You’ve recently just started your dog walking pet sitting business. You know your customers but don’t know how to reach them. Follow our guide on marketing your newest business venture and stand out from the competition. We recommend the benefits of social media platforms, the practicality of business cards, and dog walking insurance to help protect you and your business.
Create a website for your business
Having a website is like having a home for your clients to understand your pet-caring business and how you will utilise it as a system to register and book with them. Starting with a website will build your online presence, but it will also be helpful in future when you’re sorting through your clients and updating your dog walking or pet sitting offers.
By creating a website, you’ll be able to customise your pages that best represent how your messaging will speak to its customers through its interface. These pages might break down into pages such as: about your business, your offers, and how customers can contact you, and even implementing a blog could be an excellent way to speak about similar topics with audiences.
Expanding your online presence with social media
Social media is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to attract new and current audiences. By creating engaging content through videos, images and articles, you’ll be able to reach your customers soon enough. Here are our top social media suggestions and their affordances to kick off your dog walking or pet sitting business online:
- Facebook: posts, videos, images
- Instagram: photos, stories, videos (reels), catalogue products, link to a website
- TikTok: videos, link to a website
- Twitter: posts (tweets), photos, videos
While each platform features similar methods to market your business, they’re very different in their own way. By building your online presence on social media, you’ll be able to create relationships with animal lovers, pet owners, pet carers and other businesses.
Start by creating an account for your business, and plan how you will present your brand’s messaging through scheduling content that will speak to your audiences. Marketing your dog walking or pet sitting business through social media will boost your online presence and could grow your audience base by communicating directly to them.
Tip: You may receive messages or enquiries through these platforms from followers, but they are an incredible way to connect with them by listening to what they want or needs to be changed. This is an excellent opportunity to use those responses as feedback to improve your pet-caring business and cater to your customers better.
Partner with local animal shelters and pet businesses
Connecting with nearby businesses as a way to market your pet-caring business will allow you to explore the neighbourhoods near you and the potential clientele you may encounter. Networking with local businesses is another great way to get your name out there and build possible partnerships to reach a more extensive audience base.
You may consider running competitions online where users could share your account or even run a campaign to raise awareness about animal cruelty. By partnering with other businesses, you might gain more customers from those who trust those brands and may be interested in yours. With the possibility of working with them, matching your goals will allow them to help strengthen your pet sitting business with more opportunities through exposure.
Collaborations with local animal shelters and other pet businesses may also give you ideas for future business ventures you may take your dog walking or pet sitting business. Meeting other business owners with similar goals might also recommend you or direct you to other contacts to help you achieve certain business pillars you want to knock down.
Handing out business cards
Other than digital ways to market your business, returning to traditional strategies like handing out business cards is another outstanding chance to sell your dog walking or pet sitting business. With most companies implementing digital and online methods, this will make yours memorable by including this classic advertising tactic.
When you’re at the park and see someone who may need pet sitting or their dog walked, simply handing them a business card is another excellent way to speak to customers directly. Similarly, leaving them at pet shelters or vets is also great to advertise your business to individuals who may be new to having a pet or could need the extra care.
You may get creative when creating your business card as it is another way to physically present your company through design elements such as colour, typography, logo, branding, space and images.
Getting Insured
Starting a new business is no walk in the park. You may encounter a range of hiccups, from marketing strategies and advertising to risks that could lead to a pricey lawsuit. Consider protecting you and your business with dog walking liability insurance from running into potential risks that could close your newest company for good.
With insurance, you’ll be thanking yourself later when walking a dog that might injure someone at the park or even damage a client’s property. Running a small business can be risky, so you’ll have a safety net for your dog walking business to shield you against any expensive claims by receiving the proper insurance.
Here at BizCover, we can help you choose the correct insurance by comparing multiple quotes with no dramas! Hop on to our website to find out how we can help you purchase business insurance for your pet sitting business.
This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording.
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