BUSINESS
Ask the Experts: But I Hate Marketing!
Veronica Boutelle of dog*tec responds to pet professionals’ questions on all things
© Can Stock Photo/damedeeso
business and marketing
Q: I feel guilty saying this, but I hate marketing. I know I’m not the only dog business person out there who feels this way. And I know I need to do it. I promised myself I’d do one project this year, but I haven’t even managed to decide what to do. I figured writing in would be a good first step. So here’s my question: If you were only going to do one marketing project, what would it be? I need some direction. - Linda W. A: Congrats on taking a first step, Linda! You’re right—you’re not the only dog pro who would rather avoid marketing. But you’re also right that you have to do it. So let’s find a marketing project that gets the job done and feels good, too. My favorite project in most cases is a quarterly print newsletter. (Monthly e-mail newsletters are great, too, but they’re primarily for reA newsletter is the perfect way to market your business tention marketing to current and past clients. We recommend getting a print version up first and then using the content to fuel your email version.) I like print newsletters for a number of reasons: You get to help dogs while marketing. A good newsletter follows the 85/15 rule, which means most of the content (at least 85 percent) is helpful, educational, entertaining material about dogs and dog behavior. So while you’re promoting your business (the other 15 percent), you’re raising the canine IQ of your community—sharing some how-to’s, dispelling damaging myths, helping change how people see and interact with their animals. We encourage our dog*tec clients to view marketing differently, to see it as an opportunity to do good for dogs. You get to show off without having to show off. Part of the distaste around marketing for most positive reinforcement dog professionals is the seedy feeling of selling ourselves. But with strong content-based marketing like a newsletter, you don’t have to sing your own praises so much. Readers will be able to experience your professionalism and expertise just by enjoying the
advice and insights you share. You can use newsletters to market more widely. Because you’re offering good, solid reading material, you can leave newsletters outside normal marketing channels. Put yours in dentist offices and hair salons and cafes, just as a few examples— leave them anywhere someone might need something to help pass the time. And leave them in the normal spots, too—they’ll outshine the collection of dusty brochures and business cards at the local vet clinics and pet supply shops. Plus, because your newsletter will change each quarter, potential clients are more likely to pick it up again—something that rarely happens with a static brochure. You can use your newsletter to build referral sources. If you’re shy about asking the local vet or pet supply store owner for permission to leave your newsletters on their counters, don’t. Instead, ask for a quick interview for your newsletter—it’ll be easy to drop off copies for display when their business is featured on the front page. Do keep in mind that, as with any marketing project, it can easily take up to 12-18 months to see measurable results. So there’s no time like the present—I recommend starting today by taking five minutes to review your calendar and set time aside to tackle this project. And if you can begin to think differently about the project—to see your newsletter as community education rather than marketing—you’ll hopefully enjoy spending that time, too! All our best to you and your business, Linda! n Have a question for the business experts at dog*tec? Submit your question for consideration to barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com
Learn how
can help your business:
www.dogtec.org
Veronica Boutelle MA Ed CTC is founder and co-president of dog*tec, www.dogtec.org, and author of How to Run Your Dog Business and co-author of Minding Your Dog Business. dog*tec offers professionally-designed positive reinforcement dog training class curricula, including Open-Enrollment Puppy, Open-Enrollment Basic Manners, and short Topics classes built for retention.
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BARKS from the Guild is a 64 page bi-monthly pet industry trade publication widely read by Pet Professional Guild members, pet industry professionals and pet owners online (and in print by subscription). BARKS covers a vast range of topics encompassing animal behavior, pet care, training, education, industry trends, business and much more. If you’d like to reach your target audience then BARKS is the perfect vehicle to achieve that goal.
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BARKS from the Guild/September 2017
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