Have you ever had the feeling that there never really seems to be enough hours in the day to grow and market your business in between walking or grooming dogs?
I was struggling with exactly the same problem earlier yesterday when I was walking back from a client meeting.
I like walking, so I walk a lot, with or without the office dog. I find it helps me clear my head and organize my day.
Yesterday I found myself making a mental list of all the things I had to do when I came back to the office – and all the things I would have to put on the backburner for now.
I realized I had exactly one hour to spare before my next meeting. One hour! What could I possibly achieve in one hour? Suddenly I got the inspiration for this blogpost – my top tips for marketing activities that you can complete in one hour or less.
The perfect activity for in between dog walks, or at the end of the day when your grooming shop is empty and your feet are aching!
10 Ways to Market Your Pet Business in One Hour or Less
1. Review and update your website
When’s the last time you looked over your pet business website and updated all the information? In one hour, you’ll be able to update your bio, add some new photos and check over the content. I promise it’s worth your time – an abandoned looking website can be very off putting for prospective clients.
2. Audit your marketing materials
Collect all your business cards, flyers and rack cards. Go through the material in detail. Are they out of date? Are your contact details correct? Are you using the same business name and logo on all of the material? In need of a complete overhaul? Check out my marketing toolkits here. If your existing marketing materials all looks okay – then call around to check that your local vet and your pet pro colleagues still have enough supply to continue referring clients your way!
3. Write a Marketing Plan
Okay so this one might be a little ambitious for a one hour project, but you’ll definitely have time to access and download my free marketing plan e-book and workbook that I wrote especially for pet business owners. You can get access to it here.
4. Schedule Social Media
Social media can be a great, and free, way to promote your pet business – but it can also turn into a real time suck if you’re not organized. I love, love, love scheduling my posts in advance and I share my best tips for scheduling in this blog post: How I Scheduled 3 Months Of Facebook Posts In One Hour.
5. Send a Handwritten note of thanks
When’s the last time you thanked your best clients for their business? It’s probably been a while, right? Write them a handwritten thank you card and tell them how much you love looking after their pet. Top marks for mentioning their pet by name and including the pet’s favourite cookie in the envelope. I’ve collected some adorable dog themed thank you cards in my pet business marketing store – view them here.
6. Ask for Testimonials
Trust is one of the most important factors when pet parents decide which pet service provider to go for. Showcasing glowing reviews on your website can really help them understand how great you are at your job and sweep the competition under the carpet. You can either include a widget or link to your Yelp reviews on your website or you could take an hour to email your best clients and ask them for a review.
7. Write a Blogpost
If your pet business blog is layered with dust and it’s been awhile since you posted – then take an hour right now to write a compelling post. Blogs are great for SEO, and for building that important know, trust and like factor. If you’re struggling with ideas, then I’ve got just the article for you to get some inspiration: 7 Tips for Coming up with Pet Business Blog Content.
8. Send out your newsletter
Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with existing customers, and reminding them that you’re still there for them. A regular and well written newsletter will turn you into a real person, their friend, who runs a local pet business in their town. A newsletter will also help you stay front of mind when your clients friends ask for pet service recommendations.
9. Record a video for your website
Adding a short introduction video to your website can really help showcase your expertise and build the know, trust and like factor. It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production – a simple iPhone video will do just fine. You can choose to either talk directly into the camera, or to record you working with clients. Simply record, upload the video to Youtube and then embed it into your website’s home page or about page.
10. Take photos for social media and your website
Take an hour to shoot some great photos of client’s pets in your care. Ask a passer by to take a photo of you and the dogs you’re walking. Shoot before and after photos of the dogs you groom.
Prospective clients love to see what goes on behind the scenes before they make their mind up to hire you, and photos can really help you showcase your expertize.
Take Action
Time to take action – Choose one of the one hour projects next time you find yourself with an hour to spare – your pet business will thank you for it!
Wondering what I decided to do with my hour? I wrote this blogpost! I’d love to hear how you will spend your marketing hour 🙂
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