Webinars for Pet Industry Marketers 

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What is a Webinar? 

A webinar is a seminar that is conducted virtually with a group of individuals. Webinars are a way for companies to spend one-on-one time with their target audience, diving deeper into their product, service or philanthropy, all while increasing their lead generation opportunities. There are a variety of types of webinars. Many times, brands will reach out to media partners or vice versa whose to facilitate and host the webinars. 

Why are Pet Retailers Using Webinars? 

This savvy marketing tactic is used by many of the biggest B2B and B2C companies in the world and has been increasingly utilized in the pet industry as a way to deliver high-quality, specific information about your business to your target audience. 

General Webinar Statistics 2023 

• 95% of businesses believe webinars are an important part of their marketing strategy (Source: On24) 
• 73% of B2B companies say webinars are the best way to generate high-quality leads (Source: GoTo1)  

Benefits of Using a Webinar 

Pet industry decision-makers are always looking for ways to connect with their target audience. Hosting a webinar allows them to: 

• Connect with Highly-Targeted, In-Market Audiences
  When you host a webinar with a relevant media brand, you have the ability to invite people in your target audience. The host will market your webinar to these people thus making all of the attendees in-market. You get interrupted time with the attendees to explain your product or service. 

• Lead Generation Opportunities
  Media partners hand over the registration list to the company, so they are able to follow up with them. Since the list is made up of the target audience, the company uses webinars as a lead generation tool. Further, the marketing surrounding the webinar leads to increased and lasting brand exposure to the target audience. 
• Increase Credibility
  Sponsoring a webinar from a reputable host that holds influence in the pet industry can help build a brand’s credibility by simply being associated with the host. If the webinar can illustrate your company’s value, then that also builds a rapport with the attendees by giving them awareness of your brand. 

Common Types of Webinars: 

Thought Leader Webinars: 

In these webinars, sponsors and brands are positioning themselves as industry thought leaders by appearing alongside authorities in these various spaces. Most of the time, there will be industry experts who will discuss various topics, trends, tips, and provide value to the audience. 

Branded/CoBranded Webinars 

These are webinars that can be more brandy-heavy in focus and many of the speakers will often brand leaders rather than impartial industry experts. However, brands will still bring in thought leaders sometimes to add credibility or provide testimonials. 

The lines between different types of webinars can be blurred depending on who is determining the topics and speaking schedule. Many times, these events and speakers will be set up by the host beforehand and the brands will be more plug and play. While many brands prefer the brand-heavy webinars, subtle sponsorships alongside thought leaders perform extremely well for many pet businesses. That is why, again, determining the correct strategy for your specific business model, budget, and positioning is key. 

Get in Touch 

At Pet Age, our mission is to help companies do more business and grow the industry. If you’d like more ideas and insights on making webinars work for your business, get in touch with one of our marketing experts by filling out the form below.