August 14, 2025 • 30 mins
Your customers love recipes — and in this episode, I’m giving you 57+ recipe ideas you can use in your own dog treat freebie to wow your audience and grow your business.
You’ll learn how to create a simple PDF recipe guide that acts as your #1 customer magnet, plus where to share it for maximum downloads and how to turn it into sales.
We’ll cover:
- What to include in your free recipe guide (and what to leave out)
- How to make it in Canva — even if you’ve never designed before
- A behind-the-scenes look at my done-for-you $7 template with 3 full bakery-approved recipes, ready to brand and share
- The included Canva Basics Guide to make customizing simple
- 57+ recipe ideas you can use to inspire your freebie content
Whether you’re brand new or looking to expand your customer base, this episode will help you create a high-impact freebie that turns curious dog moms into loyal buyers.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Done-for-You Recipe Guide Template + Canva Guide ($7) https://stan.store/pawsitiveprofit/p/dog-treat-recipe-freebie-pack--canva-guide
- Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/@pawsitiveprofit
Let’s Connect: Website: https://pawsitiveprofit.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@pawsitiveprofit Podcast: https://pawsitiveprofit.com/podcast Facebook Group: http://tinyurl.com/4tud85fb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@pawsitiveprofit
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to another episodeof Positive Profit, the YouTube
show and podcast where we help youlearn how to start and grow your
own natural dog, treat business.
Want to know one of the easiest ways togrow your dog, treat business without
spending a dime on ad reels or markets?
Give away something for free.
(00:21):
Wait, don't click away.
Yet, I'm not talking aboutrandom samples or discount codes.
I'm talking about a free recipe guide.
A surprisingly powerful tool thatcan grow your email list, build
trust, and actually boost your sales.
Yep, even though it's free.
In today's video, I'm going to showyou exactly how to create one, how
(00:45):
to make it irresistible to customerslike Flo, and how one dog treat maker
named Lola used hers to turn herside hustle into a full-time gig.
And if you've ever worried aboutgiving away recipes and think it will
stop people from buying, think again.
This might be the smartestfreebie you ever create.
(01:05):
Now if you're thinking, wait,you want me to give away recipes
for free when I sell dog treats?
Hang with me because I promise thisisn't about giving away the farm.
It's about opening the gate sothe right customers can walk in.
If we haven't met yet.
Hi.
I'm Kara brothers, founderof Pawsitive Profit.
(01:28):
I help dog treat makers like you go fromkitchen chaos to confident seller with
practical strategies and smart marketing.
Whether you are brand new or scalingyour sales, this channel is your go-to
for all things baking and branding andbusiness building in the dog treat world.
(01:48):
So if you're ready to grow aloyal fan base that wants to
buy your treats, let's dive in.
. If you speak dog treat like me, this isyour chance to subscribe to my channel.
I'd love to have you and clicknotification bell so you can get all the
tasty dog treat content you can handle.
A free recipe guide isexactly what it sounds like.
(02:10):
A helpful, beautifully designedPDF filled with simple dog treat
recipes that your audience candownload in exchange for their email.
This might include two or three beginnerfriendly treat recipes, safety tips, like
what not to bake with, and fun ideas forvariation like swap apples for pumpkin.
(02:32):
Basically, it's your dog treat business'sversion of a free sample, but way
more scalable and way less sticky.
Let's bring in two familiarfaces from last week's episode.
How to Nail Your Dog TreatLaunch: A Step-by-Step Guide
for Your Dog Treat Business.
Or if you're listening tothe podcast, it's episode 61.
(02:54):
We met Lola, our scrappy dog treatbusiness owner and Flo, the ultimate
dog, mom and dream customer.
Lola created a freebie called3 Treats Max Will Love.
She posted it on Instagramand added a link in her bio.
No sales pitch.
Just a little invite.
(03:14):
" Want to bake somethingadorable for your pups?
Grab my free guide.".
Flo saw it and downloaded itand she was instantly hooked.
She even printed it andposted it on her fridge.
And when Lola launched her firsttreat box later that month,
Flo was the first customer.
There are three big reasons why thisstrategy is a game changer for dog
(03:39):
treat based businesses like yours.
When you give something genuinelyvaluable without asking for
money, you instantly build trust.
You are no longer just anotherbiz trying to sell cookies.
You are the helpful expert who's alreadyadded value before a single sale happens.
