Be Known… Locally, Then Grow!

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

I live in a small town. I mean small enough that I share the roads at times with Amish buggies. The boats in the Erie Canal are sometimes moving more quickly than the traffic in front of me. We did finally get our first "left turn" arrow. What point am I trying to make (other than the fact that there is no Starbucks within a 45 mile radius)? Even though I am in a small town, I can have a big reach with my pet blogging. How? Easy. 

To become on a larger scale, get known locally. Imagine this. I am the ONLY pet blogger in Orleans and Niagara and Erie counties, I know there is at least one pet blogger in Monroe county (fellow BlogPaws Community Member Kathryn McMahon) What does this mean? That I have an opportunity to become known locally as the go-to person for all things pet.

Here are some ideas to get your local pet blogging expertise known: 

1. Volunteer to do social media or blogging for a shelter. Don't let volunteering take over your money-making endeavors — set a limit of X number of hours per week/month and stick with it. Pin photos of adoptable pets, write status updates for social media, pen a blog post or two that links back to your website. 
2. Offer to write a pet-related blog for the local newspaper. In my community there is a small newspaper that often accepts free columns from freelancers. See if your community has the same opportunity, contact the editor and offer to write a column. 
3. Check to see if your local veterinarian has a website or social media presence. If they don't, provide your services to get them known. 
4. Attend local non-pet related events and when it's time to deliver your elevator speech make certain you say, "I'm a pet blogger…" Believe me, there are times when I have to repeat, "pet" because it's still such a novelty to those not involved in the industry. 
5. Attend pet adoption events at larger venues, go to local dog shows and agility contests, interact with local dog trainers. You need to get out and shake a few paws if you want to get known. 

Once you get known locally, chances are your global reach will spread! What do you do locally for your pet blogging?