How to Get Free. Publicity Dog Daycare. By Eric R. Letendre

Transcription

1 How to Get Free Publicity for Your Dog Daycare By Eric R. Letendre 1

2 Special Bonus Report How To Get Free Publicity For Your Dog Daycare Free publicity is better than paid advertising any day of the week. Two reasons for this are: 1. You don t have to pay for it - Very important when you first start out and funds are limited. 2. Free publicity is better because it gives your dog daycare credibility. Anything that the paper says about you is better than what you say about yourself in an ad. In this report, I will provide you with a step-by-step plan to get you as much free publicity as possible. It is important to note that newspapers, especially local newspapers, need to fill space. If you provide them with newsworthy information, they will print it. You have to remember that your news release has to provide something of value for their readers. You cannot send in an article detailing how wonderful you are. Look at it from their reader s point of view. If you can send in an article that offers something for free, solves a problem or delivers real news, you have a good chance of getting it published. Step #1: Never send in a press release Always send in a news release. At the top of your article, write the words NEWS RELEASE. On the other side of the page, write FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Your Name and Your Number. Step #2: Solve a problem, Offer something free or real news When you write a news release, it has to provide the readers of the article with one of the above. A news release announcing your grand opening is real news and it should be taken advantage of, but you can only hold one grand opening. After that, you need to come up with something newsworthy, offer something for free or solve a problem. 2

3 Solving a problem is easy for the dog daycare business. Most dog owners feel guilty about leaving their dogs home and think their dogs do not receive enough exercise. You solve that problem by offering your daycare as the solution. I like to offer free guides and reports. A free report accomplishes two things, establishes you as the expert and allows you to gain free publicity. You can offer a free guide, 5 Secrets Every Dog Owner Should Know, with a free coupon for daycare enclosed. In the Reports section of the website, I have included my report, 4 Things You Can Do For Your Dog While You Are At Work. You can offer this report in a press release you write about dogs needing more exercise, or a press release about how lack of exercise is the number one cause for behavior problems. It is a MS Word document so you can edit it with your business information. There is also an additional resource in the Reports section that goes along with the 4 Things report. It is the free daycare pass and 10 reasons to go to daycare. It is a MS Word document so you can edit it with your contact information. It is also already formatted for you so that you print these on your computer. It is formatted for standard business card paper, but you could also print on card stock and cut with a paper cutter. Step #3: Persistence If you want to get press coverage, you need to send out constant reminders to the media that you want to appear in. Make a list of all the newspapers that you want to appear in. When you send in a news release, follow up with a second news release, and then a third and so on. Set a schedule to follow. You will learn which sources print your releases and which ones produce poor results. Step #4: Use current events. Anytime you see or read anything that is directly, or even indirectly, related to your dog daycare business, write an article and send it in. One article that I wrote was on Dalmatians. Guess when I wrote the article? You guessed it. Right after the movie 101 Dalmatians came out. You could not turn around without seeing, hearing or reading about Dalmatians. Every newspaper that I sent that release to printed it except 1. See Examples #1A and #1B. This week, try to find two events that could be related to the dog daycare business. Make notes on both of those events. Do the same thing the following 3

4 week. Pretty soon you will notice dog related events without even trying. The next step is to sit down and write and article and submit it. Step #5: Get involved in community projects. The pet industry offers you an excellent advantage over many other industries. You can get involved with many different types of shelters and rescue organizations. This is something that I have done since I began dog training. The main reason is that working with shelter dogs is something I m passionate about. I feel that every pet industry professional should offer their time and expertise to animal organizations. I donate both time and money to the shelters in my area. When you become active with these shelters, they will invite you to take part in their fundraising events. Most of these events will be covered in the local press. See Example #2. Step #6: Maximize your efforts. When you get published, don t let it end there. Make copies of the articles and include them in your mailings to your customer list. Have the article enlarged or framed and prominently display it in your waiting area for everyone to see. Add quotes from your articles to any promotional materials you create, such as As seen in the Providence Journal, etc. And be sure to run an ad in the publication that printed your news release. This helps create reciprocity. Step #7: Let them know you are out there. Send information to all the publications that you d like to appear in. Send out a letter stating who you are, what you do, your experience, how you can be reached and that you are available for any questions they may have or comments on any stories they are running. Step #8: Thank you. Anytime you receive press coverage, immediately send a thank you card to the person that printed your release. Few people do this. Everyone appreciates sincere gratitude and you should let him or her know that you appreciate him running the story. 4

5 Step #9: Take action. Don t wait around hoping that someone will print an article on your dog daycare. Make it happen. The information provided in this report gives you the steps you need to take to get into your local newspapers. You can wait a long time if you just leave it up to the papers. Now that you know what to do, good luck! EXAMPLES Example #1A This is the press release about the Dalmatian that was printed in the Providence Journal Bulletin on Tuesday, December 17, You will note that it is longer than a traditional press release and doesn t have a specific call to action. This is because it was written as a letter to the editor. NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Letendre Training Essential For Any Dog Owner As of late, the Dalmatian has received more press coverage than pitbulls and Rottweilers combined, and just like the pitbull and Rottweiler, much of the coverage has been negative. Many of the stories I have observed over the past few weeks advise people to be very careful deciding on the Dalmatian as the dog of choice. The experts on the local and national scene have described the Dalmatian as a very difficult dog to train and live with, adding that they are susceptible to numerous genetic 5

