Launching Pet Country Market Online: A 6-Month Journey of Social Growth, Engagement, and Ads

6 Months With Flourish

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6 Months With Flourish 〰️

When Pet Country Market first opened their doors in Beamsville, ON in December 2024, they had everything you’d want in a local pet store: a passionate team, a beautiful retail space, and a mission to serve pet lovers in the community.

What didn’t they have? A single follower on social media.

That’s where we came in.

The Challenge: Start from Scratch, Build a Buzz

The owners approached us a month and a half before their grand opening. They needed help creating a digital presence that would:

• Introduce their new brand to the local community

• Build trust with pet owners

• Drive foot traffic to the store

• And eventually, create a loyal online following

With zero existing accounts, no audience, and a tight timeline before launch, the challenge was clear: build an engaged and visible social media presence & fast.

The Plan: Tell Stories, Build Community, and Run Smart Ads

• We started by laying the digital foundation. We created their Facebook and Instagram accounts, optimizing them with branded bios, consistent visuals, and a strong local vibe.

• We developed a content strategy focused on storytelling, community engagement, and value:

  • Behind-the-scenes footage of store setup

  • Pet education tips

  • Local partnerships

  • And, my personal favourite - furry visitor shout outs!

To amplify reach and speed up growth, we ran targeted paid ads to reach pet owners in the surrounding areas. These included:

• Grand opening announcements

• Product features and promos

• Franchise advertising (did I mention they opened a 2nd location in these same 6 months?)

• Seasonal content (think: spring gear for pets)

The Results: From 0 to 750 Followers in 6 Months

The growth wasn’t just visible — it was measurable. In just six months, we saw:

Social Growth

• Instagram: 0 → 751 followers

• Facebook: 0 → 382 page likes

• Average engagement rate of 8% (vs. industry average of ~1%)

• Organic posts reaching up to 1,000 people locally

Content Highlights

• Our most popular reel reached 3,478 local views

• The “Furry Visitors” series became a community favourite, with customers bringing in their pets and getting their photo taken

Paid Ad Results

• Total ad spend: $4,000

• Reached over 607,000 local users

• Cost-per-click as low as $0.33

• Click-through rates well above industry benchmarks at 3.58%

Even better? Customers would walk into the store saying, “I saw you on Instagram!” or tagging the store after visits. The digital presence was translating into real-world impact. Increasing engagement to drive sales. You know you’re doing something right when your competition compliments your social media ;)

What Made It Work

Looking back, there were a few key ingredients to our success:

• Consistency: Posting regularly and staying true to the brand voice

• Local Relevance: Featuring real pets, local stories, and familiar faces

• Authenticity: Less polish, more personality! People love seeing real moments

• Smart Targeting: Ads focused on the right audience, not just anyone

A New Favourite Spot — Online and In Person

What started as a blank slate became a vibrant online community. Pet Country Market now has a growing audience of local pet lovers, a solid content engine, and a platform to continue expanding their reach.

And for us? Helping a new business go from invisible online to a local favourite - that’s the kind of work we love doing.

Yours truly,

Jordan