Starting a business as a dog trainer can be an extremely rewarding experience! But it’s important to take the time to brand your company in a way that’ll set you apart from the competition. Not sure how to brand your dog training business?
We’re here to help!
In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know to successfully brand your business from start to finish. Some of the topics we’ll cover include creating a logo and tagline, developing a marketing strategy, and leveraging online platforms in order to promote your brand.
With the right tools and knowledge, YOU can create a successful dog training brand that’ll not only attract new customers, but also help your business grow!
Want to know how to become a dog trainer, even with no prior experience? Then this Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to becoming a dog trainer is a MUST-READ!
What Is a “Brand”?
To begin, a brand is much more than just a logo or name – it’s the overall look, feel, and personality of your business! Proper branding can make your business appear more reputable, likeable, and trustworthy. And of course, these are all qualities that are essential for attracting new customers!
Why Branding Is Important for Dog Trainers
Now that we’ve answered the question, “what is a brand?” it’s time to discuss why branding is so important – especially for dog trainers.
As a dog trainer, you are likely competing against other businesses that offer similar services. This means that you have to find ways to set your business apart from the competition. And one way to do this is through branding!
Another reason why branding is key is because it can also help build trust with prospective customers. When you have a strong brand identity, people will be more likely to book their dog with you for training. Why? Because they’ll feel reassured that you’re a credible and trustworthy industry expert – which you are!
Thirdly, branding plays a critical part in the whole marketing aspect of running a business. A well-branded company will have a way easier time promoting itself and attracting new clients than one without a solid brand identity. After all, people are more likely to remember (and book with) businesses they recognize and feel safe about!
What Makes a Brand Successful?
Now let’s take a look at a few key elements that all successful brands have in common…
To start, they all have a strong visual identity. For instance, they have a well-designed logo and cohesive branding colors that are consistently used across all of their marketing materials.
Next, all successful companies have a clear and concise message. Your brand’s message should be easy to understand, as well as accurately reflect the overall feel of your business.
And lastly, the third mark of a great branding game is a target audience that the company’s marketing efforts are focused on. By clearly defining who your target market is, you can then create branding and marketing materials that resonate with them. In turn, this will help your business attract new customers!
What Is The Target Market for Dog Training?
Speaking of the target audience, it’s important to take some time to think about who you want your business to attract. After all, this will play a big role in how you brand and market your company!
When it comes to dog training businesses, your main target market will be pet owners.
Pet Owner Statistics
Pet owners make up the majority of the market for dog trainers. And when it comes to this group, there are a few key demographics to keep in mind:
- Age: Most pet owners in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 34. In Canada, on the other hand, the average age range for the most pet owners is between 45 to 54 years old.
- Gender: In a 2017 survey conducted by Statista, men were revealed to own more dogs than women. For reference, approx. 71% of Millennial-aged men had a dog, compared to 62% of women in the same age range.
- Household Income: Just over half of all pet owners in the United States (50.3%) have an average household income of $55,000+ per year.
- Location: Most pet owners live in urban or suburban areas.
Can You Make Money Dog Training?
Now that we know a bit more about the pet owner market, it’s time to answer an important question: can you make money dog training?
The answer is YES! In fact, the dog training industry is currently worth $11 billion dollars in the U.S. alone – and is expected to grow by another $820 million by 2026!
Basically, with such a large and growing market, there are plenty of opportunities for dog trainers to make money. And with the right branding and marketing strategy in place, you can, too!
How To Promote Yourself as a Dog Trainer: Branding Your Business Name
The name of your dog training business is one of the very first things potential customers will see. This is why it’s so important to choose something that accurately reflects the feel of your brand!
A good, strong name will be easy to remember, as well as help you stand out from the competition. A weak name, on the other hand, will do the exact opposite.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when brainstorming name ideas for your dog training business:
- Keep it short, sweet, and to the point!
- Avoid using acronyms (or anything that might be difficult to spell or pronounce)!
- Make sure the name is available as a .com domain before settling on it!
- So long as it isn’t already in use, be prepared to legally register your business name!