(03:59):
With every download, you are growing youremail list and that's marketing gold.
Email is direct, algorithm free and waymore personal than a feed full of reels.
Imagine waking up to 50 subscriberswho all said yes to hearing from you.
That is the magic of a freebie funnel.
(04:20):
A smart recipe guide includes soft pitchesto products or tools you recommend.
You might say, want perfect cookies?
I use this Amazon cookie cutter set.
You're not being pushy, you're beinghelpful, and you're getting paid for it.
All right, let's get to the how to part.
Creating a guide doesn't haveto be fancy or complicated.
(04:43):
Here's how Lola did itand how you can too.
Pick two or three recipes that aresimple and safe for dogs and photogenic.
Bonus points if you can includeone with an icing or a drizzle or
something that will catch Flo's eye.
Lola chose a peanut butter classic, agrain-free banana biscuit, and a cute bone
(05:06):
shaped cookie with her Treat Armor icing.
Canva is the real MVP here.
Use one of their free templates.
Drag and drop your pics, and boom.
Don't forget, use your branding colors andyour fonts and name it something adorable.
If there's a product that you love andyou use all the time, add the link.
(05:26):
Lola linked her favorite icing pipingbags, a silicone mat from Amazon and
it really is helpful for your audience.
It helps you earn a little commission onthe side when you are an Amazon affiliate.
A freebie is only a powerfultool if people see it.
So Lola shared hers on Instagram storiesand a link tree style link in her bio.
(05:52):
Pinterest boards like homemade dog treats.
And she also shared it in herweekly email with the subject line:
Want to try what Daisy's Baking.
That's smart.
People love free stuff, but rememberthey also love being invited.
Let's talk about maximizing theimpact of your recipe guide.
(06:12):
Here's how to make it workover time for your biz.
Flo isn't just downloadinga guide, she's meeting you.
So add a welcome message like, "Hi,I'm Lola. I started baking for my
rescue pup daisy, and now I'm sharingmy favorite recipes with you. Enjoy."
Once Flo downloads yourguide, send a series of two to
(06:35):
three short follow-up emails.
Day one, your subject line is: Your Treats are Ready to Bake. (06:38):
undefined
Day three (06:43):
wanna See How I Decorate Mine?
Day five (06:46):
Flo.
Here's 10% Off My New Sampler Pack.
This kind of gentle follow up turns,casual downloaders into real customers.
Ask customers who use the guideto share a photo of their treats
or of their dog enjoying them.
Flo sent one of Max munching on abanana biscuit, and Lola got to use
(07:08):
that as social proof in her next post.
It was a win-win.
All right, treat babe.
You've got the strategy,the steps in the audience.
Now it's time to make your own recipeguide and promote it like crazy and
start growing your email list withpeople who want what you're offering.
Now the fun part begins, and this iswhere I show you how to make your very
(07:30):
own recipe book in Canva that you cangive away to your customers as a freebie.
You don't need Canva Proto do this, which is nice.
You'll go to Canva and in thesearch bar type recipe template,
it will show you so many.
Choose the one that you like, andthese steps should really be the
same for whichever one you choose.
(07:51):
First of all, you're going to rebrandyour recipe template to your branding.
You can see that I've got my signatureteal and vivid coral colors on here,
so I'd recommend that you do the same.
You put your brandingcolors throughout this book.
You can also add yourlogo at the very bottom.
You can add maybe yourwebsite or your socials.
(08:13):
Start with a very nice,clear image on the front.
It gives viewers a hint anda taste of what's inside.
And of course, you can callit anything that you want.
Mine called Homemade dog treats easyrecipes for your best friend recipe book.
You can call yours whatever you likethe second page is a great way to
(08:34):
welcome whoever you give this to.
Welcome them to yourbusiness, to yourself.
Welcome them basically to yourcommunity, and to your family.
Your business family, and this is whereyou're going to, throughout the whole
guide, you're gonna be substituting yourimages for their images because all the
(08:55):
recipe template guides do have images.
So substitute what you like andthis is just your little place to
add a nice little welcome message.
Again, I'd put a logo andyour name at the bottom.
If you have many recipes, Irecommend categorizing them.
I did this with chapterone and dog treats.
Very simple, a little simple image,but it just helps to keep the
(09:15):
recipe guide clear and organized.
If you have a lot of recipes, youcan go for a recipe index that shows
the customer what's in the guide,or you can do a table of contents.
