Advertising 101 for Pet Sitters’ Services

Hard-hitting advertisements of pet sitters’ services haul in a large number of clients. Pet sitters have to constantly advertise their services to keep the money flowing in. Pet sitters, however, can incur a lot of mistakes in their ads that discourages clients. Here are some eye-openers to effective print advertising and networking.

Print Advertising

Print advertising, in the form of flyers, brochures, and through the yellow pages is a cost-effective way of promoting pet sitting services. An effective print ad does not sell because of its design, images, or bright colors. It sells because of its content. Of course, the ad’s composition should be able to command attention. But that’s just that—to catch attention. If the rest of the ad fails to interest the reader, the attention fades away. People want facts. They want to know what’s in it for them. Each line of the ad should pass out a message. Only relevant information on services should be stated. At times, people would skip read from top to bottom. Therefore, print ads should be made short and sweet.

Print ads should avoid spelling and grammar mistakes. Mistakes, even typographical errors, reflect poor quality and organization.

Contact information is the vital part of the ad. Simply writing the contact number is not enough. It should include pre-statements like, “For quality pet sitting services, please call…” or “Call… for instant pet sitting services.”

Flyers and yellow page ads should be made simple but eye-catching. It could start with an announcement of the pet sitting business, what is offered, and then the contact details. Brochures should have a heading, a body, and a conclusion. The heading should be an eye-catching phrase. It can be text, an image, or a combination of both. The body should give pertinent information of the business and services. It should include pet sitters’ trainings such as first aid for dogs to impress potential clients. The conclusion could be a simple statement of what clients can gain from incurring services. The contact details must be in a separate, easy-to-see area.

Print ads are effective if given to the right person. Money will be wasted if not handed out carefully. Flyers and brochures should be distributed where the market is, in this case, at dog parks. They could also be given out to members of dog lover’s clubs and to clients of veterinary clinics and dog grooming shops.

Networking and Establishing Good PR

The pet sitting industry is a service industry. Since the services are the products, pet sitters have to ensure that they are able to render quality pet sitting. Their client base has to be satisfied. In doing so, clients would refer a top-notch pet sitter to their relatives and friends, which in turn increase the pet sitter’s customers. This is how networking works.

Pet sitters have to establish a good working relationship with their clients. They have to assume a smart-formal stance—professional but not too serious. They should maintain the element of fun within the bounds of respect. Above all, quality care should be rendered to owners’ pets. They are the main clients. Sitters have to be empathic to what owners want for their pets. A good working relationship is built over time with sufficient effort.