3 Key Dog Training Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business

Marketing altogether can be a crazy maze to navigate. And today, dog trainer marketing goes beyond traditional ads and tactics and must include digital marketing solutions. 

[Related: Hibu Client Conversation: Dream Dogs Dog Training]

Why Is Having a Dog Training Marketing Plan So Important?

For starters, the dog training market size was about $276 million in 2022 and analysts expect the dog training market to grow by 6% through 2026. Obviously, getting your share of that sweet revenue is your top marketing priority!

Taking your dog training marketing online is your fastest and most effective way to engage clients during their customer journey – and it’s never been more important than it is today. You’re no doubt already aware of these four growing trends:

• People are humanizing their dogs more
• Service dogs need specialized training
• Using virtual dog training services is an up-and-coming trend
• People are adopting more dogs across the board

What does it all mean? When you increase the digital marketing for your dog training business, you’re reaching clients where they’re already searching. Plus, you have adaptable options at your fingertips when trends shift and your business grows.

[Related: 5 Types of Digital Marketing That Get Results for Small Businesses]

Three Dog Training Marketing Ideas for Boosting Business

These dog trainer marketing tactics may seem like common sense at first. But a lot of labor goes into making them happen in a way that really works.

Here are three digital dog training marketing ideas that could easily help your business grow online.

[Related: Digital Marketing “Musts” That Most Local Businesses Overlook]

1. Make Your Website Shine

Countless elements make a good website good, let alone great. And you want your smart site to be beyond great for outstanding dog training marketing.

So we’ll say it straight — don’t do it yourself. It’s tempting to opt for cheap, build-your-own website services ... but hey, you get what you pay for. Clients won’t want to trust their dogs with anyone whose website doesn't behave the way it should.

Here’s (some of) what your website should have to nail its ultra-important place in your dog training marketing plan:

• Smart design, for what clients can see and for what’s built-in
• Simple navigation
• Voice search compatibility
• Mobile-friendly design
• Through-and-through search engine optimization (SEO), especially local SEO
• Pet services industry best practices
• Crucial info on every page, like contact and location details
• Credentials and certifications 
• Client reviews, testimonials, and star ratings
• Links to your social media accounts
• A clear contact page and several calls to action (CTAs)
• Lots of tactful media — including adorable dog pics and videos
• Accessible analytics, to find out what’s keeping clients on the page

Long list, and really, we’re just scratching the surface. You’d have to dig deep to get it just right and leap over your competitors. That’s where a digital marketing partner comes in handy – they can craft a custom website for your dog training business.

[Related: What Makes a Good Local Business Website?]

2. Take Advantage of Social Media

Using social media is key to dog training marketing ideas. Where else can you so quickly, and personally interact with pet owners in your area? They’re already online, and with social you have instant ways to respond.

Because social media is such a pivotal part of your dog training digital marketing plan, you should be sure to take these key steps:

• Create professional business accounts on multiple platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram (aka Meta)
• Add plenty of details about your dog training business
• Link to your website and other social media accounts
• Post regularly — and keep posting
• Spotlight your services, clients (with consent), reviews, staff, and any specials/discounts
• Experiment with what social platforms offer, like video reels and photo galleries
• Engage with visitors who comment 
• Increase your reach even more with social media ads (ads are different than posts)

That last step is far more important than you might think. Social media use is massive and opens a window to scads of potential clients. But for local users to see your business, social ads are integral to strong dog training marketing.

Think about the number of people you could potentially reach with organic posts on Facebook. Now, Facebook ad reach alone is 62% of U.S. adults. That’s a heck of a lot more people than you could get your business name in front of solo.

And social ads are smart, too — they target and retarget the specific users you want to reach. And that means new clients, more website traffic, and all-around greater visibility.

Pro tip: Feel free to be fun and playful as well as professional on social media. Dog trainer marketing depends a ton on how much clients like you and your staff!

[Related: The Smart Business Owner’s Guide to Social Media]

3. Pat Yourself on the Back with Client Reviews

There’s nothing more powerful than word-of-mouth marketing, and for that reason, reviews and recommendations are your best friend in dog training marketing. It’s just natural that your satisfied clients will tell anyone who needs dog training exactly how good you are. Then those people tell their friends, and on and on.

So, how do you get that ball rolling online? You might have a handful of passionate clients who tell everyone within earshot about you, but that’s not enough. Promote your great reviews across your digital channels, from your website to business listings to social media accounts.

Requesting, receiving, and sharing good reviews can be time-intensive but reviews are a vital part of your marketing. Thankfully, working with an experienced Reviews marketing partner takes a lot of the responsibility off your plate.

The American Kennel Club reported that people find dog trainers in two ways:

• Asking for in-person recommendations 
• Searching online (directories, lists and more)

The beauty of showcasing your reviews is that you hit both targets! You place reviews, recommendations, testimonials, and ratings where people can easily find them. Suffice it to say that a dog training marketing plan isn’t complete without reviews.

Pro tip: Most people read reviews before contacting a business — a whopping 99% of people. If that’s not enough reason to give your reviews the limelight, clients trust recommendations and reviews way more than ads.

[Related: The Importance of Online Reviews]

Maximize Your Results with a Custom Dog Training Marketing Solution from Hibu

At Hibu, we provide products and services that make dog training marketing easy — and lucrative. We specialize in partnering with pet service businesses like yours to drive real results.

Get in touch today and see how we can work with you to optimize your online presence.

Call us at (855) 620-9600 or complete our Get Started form and a digital marketing specialist will reach out for a free, no-obligation consultation.