This is not needed necessarily.
You don't have to have it.
Even if you have three recipesyou can still do a recipe index.
(09:36):
You don't need this many recipes.
But as you're gonna see, I'vegot a lot of recipes in here.
I can't wait to show you.
You might want to start out with a guidethat maybe only has one, two, or three
recipes, and then perhaps every monthyou, you can send your customer a new
recipe and in your Canva template thatyou are looking at and designing, you can
(10:00):
add each month's recipe to the template.
And this is a great way foryou to keep track of the free
recipes that you've given.
You can have two copies, one foryour customer and then one for
you to keep yourself organized.
First recipe is Sweet Potato Chews.
We all know and love Sweet PotatoChews and so do our customer's dogs.
This is really easy.
Basically, this whole thingfollows the same format.
(10:22):
I like to put the title up topand the ingredients you need.
Obviously sweet potatoes is super basic.
You need one ingredient.
And then on the right there'ssome information about prep time,
cook time, how many it serves.
And of course it depends on thesweet potato size and how thick
they cut it and all that, andwhat some of the benefits are.
(10:43):
You can choose to leaveit on there or not.
Same with the calories.
Leave it on there or not.
And then put simpleinstructions on the bottom.
And again, this would be customizedwith your colors and your pictures.
I like to do the recipe first,and then I like to add the image
of whatever the recipe made.
So it goes recipe image.
(11:05):
Recipe image.
So here's a great one.
Carrot and banana cookies.
So you list out the itemsthat they'll need, right?
These are also known as theingredients, and you could
put ingredients if you'd like.
I just have " you will need", andyou're gonna make this page yours with
whatever recipes you come upwith, and whatever instructions
are pertinent to that recipe.
So here we've got carrot and bananacookies, and then the image for
(11:28):
the carrot and banana cookiessubstituted with whatever you have.
Chicken and rice treats,and there they are.
Banana and blueberry muffins.
This actually looks and soundscompletely tasty for humans.
Salmon and sweet potato bites again, yum.
Blueberry and oat bars.
(11:49):
Have you guys ever thought about makingbars like a granola bar for a dog?
You can.
You can do this for your ownbusiness and sell it or put it in
here as a freebie for your customer.
These are just some ideas to getyou going on types of recipes that
you can offer for your customer.
You don't need a guaranteedanalysis to do this.
Because you are not selling theproduct to your customer, you are
(12:12):
selling the recipe, the free recipe.
So this should be very easy and quick.
And it's basically free.
It's free for you to do.
You don't need a guaranteed analysis.
You don't need Canva Pro.
You can make this for free.
Peanut butter and coconut oil.
You may be wondering, what in theworld is she gonna make ta-da, those.
(12:35):
Apple and cinnamon biscuits.
Carrot and dental.
Partially chew.
Oh, I am so dyslexic.
Carrot and parsley dental chews.
Am I gonna edit this out?
Nope.
No, I'm not.
The font here, you'll notice that I'vegot several different kinds of font.
I've got Montserrat,that's a type of a font.
(12:55):
For the title,
I believe this is called Homemadeapplesauce or something, is the
script and clear instructions whenit comes to the ingredients, the
title and the instructions I to keepthose very clear fonts, easy to read.
"You will need" is not that crucial, sothat's where I can spice it up a little
bit and add a script if I want to.
(13:19):
And those are the carrotand dental oh gosh.
I did it again.
What is this called?
Carrot and Parsley Dental Chews.
Oh, you guys, thanks for loving me.
Peanut butter and banana biscuits.
That should be a staple almost.
It is for many people.
And then we have frozen treats.
Have you ever thought about frozen treats?
Here's a peanut butterand banana frozen treat.
(13:42):
And of course, that should be veryexpected what those look like.
Chicken, liver and carrot training bites.
Although this is not a picture ofchicken, liver, and carrot training bites,
those could be made smaller into bites.
I had a stint with training Bitesand I made them once and my training
(14:03):
bite silicone molds still sit on myshelf because, I just couldn't do it.
It was too time intensive.
Some people have this down and ifyou're one of them, kudos to you.
Broccoli and cheese muffins.
They look good for brunchfor you and your dog.
Anyway, these are just typesof recipes you can add.
Now it's gonna start getting exciting andmaybe this is one that starts, I forgot.