6 problems and diseases. The American Kennel Club describes the Dalmatian as stable and outgoing, yet dignified. Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. Choosing a dog, not just Dalmatians, should be promoted in the right light. When a dog comes into a household, new owners think about veterinary care and feeding, while those are just parts of dog ownership. Training, exercise and proper management are even more crucial elements if you intend to keep your dog. Dogs come in many shapes and sizes and not every dog is intended for every owner. When a dog and owner are mismatched, problems crop up very quickly. A border collie, for instance, has an incredible amount of energy, and if confined to apartment living, it will find ways to expend its energy by chewing on the furniture, herding the kids, etc. I think the same advice should be given about all dogs. Too many dogs are bought on the spot (no pun intended). A dog is a 10 to 15 year commitment. Any dog can become a nuisance without proper training and diet. My belief with Dalmatians is that they are rumored to be difficult because they are the type of dog bought with little or no forethought. Walk into any pet store with puppies on display and the most popular, the one that catches the eye quickest, is the Dalmatian. Bought and brought home with little knowledge of how to incorporate the pup into the household, and soon, our little Dalmatian is a little terror. 6

7 Some of the best dog owners are the ones who put a lot of planning into purchasing a dog. They research breeds, talk to different veterinarians and discuss possible choices with a professional trainer. As I stated earlier, a dog is a year commitment. It is a good idea to know how you intend to spend those years. Puppy training is often an overlooked subject. If you get a puppy in the near future, one piece of advice is to find a good, humane puppy class that offers training using positive reinforcement and socialization. Puppies are very impressionable creatures. If a puppy has limited exposure to different people, places, sights, sounds and other dogs, there is a good chance that the dog will be badly affected later in life. If you think that training is not an important factor in your relationship with your dog, remember that more dogs are euthanized every year in this country for behavior problems than for disease and medical problems. If you decide to buy a Dalmatian this year, please remember that any dog can become a problem without the proper knowledge. A dog is for life, not just Christmas. Example #1B This press release was submitted when Paris Hilton lost Tinkerbell, her Chihuahua. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact information: Eric Letendre

8 Free Pet I.D. Program Offered By Local Dog Trainer Could Have Helped Paris Hilton Westport, MA Paris Hilton, the star of The Simple Life, lost her teacup Chihuahua last week and was seen putting up posters offering a reward for her beloved pet. A story that appeared in USA Today states that Paris dog, Tinkerbell, was lost when someone left the back door to her home open. The story added that Tinkerbell didn t have any identification. This is a big problem for the dog and anyone that finds the dog, says Eric Letendre, owner of American Canine. Letendre, who provides dog training, boarding, grooming and daycare at his Westport facility, stated that anyone coming to his place can get a free I.D. tag for their dog. If anyone finds your lost dog, they can call the number on the tag and be put in touch with the owner. Mr. Letendre, a former animal control officer, said that one of the biggest problems with lost dogs is identification. With no way to identify or contact the owner, a dog can end up lost for long periods of time. Our free I.D. program has our number and we match the I.D. number with the owner. Any dog owner can take advantage of this free service, all they need to do is stop in and fill out the form and their dog is issued a tag. When asked why he was starting this program Mr. Letendre said, All year long you see lost dog signs all over the place. With our new I.D. tag program, maybe 8

9 we can get lost dogs home to their families quicker. The last thing we want is another Tinkerbell incident. If you have any questions about Eric Letendre s free Pet I.D. program. you can contact him at or go to his website ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Example #2 This is a sample press release you could send in to your local papers letting them know about your involvement in community events. NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Eric Letendre Local Dog Trainer Helps Raise Money For Animal Shelter Westport, MA- On Saturday December 7 th, local dog trainer, Eric Letendre, held the fifth annual Pet Photos with Santa at American Canine. Jake Brier, of Roman/Roxe Strategic Design, was there to take the photos. Each picture was digitally taken by Mr. Brier. Donations were collected for Potter s League for Animals in Middletown, RI. 9

10 209 pictures were taken and a total of $2066 was raised for the shelter. We had an unbelievable turnout. It was one continuous line from 11:30 until we finished. Everyone that came was very generous and we are grateful for all the donations, stated Mr. Letendre, owner of American Canine. Mr. Letendre added, 100% of the proceeds go to the shelter. Every one that helps with the photos is a volunteer, including the photographer, this way all of the donations can go directly to the shelter. The size of the donation is left up to each person, we never set the price. Each person can give as little or as much as they want. The Potter League for Animals is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of animals. Their mission is to promote the humane treatment of all animals. They shelter and care for lost or unwanted companion animals, return them to their homes, place them into humane environments and they are committed to Zero Tolerance of animal suffering and homelessness. 10