professional pet sitting 2 promoting your pet sitting business · pdf file ·...

Professional Pet Sitting 2

Promoting Your Pet Sitting Business

Created by the NAPPS Member Benefits Committee in collaboration with the

Business Manual Committee

Presented by

Tim Buttimer, Chair, Member Benefits Committee

© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 1


“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well

the product or service fits him and sells itself.”~ Peter Drucker

Marketing

Marketing is everything you do to place your product or service in

the hands of potential customers.

http://tenonline.org/art/mm1/9301.html

Build Your Brand

� Business Name

� Business Logo

� Mission Statement

� Tagline/Slogan

� Website

� Online Presence


Establish Your Marketing Budget

Methods used in determining a marketing budget

� Percentage of Sales

� The Dollar Approach

� Matching Competitors

� Marketing Plan Objectives


Establish Your Marketing Plan


� Understand your target and how to reach them

� Analyze your competitive position in the market

� Determine the tactics that are available to you

� Stand out from the crowd

� Learn when to bend your budget and when to stay firm

� Track your results

� Mind your ROI

Choose Your Strategies


Offline Marketing v. Online Marketing

http://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/marketing/web/online-

versus-offline-marketing-the-measurement-conundrum

Offline Marketing

� Hyper-local

� Relationship-based

� Need-based


Hyper-local Marketing

� Direct Mail

� Community Connections

� Local Organizations


Relationship-based Marketing

� Referrals

� Networking

� Business partnerships


Need-based Marketing

� Homes with barking dogs

� Homes with electric fences

� Pet-friendly apartment or

condo complexes/property

management businesses

� Dog Parks

� Pet-friendly homes and

neighborhoods

� Pet-friendly businesses

� Pet-friendly events

� Pet industry tradeshows


Marketing Collateral

� Business cards

� Brochures

� Thank you notes

� Special occasion cards

� Sympathy cards

� “Bark cards”

� Pet sit logs/report cards

� Promotional Items


Online Marketing 101


� Local SEO

� Social Media

� Content Marketing

� Share expert advice

� Paid Search Engine Marketing

� Pay-Per-Click

� Email Communication

� Newsletters

� Surveys

� Reputation Marketing

� Online review sites

Search Engine Optimization

� SEO

� Website Content

� Keywords

� On page vs. Off page

� Search Engine Marketing

� Search Engine Results Pages

� Paid Placements/Inclusions

� Contextual Advertising


Paid Search Engine Ads

SEO versus Paid Ads

The first results you will see when conducting an online

search are the paid placements, usually at the top and

side of the page. They have a special indicator

highlighting that they are a paid advertisement.

http://www.wordstream.com/google-ads


Social Media Marketing

� Facebook

� Twitter

� LinkedIn

� Instagram

� Google +

� YouTube

� Pinterest

� Tumblr


Why Social Media?

Pros

� Access a larger audience

� Connect with customers, staff and

supporters

� Build rapport, morale and loyalty

� Expand branding initiatives

� Get customer feedback

� Market services

� Share news

� Create Promos & Coupons

� Minimize updates on your website

� Scope out competitors

� Increase sales

� Practicality of apps

Cons

� Slight learning curve

� Time-consuming

� Requires maintenance

� Should be updated daily

� Demands creativity and skill


Smart Tools

IFTTT ~ https://ifttt.com/

IFTTT is a service that lets you create powerful connections with one simple

statement: “If this then that…”

Yext ~ www.yext.com

http://www.yext.com/small-business/overview

Yext lets marketers manage their local content, listings, store pages, social pages,

campaigns, and more through the functionally integrated Yext GeoMarketing

Cloud. Yext is a paid service.

Spredfast ~ https://www.spredfast.com/

Spredfast offers a single social software platform that allows your brand to meet

complex and varied business goals.

Buffer ~ https://bufferapp.com/

Buffer is an easy way to share on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and

App.net.


