You mean, you don’t have a list of 2795328 blog posts lined up for your dog walking and pet sitting business? 😉
Coming up with blog post topics can be a REAL pain, especially when we have a bazillion other things to think about. Like…running an actual business for example. And while blog post writing and web design are my forte, it certainly may not be for those out in the field caring for and walking our beloved companions.
So, I thought I’d offer up some ideas for you because, even if blog writing isn’t your specialty, it’s still highly recommended. The goal is to help you get more of those dog walking clients or pet sitting reservations, so you can do what YOU do best.
1. Interview a Dog Trainer
This is a great way to demonstrate that you care about their dogs’ wellbeing! You can interview him/her on subjects like…
How to introduce a new puppy to your dog
The importance of loose leash walking and how to get started
What to do if your dog is exhibiting signs of aggression or fear or separation anxiety
Bonus Points: Ask the trainer to share the blog post on their social media!
2. Post Something Polarizing
Obviously, we don’t want to go toooo crazy with this because we don't want to isolate your business or anger readers currently in your audience; however, more controversial posts are the ones that typically get the most engagement (good and bad). In fact, it’s a-okay if some people don’t like your opinion on this post. This helps you refine and get deeper into connecting with the clients you want to work with because they resonate with you and your message.
3. FAQ Post
Pet Marketing Unleashed is ALL about providing ways to make your life easier and one of the best ways to do that is through your own content. If you have clients asking you the same questions over and over, it’s time to get them into a blog post. This is something that you can send to new clients or include in a Welcome Packet (you can get my Welcome Packet Template for dog walkers here). Or, you can simply link to it for more guidance when you get the question.
4. Tutorial on How to Use Your Booking Software
This one is GOLD, especially when you’re transitioning to new software or have people struggling with how to begin using your software. This can create headaches for you and your dog walking/pet sitting staff as they try to educate your clients on how to use the software. The best way to help with this is by creating a step-by-step blog post on everything they need to know about the software. This can be getting started, how to request a pet sitting reservation, how to cancel your booking, and how to update pet info.
Don't have a booking software set up yet? You're losing precious time that your website can save for you! Learn how to make your website onboard your dream clients all while you're away from your desk with our free masterclass! That's right, make your website work for you. Check out the class here.
5. Ask Your Followers What They Want
This is one that’s not often used but can be so valuable because your current clients are the best insight into what potential clients may want to learn about. You can ask them directly, whether it be in the form of posting on social media, DM’ing clients individually, creating a survey, asking people via email, or creating a poll on Facebook. Ask them what they want to learn or hear about and go from there!
6. Create a Pet-Friendly Guide for Your Area
Time and time again, this blog post topic becomes the most popular blog post for my
VIP Day clients.
Divide the blog post up into categories: pet-friendly restaurants, dog parks, pet food or supply stores, veterinarians, groomers, photographers, dog trainers, you name it! I highly suggest using places you actually love, frequent, or recommend as the point here isn’t to showcase every single pet-friendly business. It’s to share ones you recommend, which adds to your trustworthiness and personality as a business.
Bonus Points: When you share about this post on social media, be sure to tag these businesses so they know they’re featured and can reshare!
7. Tell The Story of How You Got Started
As Simon Sinek famously said,
‘People Don't Buy What You Do, They Buy Why You Do It.'
This is true now more than ever as people are wanting more 'humanness' in their purchases whether it's products or services. The more they can relate and learn about who’s behind the business, the better! Be vulnerable and show people your story and how you created your dog walking and pet sitting business.
8. Share Upcoming Events Around Town
This is a great option for a fun and SEO-enhancing blog post (learn more about that here). The more you can link to other websites in here, the better as that shows Google you want to share other reputable information for your audience, which in turn makes you more reputable. It also showcases your involvement and care for the community. This is a wonderful trait to have because as I’m sure you’re already aware, the pet industry is a very personal one built on trust and love.
9. Outline Your Booking Process And/Or What It’s Like to Work With Your Business
This can give potential clients an inside scoop on what it’s like to work with you. This can help in a multitude of ways:
It can weed out clients who aren’t the right fit
It can motivate the clients who are the right fit to reach out and already be sold on your pet business
It can help you save time (because of all the reasons above) AND you don’t need to hop on unnecessary calls or send unnecessary emails
It can build your trustworthiness and transparency as a business in the community
10. Create a Client Spotlight
If you have a dog or cat that you’ve worked with that has significantly changed as a result of working with you (i.e. separation anxiety, too much energy, fear of strangers, etc.), this is a GREAT way to make those pet parents see themselves in your business. This is one of the best tools marketing has to offer. If they can see their energy-filled dog who destroys the furniture out of boredom in your blog post success story, they could also begin to imagine the possibilities that could come from working with you. Imagine if that destruction stopped because they dog high-energy dog walks or runs during the day while they’re at work!
