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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 2
“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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 3
Establish Your Marketing Budget
Methods used in determining a marketing budget
� Percentage of Sales
� The Dollar Approach
� Matching Competitors
� Marketing Plan Objectives
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 4
Establish Your Marketing Plan
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 5
� 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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 6
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 7
Hyper-local Marketing
� Direct Mail
� Community Connections
� Local Organizations
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 8
Relationship-based Marketing
� Referrals
� Networking
� Business partnerships
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 9
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 10
Marketing Collateral
� Business cards
� Brochures
� Thank you notes
� Special occasion cards
� Sympathy cards
� “Bark cards”
� Pet sit logs/report cards
� Promotional Items
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 11
Online Marketing 101
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 12
� 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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 13
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 14
Social Media Marketing
� Google +
� YouTube
� Tumblr
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 15
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 16
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.
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 17
Content Marketing
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 18
"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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 19
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 20
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 21
Things to Consider
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 22
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
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 23
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/
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 25
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/
© National Association of Professional Pet Sitters 2015 26
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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