(14:25):
Pumpkin and cranberry bites.
Pumpkin and blueberry bites.
The reason I'm saying this, here we go.
Turkey and cranberry delightsbecause if you think about seasonal
treats, you can adapt your recipeguide to include seasonal treats.
Maybe you wanna do this atThanksgiving, and so you've got
those flavors in mind, Turkey,cranberry, maybe a little
(14:48):
hint of orange, I'm not sure.
But these are expectedflavors for the season.
And your customer really might geta big kick out of a seasonal recipe
guide because they're gonna bemaking these types of flavors for
their own family and we just loveto spoil our dogs and they do too.
So they might really be tuned into something that is seasonal.
(15:09):
If you haven't ever thought about it.
And don't those look amazing, just saying.
Carrot and oatmeal, doggy bars.
Even though this is a typical bone shape,you can tweak the wording a little bit.
Okay.
So that's what has happened here.
(15:31):
Pumpkin and oat bites.
The dogbone shape is so classic.
Chicken and sweet potato jerky.
Look how cool that is.
Can you imagine owner of a cutelittle dog getting this recipe guide
and realizing that she now can makechicken jerky that she's been buying?
(15:52):
Because maybe you don'tmake this, obviously, okay?
This would probably be a recipe youdon't make, but you can offer it
to her so she can make it at home.
She's gonna find tremendous value inthis information you're giving her.
She's gonna feel likeshe is loving her pup.
She's gonna feel like her treats aremore healthy than what she can buy in the
store, and you're going to empower her.
(16:13):
You don't have to make these yourself.
In fact, it's better if youdon't sell these at all.
That way she can stillkeep buying your treats.
Cheesy bacon bones.
Look what's coming.
Does that not look delicious?
Imagine having that photo in your guide.
Tremendous.
Apple and cheddar biscuits.
Okay.
Dogs have birthdays just like we do.
(16:34):
We know the dog moms and dads thatlove to celebrate their pups birthday.
Imagine if they could maketheir own dog birthday cake?
If birthday cakes aren't something thatyour business offers, this is a huge idea.
You can empower your customer to maketheir birthday cake for their dog.
Again, you don't need a guaranteedanalysis 'cause you are not making it.
(16:57):
Liver and oat cake totally soundsgross, but a dog will love it.
Cheeseburger cake.
Blueberry and cottage cheese cake,chicken and sweet potato cake.
You do not need images for all ofthese, just like you're seeing here.
You don't have to have animage for every single one.
If you are only going to offer threerecipes, I'd have an image for all three.
(17:20):
But when you start getting into multiplerecipes like this, it's not necessary.
Coconut and banana cake,carrot and apple pup cakes.
And don't forget you guys.
Everything that you that you can make asa cake, you could turn into a pup cake
just in case you are thinking about makingpupcakes or cakes or already make them.
(17:40):
You don't need a separateguaranteed analysis.
Meaty dog birthday cake.
Pumpkin and oat cake.
Okay.
Holiday themed treats.
This is what I was talking about.
You saw some before withthe Turkey cranberry.
Now this is totally optional.
Totally optional for how deep youwant, get with this Valentine's
(18:02):
Day heart shaped bacon biscuits,strawberry and banana pupcakes.
Easter.
Who'd have thought there wouldbe Easter treats, but there are.
Carrot and apple bunny bites.
Are there real bunnies in there?
Nope, not at all.
Is there carrot and apple?
Sure.
But calling it bunny bites just for theEaster season is absolutely on par with
(18:26):
stuff they're gonna be gravitated towards.
They're gonna love that.
They're going to eat that up.
They wanna celebrateEaster with their dog.
Sure.
So call it bunny bites.
How cute is that?
Peanut butter and honey Easter eggs.
Again, super cute name for the season.
Halloween.
You might be thinking, what kindof treats are there for Halloween?
Let me tell you, pumpkinand peanut butter ghosts.
(18:49):
Sweet potato fries, alsoknown as witches fingers.
Thanksgiving.
Turkey and sweet potato pilgrims,you could put together an
entire Thanksgiving guide, boom.
The end done.
Stick three recipes in there.
And that is your Thanksgivingguide for that month.
Okay, maybe you do a Christmasguide, maybe not, but I'm just saying
(19:13):
that this could be really popular.
Cranberry and pumpkin doggy donuts.
You might even be able to get awaywith a cake recipe also being a donut
recipe, also being a pup cake recipe.
