How are you advertising your services?
I am newer to rover, and need to build up clients. Are there any tips or suggestions with how I can do this? How do I get more bookings? What has worked for you?
2 Answers
Hi, Julie. Welcome to Rover! It does take time to receive your first client. I noticed that your profile does not have a Rover 101 completion badge. I would suggest taking the Rover 101 course, as the badges help in your search ranking. Plus, once completed, you can use the code FREE100 in the Rover store to receive 100 free business cards! You can use these to hang on community bulletin boards (such as at dog parks, pet stores, or even places like Starbucks) and share them with friends/family/past non-Rover clients to hand out as a referral. You can also consider sharing your profile on sites like Facebook, Craigslist, and Nextdoor. As a new sitter, you should get a boost in the rankings initially to help you get started. There are a lot of factors that play into getting clients, though. These include how many other sitters are in your immediate area, the demand for the services you provide, your availability, and even the timing. Right now, I believe that a lot of sitters are experiencing a lull in requests, as it is back-to-school time, so less people are traveling. I think that word of mouth is key, so if you have others that can brag about you and attest to your responsibility and ability to care for their pets, you should be able to get going from there. Once you receive your first inquiry, make sure you respond in a timely fashion. After you get your first Verified Stay with a great review, I think you will have an increase in requests. Good luck!
Comments
Thank you. This is helpful. I did have one verified stay, who gave me a good review. I'll do the Rover 101 course.
The Next door app has been good for me. There is a new "recommendations" section and I am looking for an opportunity to earn a rave review! And classifieds are available, all free, and you can search for terms, like "dogsitter" and reach out to people who have Pets. You can tag your interests a, e. g. Dogs, pets, etc. Even where your key word search pulls up out of date events, like the need is filled and the time passed. In that case, I sent private messages saying, "I just wanted you to have my information, link, coupon code, etc. as a backup if your regular sitter is unavailable. Or suggestion they get the app and schedule a M&G. A few ignored, a few thanks me, and one was indignant that I didn't have a better "neighbor rate" (I offered 20% and a tentative "pencil - in" save the date on my calendar. I tried!
Nextdoor website is easy to find, just Google Nextdoor, also an app on Google play, iTunes or via the website.
Tread lightly, I have heard there can be a little push-button if your post is too commercial looking, check the rules for posting first so you don't get flagged.