- Brainstorm with friends, family, or fellow dog trainers for ideas!
Not sure where to begin? Start by thinking about what makes your company unique.
What sets you apart from other dog trainers in your area? Are you the only mobile dog training business in town? Do you specialize in a certain type of training, like obedience or agility?
Once you’ve pinpointed what makes your business special, use this to help you come up with a list of possible names.
And don’t worry if you can’t seem to narrow it down to just one… Sometimes, the best way to choose a name is to sleep on it for a night or two, then come back and see which option jumps out at you the most!
How To Brand Your Dog Training Business: What Are The 4 Steps of Branding?
Okay, so by now, we’ve covered the importance of branding and what makes a brand successful. Next, let’s take a look at the 4 steps you need to take to create a strong brand for your dog training business!
Step 1: Create a Logo + Tagline
Now that you’ve settled on a name for your company, the first real step in branding your dog training business is to create a logo and tagline that accurately represents your brand. Your logo should be simple and easy to remember. Similarly, your tagline should be reflective of the overall feel of your business.
For instance, say that you’re aiming to create a luxury dog training brand. In this case, your logo might be a simple, elegant typeface on a white background. Your tagline could be something like, “The best of the best.”
On the other hand, if you’re going for a more laid-back, fun-loving feel, your logo might feature cartoonish dogs or playful typefaces. Your tagline in this instance could be something like, “The fun doesn’t stop here!”
Step 2: Develop a Solid Marketing Strategy
The next step in branding your dog training business is to develop a strong marketing strategy. For this, you’ll need to create marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, and social media posts. Just like with your logo and tagline, all of your marketing materials need to accurately represent your brand.
As you develop your marketing strategy, remember to keep your target audience in mind. After all, how else can you ensure that your marketing strategies are geared towards the right type of customer?
Step 3: Create a Memorable Brand Voice
The third step in branding your dog training business is to create a voice for your brand. This encompasses the overall tone and personality of your company and – again – should be reflected in all of your marketing materials.
Let’s say, for example, that you want your business to target specialty services, such as guide dog training, competition training, etc. In this case, your brand voice might be more formal and professional.
On the other hand, if you want your business to target pet parents who view their dogs as family members, your brand voice might be warmer and more conversational.
Step 4: Always Stay Consistent
The final step in branding your dog training business is to be consistent! If you don’t remain consistent, you risk confusing your target audience and coming across as unprofessional.
So, use the same logo, colors, fonts, voice, and overall messaging across all marketing materials. By doing this, you’ll make it easier for potential customers to remember and recognize your business.
Creating a Dog Training Brand: Why a Proper Education is Essential
Proper, professional training is essential for any successful dog trainer – and here’s why!
As a professional trainer, it’s important to have extensive knowledge of the dog training services you’re promising to provide to clients – as well as how to provide them correctly (and safely). Not only will this ensure that your clients are happy with the results; it’ll also help build even more trust in your brand!
Moreover, by completing a professional course, you’ll be able to develop your own unique style and voice as a dog trainer. As a result, it’ll be a lot easier for you to stand out from other experts in your field and attract more customers!
At the end of the day, receiving a legitimate education is essential for any professional dog trainer who wants to build a successful career. For one, it’ll help you to provide exceptional service to your clients. Furthermore, it’ll also allow you to develop your own unique voice and style.
Why You Should Train with QC Pet Studies
If you’re ready to earn your certification as a professional dog trainer, then your best bet is to enroll with QC Pet Studies! QC Pet Studies is a faculty of QC Career School, a pioneer of distance learning since 1984, and proudly maintains an A+ ranking with the Better Business Bureau.
The reason why everyone loves QC’s programs so much is because they’re 100% all self-paced and online. This means that you get to complete your dog trainer certification whenever and wherever YOU want!
Starting from the date you first enroll, you’ll have a full 2 years to finish your course. However, many of our grads have found that by devoting a mere 1-2 hours per week to their studies, they were able to earn their certification in as little as 3-6 months (sometimes sooner)!
