Whether you're
just starting out or have been in business a while, marketing
and advertising your business will probably quite high on your
list of priorities that you'll be concerned on an ongoing basis.
If you're like most business owners you'll constantly be on the
lookout for ways to get the most out of your money as you work
to get your name out to the people who are likely to need your
services. While the subject of marketing can obviously be a never-ending
subject, the following will help get you started and hopefully
spark some ideas to get your business noticed.
Decide
who your ideal client will be.
If you take time to put down on paper the type of client you want
to cater to, you may see some trends that will make your marketing
strategy more effective. For example, if you intend to specialize
in caring exclusively for dogs, you may decide to put flyers on
a public bulletin board at a dog park. If you're more interested
in cats, you may want to speak with a veterinarian who only cares
for cats. Whatever your audience is, once you identify who they
are, you may then be able to identify where they are so you can
get your information to them.
Investigate
possible advertising options.
When you're deciding how and where to advertise your services,
try to determine where you'll reach the largest number of pet
owners with the least amount of effort and expense. The more targeted
your audience is, the better your chances will be of gaining new
clients. For example, an ad in your local newspaper may bring
in some clients but advertising in an area pet-related publication
will most likely be more effective. Similarly, advertising in
a citywide newspaper, may not be as effective as advertising in
a newspaper targeting the neighborhoods that you serve.
When you consider
a certain type of advertising, check with other business owners
in your area to see if it's been effective for them. In some communities
there may be certain types of advertising that may be more effective
than others for pet care businesses. Talk to other business owners
and find out what has and what hasn't worked for them. Listen
to what they say and evaluate their comments for your particular
business. Then, once you decide on how you'll advertise, create
the best ad of that type possible.
Be consistent
and patient with your advertising.
When you decide on a particular venue for advertising, give it
a chance to work. There's a theory that advertising is most effective
when the potential customer sees an ad three times. For example,
if you decide to advertise in your local paper one time, don't
stop with just that one time ad. Let your ad run for a minimum
of three inserts before deciding whether or not to discontinue
it. It helps people to become familiar with your service or product
and seeing it each week when they open their neighborhood newspaper
may be what it takes to get them to call you.
Evaluate
the effectiveness of your ads.
You may advertise in five different places and although you will
want to track which of these five ads prompted someone to call
you, it may not always be possible to do with complete accuracy.
A potential client may see all five of these ads over time and
give you a call because your name has become ingrained in their
mind for the service that you offer. When they are asked where
they heard about you, they may remember one or more of those ads,
or none. This doesn't mean your advertising is not working! It's
just the opposite. Because they saw your ads repeatedly and in
different places, this made you more memorable than the one (and
only one) ad they may have seen for your competitor. Keep asking
people where they found you, keep tweaking your ads, and over
time, you'll decide what combination of advertising works best
for you.
Keep an
ongoing advertising presence for your business.
You'll want to keep your name out there but kick it up a notch
for times when you know people will need your services. You obviously
want to get new clients throughout the year, but if you're just
starting out, or have lost a number of clients for various reasons,
take advantage of the times when people are more likely to go
out of town and need your services. September through early December,
and again a few weeks before spring break in your area are prime
times when you may want to put a bit more time, energy, and even
expense into your advertising efforts. Since many people go out
of town in during these times, you'll have a lot of pet owners
who are looking for pet care. You'll also have a lot of established
pet sitting and dog walking businesses that are booked and will
need to turn people away.
Having a website is important.
Since we live in a wired society, I can't stress enough the importance
of a website. Your website is an always-available document that
allows you to sell yourself and your business. Whether you design
it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you, you'll invest some
time at the beginning but then once it's created, it allows you
to tell potential clients about your services, your credentials,
satisfied clients, and more with very little ongoing effort. And,
unlike traditional print advertising that will have a per/person
cost, your website allows for unlimited views with no added cost.
A few things
to keep in mind about your website.
When you ask a potential client where they found you, they may
simply say, "I saw your website." They may not remember
all of the steps they took to get to your website. You must keep
in mind though, that they had to get to your website FROM SOMEWHERE.
They didn't just go to their computer and see your website magically
appear. They may have found it by doing a search on Google or
Yahoo for pet care professionals in your area, from a link on
a veterinarian's website, or from a directory such as PetsitUSA.com.
Your best bet to track where visits to your website come from
is to install a statistics program (often referred to as web stats).
There are many versions available, and you may in fact have free
web stats with your website hosting.
Presenting
your business in writing in a professional manner.
When you put something in print, whether it be brochures, a website,
letter, email, or handwritten notes, present your material in
the most professional way possible. Everything that you put in
writing is a representation of your business and should be as
clean and error-free as possible. Although you won't want every
letter or email you write to be stuffy and formal, follow the
rules of good writing:
·
Use proper capitalization.
· Use proper punctuation.
· Use proper grammar.
· Write in complete sentences.
· Do not use chat acronyms and Internet shorthand.
(i.e. Write, 'I'll be happy to care for your pets.' instead
of, 'ill be hpy 2 care 4 ur pets')
If the written
word or artistic endeavors aren't your forte, hire someone to
do this type of work for you. Presenting professional material
to the public will show that you pay attention to detail; a trait
your clients will want from someone who cares for their pets and
home. Putting information out that is not professional will reflect
poorly on you and your business, and in fact, may even be the
deciding factor when a potential client calls on someone other
than you to care for their pets.
Network
with other professionals in the pet industry.
A very important part of your marketing efforts will be to network
with other professionals in pet care businesses. This may other
pet sitters, dog walkers, dog daycares, veterinarians, owners
of pet supply stores, event managers, and others. Seek out networking
groups in your area that cater to your specific niche. For a list
of some of the groups throughout the country, see our network
page. Network groups are a great way to learn, share learning
experiences, and trade referrals. The more industry related people
who know about you, the greater the likelihood they'll refer potential
clients to you, or may even contract your services themselves.
If you truly
believe you offer exceptional service in your industry, work toward
making your advertising materials equally as impressive. Put some
time, effort, and resources into your marketing plan and your
advertising materials and you'll most likely have more than enough
clients to keep you busy!
Return to the list of articles
