hen promoting your dog daycare or pet resort, the important question in marketing—and often the most ignored—is, “Why should anyone choose you?”

This is the exact same question a local dog owner asks when they see your Google listing, scroll over one of your social media posts, view your website or come across a printed advertisement: “Why should I choose you (you instead of another pet care business who offers a similar service, often at a very similar price)?”

Ten, 20 or 30 years ago, you didn’t need to worry so much about this, as there were far fewer facilities in each town and city. Now, however, things have changed…

More and more pet lovers are leaving their jobs and pursuing their pet care dreams. Add to that lots of corporate money coming into the industry, plus big-box competitors and franchises that are popping up everywhere, and attracting clients is getting harder.

So, how can you make your business appear to be the best choice?

The trick is to swim against the tide, zig when everyone else is zagging and do the opposite of the rest. This may seem contrarian—and maybe even a little scary—but it’s a well-worn path to success.

Look at how Apple dominated by doing everything different from their competitors. While other tech companies competed on specs, speed and storage, Apple focused on design, simplicity and user experience. They didn’t try to be slightly better—they tried to be meaningfully different. And customers rewarded them for it.

Doing this takes guts. But, as any industry matures and competition increases, the pressure to be different only intensifies.

Renowned speaker and author Earl Nightingale, known as the Dean of Personal Development said, “Watch what everyone else does—do the opposite. The majority is always wrong.” Earl warned against “herd mentality,” and he preached that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity.

This is not to say you shouldn’t model some of the traits of successful pet businesses; but remember, it’s about standing out from the competition. Focusing your efforts on having slightly cleaner kennels, installing more-expensive epoxy flooring or collecting one more certificate will not make you the obvious “stand-out” choice. Those are improvements; they are not distinctions. And in a crowded market, improvements are invisible.

Here are three practical and proven ways to ensure your business is seen as the clear, compelling choice for dog owners in your area:

Most dog daycares price by looking left and right at what others are charging, then they go the same or a dollar under. This is a mistake because middle of the market is where everyone hides. It feels safe, but it isn’t. It’s crowded, it’s noisy and it’s full of clients who compare you to everyone else. In short, you can’t stand out pricing yourself the same as everyone else.

The truth is, it’s far easier to build a great business serving 200 premium clients rather than 2,000 price-sensitive ones. If your prices are tight, your margins are tight. If your margins are tight, your options are tight. You can’t hire well, you can’t train properly, you can’t improve the facility without stress and you can’t market consistently. You’re always one quiet month away from panic.

Now here comes the usual line: “My town won’t support premium prices.” I’ve heard this said in wealthy suburbs and I’ve heard it said in small towns. It gets said everywhere. And it’s usually rubbish.

In most areas, nobody truly owns the top spot. Everyone’s nervously bunched in the middle, peaking at each other’s prices…which means the top is often wide open. Will you claim this top spot so you become known as the premium pet care provider in town?

Most pet business owners revert to social media marketing because it’s fast, free and easy to use; however, that’s also the reason all your competitors are using social media as their main communication channel. Social media should be part of the mix, but it’s just one piece of the promotional puzzle.

So how else can you get the eyes of local dog owners on your unique services?

Well, depending on your location and demographic of your ideal client, it might be worth exploring billboard, radio or even TV advertising. Yes, this may require more investment, but if it buys more eyes on your business, then it’s a price worth paying.

You need to remember that customer acquisition always comes with a cost. Even supposed “free” social media activity requires time and effort from someone doing the work, which also has a hard cost.

I’m a huge fan of email marketing. Creating a paper-and-ink newsletter and doing more in-person events, like a behavior clinic, enrichment workshop, or even just an open house event are also great ways to cut through the noise and be different with your marketing.

Remember, how you show up to a prospect matters just as much as what you say in your advertising.

Most pet business owners revert to social media marketing because it’s fast, free and easy to use; however, that’s also the reason all your competitors are using social media as their main communication channel. Social media should be part of the mix, but it’s just one piece of the promotional puzzle.

So how else can you get the eyes of local dog owners on your unique services?

Well, depending on your location and demographic of your ideal client, it might be worth exploring billboard, radio or even TV advertising. Yes, this may require more investment, but if it buys more eyes on your business, then it’s a price worth paying.

You need to remember that customer acquisition always comes with a cost. Even supposed “free” social media activity requires time and effort from someone doing the work, which also has a hard cost.

I’m a huge fan of email marketing. Creating a paper-and-ink newsletter and doing more in-person events, like a behavior clinic, enrichment workshop, or even just an open house event are also great ways to cut through the noise and be different with your marketing.

Remember, how you show up to a prospect matters just as much as what you say in your advertising.

To truly stand out, it’s not enough to just offer a great service anymore. If you want to attract more desperate dog owners who care deeply about their four-legged best friends, then you need to give them reasons why they should drive past a bunch of your competitors to experience your services. The good news is, people will travel for an experiential service.

You simply can’t operate like a functional utility service, where dogs are dropped off, picked up, then an invoice is paid. Those that stand out create reasons to visit—and visit more often. They do this by including services like:

• Dog of the week
• “Pawrents” evenings
• Seasonal showcases
• Graduation ceremonies
• An ever-changing canine curriculum
• Themed monthly enrichment experiences
• Annual awards and client appreciation events
• Charity involvement

These experiences provide wow-factor moments and real touchpoints that clients not only value but that are also story worthy, which means they’ll tell their dog-owning friends about all the exciting things you do, too.

If you are currently doing one or more of these three things that can separate your business from the ever-increasing competition, well done! You are already differentiating your business DNA. If you want to stand out more, then do more from the list.

Don’t stop there either. You could take Earl Nightingale’s advice and make a list of all the things your competitors do, then on the same page map out how you will do it differently (and better). Anything you can do differently you should try.

Believe it or not, standing out isn’t about working harder. It’s about deciding who you are—and having the courage to build your business around that decision.

In a crowded market, the safe option is to copy, but the profitable option is to be different. Choose wisely.

Dom Hodgson is known as the Pet Biz Wiz, and is widely regarded as the World’s leading pet business coach. His mission is to help pet service providers create superior customer service systems that enable them to build an impactful and profitable pet business. Dom has written 10 books and is a much in-demand speaker. You can instantly download a free copy of his latest book “How to Disnify Your Doggy Daycare Business” by going to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/daycaremagic