QC’s Dog Training Course
This 4-part certification course is geared towards both aspiring dog trainers and working professionals alike! As part of this online program, you’ll learn all about:
- The guiding principles of dog training
- Fundamentals of safe training
- Ethology
- Stages of development
- Socialization stages
- Canine communication
- Calming signals and fear responses
- Problem solving
- Learning theory and how to apply it
- Training methods (luring, shaping, targeting, modelling, capturing, and mimicry)
- Motivations
- Reinforcement schedules
- Training tools
- How to address unwanted behaviors
- Essential teaching skills
- How to work successfully as a trainer
- And more!
What’s more – there’s a full unit devoted entirely to business training, too! As part of this unit, you’ll discover how to get your company started. You’ll also learn about business insurance requirements and recommendations, how to create a business plan, and how to market and sell your services.
At the very end of QC’s Dog Training Course, you’ll even receive prep work for the Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) exam from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (should you wish to get additional certification afterwards from this prestigious organization)!
And the BEST part?
Upon graduation, you’ll get to kick-start your career with an International Dog Training Professional™ (IDTP™) certification + designation on your resume!
Ready to learn more and get started? Here are the FULL details for QC Pet Studies’ self-paced, online Dog Training Course!
Branding a Dog Training Business Online: Your Website, Social Media, and Marketing Strategies
Now that you know all about branding your dog training business, let’s talk about how to put that brand online!
Your Business Website
As a dog trainer, one of the key aspects to creating a successful online brand is having a high-quality, professional website. Your website should not only be beautiful – it should be informative and user-friendly as well. Additionally, it should be fully optimized for search engines. This way, prospective clients can easily find you!
Here are just some examples of how you can use your website to properly reflect your business brand:
- Throughout your entire website design, use your selected brand colors, logo, and fonts!
- Write compelling content that accurately reflects your tone of voice and style as a dog trainer!
- Include high-quality images (ideally, professional photos) of your past dog training work!
- Use social media widgets to link to your accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.!
- Always make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed and easy for people to find!
Your Social Media Accounts
On top of having a website, you should also have social media accounts for your dog training business. These days, clients are usually more likely to find you through social media than they are through a Google search or word-of-mouth.
So, you need to make sure that your social media accounts are active, well-curated, and informative! Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when creating your social media profiles:
- Post high-quality content that accurately reflects your brand on a regular basis!
- Engage with other users regularly by liking, commenting on, and sharing other people’s posts!
- Make it easier for potential clients find your content by using relevant hashtags on your posts!
- You can potentially increase your following by running regular social media promotions and giveaways!
Now, what about using your social media to reflect your brand? These bonus tips will help steer you in the right direction:
- Your social media profile images and bios should always use your brand colors, fonts, and logo!
- You can also reflect your brand in the compelling descriptions you write for your posts, comments, bios, etc.!
- Always remember to speak in your brand voice when posting content, replying to comments, and responding to DMs!
- Add links to your website, as well as your contact information, in your social media bios!
Your Marketing Strategies
Alright, by this point, you now have a website and social media accounts for your dog training business. From here, it’s time to start marketing yourself online!
The good news is, there are many different ways to market your business online nowadays. That said, some are, admittedly, more effective than others. In our opinion, the 4 most fruitful marketing methods are:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Content marketing
- Ad marketing
- And email marketing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing
One of the best ways to market your dog training business online is through SEO marketing. This involves optimizing your website and social media accounts so that they rank higher in search engine results pages (a.k.a. SERPs). If you do this correctly, this will help potential clients find you a lot more easily online!
Here are a few ways you can improve your SEO:
- Regularly use relevant keywords throughout your website, as well as your social media content!
- Make sure that your website is always up-to-date and fully optimized for search engines!
- Whenever possible (and relevant), link to your website and social media accounts from other websites and online directories!
Content Marketing
Another great way to promote your dog training business online is through content marketing. Some ways you can maximize content marketing would be to create high-quality blog posts, infographics, videos, etc. that are relevant to your company. This will not only help boost your SEO, but also give people a better idea of what you do – and how you can help them!
