Marketing a new social networking site for pet owners
Background
There are social networking sites popping up every day - so new ventures need to be careful their market isn't already being catered for.
ThePet.net is the brainchild of celebrity vet Marc Abraham and Qube's MD Andrew Seel - it's a social network for animals - and their owners.
Pet owners have traditionally been serviced in a very piecemeal way online, if at all. There were no one-stop-shops where people could search for services, information, advice or support.
ThePet.net has changed that by launching a revolutionary new social networking site. A review-based site, it aims to become the most trusted and up-to-date source of pet information available anywhere.
Key to its success is that all the information is provided by pet owners, for pet owners. If you use any pet service, you can add it and review it on the site. If you're looking for a dog-friendly hotel, search for one. A vet? See what local pet owners think.
Qube was commissioned to provide social media marketing and search engine marketing services for ThePet.net, which launched in late October 2008. We also designed the site and provided interactive consultancy.
What we're doing
Social networking sites rely on their communities, and as the content of ThePet.net is contributed by its members, getting people to engage with the site is fundamental.
Prior to launch, the vital challenge Qube faced was generating enough interest and members of the community to contribute content.
Qube mounted a pre-launch online PR and social media campaign to generate awareness and interest.
We understand people are passionate about their pets and many are already involved in conversations all over the web. We spent time finding these communities - and crucially, we listened to them before joining their conversations to ensure we were offering them something of worth.
Coverage and discussion of thepet.net was also achieved in wide range of online press ranging from vetsurgeon.org to Our Dogs magazine.
The pre-launch social media marketing and online PR proved incredibly successful, generating thousands of leads and contacts to become involved with the site upon launch.
The future
ThePet.net successfully launched at an event in London in October 2008.
Qube is now engaged in search engine marketing consultancy in addition to ongoing social media marketing consultancy and driving awareness and engagement with the website.
ThePet.net is a website with an opinion and lots of passion - because pet owners are passionate about their pets. Qube is simply harnessing this to ensure the success of ThePet.net.
Check out ThePet.net's Facbook page.
Email us or call us on 01273 689 672 to see how we can help you with your online pr or social media marketing.