You've got one recipe, you'veused it three different ways.
You never changed yourguaranteed analysis.
(19:33):
And of course this is talkingabout your own business.
If you want to make these things and sell.
Pumpkin pie dog treats.
Christmas.
We've got some Christmas recipe.
How cute is this?
Christmas tree peanut butter biscuits.
Apple and cinnamon reindeer cookies.
Gingerbread dog cookies.
(19:54):
Look what a cute themed recipefreebie guide this would make?
New Year's.
Is there stuff for dogs on New Year's?
I didn't imagine.
And then here we are,champagne, chicken broth toast.
Like a champagne toast.
But you'll see it's really actually toast.
Firework surprise treats.
Homemade ice cream.
That appeals to me and my dog now becauseit's the beginning of August and it's hot.
(20:20):
Carrot and peanut butter, doggy ice cream.
Your customers will love this.
Add some images if you can.
Peanut butter, banana ice cream.
Of course these are thesepaw and bone silicone molds.
Super good.
Chicken and sweet potato ice cream.
(20:40):
Blueberry and banana ice cream, delish.
Bacon and cheese sundae.
It just sounds absolutely decadent.
Of course, this is a treat.
This is not an everydaything for your dog, right?
I know I'm gonna get people whogo, how could you feed a dog that?
If the dog doesn't have any allergies, andthis is just a once in a blue moon thing.
(21:01):
As a small portion.
I say, why not?
Every dog owner is different?
And I appreciate that.
Now you can, if you want to alsoinclude a chapter or a recipe,
just to give you an idea, I wanna.
Spread this thing out so far that youcan choose to do all some or none of
it, depending on how it aligns withyour brand, how it aligns with the
(21:26):
time you have to make this right,because this is something that you're
gonna sit down and focus and do,but just to give you options, okay?
Maybe you want to make a completeallergen free recipe guide.
So everything in there is allergen free.
Up to you.
Just food for thought.
Giving you all the optionshere, sweet potato, biscuits.
Chicken free veggie jerky.
(21:49):
Pumpkin and oat biscuits.
Sweet potato and banana chips.
Sensitive stomach recipes.
My Corgi, Loki has a sensitive tummy.
He does not care for wheat andhe does not care for well wheat.
Yeah, he does.
He does the itchy, scratchy.
(22:09):
Scratchy bite his pawssituation whenever he has wheat.
If someone gives him a treat or I forgetand give him wheat, I feel so bad.
So you can include this.
This is just a tips section.
You can include all, some or none of this.
Screenshot this, watch this back.
(22:29):
Some of the recipes in thissection include chicken and rice.
Lean Turkey and rice stew.
Salmon and quinoa patties.
Pumpkin and oatmeal porridge.
Ginger and carrot soup.
Watch this back you guys.
There's a lot of good ideas here.
Chicken free veggie medley.
This is where we come into food toppers.
(22:51):
Another cool idea, is it a treat?
Yeah, sure.
It's a treat.
Is it shaped like a dog bone?
No.
So just a little outsideof the box thinking here.
Adding food toppers to your pet'smeals can prevent mealtime boredom
and encourage them to eat as well.
Some dogs, like older dogs maynot have the easiest time eating
(23:12):
and food toppers encourages that.
So you can offer some informationon food toppers and how to use them.
Feel free to use this information here onthis screen and different ideas for your
own homemade recipes for food toppers.
Peanut butter, drizzle chicken and rice.
(23:34):
Yogurt and blueberry.
Sardine surprise.
Sweet potato mash.
You don't have to sell these.
You have to make them to makesure that you're getting your
proportions right and everything.
But this is a great freebieto give away to your customer.
He or she is still gonnawanna buy your treats.
More food topper recipes.
(23:55):
Carrot and parsley mix.
Egg and spinach scramble.
Pumpkin puree.
Cottage cheese and banana bread.
Beef and vegetable mix.
This is a really great section tohave and add to your recipe guide no
matter how many recipes you have in it.
And this is tips for makingand storing the treats.
(24:17):
While you are the professionaldoing what you do, they aren't.
That's why they come to you fortreats for actually many different
reasons, but they probably don'treally know the information here.
So this is for their FYI.
I would include information on properstorage techniques and shelf life.
(24:38):
And this is all gonna be customizedto what the shelf life is for
the recipes that you include.
