Congratulations on your decision to share your yard with dogs! Now, it’s time to get the word out. We have some marketing tips to get you started.
Marketing Strategy Overview
SMART Goal Marketing Tips
As an independent private dog park owner, you can measure your goal in dollars or dogs! Decide how much you want to earn or how many dogs you want to make happier. To make your goal a SMART goal, it should be:
Specific. A goal is specific when it details your desired accomplishment.
Measurable. It is measurable if you can quantify whether you meet the goal or not.
Achievable. Decide if your goal is achievable by comparing it to your previous experiences or to other similar experiences.
Relevant. The goal is relevant if it aligns with your park’s values and long-term goals.
Time Bound. Being time-bound means you have set a date to check in and measure your level of success.
One possible goal could be that you want to host 240 dogs with confirmed bookings at your park in the next 12 months. Is it a SMART goal? That depends! What is your SMART goal?
Identify Your Target Guests
Knowing who your target guests are and understanding how sharing your yard with them can solve problems they experience is the key to finding them! Creating a persona or set of personas to represent your target guests is a great way to consider their demographics and struggles. Here’s an explanation and examples for how you can create yours!
Pick Your 4 Ps of Marketing
The goal of marketing is for your product to reach the right audience at the right price and at the right time. Knowing the 4Ps makes that possible: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
Product
Your private dog park is obviously your product, but what makes it unique? In what ways does your yard stand out from others? What kind of solution does it provide? You may offer certain amenities or features that guests value. Answer these questions and then fill in these blanks to refine a value position statement: “For [target guest] who [needs or wants X], our [dog park] is [type of dog park] that [benefits]” (Inspiration: Geoffrey Moore).
Price
Setting the right price for your yard is important. We suggest that you shop your competition to see what price point works for a private dog park with features similar to yours in your area or in a comparable community.
Place
Meeting guests where they are is part of the formula for success. You might make decisions about using your residential yard, your private business property, or even your unoccupied lot or land. Once you’ve experienced success with one private dog park, you may feel inspired to open others!
Promotion
Finally, you’ll need to decide on marketing tactics to reach your target guests. Will you network with local dog-friendly businesses to leave physical marketing collateral like flyers and business cards for dog parents to pick up? Will you create a Facebook page for your private dog park? Are your target guests are more likely to follow an Instagram account? Whatever you decide, we offer marketing packages designed especially for you!
Monitor and Adjust
Best practice includes asking your guests how they learned about your private dog park. By listening to what works and being open to trying new methods, you can learn and grow while reaching your goals!
General Marketing Tips
Naming Tips
A few important traits to consider when naming your independent private dog park include being simple, memorable, authentic, emotional, available, and – our favorite – unique. Read these tips from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for more!
Logo Tips
A logo can identify your yard at a glance, and it should communicate your purpose and your personality. Some top tips from Canva include being simple and memorable, plus looking good in black and white. Here is a great article on logo design principle, as well as Canva’s Logo Maker tool to create your own. If you would rather not DIY, these freelancers offer a wide range of rates.
Marketing Tips for Print
Two of the most important pieces of print collateral to have in your independent private dog park’s marketing toolbox are flyers and business cards. We recommend including a QR code and its URL on both. These tutorials from Canva will teach you how to design flyers and business cards for your local advertising. If you would rather purchase flyer and business card designs customized for your yard, we have you covered with our marketing options! Once your design is ready, printing options are available from Canva, Staples, Office Depot, FedEx, and more.
Marketing Tips for Social Media
Facebook is the #1 social-media platform for business growth, and Instagram is #2. For this reason, we recommend that you set up a business page on Facebook and a business account on Instagram for the greatest impact. Other platforms like TikTok, Threads, BlueSky, Pinterest, YouTube, and more have merits, but none will bring dogs to your yard like Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook groups offer a unique opportunity to connect with your target guests. Consider joining groups specific to your local community, to dogs in your area, or to target guests who might be center around certain topics, like traveling or hiking with dogs. Join and participate as your business page if you can. One way or another, respectfully follow the rules of the group and use these tips to engage!
Posting often, understanding your audience, asking followers for feedback, sharing testimonials, using hashtags, and showing off your personality are some of the highlights of these social media tips. We also suggest that you follow the 80/20 rule of social media: If you post 5 days a week, 1 post should be promotional and the other 4 should be entertaining, educational, or problem solving. With our Social Upgrade marketing package, you share photos and videos of happy dogs enjoying your yard, and we have the promotional posts covered!
Tie Everything Together with a Landing Page!
A landing page can drive guests to every option you offer from one place. From Linktree and Milkshake to more robust website platforms, having one place that connects guests to your booking platforms, calendars, scheduling apps, social-media accounts, and more saves time, space, and energy.
We include mini landing pages with every marketing package we offer! The URL and/or QR code for your mini landing page is included on every design to help your potential guests connect with your independent private dog park on every platform where you have a presence.
We’re here to support you in growing your private dog park! Let’s connect!