So, why is YOUR dog walking service/s better then your competitions? Providing the “Dog Walking” service to your customer/s is considered a “staple” in the pet sitting business and as we all know, it’s important to make YOUR services… whether it’s dog walking services, pet sitting services or overnights – to be DIFFERENT then your competition. You must try to find ways to add value added services to your pet services in order to make your pet business stand out and appear to be worth more. So this is a great time to focus on your services, each one individually and write about it. Brag about it and really show your pet website visitors why your pet services are better then the rest.
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Every pet business needs a website, that’s for sure – but every pet business also needs a knock-out brochure for all your networking and marketing interactions outside of the internet. This article will provide a good baseline for creating the perfect – knock-out pet business brochure for your pet business.
Let’s start with the basics:
What and why do we use brochures? What is the difference between brochures and flyer? When should we use a brochure? How to use brochures effectively?. Well, the biggest difference between a flyer and brochure is it’s visual appeal. I’ve always thought of a flyer as being a quick – put – together – cheaper paper, black and white kinda thing – like a newspaper. SURE!!! it does it’s job by getting your name out there – *****IF IF IF***** people even LOOK at your flyer, which brings me to another point. People WILL look at your brochure before they do your flyer. The reason is simple: A brochure looks more professional , then a flyer. A brochure SPEAKS time, professionalism, care and thought. Where a flyer is seen as a quick – hurry – get it out to your door knob kinda thing. Not the right frame of mind – the consumer has, but is the way the consumer thinks. You make it look pretty and worth opening and the consumer will open it.
So why would we want to use a brochure?
My first answer to you would be if you asked me personally is
#1) Make a professional and serious impression. #2) would be the same – to make a professional and serious impression.
You can do this and still be friendly and cute, but 1st you must be seen as professional and serious. A brochure also speaks or should speak “I am here for the long haul”. This is a part of the “serious” thought we want the consumer to have. A flyer will more likely go into the garbage. A brochure may be more likely to be placed on a counter top, drawer or stuck on a fridge. They are easier to carry and easy to transport
What should a brochure contain?
Key points, highlight points, focus on needs. This will depend for you and your business / client service focus. Your target audience. As a general rule with your brochure you want to prepare before you write. Do not stress about any feeling of not feeling able to write – do not short change yourself – you need to take your time and ask and answer the right questions. So let’s do this together…
What is the “name” of my company? Using 2 words – would best describe what my company does? Using 3 words – would best describe what my company provides it’s clients? What is my company’s market niche? What does my company offer that my competition does not? What does my company do better then the other company’s? Do we incorporate new things? Are we an “inventive company” – think -out-side-of-box company? What message do I want to send my target audience? What do I want them to do “feel” when reading or looking at my brochure? What is the most important aspect of my business I want my readers to realize or know? What accomplishments have my business obtained, reached ? What are my company’s goals – the big picture goal? BIGGEST QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR BROCHURE TO DO FOR YOU?
The above questions are there to help you bring out the most important points that you can go back and focus on and begin to word your answers all together. It will come to you. Now leave it be for a while and keep reading.
What do we NEED to make our brochure?
First, do you need photos? Illustrations? Artwork? Decide: Do you want clean, sophisticated, cute and fuzzy – a theme, but remember it must match your company’s brand ( if you advertise yourself like “sophisticated pet care” with all pictures appear less then cartoony, you don’t want to start that now with brochure – BE WHO YOU , YOUR BRAND YOUR BUSINESS WAS BUILT TO BE BY YOU. What size, What shape do you like – bi fold? Tri – fold? Will you require a printer to do the work? Will you be able to purchased heavy weight paper and print them yourself as needed?
Once you know what you NEED to make your brochure, you can then start with dummy layouts. What I have always done is take a plain piece of paper and tri-fold it. then I start playing with words in pencil, just like an artist and work my goofy pictures into places , then the words, OR another way you can do this is to define in order the most important areas you want the reader to see to the less information at the back.
In either case. Designing your brochure all starts with getting the wheels turning. By answering some of the questions this should provoke some thoughts for you start with.
TAKE A PART IN OUR CHALLENGE to complete the process with us! GOOD LUCK!