For busy pet store owners, the daily responsibilities of operating a small business never seem to end. With all the aspects of running a business, the last thing you’re thinking of is social media marketing, much less creative Instagram post ideas. But having an online presence is crucial for growing your business and expanding its reach locally.
Social media for pet stores, especially small ones, is crucial. But you’re in the pet industry, not marketing. Coming up with quality and engaging content is challenging and time-consuming on your own. Don’t worry — Astro Loyalty’s got your back. We’ve crafted 33 ideas for posts to use in your social media marketing!
#1 Showcase Your Products & Astro Offers 👉
You’re a pet store, so it only makes sense to show off your best pet products! Go for popular items or products with eye-catching packaging. And, of course, highlight your Astro Offers for the month!
#2 Host a Contest
Engage your audience with a contest or giveaway. People love free stuff!
#3 “Caption This” Posts
Post a funny or weird photo — it can be of a pet, your team members, or just a cute animal. Ask the comments to caption it with something silly and watch the comments roll in!
#4 Pet of the Day
Ask pet owners for photos of their animals and choose one every month to be the “pet of the day” on your account.
#5 Pet-fleuncer collab
Pet celebrities are incredibly popular online. Find local pet-fluencers to collab with in a post.
#6 Ask a Question
Host a discussion for your followers with a post asking a question like “What’s the weirdest pet name you’ve heard?” or “What are the best grooming products?”
#7 Make a Poll
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (on Instagram stories) all allow you to host polls. This can be a great way to get feedback from your customers on what products or events they want to see.
#8 How-to Posts 👉
Since you’re a pet industry expert, show your followers how to do what you do! You can post how-tos for things like using a certain product or finding the best ones.
#9 Microblog
If you have long copy from a blog or website, re-use them into bite-sized posts. On Instagram, you can organize multiple blog points into several pictures on a single post.
#10 Brand Awareness Posts
It’s never too late to introduce yourself. Share the mission and core of your brand with a post online.
#11 Milestone Post
Did you recently reach a customer milestone? Is it the anniversary of your grand opening? Celebrate online with your loyal customers!
#12 Share Pawsitive News
Whenever something new and exciting happens to your business, let your customers know on social media. You could also make the post a sneak peek hinting at new changes in-store.
#13 Shoutout Team Members 
A business is nothing without its employees! Humanize your pet store by highlighting the people who help run it.
#14 Showcase Reviews
Testimonials and reviews speak to the quality of your business. Showcase your most glowing ones on your social media accounts.
#15 Memes
Memes do ridiculously well online. If you have a sharp sense of humor, share a meme relevant and relatable to pet owners.
#16 Post Quotes
When you can’t think of the right words to put in a post, a good quote does it for you! There are many quotes about pets online, many of them from famous people and historical figures.
#17 Reposts
If you have a post you thought was really great but didn’t receive the engagement you hoped for, plan to repost it. Just be sure it’s not too recent
#18 Unique Product Displays
Pet retail is all about creative and fun product displays. You put a ton of effort into arranging your displays; you may as well post them!
#19 Weekly Themes
Give your followers something they can look forward to every week with regularly occurring themed posts like “Small Business Saturday” or “Throwback Thursday.”
#20 Answer FAQs
Take a minute to answer a few commonly asked questions from your customers.
#21 Go Live
Social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram let you film videos live. Film a live Q&A with your audience or live stream a fun event in-store!
#22 Pet Care Quick Tips
Give advice on different aspects of pet care, like grooming, training, playtime, and more.
#23 Document an Event
In-store marketing events are perfect opportunities for social media posts. Show your followers the awesome things taking place in your shop. Especially when a new pet owner redeems a ‘Sharing the Love’ Adoption Bundle for their adopted pet!
#24 Holiday Posts
Post seasonally-appropriate content around big holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. These holidays are often peak shopping season, so don’t forget to promote your store’s sales and events!
#25 “Did You Know?” Posts
Whether you want to dive into the pets of U.S. Presidents or the invention of dog kibble, there are all kinds of weird facts and trivia to share with your followers.
#26 Bust a Myth
Make an educational post correcting a common misconception or myth. This can be about pets, the pet industry, or pet owners in general.
#27 Partner with other Businesses
While you may not want to partner with other pet stores, you could buddy up with another small local business like yours! Work together and make social posts showcasing a partnership or just shouting each other out.
#28 Your Small Biz Story
What’s the story behind your pet store? What drives you? Talk about your story on social media, showcasing yourself as a local business owner.
#29 Share/Repost Local Content
Promoting local content is an efficient way to get more eyes and ears on your brand while also staying close to your community.
#30 Post Videos
Pictures and graphics aren’t the only type of content you can post. Try mixing up your format and posting a video instead.
#31 This-or-That posts
This is a fun little mini-quiz you can play with followers. Show a series of options on a post and ask which of each your audience would prefer and encourage them to comment on their results!
#32 Snap In-store Photos
You already have an endless source of content- your own store! Post pictures of your building’s exterior, indoor posts showing customer interactions, and fun decorations around the store.
#33 Updates
Many pet stores are small enough that they may have to temporarily close if the owners can’t work on a certain day. Social media is a great way to let your followers know ahead of time.
There you have it — 33 ideas for creative social media posts for pet retailers. Your list doesn’t have to stop at 33. Creative Instagram posts, YouTube videos, TikToks, and other types of social media posts help create a lasting impression on viewers and make your pet business stand out. We encourage you to try brainstorming your own ideas for creative Instagram (or other social platforms) posts. In the meantime, check out the rest of our blog for more social media and pet store marketing tips!
