What are the simplest, most effect marketing techniques for a new dog training business?

I could certainly cop out and just say, “It depends,” but the truth is there are a few techniques I think make sense for most dog trainers when they’re first starting out. Starting any new business can be downright overwhelming… and there are 5 specific steps I recommend when starting a dog training business, with the third one being “Start finding clients.” — so how DO you start finding dog training clients?

If you’re like most new trainers I talk to, you’re just not sure. And so you distract yourself… you sign up for another webinar or workshop on continuing education or begin researching another dog training certification program…

And put off actually finding those first few clients and beginning to make money from your new business.

If that’s sounding a bit too familiar, don’t worry — I’ve talked to hundreds of dog trainers about what marketing tactics work best for them and have distilled the list of options down to just a few things I recommend when just starting out.

Building a Referral Network for Your New Dog Training Business: Getting Business Cards (or Something?)

I’m sure you’ve heard that business cards are dead. A product of a bygone era. Well… for a new dog training business, having cards or some other type of printed collateral (postcards or flyers are also a good option!) can make a big difference.

Referrals are the single biggest way most dog trainers get new clients, and for a new dog trainer, those referrals are most likely to come from other professionals, rather than their yet-to-exist past clients. So it makes sense to have printed material that you can drop off at other businesses to begin building that referral network.

When getting cards printed, I particularly like Moo.com. They also offer other types of printed collateral, if you prefer something other than business cards. Alternatively, Canva comes with a TON of templates and also offers print on demand services for things like postcards and flyers. Don’t worry if you don’t have a logo or branding yet — just put your name, “dog trainer,” and your contact information on the cards and get a small batch printed. The goal here is to start getting you clients ASAP.

Building Your Network to Grow Your Business

Of course, once you have the printed materials you need to actually hand them out — so while you’re waiting for your order to arrive in the mail, create a list of local vets, shelters, and other businesses that it might make sense to network with. Consider non-traditional networking partners as well… Realtors know everyone and often are aware of when their clients have pets; fence installers are often called out to put up fences to give dogs off-leash access to their own backyards; and carpet cleaners often offer pet-specific cleaning packages.

So don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

And once your new cards or handouts come in, block out time in your schedule to go hand them out to anyone and everyone who will take some. For business where you particularly want to build a relationship, consider bringing them something like a “snack box” – dropping off cards plus goodies can help sweeten the deal (literally). Then mark your calendar a few months out with a reminder to come refill the goodies and check back in.

You’re likely to only get a limited number of referrals from folks who have only met you once; but making a point to stop back by regularly will help build that relationship, which will lead to more referrals.

(Need more tips on networking? Check out this Dog Trainer’s Umbrella presentation on Building a Veterinary Referral Network for Your Dog Training Business)

Finding Dog Training Clients within Your Existing Network: Your Personal Social Media Accounts

If your business is still totally new, one of the best places to look for those first few clients is often within your existing network. And one of the best places these days to do that is on your personal social media accounts.

What to Post on Social Media About Your New Dog Training Business

If you use Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin, post an announcement on your social account that you’ve started your new business and are accepting clients.

Ask people to think of anyone in their life who might benefit from working with a professional dog trainer — anyone who recently got a new puppy, a new adult dog, or a dog that struggles with specific skills, like walking nicely on a leash or coming when called. Consider posting video of you working with your own dogs or photos of your dogs behaving nicely in public.

(Excuse to go out to lunch somewhere dog friendly? Yes please.)

Talk about all the pieces of getting your new business of the ground; communicate how excited you are to help people and why you made the choice to start a new dog training business. Don’t get bogged down on your personal accounts with “how to” information or training tips — but do share what you’re working on.

Post about your efforts (“Just stopped by my 3rd vet clinic of the week to introduce myself!”), about why someone might want to hire you (“It’s so important to me that my clients feel heard…”), and about what you’ve trained or are training now (“Fluffy and I have been revisiting her loose leash walking. It’s been totally worth the time investment to enjoy my walks again!”). Try to put up a few posts a week offering friends and family a sneak peek into what you’re doing and why.

While eventually you won’t want every third cousin and person you graduated high school with (but haven’t talked to in 7 years) to reach out with a dog training question… for now, those types of outreach may just help you find those first few clients.

Finding New Dog Training Clients Online: Create a Google Business Profile

Professional networking and sharing about your new business within your personal online network are both low cost and fairly easy to do… but neither are likely to lead to an immediate flood of clients. Our goal with both of those tactics is just to get you that first handful of clients so you have money coming in and something to build from.

However, both methods are limited by how many people you personally can reach out to.

Creating a Google Business Profile is an opportunity to bring in clients from a wider base, including those with no direct (or indirect) connection to you or someone you know. As I mentioned in my post, What is a Google Business Profile, your GBP can help with visibility and credibility, and tends to catch potential clients right at the perfect moment… when they’ve just done a search specifically for a dog trainer nearby.

While Google can sometimes require jumping through a few hoops to get your account set up, having a well-optimized Google Business Profile is one of the best options for building a regular source of potential clients longer-term. We’ve got lots of content on managing google business profiles for dog trainers – so I won’t rehash it all here.

I’ll just leave you with the short version: Create one and optimize it. It’s worth it.

Where (and how) to Continue to Grow: Additional Marketing Ideas for Dog Trainers

If you’ve already checked all three of those marketing ideas off on your to-do list, congrats! Since you’re still here, I’m guessing you’re hoping for a few more ideas. So here are the next few things I’d consider, if you’ve already begun building a referral network, posting on your personal accounts, and built out your google business profile.

Join Local Facebook Groups

These days most cities and even many neighborhoods have their own local facebook groups. These groups can often serve as a source of referrals. I recommend joining them and spending some time getting to know the group — each group will have its own rules about advertising and offering services. Often, however, dog owners will post with questions or folks will outright ask for recommendations of local trainers.

These posts are your opportunity to shine. Answer any questions you can, and don’t be shy about offering your services when people post looking for them. Draft a short line or two about who you are and what you do to use on those types of posts.

Train in Public (Keeping Those Cards Handy)

Taking your dogs anywhere and everywhere with you, business cards in your pocket, can also help spread the word. If you have well trained pups, being out and about in the world with them, working on training or tricks, can often lead folks to stop and ask if you’re a trainer. Then you can say yes, introduce yourself, and hand them a business card.

Start a Training (And Dog Friendly) Blog

When you get your website together (you are working on that, right?), consider including a blog. Even if writing isn’t your favorite format, putting up just 2 posts a month will help improve the Search Engine Optimization of your website, which will help people find you online. My recommendation is to put up one post a month on something training related and one post a month on someWHERE dog friendly and local to you.

Google likes to see “local” information to help form it’s understanding of  your service area, so posting a review of a local restaurant, park, hiking trail, or other fun place locals can go with their dogs can be incredibly valuable. But it does more than that. It gives local dog owners a reason to come to your website and then to come BACK again… AND, if you let the business you’re featuring know they’ve been featured, they might share your post on their social media accounts (great for referrals!) or in their email newsletter. Win-win-win.

Need more ideas?

If you’re still looking for marketing ideas for your dog training business, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about how dog trainers can find new clients. Check out these two older posts:

1. Need New Clients? 10 Marketing Tactics to Help You Find Them
2. Need New Clients? More Marketing Tactics to Help You Find Them

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