And then if you want, you can includeinformation on portion control
and common mistakes to avoid.
And a place for their own notes.
Just like you make notes for yourrecipes, they might want some
(25:00):
spaces, couple of pages to make notes
And hey, if you want to see real lifeexamples of what I'm talking about and
stand out as a dog treat baker, grab mydog treat recipe freebie template pack.
If all this looks great, but maybeyou don't have the time to design
one yourself, what I've put togetherfor you is a done for you solution.
(25:21):
This already has all the recipesin it with the welcome page and
all the instructions for you togive to your customer, as is,
except for a little branding on yourpart, and it's only seven bucks.
this is designed for dog treatentrepreneurs, and this is a dog
treat Baker's freebie starter pack.
(25:44):
So this is what you're gonna get.
I've already done this for you, andit is a ready to use Canva template.
The difference is between the one we sawand this one, you're going to get all
the instructions that aren't blanked out.
This is basically a customer ready guide.
I've got how to use thisguide, and this is for you.
This is about adding your branding andreplacing my information with your own
(26:07):
and then updating the footer on each pageso it can reflect your business details.
And if you want to, youcan use this template.
Get rid of my recipes and put yourown, this is a more polished version.
And then just make sure you reviewit and personalize it, and then
obviously remove that page ofinstructions before you share.
(26:29):
But this is a lovely done for youguide, and here's a welcome page.
Remember, we saw a welcomepage on the previous template.
This is my welcome page to you.
You'll replace it with your welcomepage information for your customer.
And this guide, these recipe guides area great way to grow your email list.
You're going to give this away ifyou want, as a freebie when they sign
(26:52):
up and subscribe to hear from you.
It'll also boost loyalty and really showcustomers that you are the real deal.
And here's what you get.
You get the recipe for peanutbutter, pup donuts with
ingredients, full instructions.
You can keep the image that's onthere or replace it with your own.
(27:12):
This also includes the glaze.
There's a glaze for the donuts.
You also get cheddar crunch bites.
Full instructions on cheddar crunchbites, minty kisses, fresh breath
treats, and these are the threefull complete recipes that you get.
Now, the nice thing about this is,again, if you want to substitute
(27:34):
your recipes for these, you can.
If not, just send them off.
If you actually wanna grab theserecipes, make them and sell them
in your own business, go for it.
You have full rights to do that.
Then your customer can get otherrecipes maybe that you don't wanna sell.
But what comes in this toois a Canvas starter guide.
(27:57):
This is basically Canva 10 1 for dog treat Bakers.
If you're new to Canva, you'renot sure exactly how to use it.
I go through.
Here's my welcome page to you and a how touse this guide with contents, but I will
go ahead and get you started with makinga Canva account exactly how to do that.
(28:17):
You're gonna find some editingbasics that go through all the
basic stuff with screenshots.
It's going to give you quick tips.
All kinds of good stuff.
And if you want this guide along with thethree free recipes that come in the dog
treat Baker's Freebie Starter pack so youcan give them to your customer or even
(28:37):
use the recipes in your own business.
Go ahead and check out the linkin the description of this video.
I've got it for you.
Click on it.
It's seven bucks.
Seven bucks, three recipes anda guide that is ready to go.
I'd love to hear what you're thinking.
Drop a comment and tell me whatwould you name your recipe guide.
Let's get creative together.
(28:58):
See you guys.
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to another episodeof Positive Profit, the YouTube
show and podcast where we help youlearn how to start and grow your
own natural dog, treat business.
Want to know one of the easiest ways togrow your dog, treat business without
spending a dime on ad reels or markets?
Give away something for free.
(00:21):
Wait, don't click away.
Yet, I'm not talking aboutrandom samples or discount codes.
I'm talking about a free recipe guide.
A surprisingly powerful tool thatcan grow your email list, build
trust, and actually boost your sales.
Yep, even though it's free.
In today's video, I'm going to showyou exactly how to create one, how
(00:45):
to make it irresistible to customerslike Flo, and how one dog treat maker
named Lola used hers to turn herside hustle into a full-time gig.
And if you've ever worried aboutgiving away recipes and think it will
stop people from buying, think again.
This might be the smartestfreebie you ever create.
(01:05):
Now if you're thinking, wait,you want me to give away recipes
for free when I sell dog treats?
Hang with me because I promise thisisn't about giving away the farm.