Let's take a brief intermission to say—if you need a home for all of these blog posts that not only displays your awesome content well, but also helps you onboard clients while you're sleeping, teaches you how to set everything up, and helps you nail your SEO, copywriting, and more, you need to head to the Pet Marketing Unleashed shop! Read more about the templates and Unleashed Website Academy here.
Now...back to blog post ideas!
11. Share Secrets!
Nothing gets us to hit that 'Read' button more quickly than seeing the words ‘Secret’ pop up in a title. Think of some things that people would want to know that no one really talks about in the industry or in the dog walking or pet sitting arena. These are great ways to increase interest and readership.
12. Create a Pre-Reservation Checklist
Again, we’re coming back to the fact that anything you can do to help ease your client process will be beneficial on so many levels! This is a blog post you can share with clients when they first start working with you. This can help you avoid mishaps, back-and-forths, accidents, and unnecessary stress. It’s also great for the reasons listed above under blog post idea number nine. Not to mention these types of blog posts increase your professionalism and legitimacy which is invaluable.
13. Safety Tips for an Upcoming Holiday
Most pet businesses prefer to write more general blog posts like these when it comes to finding topics. They can certainly be great; HOWEVER, I highly recommend finding some way to make it more relevant to your specific community and ideal market. To do this, you can mention your town, certain holiday events, or offer suggestions only relevant to your town. Yes, an increase in web traffic is always positive. BUT, what is the point of getting someone from Ireland to click on your blog post if you’re located in New York City?? Consider that when writing all of your blog posts, by the way!
14. Compare Yourself to ’The Other Guys’
One of the most popular blog posts dog walkers and pet sitters want to write about is the fact that they are professional, which is better than other pet businesses out there like Rover and Wag. I don’t think these are bad blog posts to write; however, it’s important to make use of them in the right way. This means, we can use the words Rover and Wag (for SEO reasons), BUT keep the blog post in a positive light. We don’t want to leave a salty taste in your reader’s mouth by bashing other companies around you. We also don’t want to cause any legal problems by bashing others because the goal isn't to put down the other business. The goal of this type of blog post is to simply and objectively outline the differences and focus on your own business and why you believe you’re the way to go.
15. Highlight a Local Citizen or Business
Nothing’s better than showing your love and involvement in the community. When you support others, people will support you. Simple as that. I’ve written blog posts for clients on interviewing local artists who paint pets, shop owners who allow pets inside, or those who are fundraising money to help rescue animals. The options are endless here.
16. Teach Something Fun!
I’m sure you’ve heard it from other marketing professionals out there. Engagement is key when it comes to producing content, so why not have a little fun with it? Perhaps you can share how to create paw print stamps and encourage readers to tag their stamp photos on social media. Create a step-by-step guide on teaching your dog a fun new trick and encourage them to share videos. Also endless options for this type of post.
17. Share Pet-Friendly Restaurants
While we have the full pet-friendly guide to your town, there’s a time and place to get a little more specific, especially for my favorite SEO-boosting blog posts for dog walkers and pet sitters. This is a highly-searched phrase in Google, so it’s time to use it to your advantage.
18. Share Dog Parks
Same as number 17. There are endless ways to get more specific on all sorts of pet-friendly options in your area. Think about what people would search for in your area and go from there to create blog posts relevant to your town and their pets.
Well, there you have it. I hope these have helped you create more blog post topics for your dog walking business or pet sitting business. I’m a HUGE advocate for blog writing, so anything to help, I’m your gal!
Want more content ideas for your pet business? Check out my blog post on 33 Creative Instagram Post Ideas For Your Pet Business.
However, while we're on the topic of blogging, I wanted to tell you a bit about my course, Blogging For Your Pet Biz. This course walks you through the steps of:
- Getting in the right mindset to produce content that attracts your dream clients
- Selecting the RIGHT blog post topics for your pet business for a year
- Writing your blog post titles, outlines, and CTA's
- Implementing blogging SEO
- Marketing your blog posts
And SO much more! If you're at all interested, I highly recommend clicking here to check it out. It is JAM-PACKED full of tips & tricks, perfect for those who know nothing about blogging (or even for those that know a bit more) and need some help creating a process that saves time and increases strategy!
