Six Marketing Strategies for Dog Daycare & Boarding Kennels

Starting a dog daycare or kennel boarding business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture, but it requires strategic planning and effective marketing to succeed.

In a competitive market, it’s essential to stand out and attract new customers while retaining existing ones. In this article, we’ll explore six effective business marketing strategies for dog daycares and kennels that can help you grow your business and reach your goals.

There's no need for you to try them all right away. You can make marketing roadmap for your business and then slowly start utilizing the marketing strategies below. Let's get started!

1. Establish a Strong Online Presence

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business, including dog daycares and kennels. If you're not online, you don't exist. That's the sad fact of the matter. This includes having a professional website with clear information about your services and prices, as well as a presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you don't have a website yet, you can quickly get one up and running using websites like Wix and SquareSpace. They have beautiful templates that can get your online presence started in a matter of hours. Your website should also include customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) tactics can also help increase visibility and drive traffic to your website.

2. Partner with Local Pet-Related Businesses

Collaborating with other local pet-related businesses such as pet stores, veterinarians, and dog trainers can help increase visibility and attract new customers. You can offer to promote each other’s businesses, host joint events, or offer bundled packages for customers. It's not as hard as you might expect either. Head out to your local pet store and ask to speak with the owner/manager. Let them know that you're trying to find a way for BOTH of your businesses to benefit. If only your business will benefit, it offers nothing for them. If you can find a way to build a mutually-beneficial relationship, you're golden! Both you and the other owner can "spitball" ideas until you find something that will work for both of your businesses.

3. Utilize Email Marketing

Email marketing is a cost-effective and targeted way to reach potential and existing customers. You can use email marketing to announce special promotions, new services, or events, and keep customers updated on the latest news about your business. Regular email newsletters can also help build relationships and establish your business as a trusted resource in the pet care industry. It can take a while to build your email newsletter contacts, but once you have a nice following, you can start leveraging that to your advantage. If you're not sure where to get started, head on over to SendGrid. They're the marketing email supplier that we use at DoggieDashboard and they have great rates to get started in the email marketing world.

4. Offer Referral Programs and Incentives

Referral programs and incentives can encourage existing customers to spread the word about your business to their friends and family. You can offer discounts or special perks for customers who refer new clients, or run a referral contest with rewards for the customer who refers the most new clients. If you already have a bunch of happy clients, then they'll most likely be thrilled if they can get a discount for every new client they bring your way. Let's face it, most pet owners are friends with other pet owners, so your clients already have plenty of potential referrals around them.

5. Get Involved in Your Community

Getting involved in your local community can help increase visibility and build relationships with potential customers. You can participate in local events, sponsor local pet-related organizations, or host your own events for pet owners in the area. These activities not only help spread awareness about your business, but also demonstrate your commitment to the community and the well-being of pets. Head to your local city council meeting and ask if there is any way you can sponsor the local dog park. Maybe for a small fee (or buying the new signage), they'll let you include your business name and logo on the signage. You never know!

6. Use Marketing Software to Send Picture Updates

A great way to build buzz around your business is to use DoggieDashboard's photo update sender. You can take pictures of your dogs and then instantly email them to your clients. Your clients will most likely post the picture on their own Facebook wall and then their friends might ask them, "Hey, where do you leave Fido during the day? We're looking for a place to leave Spot a few days a week." Doesn't get any easier than that!

Effective marketing is essential for the success of any dog daycare or kennel business. By utilizing these strategies, you can increase visibility, attract new customers, and grow your business. Remember to keep your marketing efforts consistent and focused on the needs and preferences of your target audience, and continually evaluate and adjust your strategy as needed.

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