, let people know what’s happening in your community. Your fans will start to look to you for interesting things to do that center around pets.
Ask your fans about their pets. People love to brag about their cats, dogs, and other pets. Let them know you want to hear from them and learn about what makes their pets so special.
Offer reviews of pet products you’ve tried.
Post pictures of your clients’ pets (with their permission, of course). If you have a cute or touching story to tell, include that too.
Help promote others. It might be a blog post, an article, or another Facebook post. You’ll give your fans something interesting, and you’ll give a shout out to somebody else who posts cool stuff.
Share information about other pet professionals in your area. If you know of a groomer, veterinarian, pooper scooper, a dog trainer, even another pet sitter that you think highly of, let others know.
Ask your fans what they’d like to see. They may give you some great ideas that you can expand on!
Let your fans know about specials you might be offering, but be careful not to promote yourself too much. Your fans know what you do and know how to find you. You don’t want to alienate them by always being a salesman.

Keep in mind that when you’re using social media websites, like Facebook, Twitter, and others, people expect you to be social. Engage with your friends, followers, and fans – get to know them, and let them get to know you. Don’t just put a question or comment out there and forget about it. Respond to what others say and actively engage with others. When they respond to your question or comment, return the favor. Take time to create relationships with your fans and they’ll remember you when they, or their friends, need a pet sitter.

Be social! And above all, have fun.

Come on over to the PetsitUSA Facebook page and click the Like button!