In lots of different job sectors, including the booming pet care business community, it often pays to think outside of the box in terms of strategies for marketing. Here are some strategies that you might think of as a bit farfetched (no pun intended), but still likely to pay off.

1. Entering the Blogosphere

You might tend to think of blogs as places that are primarily for opinions and personal yakking, but more and more businesses are getting involved in specially targeted blog posting, or the kind of networking that ends up getting their enterprises mentioned or even featured on local or topical blogs. Your avenues for this kind of unusual advertising are nearly endless - it's all about generating interest from bloggers and readers, to get them pointed toward your site or other promotions.

2. Branding Walkers 

You may never think that a blazer on a walker can draw attention, but the fact is that your existing walkers are out in the community. Talk to your staff about reasonable ways to promote your business through branding; staffers will often go along with the idea in exchange for some free promo items. But be careful - forcing this kind of thing can backfire and hurt your business.

3. Lit Drops 

Another way that your front line can help you out is by leaving business literature wherever they go. Again, keep this to a reasonable standard, or you end up looking like a litterbug. Make sure your "lit drops" are targeted and will end up in a reader's hands and not just papering the alleys.

4. Public Events and Performance Ads

This is another tactic that some might think would never work, but with the right attention to detail, it could pay off. The general idea is to attend community events with a display about your business. To give this creative ad play a boost, hire out the cutest puppies you can find, either from your clients or elsewhere, and give passers a chance to interact - it could turn into a lot of publicity for your dog walking shop.

5. Use Affiliate Services

If you're not getting the kind of visibility you want with a dog walking service, try branching out...into anything. You can add complex sitting or grooming services, sell pet food or supplies, or even add a division for other household needs. Even if you don't get these kinds of "special orders" from clients, diversifying makes your business look bigger and better, and more ready to serve a wide variety of clients. Some glossy brochures can seal the deal and help make your biz look like a million bucks.

These are just some starters for some truly different ways to promote your dog walking business. Most times, doing a good amount of brainstorming can lead to some productive ways of advertising that can help expand your enterprise by reaching more clients. Don't be afraid to set out in a new direction - there's a good chance that new initiatives could pay off when it comes to building new promotions for an existing business.