Shark!

Shark!

A few years back I was in Key West, Florida diving with my brother and a buddy of mine. We were cruising around looking at all the cool stuff that you see when you're underwater having a great time. Anyway, we were swimming along and came around this big reef and guess what we ran smack dab right into. . .

A SHARK!

Now I don't know if you have ever been underwater scuba diving and have come across a shark, but if you have there is one thing that seeing a shark in it's natural
environment does. It gets your attention fast. You pretty much forget about everything else and pay attention to what that big sucker is doing.

And that brings me to today's topic. When you are promoting or advertising your business you can't be timid about it. You have to get the person's attention and keep them interested in what you're saying.

It does not matter what type of media you are using. Newspaper, direct mail, yellow pages, website, email, whatever you have to reach out and grab that person's attention.

In all of your ads use a strong, compelling headline, or as the great David Ogilvy stated:

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90% of your money."

Again think of the reader as you write a newspaper ad. No one picks up the newspaper and says "Gee, I wonder if I can find a new groomer for Fluffy in today's newspaper."

No, they pick up the paper and ignore 98% of all the advertising. But they are not going to ignore yours because you are going to do two things:

First you're going to come up with a headline that stops them in their tracks and gets their attention. Most ads have the name of the business for their headlines. Here are some beauties that I have used over the years:

'Do You Know What Happens When Your Dog Gets Fleas?'

'Amazing New Bathing System Will Clean Your Dog 150% Better Than The Old Scrub Brush'

'Facts You Should Know About Dog Grooming'

'Announcing (insert your business name's) All New Reduced Shedding Program'

'How To Reduce Your Dog's Shedding In 3 To 5 Days'

'The Truth About Your Dog's Shedding Problem'

And my all time favorite:

'Westport Dog Groomer Swears Under Oath His New Reduced Shedding Program Does Not Contain Any Illegal Or Harmful Substances - Free Report Reveals How to Reduce Your Dog's Shedding In 3 To 5 Days'

The second thing you're going to do when you run an ad is make it look like a press release. You see, people don't read ads but they do read stories, the more you make your ad look like a story the more people will read it and more importantly they will TAKE ACTION and call you.

Think of the person flipping though the paper. They see boring ad after boring ad. Most businesses run newspaper ads with the name of the business as the headline, if they use a headline at all! Now they come across your ad with one of the above headlines.

Ole Harry is sitting in his recliner flipping though the newspaper when he comes across your ad and says to himself:

'What the heck is this all about? Reduced shedding program can help my dog's shedding problem.'

He then yells out to his wife:

'Hey Marge, there's some guy in the paper who says he can help with Chipper's shedding problem. Quick honey grab the phone and let's call this dude!'

It's like the shark coming around the reef, you need to reach out and grab the person's attention with a strong headline.

Not very many people will stop and read a headline that says 'Pup in a tub pet grooming,' Fluffy's pet grooming,' Best friends pet grooming in business since 1974.'

But they will stop and read your ad if there is a strong benefit for them. I focused a lot of my ads on shedding because I know that it's one of the biggest complaints for dog owners. I'm solving a problem.

As always, I look forward to your questions and comments.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. Looking for more great ways to get more customers, check out: http://groomersmarketingcourse.com/description.htm

How to write a press release

I did something that I have not done in a long time. I went to petgroomer.com and checked the message board. It's not that I don't like petgroomer.com, I have just been too busy.

Anyway, when I went there I saw a questions about press releases. Being the kind, helpful person that I am, I answered the post.

After I answered the post, some more questions popped up.

"What kind of info do you put in a press release?" and "Any samples?"

So I decided to share some important points about writing a press release and more importantly, how to get your press release printed. I have included a sample press release from my Groomers Marketing Course.


Here is the sample press release that I have used. This press release turned into a full page article from a local newspaper. You have my permission to use it. Where ever you see the words in bold print is where you want to put your business name and contact information:

For Immediate Release Contact: Insert your name
Insert your number

Does Your Dog Shed A Lot? Free Report Offers Help


Does your dog shed a lot? If you said “yes” you’re not alone. According to recent surveys, one of the biggest complaints among dog owners is shedding problems. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help reduce the amount of shedding that your dog does. Your name, owner of Your business name, has recently developed a report entitled “How To Reduce Your Dog’s Shedding In 3 to 5 Days.” The report offers eight steps that any dog owner can apply.

“Shedding is a natural, normal process; you should never try to eliminate shedding. We want to help dog owners reduce and control the amount of shedding. All dogs shed to a certain degree; the problem is when your dog starts to shed excessively,” says your name. “What we offer in the report are simple solutions for dog owners to use and apply. If the steps are followed, you can sometimes reduce your dog’s shedding by 75%.”

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Add safflower oil to your dog’s food. Safflower oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. It has been proven to help dogs with skin and coat problems, a teaspoon for small dogs and a tablespoon for larger dogs is all you need.

2. Apple cider vinegar can greatly help dogs with dry flaky skin. The next time you give your dog a bath, add half a cup of apple cider vinegar to one gallon of water and pour the mixture over your dog’s coat. Let it soak for five minutes and then rinse. This is especially good for dogs with skin problems and “hot spots”.

3. An easy way to rid your dog of excessive hair is to use a lint roller. Start by going against the grain of your dog’s fur and then go in the other direction. You’ll be amazed by how much extra hair this will pick up.

To get the complete report “How to reduce your dogs shedding in 3 to 5 days” call your business name at your number

Here's the thing about press releases. The press release has to written in a way that will peak the editors interest. When the editor is looking at press releases they are thinking about what's in the press release that is of any interest to their readers.

When you send in your press release make sure that it is double spaced and if you can send in a picture. This will increase your chances of getting printed.

Don't forget to send your press release to TV, radio and newspaper. You get get the names and addresses of all the media in your area by going to Gebbieinc.com.

Good luck!

Eric

P.S. Would you like to learn more marketing and advertising techniques designed just for groomers? Check out Groomers Marketing Course.