Dog as Marketing Tool (Part 2)
If you've heard me speak about creating your 10-word blurb, then you've probably heard me refer to a lawyer who doesn't just say he's a lawyer, but instead says he practices, "Hoboken law" (which usually piques the curiosity of his listener -- which is exactly the point of a 10-word blurb.
Well, last week I ran into that lawyer (Frank is his name) and we chatted a bit about marketing, of course. And he told me that his best marketing tool is his dog, Roxy. He displays a photo of her on his homepage and when clients call they tell him they called him instead of another lawyer because of the dog! "We like that you have a dog on the web site," is literally what they say.
That's when I remembered seeing another dog on a web site for a design firm, Blackwell and Co., not too long ago. (Check out Gracie Lou, Morale Officer, here.
So now we're revamping the Marketing Mentor web site and I wonder: Should we include my dog, Charlie and Peleg's dog, Sabrina in our "Team" section? What do you think of that when others do it?
Also, you can read Dog as Marketing Tool Part 1 here.
ABSOLUTELY!
Posted by: Deidre | May 02, 2008 at 07:46 AM
Adding my dog to my site changed my business completely - for the better! As a wedding photographer I now get exactly the kind of clients I want - easy going dog lovers - by having not just my dog but others as well on my site. It started out as just my dog but in the last few months grew into another dimension on its own. Even if i don't book too many separate dog portrait sessions my wedding bookings have increased and most importantly with the kind of people i want to work with. My dog is my muse.
Posted by: lgphoto.com | May 02, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Yes - if it feels right, include your dogs! I plan to work our irresistible chocolate lab Beau (and office mascot) into my own website re-design. And we just launched a site this week for a Bucks County psychotherapist who felt most comfortable being pictured with her sheepdogs: http://www.debrasrosenberg.com
Posted by: Mary Ann Sircely | May 02, 2008 at 08:56 AM
What about including other types of pets on a website? I have my favorite cat on my facebook profile.
Posted by: Stephanie M. Cockerl | May 02, 2008 at 01:40 PM
You love your dog, and you have the spirit of an animal lover.
How could that NOT connect with others who feel the same way? I mean, it has to be a good thing ... it could only turn off people who should be turned off!
(And - full disclosure - I'm a total cat person. But I have a heart for anyone whose love for their kind of pet shines through. That's the connection between "pet people" and it's very strong!)
Posted by: TurtleBlueBird | May 04, 2008 at 06:18 AM