Printing for Dog Walkers: What You Need to Know
Dog walking is a lucrative business and a great way to combine your love of animals with a meaningful job. Given the growing demand for dog walkers nationwide, now is the time to start your dog walking business if this is an opportunity you’ve been considering.
In order to build a successful dog walking business, you need to stand out in a crowded local market. One of the most effective strategies to increase your marketing power is by distributing excellent printed materials that convince pet owners to give you a call.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about printing for dog walkers, including why print marketing is essential, which materials to include in your marketing strategy, how to create great dog walking business cards, and how to access professional printing services that bring your products to life.
Why Print Marketing Is Still Essential for Dog Walkers
If you think that you only need digital marketing, think again: print marketing for dog walkers is still alive and well and offers tangible benefits to your business.
First, print products increase your visibility in local neighborhoods. This additionally increases trust, since residents see you as a local who is invested in your community. When you display tangible printed products in your area, you increase credibility; you become more than an anonymous stranger online offering to take care of a family’s beloved pet.
Paper marketing is also a useful strategy to reach audiences that aren’t as present online, such as older pet owners. This makes your print marketing doubly important, since these older pet owners are also likely to need a dog walker’s services.
Of course, your online marketing provides an important complement to your print marketing materials; be sure to be active on sites such as Instagram and pet-care apps to reach as many pet-owners as possible.
The Top Print Materials for Dog Walkers
When creating your marketing plan, here are the materials to make sure you include.
Business Cards
Your dog walking business cards create your first impression and are often the product clients use the most, since they make it easy to reach you. Therefore, their importance can’t be understated.
Make sure to include the following information on your business cards:
- Your name
- Phone number
- Email
- Services and specialties (if applicable)
- Your Instagram handle
- Your website URL
- Any other relevant information that recipients might need to learn about you and contact you.
Your dog business cards encapsulate who you are and what your business is, so let your personality shine through. When creating your design, consider including fun colors, pet-themed graphics, and a QR code to your booking page to make scheduling easy for your clients.
Flyers and Posters
Your flyers and posters spread the word about your services. Therefore, make sure to distribute them around town in places where potential clients are likely to spend time, including vet clinics, pet stores, and parks.
When designing your flyers and posters, include the following aspects:
- An effective headline that grabs readers’ attention
- A bullet-point list of your services
- Your pricing
- A couple of short testimonials
- Your phone number, website, or other contact information
Be sure to print your flyers and posters in color to attract attention. If you’re trying to save money in the printing process, you can print in black and one or two colors, or you can print on a color paper to add a splash of interest while saving on ink.
Branded Apparel and Accessories
Since you don’t drive a van around town that has your name on it, what’s the best alternative? Use your own body! Printed t-shirts and hoodies for you and your team are effective forms of mobile advertising that draw attention and let people know who you are when you’re out and about with your canine clients.
Another effective marketing tactic is distributing branded bandanas or leashes with your logo for both your canine and human clients. These get your name out in the world to attract future clients, building brand recognition and trust in your community.
Door Hangers
Printing and distributing door hangers is a great tactic for hyper-local outreach, such as targeting specific neighborhoods. This strategy increases your name recognition with local families and raises your profile in your area.
When designing your door hangers, include effective copy that gets attention. This can include a headline, such as “your dog’s new best friend lives nearby!” If you’re able to get readers interested and see the benefits for both them and their dog, they’ll be more likely to call you.
Another way to increase your door hangers’ effectiveness is by including a discount. Offer 10% off for first-time clients, or mention a referral program that encourages readers to try out your services.
How to Use Printing to Grow Your Brand
High quality printing elevates your presence in your community. To create print products with the highest possible effectiveness, make sure to use consistent branding in all of your materials to help readers associate them with your excellent services.
When printing, consider using high-quality options, such as UV coating and thick cardstocks to make a great impression. You can also use eco-friendly materials such as recycled papers that appeal to environmentally-conscious pet owners, and you can work with printing companies that use chemical-free printing processes. If you work locally and commute on foot or by bike, this can be part of a marketing strategy that emphasizes fossil-fuel-free dog walking services.
Get Tails Wagging With Custom Printing
Working with a professional printing partner brings your dog walking marketing to life. When you’re ready to get started, partner with ZoePrint for all of your dog walking needs. Our high quality print services create all the print materials you need to make your dog walking business a success, including business cards, posters, flyers, and more.
Our competitive pricing and speedy print and delivery mean that you can get your dog walking business off the ground in no time. To get started, order online or ask for a custom quote!
