Where Do Pet Owners Learn About New Products?

APPA Home / Events & News / Blog Post
December 28, 2023
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With new and innovative products launched each year in the pet industry, pet owners have no shortage of choices when it comes to shopping for their pets. Pet product marketers can look to data from APPA’s Strategic Insights report to identify which channels pet owners are using to learn about new products. Armed with the data, marketers can make informed decisions about how to invest their marketing resources on channels like their website, retailer websites, YouTube, and social media networks. 


What are the Top Channels for Pet Product Marketing?

 

How a Pet Owner Learns About Pet Products

 

The 2022 National Pet Owner’s Survey as reported by APPA’s Strategic Insights report, gathers essential data on how pet owners make purchasing decisions. Pet owners reported learning about new pet products via the following channels:


1. Pet Product Company Websites

Investing in your own website is a smart marketing strategy, and the data backs it up. According to Strategic Insights for the Pet Industry: Pet Owners 2023 & Beyond, 50% of pet owners learn about new products directly from pet product company websites.1 Implementing best practices for SEO, product marketing, and accessibility will help your website more effectively communicate to the pet owners who are browsing your website.

Although your company website is the leading source of information on new products for most pet owners, product websites are trending down compared to 2018. Strategic marketers should look to diversify their marketing by including some of the following channels in their tactics for 2024. 

2. YouTube

YouTube is the second largest search engine, after Google.2 So, it’s no surprise that YouTube is the second most popular source pet owners use to learn about new products. 45% of pet owners find new products via YouTube, compared to 35% in 2018.1 Not only does YouTube offer a dynamic, video-based platform to display your products, but it also boasts a highly engaged audience with specific search intent. 

3. Retailer Website

The 3rd most popular online channel for learning about new pet products is through retailer websites. In fact, in 2022, retailer websites surpassed Facebook in the ranking for top channels for learning about new products.1 While pet-focused websites like Chewy and Petsmart are great resources for pet owners, sites like Amazon and major grocery retailers are experiencing a lift because more consumers are adding pet supplies to their carts while shopping for other home essentials. Sponsored placement on retailer websites may be a good advertising strategy to test for marketing your pet products in 2024. 

4. Facebook Pages

Facebook remains an important source of information for pet owners, although it remained relatively flat in recent years, with no significant increase or decrease in pet owner usage. 42% of pet owners use Facebook to learn about new pet products compared to 44% in 2018.1 For now, Facebook remains a consistent source of information on new pet products coming to market. Marketers can supplement their organic social media efforts with sponsored content, which can target ideal consumers based on interest and intent data through Facebook’s ad network. 

5. Product Review Sites

The 5th leading source of info on new pet products is product review websites, which 33% of pet owners say they use to learn about new products. Word of mouth and social proof through positive reviews can help lend credibility to your product. Sites like Paw Talk, The Spruce Pets, and The Pet Engineer are a few to monitor for mentions of your products.  Ensuring satisfactory quality and service can help you turn product review sites into lead-generating channels for your pet products. 

6. Instagram

Instagram is the 6th leading source for new product information, with 32% of pet owners using it for that purpose.1 The rise in popularity of social networks like Instagram has led to an entirely new marketing strategy: influencer marketing. While organic social media posts and paid ads can help you market your products, partnering with an influencer could unlock significant growth for your business. Not sure how to get started? Marketers can attend The Pet Summit 2024 for educational sessions and opportunities to connect with successful pet influencers who can help dramatically increase your exposure on Instagram. 

7. TikTok

Although last on our list of top sources for learning about new pet products, TikTok is a channel to keep an eye on. According to APPA’s Strategic Insights, TikTok is the fastest-growing source pet owners use to learn about new products. 25% of pet owners are using TikTok to learn about new products compared to 14% in 2020 (that’s a 78.6% increase). This significant increase is particularly notable since Facebook and Instagram have remained relatively flat over the same period. 

Access APPA’s Strategic Insights to Grow Your Business

Get more pet owner consumer behavior data at your fingertips when you access APPA’s report,  Strategic Insights for the Pet Industry: Pet Owners 2023 & Beyond for economic insights, pet owner behavior, and pet ownership trends.



Source

1. American Pet Products Association. (publication). Strategic Insights for the Pet Industry: Pet Owners 2023 & Beyond (pp. 38).

2. Lawson, C. (2022, June 23). Youtube: The World’s second largest search engine. Intro to Social Media.