As a mobile pet groomer, you must have put in a lot of effort to get where you are. By now marketing is your primary concern. Clients are the backbone of any business yet, they seem rare to come by. More often than not, marketing is a challenge for many people. As result, you might get questioned if there is an actual way you can minimize marketing and still get clients. Read on to find out.
What is booking yourself solid?
Booking yourself solid means finding clients to keep you engaged over a specific period. During this period, you do not have to market your mobile pet grooming business. Your time and attention are directed towards delivery services to these clients.
Why book yourself solid?
Booking yourself solid has numerous benefits. First, you can invest heavily in marketing, and then later focus on performing what you love – grooming pets. Secondly, you get peace of mind knowing that business is booked in advance. There is some sort of relief and comfort that comes with the joy of knowing that you have a steady supply of income for the next six months. Thirdly, you can use urgency to alert potential clients that you have limited time. Urgency hastens them to book you. Another benefit is the convenience of planning according to a waitlist of clients who want your pet grooming services.
If you are looking to book yourself solid, here are tips on how you can do so.
1. Develop your brand
Successful branding is the key to building a strong and loyal client base. Your business brand represents your skills, values, and personality. Branding is what differentiates you from other per groomers and draws people to your services. A strong personal brand will influence your ability to get the right jobs.
To establish a successful brand, you will need to accomplish some tasks. Begin by creating a platform to represent your brand. A website, for example, is an excellent platform in this case. In addition to the site, social media accounts will come in handy. Next, you will need to identify your values and set your priorities right.
Having built a brand, you will present yourself as an expert in mobile pet grooming. As a result, you command authority as a pet groomer. Because of your brand, people can easily find you and take you more seriously.
Although building your brand will take time and effort; eventually, it will enable you to book yourself solid.
2. Start asking for referrals
What if every customer you serve would send you another client? Then you would never run out of business. While most people will be glad to refer you if you asked them, others would not if you did not ask. So take a step and invite all your existing clients to refer you. Better yet, do an excellent job for your clients and ensure they are satisfied. They will eventually refer you on their own. To encourage your clients to send you more referrals, give them some incentives. For example, offer free nail trimming for every client that refers a customer to you. You can book yourself solidly purely through referrals.
3. Run events
It is evident that we live in an online world and all businesses are migrating online. However, we cannot underestimate the power of traditional marketing such as public speaking, sending postcards, presentations at seminars and workshops. Such methods still work and will help you build trust and credibility in your local community.
Attend seminars, workshops and other events that are related to pets. By participating, you present yourself as an expert in the field.
Alternatively, start your events in cooperation with the local government or organizations and invite them to participate. Running events is a great way to attract potential clients that will keep you booked solid.
4. Use lead magnets to capture leads
A potential client can ignore your website for the lack of the tiniest of detail such as a contact form. Do not allow this to happen. If you have not set up a contact form on your website, then you are missing out. Several clients may be interested in hiring your pet grooming services but might be unable to contact you on your site. Some clients would rather fill a form than call you.
Another smart way to attract this kind of client is by offering them something compelling in exchange for their contact. For example, you can provide pet care tips as a PDF in exchange for their email address. Using lead magnets can work wonders in booking yourself solid by bringing interested clients closer.
5. Use social media generously
Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Interact fully with your fans and create a lasting impression. Share tips, knowledge and your work on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. If you have photos of you while grooming pets, share them to engage your audience. Let them see your work to enable you to reach a new client base.
Use the search buttons regularly since people are always asking for recommendations to the best groomers. A single search may turn up several clients to keep you booked for a long time.
6. Engage more in networking
Networking is a powerful strategy that you should not think twice about implementing. Be sure to let everyone around you- your family, friends, and neighbors know that you are offering mobile pet grooming services. Attend events and bring your business cards with you and give them out.
Another way to network is by partnering with related service providers such as dog walkers and photographers. You work by referring respective clients to each other; thus, everybody gains.
You never know, a person in your network might know someone who needs your pet grooming services.
Conclusion
Keeping yourself booked solid will not only save you time but will also maximize your profits while improving the quality of your services. Through building your brand, networking, using social media, getting referrals and running events on a regular basis, you attract clients. Combining these tips with a constant effort to connect and pursue opportunities, you will be able you to book yourself solid for a long time.