A few ways you can use content marketing to your advantage include:
- Fully optimizing your website for search engines! For instance, it should include relevant keywords throughout the site’s content, as well as in your titles, tags, descriptions, and meta descriptions.
- Using social media to drive traffic back to your website! For instance, you can share links to your website on your social media accounts. You can also run social media ads that direct users right to your site through your CTA (call to action) or click button.
- Consistently creating excellent content that accurately reflects your brand! This could be done via blog posts, videos, infographics, etc. After creating this content, always share it on your social media channels, in email newsletters, etc.
Ad Marketing
Next, we also recommend promoting your dog training business online through ad marketing. Here, you’ll create and run online advertisements that promote your company to the public. Ad marketing has proven to be a great way to reach potential clients – as well as your target audience – who might not otherwise find you online!
When putting together ad campaigns, keep this advice in mind:
- Choosing the right platforms for your online advertisements is key! So, conduct some research and figure out where your target audience is the most active. Once you have this info, you can then place your ads accordingly.
- The type of content you publish will majorly impact the success of your ad! So, make sure it’s compelling and accurately reflects your brand. Your headlines and descriptions should be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing.
- Always include relevant keywords in your ad content! For starters, this will help boost your SEO. Moreover, you’ll also be ensuring that potential clients see your ad when they search for related terms online.
Email Marketing
Last but certainly not least, email marketing is another great way to get your dog training business out there. At its core, this involves sending newsletters, promotional offers, and other updates to your email list. If done properly, email marketing is a great way to keep potential clients up-to-date on what you’re doing – as well as promote special offers and discounts!
Here are some useful tips for creating a successful email marketing:
- Everyone likes a good deal, so build up your email list by offering something valuable in exchange for sign-ups! Examples of this could be a free eBook, a discount code, access to exclusive content, a complimentary consultation, etc.
- Divvy up your email list so that you can send different, targeted messages to specific groups of people! For instance, you could segment your lists by location, age group, types of training services (e.g., obedience training, puppy training, etc.), other pet-related interests (such as dog grooming), etc.
- Compose emails that are clear, concise, and attention-grabbing! Do this by including compelling subject lines and eye-catching images that encourage people to open and actually read your messages.
How To Start Your Own Dog Training Business
So, how do you proceed from here and launch your very own dog trainer business?
First and foremost, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what type of trainer you want to be. So, we recommend asking yourself the following questions:
- Which type(s) of dog training services are you most passionate about?
- Who is your target client base?
- Do you want to have a niche and be known for specific types of training services?
- Or would you like to be seen as a Jack-of-all-trades?
Once you answer these questions, you should have a better idea of the direction you want to take your dog training business in. From there, you can give these articles a read, as they’ll help further your understanding of launching (and running) a successful company:
So, How Do You Turn Your Dog Training Business Into a Brand?
In conclusion, there are a wide variety of ways to successfully brand your dog training business. The key things you should walk away from this article now knowing are:
- You have to be clear about the type of dog trainer you want to be. Furthermore, make sure this is reflected in both your social media presence and business website.
- The overall image/aesthetic for your dog training business is essential. So, make sure you know what that is – and then keep it consistent across all of your platforms.
- Your website has to be informative and easy to navigate. This is especially true if you’re targeting potential customers online. (Which, let’s be real – in this day and age, you’re going to be doing this.)
- People need to know why YOU are the dog trainer to book with, and not someone else. Offer potential clients something unique that they won’t be able to find elsewhere, and find any positive way you can to stand out from the crowd.
- The power of SEO cannot be overstated. Always utilize keywords throughout your website and social media accounts, as this will be essential for helping people discover your dog training business.
We hope this article was helpful, and we wish you the best of luck as you start (or continue) your journey in the professional pet industry!
Do you have any comments, questions, or suggestions? Let us know down below! And be sure to stay tuned for future articles by Sniffin’ Around for more tips and tricks on all things pet-related! 🙂🐶
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