Video
Video marketing for dog-friendly businesses
Short videos that show guests what a visit with their dog looks like, made and posted for you.
Dog-friendly businesses need clear videos that show the real space, explain where dogs may go, and answer policy questions before a guest arrives. The same footage should work on your website, your Google Business Profile, YouTube and your social channels.
Web Leveling, the digital marketing agency Cal Hewitt founded in 2019, films, edits and captions those videos, with bilingual captions when your guests need them, prepares the release forms you collect from guests, and delivers versions ready for each platform.
If you run a restaurant patio, a brewery, a hotel or a pet-friendly shop, you may already know a short clip would help more than another photo. The hard part is finding the hours to film, edit and post, and knowing what you may film when guests and their dogs are in the shot.
Which videos suit a dog-friendly venue, and where do they go?
A good video answers the question a dog owner has before they leave home. Attractive dogs alone do not do that. The format depends on the kind of place you run.
A restaurant can show a 15 to 45 second vertical patio tour: the entrance route, where dogs may sit, water bowls, shade and leash expectations. A brewery can film a short "bring your dog" explainer that also shows where dogs may not go. A hotel can tour a room and the grounds and explain the pet fee and the unattended-dog rules. A shop can walk through its entrance, aisles and checkout.
One shoot can produce several cuts. The longer version, with the complete dog policy, belongs on your website with captions and matching text. Google says Business Profile videos can run up to 30 seconds, up to 75 MB and at least 720p, so a short factual cut suits that spot. YouTube suits the longer explainer, and vertical clips fit Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Your video should point to the booking, reservation or contact path you already use. It does not replace it.
Can you film guests and their dogs?
Get written permission from anyone recognizable before you use their image or voice to advertise your venue. A release should name the person, say which platforms and languages the footage will appear on, say how long the permission lasts, and allow editing, cropping, subtitling and translating. For a child, a parent or guardian signs.
A posted sign that says filming is happening is useful, but it does not replace individual consent when someone is recognizable. Guests who opt out should be left out of the shot, or blurred in the edit.
Dogs do not sign releases. The person who controls the dog can give permission, so the release should cover the dog's likeness and name the owner or handler. You also need permission to film the property, and music licensed for commercial use on each platform. Prominent artwork, logos and screens may need clearance too.
This is general information, not legal advice. State law varies, so have a lawyer review your release and notice.
How do Google and YouTube show local business videos?
A video on a verified Google Business Profile can appear in Google Search and Google Maps. It should show the real business: your actual patio, entrance, room type or shop layout. A video cannot make a dog policy lawful, and it cannot guarantee a place in local search. Google also says its pet and dog attributes can vary by business category and can change over time, so keep those fields accurate and treat them as facts, not slogans.
YouTube search is separate. YouTube says it looks at relevance, engagement and quality, including how well the title, description and video match what someone typed. A plain title that names your venue, your city and the dog question does more than a clever one.
On a restaurant patio, be exact. Dogs allowed outside is not the same as dogs allowed inside, and service animals have their own rules under the ADA. Check your local health department's rule on patio dogs before you film or publish the policy.
What do the plans cost?
Web Leveling keeps the prices simple. You can try one video first, or put videos on a monthly schedule.
- Test Drive, $79 one time. One video made from a real guest review, with your branding, sized for your platforms, and one revision.
- Video, $99 a month. Two videos a month, posted for you.
- Video Plus, $199 a month. Four videos a month, including short clips cut from your own footage.
Test Drive is a single purchase. It is not a monthly plan.
No video can promise views, rankings, reviews or bookings, and Web Leveling does not promise them. The goal is a clear, accurate answer to a question your guests already ask.
What do you prepare, and what does Web Leveling handle?
Your part is the facts and the access. Your approvals matter most, since you know your policy best.
- Your current dog policy, including indoor, outdoor, patio, room and event areas
- Fees, deposits, weight or breed limits, leash and cleanup rules
- Your Google Business Profile name, address, hours and website
- The booking, reservation or contact link you want viewers sent to
- Permission to film, plus signed releases for recognizable guests and staff
- One person who can check the final edit for accuracy
Web Leveling handles the rest: the shot list, the filming, clear audio, the editing, bilingual captions and on-screen policy text, versions for each platform, and a review copy for your corrections. Then Web Leveling sends the files in a labeled folder, with guidance on uploading them to your own accounts. You stay responsible for the truth of your policy and for updating it when things change.
Ask for ownership in writing, whichever provider you choose. It should say whether you receive the final files, the captions, the translated versions and the raw footage, and whether you may resize or reuse them.
What separates good video work from bad?
Good work shows what kind of place you are in the first seconds, and says specifically where dogs may go. It matches your real space. Voices are clear, captions are accurate, and both language versions carry the same policy, fees and exceptions. Text stays readable on a phone, away from the buttons the app puts on screen.
Bad work shows happy dogs without saying where they are allowed. It uses a patio that looks nothing like yours, hides fees or limits, includes guests who never agreed, or plays unlicensed music. It also sends viewers to a dead link, or leaves you unable to use or update your own files.
If you ask guests to share their experience, use genuine ones with permission. The FTC's rules cover reviews and testimonials in advertising, so do not stage a customer, buy praise or present an employee as a guest.
How do you start?
Use the form on our contact page and tell Web Leveling what kind of venue you run, what "dog-friendly" means there, and whether you want to start with Test Drive or a monthly plan. Replies come within one business day.
If you are also listing your business in our directory, see the directory plans and the business page.