Marketing Goes to the Dogs – and it’s a Darn Good Thing!
Author: Linda J. Popky
I am always on the lookout for great examples of marketing. We all know the big guys – Apple, Samsung (who has done an incredible job of parodying Apple lately), Geico, etc.
But there are times when even the big guys could all learn something from creative small business owners.
Case in point: Call Josephine Pet Sitting Services, run by Josephine Liskowski.
But it’s how she markets herself that sets Josephine apart – from not just other dogsitting services, but most businesses.
[Disclosure: Josephine is the petsitter for my 4legged baby, Mocha. She loves animals and does a great job taking care of Mocha and all his furry friends.]Josephine has her marketing down right. Here are a few examples:
- She has a clean, modern, easy to access website, that provides all the information new and existing clients may need.
- Clients get a weekly written update, telling me who he played with, what they did, where they went what he ate and when, last time he peed and pooped, any behavioral issues, etc. This is much more complete than the reports I used to get when my daughter was in daycare!
- Her assistant sends out regular email updates with everything from schedule changes to upcoming training class information.
- Clients are texted a picture of their dog enjoying themselves during the day.
- She offers discounts for referrals and special treats for the pets on holidays.
- She offers ancillary services, like checking mail and lights when pet owners travel, and she offers free grooming when clients board with her.
- Her weekly communications include Mutt Monday, Woof Wednesday, and Fido Fun Fridays updates – these have schedule information, useful links, and cover topics of interest to dog owners.
- Next month, she’s planning to introduce a new 90 second at a glance enewsletter.
What’s Josephine doing right? She’s focused on her core audience, identified their needs, and developed a program to communicate effectively. She’s proactive about reaching out to clients and identifying potential problems before they occur. She continuously develops and implements new services to add to the value she provides. Furthermore, she reaches out to her clients in the way they want to be reached – she’s not Tweeting or focusing on Facebook, when her clients want 1:1 direct communications.
If a small business like Call Josephine can do this effectively, without a dedicated marketing staff and a huge marketing budget, so can you, doggoneit!
Contact us for a free marketing assessment today.
