Walking dogs is an excellent career choice if you love animals, enjoy being outdoors, and want to be your own boss. Being able to work with lovely pets is a reward in itself but you need a solid client base in order to become successful and earn a decent living. You may already have an established dog walking business. Perhaps you are just starting out, or finding it difficult attracting clients. Either way, you need a sound marketing strategy.
When you run a dog walking business, you soon learn that clients can and will cancel should their circumstances change e.g. they might move out of your area. Cancellations can leave an unexpected hole in your finances. So, you need to attract new clients to replace those you lose. If you are just starting out then you need to know the best ways of attracting your first clients.
Here are the main methods that dog walkers use to attract clients and our take on each. You can jump to a topic but we recommend reading through from the start:
Word of Mouth
While it is very welcome when someone comes to you by way of personal recommendation, this is not a marketing strategy in itself. You have no control over whether people will recommend you or not. If you do receive a recommendation, whether you get the business or not, make a point of thanking the person who recommended you. They will be more likely to do so again.
Business Cards
Always worth having a few business cards to sprinkle around vets notice boards, local shop windows, friends, and the occasional person who might approach you while you are working. Make sure that your card includes your business name, business email, business Facebook and website address.
Order the absolute minimum and resist expensive options like double-sided printing, glossy etc. It just adds to your initial costs and if you need to change or add information down the line then you don't want to have to trash lots of expensive cards.
Recommended but won't generate many enquiries.
Leaflets (Flyers)
While they might work for a take-away restaurant, they are unlikely to do much, if anything, for you. Letterbox leaflet drops would be a waste of your valuable time. Save your money and order a nice take-away instead.
Vehicle Livery (Signage)
Professional vehicle livery is not cheap. Turning your vehicle into a mobile billboard is not an essential outlay when you are just starting out. People looking for a dog walking service might take a photo of your vehicle signage and look you up. Or they might approach you. However, they are unlikely to hire you just because they see you around.
You will have to buy new vehicle livery whenever you change your vehicle.
Earn some money first before splashing out on vehicle livery.
Social Media
Get a free Facebook business page. Clients who use Facebook will enjoy seeing what you are up to with their pets and active social media promotes a feeling that their pets are in safe hands. Make sure that your posts can be shared by anyone as owners may wish to share posts in which their pets feature. Regular posts, photos, videos with positive client comments will also reassure pet owners who are checking you out and they can then contact you via Messenger.
But not everyone uses social media. Anyone who does not use Facebook won't find you.
Highly recommended as part of a broader marketing strategy.
Networking
Get to know and interact with other dog walkers in your area.
Introduce yourself. You will discover that, rather than being protective, most are friendly and will welcome the opportunity to talk and share ideas and experiences with other pet professionals. Ask to be referred if they get enquiries which they cannot use e.g. they might have no places available or an enquiry is out of their area.
Find out if there is a private Facebook group for dog walkers in your area and ask to join. If not, start one and invite other dog walkers to join, but keep it local. Great for making new friends, sharing ideas and for passing on enquiries.
Highly recommended.
Google My Business
Get a Google My Business entry for your pet service. It's free.
My Business entries get first page placement in local Google search results.
Ask clients, even if you only have one, to post a positive review. People do read them and they can play a big part in stimulating confidence in your business.
Remember to include your website address in your business listing as people who find you will often want to learn more before contacting you.
Highly recommended.
Paid Advertisements
For a dog walking business, Facebook and Google ads can be expensive and offer poor or zero returns.
Best avoided.
Business Directories
You will see lots of business directories specifically for pet services like yours. Go ahead and get a free entry but be wary of paying for a listing.
Don't bother with general business or subscription directories as there are lots of free ones specialising in pet services.
All your competitors will probably have listings in the same directories so make your entry stand out with a good image and full description of youself and your services. Remember to include links to your website and social media in your directory listings.
Recommended.
Business Website
Often perceived as something too expensive and complicated for a dog walking business with limited means.
Not necessarily true. A good website does not have to be expensive or complicated and can be a powerful marketing tool. It can be your shop window and the reason that potential clients contact you. Get found in web searches. Mention your website in your Facebook business page, directory listings, Google My Business listing, business cards etc. Potential clients will be sure to check it out and that gives you an opportunity to grab their attention and to showcase your service. Most dog owners priorities are that their pets will be happy and in safe hands. They will research you and your competitors thoroughly and will approach those who they feel comfortable will offer a good service. This is where a professional website, active social media, and personal recommendation all work together in the decision-making process.
Highly recommended.
To Conclude
So there you have it. The main marketing tools readily available to dog walking businesses like yours. The best marketing strategy is not to rely on any one method but to employ a mix of our main recommendations, namely: a business website, a Google My Business entry, Facebook, and Networking with other local pet professionals. Keep some business cards to hand out and to place in shop and vet noticeboards. And of course encourage clients and friends to recommend you and to post positive reviews were they can.
We hope that you will find this article useful and that our recommendations will help you to be successful in winning new clients. If you would like to learn more about a website for your business then have a look at what Pet Connections can offer. We are here to help you reach and impress potential clients. If you look professional, you will give pet owners confidence that you are someone they can trust. First impressions matter.