It's about opening the gate sothe right customers can walk in.
If we haven't met yet.
Hi.
I'm Kara brothers, founderof Pawsitive Profit.
(01:28):
I help dog treat makers like you go fromkitchen chaos to confident seller with
practical strategies and smart marketing.
Whether you are brand new or scalingyour sales, this channel is your go-to
for all things baking and branding andbusiness building in the dog treat world.
(01:48):
So if you're ready to grow aloyal fan base that wants to
buy your treats, let's dive in.
. If you speak dog treat like me, this isyour chance to subscribe to my channel.
I'd love to have you and clicknotification bell so you can get all the
tasty dog treat content you can handle.
A free recipe guide isexactly what it sounds like.
(02:10):
A helpful, beautifully designedPDF filled with simple dog treat
recipes that your audience candownload in exchange for their email.
This might include two or three beginnerfriendly treat recipes, safety tips, like
what not to bake with, and fun ideas forvariation like swap apples for pumpkin.
(02:32):
Basically, it's your dog treat business'sversion of a free sample, but way
more scalable and way less sticky.
Let's bring in two familiarfaces from last week's episode.
How to Nail Your Dog TreatLaunch: A Step-by-Step Guide
for Your Dog Treat Business.
Or if you're listening tothe podcast, it's episode 61.
(02:54):
We met Lola, our scrappy dog treatbusiness owner and Flo, the ultimate
dog, mom and dream customer.
Lola created a freebie called3 Treats Max Will Love.
She posted it on Instagramand added a link in her bio.
No sales pitch.
Just a little invite.
(03:14):
" Want to bake somethingadorable for your pups?
Grab my free guide.".
Flo saw it and downloaded itand she was instantly hooked.
She even printed it andposted it on her fridge.
And when Lola launched her firsttreat box later that month,
Flo was the first customer.
There are three big reasons why thisstrategy is a game changer for dog
(03:39):
treat based businesses like yours.
When you give something genuinelyvaluable without asking for
money, you instantly build trust.
You are no longer just anotherbiz trying to sell cookies.
You are the helpful expert who's alreadyadded value before a single sale happens.
(03:59):
With every download, you are growing youremail list and that's marketing gold.
Email is direct, algorithm free and waymore personal than a feed full of reels.
Imagine waking up to 50 subscriberswho all said yes to hearing from you.
That is the magic of a freebie funnel.
(04:20):
A smart recipe guide includes soft pitchesto products or tools you recommend.
You might say, want perfect cookies?
I use this Amazon cookie cutter set.
You're not being pushy, you're beinghelpful, and you're getting paid for it.
All right, let's get to the how to part.
Creating a guide doesn't haveto be fancy or complicated.
(04:43):
Here's how Lola did itand how you can too.
Pick two or three recipes that aresimple and safe for dogs and photogenic.
Bonus points if you can includeone with an icing or a drizzle or
something that will catch Flo's eye.
Lola chose a peanut butter classic, agrain-free banana biscuit, and a cute bone
(05:06):
shaped cookie with her Treat Armor icing.
Canva is the real MVP here.
Use one of their free templates.
Drag and drop your pics, and boom.
Don't forget, use your branding colors andyour fonts and name it something adorable.
If there's a product that you love andyou use all the time, add the link.
(05:26):
Lola linked her favorite icing pipingbags, a silicone mat from Amazon and
it really is helpful for your audience.
It helps you earn a little commission onthe side when you are an Amazon affiliate.
A freebie is only a powerfultool if people see it.
So Lola shared hers on Instagram storiesand a link tree style link in her bio.
(05:52):
Pinterest boards like homemade dog treats.
And she also shared it in herweekly email with the subject line:
Want to try what Daisy's Baking.
That's smart.
People love free stuff, but rememberthey also love being invited.
Let's talk about maximizing theimpact of your recipe guide.
(06:12):
Here's how to make it workover time for your biz.
Flo isn't just downloadinga guide, she's meeting you.
So add a welcome message like, "Hi,I'm Lola. I started baking for my
rescue pup daisy, and now I'm sharingmy favorite recipes with you. Enjoy."
Once Flo downloads yourguide, send a series of two to
(06:35):
three short follow-up emails.
Day one, your subject line is: Your Treats are Ready to Bake. (06:38):
undefined
Day three (06:43):
wanna See How I Decorate Mine?
Day five (06:46):
Flo.
