Advertising For A Small Grooming Shop

[Katie197888]

Well my area definitely has its share of groomers, but there are enough dogs to go around. I need some ways to get my business out there. I have only been open just over a year and could use some ideas from you guys. Here is what I HAVE done so far...

1. Craigslist, craigslist, craigslist - Honestly, that's where almost all of my customers have came from. It's great..as long as you don't get flagged. And it's free!

2. Postcards. I mailed out 200 beautiful, professionally made, glossy post cards to dog owners in my area. I got a list from the humane society and even sent it out to people with very groomable dogs - hairy, re-growing often coats. I got ONE customer! Better than none, right?

3. Expos - I have been to one so far. Went great! I got 8 new dogs from it, and even have gotten 2 referrals from those people already. More to come this spring and summer.

4. Got my car professionally labeled with my business name and info.

5. Have a really, really nice website ( www.summermeadowspetspa.com ) But I don't come up when I search for local groomers on Google

6. Facebook. I have a facebook page that I keep updated several times weekly with professional photos of pets I do, and also offer free groom drawings every Holiday for whoever 'Likes' the page.(www.facebook.com/summermeadowspetspa)

7. Flyers galore. All over my town. Tabs are constantly pulled, but no ones ever calls.

8. Professional sign at the end of my driveway with landscaping. I've gotten one customer from that. ( I ask everyone how they find out about me, that way I can figure out what's working)

The great thing about my business that people that come to me know about is I do one dog at a time, so each pet is the only pet there during their appointment time. I am home-based and people get to see how I live and see where their pets will be groomed. You have to walk through my house to get to the grooming area. I even have customers stay around and enjoy the farm while I groom, people LOVE that. The people that are my customers truly adore me, and always say I have such a great, unique business that will take off. I am searching for a commercial location, though. I feel like being on a back road isn't promoting me as much as possible. I currently have another job that I hate and want to groom full-time. Help me come up with ideas please

[ZenReputation]

Just start doing community management over the social sites that will boost your reputation in this work!

[Spider]

My wife has a pet grooming and boarding business, and we also live on the premises. You are doing a great job of promoting and especially tracking your results.

One thing that has worked well for us is collar tags.

We purchase soft plastic key tags with the business logo and name on one side, and the other side "IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL - [our business number]"

The logic is, if a dog gets out of its own yard, it's always good to have a second phone number on the dog. These large tags (we use bright yellow) are easily seen and people are inclined to pick up a stray dog if it has a collar and tags. Many people will not pick a stray without a collar for fear of being burdened with a dog for which they cannot find the owner.

(One or two of our customers use the key tags on their car keys, too!)

Result: There are several dog parks near where we live and dog owners get talking when they see other dogs with the same bright yellow tag as their dog. Plus, other owners get into the conversation and inquire about us - our name goes viral. We get a regular flow of new customers from referrals at the dog park!

If you develop a regular flow of referrals, you don't need to have commercial premises on a busy street. I prefer living off-the-beaten track. I'm sure you do, too.

Have fun!

[Katie197888]

Originally Posted by Spider

My wife has a pet grooming and boarding business, and we also live on the premises. You are doing a great job of promoting and especially tracking your results.

One thing that has worked well for us is collar tags.

We purchase soft plastic key tags with the business logo and name on one side, and the other side "IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL - [our business number]"

The logic is, if a dog gets out of its own yard, it's always good to have a second phone number on the dog. These large tags (we use bright yellow) are easily seen and people are inclined to pick up a stray dog if it has a collar and tags. Many people will not pick a stray without a collar for fear of being burdened with a dog for which they cannot find the owner.

(One or two of our customers use the key tags on their car keys, too!)

Result: There are several dog parks near where we live and dog owners get talking when they see other dogs with the same bright yellow tag as their dog. Plus, other owners get into the conversation and inquire about us - our name goes viral. We get a regular flow of new customers from referrals at the dog park!

If you develop a regular flow of referrals, you don't need to have commercial premises on a busy street. I prefer living off-the-beaten track. I'm sure you do, too.

Have fun!

Thats a great idea. Where do you buy them? How much are they per tag? Thanks!

[torka]

Have you claimed your business listing in Google Places? If not, do so. That might help you come up in the local listings on Google.

--Torka

[Katie197888]

Originally Posted by torka

Have you claimed your business listing in Google Places? If not, do so. That might help you come up in the local listings on Google.

--Torka

Yes, I have. Forgot to mention that - knew I would forget something! I am also on Thumbtack.com and yelp.com and a few random sites that I have found throughout the past year

[WebEminence]

Looks like you've done a lot to get your name out there. As far as the search engines, you're going to have to do some SEO (search engine optimization) to get your rankings boosted. There are lots of ways to that and you can learn more in the SEO forum on this site. There are lots of free methods to increase your rankings and plenty of methods that require a $ investment.

I like writing and posting articles to boost rankings and using social marketing for incoming links...just to name a few.

You might also consider pay-per-click marketing online to generate customers. You can target your local area only with Google Adwords and make it very cost-effective.

[Katie197888]

Originally Posted by WebEminence

Looks like you've done a lot to get your name out there. As far as the search engines, you're going to have to do some SEO (search engine optimization) to get your rankings boosted. There are lots of ways to that and you can learn more in the SEO forum on this site. There are lots of free methods to increase your rankings and plenty of methods that require a $ investment.

I like writing and posting articles to boost rankings and using social marketing for incoming links...just to name a few.

You might also consider pay-per-click marketing online to generate customers. You can target your local area only with Google Adwords and make it very cost-effective.

I would love to do some SEO...but I'm no computer wiz. How can I easily do things to help my rankings?

[eBigman]

You're doing a great job with promotions.

You already got a customer with only 200 cards sent out? That's a great return. Are you using/familiar with the USPS's EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) program?

You have a nice website with good content but as WebEminence pointed out there are very subtle things you can do SEO-wise to improve your chances with search engines.

Don't brush off the small and often desolate Craigslist clones on the web. Search engines love to spider those sites. Hardly anyone uses them because they seem irrelevant but nothing is irrelevant to search engine spiders.


Great job!

[bizmaverick]

Hi!

Have you tried giving out freebies such as doggie printed toys? Or otherwise you might also consider giving out bandanas for pooches. Stitch your business name or web address on doggie clothes or on doggie leashes that you could display or give out or even sell on parks. How about designing cute dog prints on tees? This way, you'll attract prospect dog owners to come and visit your business.