8 Essential Dog Grooming Marketing Strategies

Currently, the global pet grooming market is worth over $1.3 billion a year, and it’s only expected to grow. With the rise in pet humanization, an increase in busy lifestyles, and the growth of multi-pet households, pet owners have become more and more willing to pay top prices for the best pet care—and, when they’re searching for that best-in-class care, you want them to choose your business specifically to spend their money.

But how do you do that?

It all comes down to how you market your services. We can assume that your expertise is in dog grooming, not dog grooming marketing. So, we’re more than happy to step in on that front–starting with these eight essential dog grooming marketing strategies that you need to know for your local grooming business.

Eight Dog Grooming Marketing Strategies

The right marketing strategies will ensure that pet owners in your local area will be able to find your business and then book your services. The eight we’ll cover here are the most essential ones, so you’ll want to focus on them first.

1. Optimize your Google listing

Your Google Business listing helps customers in your area find your business when they search for things like “dog grooming near me.” Keeping your profile optimized is crucial for driving traffic to your business. Keep these tips in mind:

• Complete your listing: ensure your address, phone number, email, website, and any other relevant fields are complete and accurate. 
• Add photos: take high-quality photos of the inside and outside of your business, before and after client photos that showcase your skills, and maybe even shots of yourself to add to your profile.
•  Respond to reviews: reviews left on Google will appear on your profile and be visible to other potential customers. Whether the reviews are good or bad, you should always take the time to leave at least a quick response.
• Keep your profile up to date: things change, and holidays may affect your hours. When that happens, keep your customers informed by updating your profile. Make sure to also switch out your photos periodically to keep things fresh. 
   

2. Continually groom your website

Your website is like your business’s digital first impression. You want to make sure it is optimized for mobile, loads quickly, and is free from any mistakes. Similarly to your Google Business Profile, you’ll want to keep it updated with current photos, business hours, and contact information.

Since you run a service business, you’ll also want to include an online booking portal on your site. Research shows that 90% of customers prefer booking appointments online, and 35% prefer scheduling them during non-business hours. This feature offers convenience for your current customers and prospects and keeps you competitive in the market.

[Related: 5 Things Customers Want to See on Your Local Business Website]

3. Create grooming packages

Remember how we mentioned that people were living busier lifestyles? That’s where our next strategy comes in. Create pre-made grooming packages to list (with prices!) on your newly polished website. A menu detailing which services their pet will receive will make the booking process much faster and simpler. Plus, you’re the groomer. You know best which services pets need most and which complement each other best.

If you want, you can still create an “a la carte” menu for those customers who only want to purchase one or two of your services. This could even make your packages more desirable if you indicate the discount customers will receive by purchasing the package instead of each service individually.

4. Set up a customer referral program

Because pet owners love their pets so much, they aren’t always willing to try out new care providers. That is unless the providers come highly recommended by other pet owners. So, encourage your satisfied customers to tell their friends about you with a customer referral program.

A referral program pulls double duty for you. Not only does it help with brand awareness for your business, but it also rewards your loyal customers. Studies show that customer acquisitions through referrals spend 200% more than the average customer.

From discounts on services for every customer referred to free gifts, the possibilities for how to reward your referrals are endless.

5. Ask for reviews

In the same vein as customer referrals, reviews are essential for dog grooming businesses. Just as people turn to their friends to discover safe places to care for their pets, they also head to the internet. When they do, you’ll want to ensure your reviews put you ahead of the competition.

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by posting QR codes in your waiting room, emailing them a request after their appointment, or sending a follow-up text message. You can even offer an incentive for an honest review… with honest being the keyword here. Never incentivize only positive reviews.

Along with asking for reviews, respond to every review you receive. Whether positive or negative, customers will appreciate a thoughtful response to their feedback.

[Related: Five Reasons Why Reputation Management is Crucial for Your Local Business]

6. Have a strong social media presence

In a world where social media is taking over the role of search engines for some, having a social media presence for your dog grooming business is essential. Not only does social media help drive brand awareness, but it also offers an opportunity to show off your skills.

Photos and videos showcasing your grooming process, employees, and finished grooms let potential customers know exactly what they can expect from your services.

Your social media presence also allows you to work with pet influencers, specifically those in your line of work. Surveys show that 69% of consumers trust influencers’ recommendations over information straight from a brand. And influencer marketing has been gaining traction in the last few years, so it’d be a miss not to try it out. 

[Related: Social Media Management Tips for Small Businesses]

7. Run seasonal promotions

Now that you’ve established your business on social media, it’s the perfect place to run seasonal promotions that will help draw in customers. Use the change in seasons when dogs are shedding their summer and winter coats or special occasions when people may want their pets to look their best to push discounts and special promotions.

Once you draw in customers this way, they’ll be more likely to return and pay regular prices if they’re satisfied with your services.

8. Get involved with the community

As a dog groomer, your business is strictly in-person. After all, you can’t trim coats virtually! This means you’ve likely become an integral part of your local community. To make the best impression with potential customers, drive brand awareness, and help those who keep your lights on, you should get involved.

Support your community by volunteering your time to bathe and trim shelter dogs, host adoption events or simply sponsor local clubs and activities. Not only do activities like these help area customers get to know you and your business, but you’re also helping to build and grow your community so that your business can continue to thrive there.

Let Hibu help with your dog grooming business’s marketing

Digital marketing is essential for growing and maintaining a small business today, but with a schedule full of clients and other commitments on your plate, it can sometimes fall by the wayside. Not when you have Hibu to help you out, though! We offer an all-in-one digital marketing solution that gets your business big results.

Complete our short Get Started form or call 877-237-6120 for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your needs and see how we can help grow your dog grooming business today.