Are you looking for more “out-of-the-box” ways to market your dog training business? Well, here’s one that not many dog trainers use — Public Relations (PR). 

If you’re wondering what PR really means, here’s the definition from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA):

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

In other words, it’s the way a business communicates with a wider public (beyond their normal audience) to present a public image. It often involves a third party such as a news or media outlet or other businesses and organizations. 

For dog trainers, the most common type of PR would be Press Releases. 

What’s a press release?

According to Hubspot, a press release is: 

“A press release is an official statement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a ‘press release,’ a ‘press statement,’ a ‘news release,’ or a ‘media release,’ we’re always talking about the same basic thing.”

For dog trainers, that means reaching out to media outlets about your business, to communicate newsworthy events with the hope of getting coverage. 

You might now be thinking “Yeah, so what. That sounds like hard work — why should I bother?” But a press release can be very effective marketing that has some extra benefits:

1. A press release can carry added authority and present you as the expert in your field because it’s coming from a third party — a journalist, not just appearing on your social feed.
2. Press releases that include keywords and a link back to your website can boost your SEO — a benefit that’s definitely worth having.
3. It’s effectively free publicity for your business.

With that in mind, it’s worth spending some time researching the local media organizations in your area. Find out if:

• there’s a local newspaper
• there are any local state magazines or publications
• there are any other organizations where local news is shared
• you have a local television or radio station

What’s considered “newsworthy”?

Many things can be considered worthy of a press release. For dog trainers, a press release might be about:

• Introducing a new class or service – e.g., you now offer Board and Train or agility classes in addition to pet dog manners.
• Taking on a specialist trainer – things to mention include your new hire’s certifications and areas of expertise.
• Holding a public event – e.g., you’re holding a public Bark in the Park fundraiser event for a local charity.
• Opening new premises – if you’ve got new facilities, now’s the time to shout about it!
• Expanding into a new service area – you can now cover a larger geographical location because you have more trainers.
• Rebranding or changing your business name – avoid confusion by ensuring everyone knows about your new image.
• Getting an award or making a notable achievement – you won a prestigious business award or dog sport event worth shouting about.

Press releases aren’t limited to announcements like those above. Things like seasonal advice for dog owners can also be good topics to suggest to journalists. 

Create a brief summary which highlights the problem. Note that the topic is of high interest to the dog owning public (and why) and would make a good article for a newspaper. Topics might include:

• How to keep your dog cool in summer
• Summer activities to do with your dog
• Keep your dog safe during the Christmas mayhem
• Dealing with firework phobias
• Tips for taking your dog on vacation
• Gifts for the dog lover in your life
• Traveling with dogs
• What to do in a dog attack

These types of articles are usually written by the journalist (not you!) after interviewing you. Give them enough bullet points to be able to structure content and see how the piece would flow, but don’t write it for them. You’re then quoted as the interviewed local expert — giving you and your business both credibility and exposure.

How to write a press release

As you’d expect, there’s a right way and a wrong way to write a press release. Journalists are busy people so make sure you follow these 7 tips to keep them reading your submission.

1. Make sure your contact info is at the top left. Include the words “For immediate release” at the very top.
2. Provide a snappy, eye-catching title and italicized sub heading to let your reader know what the press release is about.
3. Use two to three paragraphs to provide context and the additional details. When writing the body of the release, always go from the most important to least important info. So, the first paragraph should include the who (your business name), what (what you do if it’s not obvious), where (your business location and where any events are being held). Keep the “why” to the second paragraph. Keep these two paragraphs short and to the point. 
4. Include bulleted facts and figures if they’re relevant and a quote if you can. Something like “Our new world-class facilities will allow us to help even more dog owners in the Raleigh area to realize their dream of having a wonderful furry family member.”
5. If you can, link your press release to something currently newsworthy to increase its value and relevance. 
6. Wrap it up with a short bio of you and your business to summarize the “who” and “what” of your release and include a link to your website near the beginning. You can take this from your short business description off your website, no need to labor over creating something new.
7. PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD! You really do not want to see your press release in print and then notice that horrible typo. 

Here’s an example template from Hubspot:

You can download this, and other templates here.

Finding out where to send your press release

Once you’ve written your press release, you obviously need to send it somewhere. And this can seem the tricky bit — but it doesn’t have to be.

When you check out the website for your local newspaper, radio, or TV station, you should find either general contact information or a specific point of contact listed.

Check:

• Their contact page
• In the footer
• On the About page

If there’s no specified contact for press releases, email or call the contact given to ask who deals with them. Even simply speaking to their general receptionist should give you the info you need. 

It’s worth taking the time to find the correct person as a big part of the benefit of doing press releases is that you can build relationships with these media contacts. 

Ideally, you want to be known as the dog expert in your local area, so when there’s a dog related story — a dog bite or canine hero, for example — you’re the trainer or behaviorist they reach out to for related information, opinions, and quotes.

Press releases may not be a big part of your marketing arsenal but can be a valuable add-on to all your usual activities. Why not do some digging and see where you could send a press release next time something noteworthy happens for your business? You might be pleasantly surprised on the return on investment those minutes could bring.