Content Marketing


"Stop selling. Start helping." ~ Zig Ziglar

Consistent Communication

� Newsletter sign-up on website

� Periodic emails/updates to existing clients

� Events to bring clients together

� Surveys

� Safe return check-ins

� Thank you emails

� Review requests

� Referral program


Additional Online Tools� Help with Google products: Webmasters

� Website Builder: MyNAPPS, Wix, Homestead, & Wordpress.com

� Mobile Website Builder: DudaMobile, MoFuse, & goMobi

� Freelance Writers: Elance, oDesk, Fiverr & Textbroker

� Educational Tools: HubSpot, MarketingSherpa, Score.org & YouTube

� Industry-Specific Training: NAPPS Mentoring Teleconferences, NAPPS

Certification/University, Pet Life Radio, www.fourleggedlife.com & NAPPS Library

� To Do List & Task Managers: Wunderlist, Google Calendar

� Organize your login information: RoboForm

� Online Listings for Pet Sitters: 100+ Free Links

� Free Submission to over 70 Search Engines: http://www.submitexpress.com/

� Graphic Design: Canva

� Photos: iWatermark, InstaSize, Flipagram, & PicMonkey


Pet Sitters Online

� Pay-per-click

� Google Adwords

� Bing

� Yahoo

� Paid ads

� Yelp

� Angie’s List

� Care.com

� Sponsored

Facebook & Twitter

posts

� Lead Sourcing

� NAPPS Website

� Thumbtack

� Petsitting.com

� Pet Sitter Networks

� FamilyPet.com


Things to Consider


Service Area

Lucrative vs. Expensive

The True Cost of Investment

Staffing/Availability

The End

"Many a small thing has been

made large by the right kind of

advertising.”

~ Mark Twain


NAPPS wishes you much success!

Professional Pet Sitting 3

� Welcoming clients

� Clients’ pets

� Clients’ homes

� On the job

� Handling complaints

� Emergency planning

� Special needs pets

� Dealing with grief

� Green pet care

� Raising prices

� Monthly reports

� Tracking growth

© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015

Managing Your Pet Sitting Business

24

Resources� NAPPS Introduction to Professional Pet Sitting 1

• NAPPS Business Manual

• First Things First – A checklist for building a successful pet sitting business by the NAPPS Business Manual

Committee

• NAPPS Member Center: Building Your Business – various resources

• http://www.hatchbuck.com/blog/capture-and-engage-with-leads-on-your-website/

• http://www.sba.gov/content/developing-marketing-plan

• http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/managing-

business/running-business/marketin

• http://www.legalzoom.com/business-management/promoting-your-business/cost-marketing-what-is

• http://mashable.com/2012/09/10/cheap-branding/

• http://justcreative.com/2009/07/27/what-makes-a-good-logo/

• http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/mission-statement

• https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm

• https://www.bniconnectglobal.com/web/open/login

• http://stpaulmarketingteam.com/lm/5-online-marketing-strategies-for-small-level-enterprises/

• http://www.femfessionals.com/

• www.innovativeoutsource.com

• http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

• www.copyblogger.com/grow-business-twitter/


Resources Continued• http://www.grosocial.com/blogposts/pros-and-cons-of-twitter

• http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2013/01/how-to-use-google-to-grow-your-

business.html?page=all

• http://instagram-business.tumblr.com/

• http://business.pinterest.com/

• http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tumblr%20for%20business

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X23dQbrDe_c

• http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/710

• http://www.datadoctors.com/media/tips/index.cfm

• http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/03/05/social-media-platform-best-

business/http://socialmediatoday.com/nialldevitt1/1544176/ultimate-hootsuite-guide-one-dashboard-manage-

your-social-media-and-teams

• http://mashable.com/2013/03/28/ifttt-recipes-business/

• http://thinksmartlink.com/business-listing-directories/

• http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/65230

• http://www.herbertkikoy.info/2012/04/logo-is-important-for-branding/

• http://www.advisorperspectives.com/newsletters09/How_to_Construct_a_Marketing_Plan_and_Budget.php

• http://petsittingology.com

• http://www.jumpconsulting.com

• http://www.pawsiblemarketing.com/

• http://www.caninelink.com/pet-business-development/


Photo Credits

• www.inewsdesign.com

• www.empowerwalking.com

• www.cornerstonestarkville.com

• http://www.wand.org/our-work/budget-priorities/

• www.nbclosangeles.com

• www.careerrealism.com

• www.cardsdirect.com

• http://alexiaisaak.typepad.com/.a/6a0133eff7a8e5970b0154348e9419970

c-pi

• mbsform6esl.blogspot.com

• http://www.buildzoom.com

• www.livescience.com

• www.socialconfidencecenter.com

• www.freegenealogytools.com

27© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015

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