Low-Cost, Effective Ways to Market Your Pet Services If You’re Just Getting Started
If you’re a new pet service professional, getting your first client can be an overwhelming hurdle to get over. How can you make more people aware of your business, especially when you’re operating on a limited budget?
The key to bringing in more clients is to market yourself. Read on to learn 7 low-cost, effective ways to market your pet services, even if you’re a brand new business.
1. Get Social on Social Media
Social media is a great way to spread the word without spending any money.
People want to do business with people, not businesses, and social media is a great place to showcase your personality. Through your social media channels, you can convey more about who you are, what you do, and what makes you the right choice to work with.
Start with only a few social channels that you think your target market will be on—Facebook and Instagram are great places to start.
Commit to posting to these social platforms on a consistent schedule. The frequency that you post isn’t as important as keeping that frequency consistent, especially if you’re just getting started.
There are many ways you can go with the content that you post, and you shouldn’t be afraid to get creative. To help you get started, you can post photos and videos that introduce you and your business, as well as show some behind-the-scenes looks at what you do.
Other great ideas to post on social include:
- Client testimonials
- Cute photos of your pets or your client’s pets
- Educational content that’s helpful for your target audience
- The benefits of working with you
2. Set Up Your Website and Online Listings
Having a website and online listings is one of the most important steps you can take as a new business owner. Not only does it help your target customers better understand your business and how to contact you, but it increases your credibility as a business as well.
There are many low-cost ways to set up a website, but going with a website builder and purchasing a domain name is a great way to get set up quickly.
From there, you’ll want to also claim any online listings of your business in the various search engines, like Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing. Claiming your business listings lets you update the business name, contact information, and hours of operation.
These listings will also collect reviews for you, once you start getting clients, which is a great way to market your business.
3. Use Content Marketing Strategically
Once you have your website set up, using some kind of content marketing will help your business in a few ways.
Creating more content helps build your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value, making Google more likely to recommend your service locally. Creating content also helps build your authority in your niche, especially if the content you’re creating is helpful to your customer base.
There’s a variety of content marketing strategies you can use as a new business, and what you choose will depend on your goals and how much time you want to dedicate to creating content. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Start a blog on your website creating monthly educational content for your target customers
- Create YouTube videos about your business, as well as educational content for your target customers, and then post one or more videos on your website
- Create an FAQ page that shares expert knowledge that your target customers want to know
- Share valuable tips related to your niche on your social media channels
4. Place Your Business Cards or Flyers Around Your Neighborhood
Getting your name out into your community is a great way to get the ball rolling.
Start by designing business cards or creating a flyer that adversities your services. You can use a service for this, like Vistaprint, or you can design them yourself through services like Canva. Canva is completely free, and you can save even more money by printing the materials yourself at home.
Once you have the flyers or business cards, put them on community bulletin boards around your neighborhood, such as those at your local library.
You can also talk to local businesses about leaving your marketing materials with them. This is especially great if the local business attracts your ideal customer, like local vet clinics or grooming salons.
You can also consider mailing your flyer to your surrounding neighborhoods. While this will take some upfront research, as well as the price of stamps, it’s still a relatively low-cost way to get your name out in your community.
5. Participate in Local Events
Another great way to engage with your community is to participate in local events, like farmer’s markets and festivals. You can rent a booth for a small fee, typically $20-$50, and bring your marketing materials with you to hand out.
You can make your booth even more engaging by planning an activity or even handing out treats to those that brought their pets. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
While at these local events, you can personally talk to those in your neighborhood, understand their needs, and explain why your service would be a great fit for them.
6. Network with Other Pet Professionals
If there are other pet professionals in your neighborhood, reach out to them about your services. It’s likely that they’re also looking for ways to gain new customers, and you may find a partnership opportunity between you.
You could offer each other referral discount codes to hand out to your customers, or even plan an event or promotion together. At the very least, you can expand your network and have someone else in the industry to connect with if you ever have questions.
7. Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing is the secret weapon of almost every small business. Tell everyone you talk to about your new business and what you do.
Tell your dentist at your next appointment or the teachers at your child’s school during pickup or the person next to you in line at the grocery store. Bring business cards with you wherever you go, so you can hand them out if anyone wants more information. They’re also handy for leaving when you leave a tip.
You never know who will need your services or who they may know, so don’t be shy when it comes to praising your services.
How Will You Marketing Your Pet Services Business?
There are many ways that you can approach marketing, many of which are low or no cost. If you have the time to dedicate and the passion for what you’re pursuing, you’ll have your first client in no time.