Here's 10% Off My New Sampler Pack.
This kind of gentle follow up turns,casual downloaders into real customers.
Ask customers who use the guideto share a photo of their treats
or of their dog enjoying them.
Flo sent one of Max munching on abanana biscuit, and Lola got to use
(07:08):
that as social proof in her next post.
It was a win-win.
All right, treat babe.
You've got the strategy,the steps in the audience.
Now it's time to make your own recipeguide and promote it like crazy and
start growing your email list withpeople who want what you're offering.
Now the fun part begins, and this iswhere I show you how to make your very
(07:30):
own recipe book in Canva that you cangive away to your customers as a freebie.
You don't need Canva Proto do this, which is nice.
You'll go to Canva and in thesearch bar type recipe template,
it will show you so many.
Choose the one that you like, andthese steps should really be the
same for whichever one you choose.
(07:51):
First of all, you're going to rebrandyour recipe template to your branding.
You can see that I've got my signatureteal and vivid coral colors on here,
so I'd recommend that you do the same.
You put your brandingcolors throughout this book.
You can also add yourlogo at the very bottom.
You can add maybe yourwebsite or your socials.
(08:13):
Start with a very nice,clear image on the front.
It gives viewers a hint anda taste of what's inside.
And of course, you can callit anything that you want.
Mine called Homemade dog treats easyrecipes for your best friend recipe book.
You can call yours whatever you likethe second page is a great way to
(08:34):
welcome whoever you give this to.
Welcome them to yourbusiness, to yourself.
Welcome them basically to yourcommunity, and to your family.
Your business family, and this is whereyou're going to, throughout the whole
guide, you're gonna be substituting yourimages for their images because all the
(08:55):
recipe template guides do have images.
So substitute what you like andthis is just your little place to
add a nice little welcome message.
Again, I'd put a logo andyour name at the bottom.
If you have many recipes, Irecommend categorizing them.
I did this with chapterone and dog treats.
Very simple, a little simple image,but it just helps to keep the
(09:15):
recipe guide clear and organized.
If you have a lot of recipes, youcan go for a recipe index that shows
the customer what's in the guide,or you can do a table of contents.
This is not needed necessarily.
You don't have to have it.
Even if you have three recipesyou can still do a recipe index.
(09:36):
You don't need this many recipes.
But as you're gonna see, I'vegot a lot of recipes in here.
I can't wait to show you.
You might want to start out with a guidethat maybe only has one, two, or three
recipes, and then perhaps every monthyou, you can send your customer a new
recipe and in your Canva template thatyou are looking at and designing, you can
(10:00):
add each month's recipe to the template.
And this is a great way foryou to keep track of the free
recipes that you've given.
You can have two copies, one foryour customer and then one for
you to keep yourself organized.
First recipe is Sweet Potato Chews.
We all know and love Sweet PotatoChews and so do our customer's dogs.
This is really easy.
Basically, this whole thingfollows the same format.
(10:22):
I like to put the title up topand the ingredients you need.
Obviously sweet potatoes is super basic.
You need one ingredient.
And then on the right there'ssome information about prep time,
cook time, how many it serves.
And of course it depends on thesweet potato size and how thick
they cut it and all that, andwhat some of the benefits are.
(10:43):
You can choose to leaveit on there or not.
Same with the calories.
Leave it on there or not.
And then put simpleinstructions on the bottom.
And again, this would be customizedwith your colors and your pictures.
I like to do the recipe first,and then I like to add the image
of whatever the recipe made.
So it goes recipe image.
(11:05):
Recipe image.
So here's a great one.
Carrot and banana cookies.
So you list out the itemsthat they'll need, right?
These are also known as theingredients, and you could
put ingredients if you'd like.
I just have " you will need", andyou're gonna make this page yours with
whatever recipes you come upwith, and whatever instructions
are pertinent to that recipe.
So here we've got carrot and bananacookies, and then the image for
(11:28):
the carrot and banana cookiessubstituted with whatever you have.
Chicken and rice treats,and there they are.
Banana and blueberry muffins.
This actually looks and soundscompletely tasty for humans.
Salmon and sweet potato bites again, yum.
Blueberry and oat bars.
(11:49):
Have you guys ever thought about makingbars like a granola bar for a dog?
You can.
You can do this for your ownbusiness and sell it or put it in
here as a freebie for your customer.
These are just some ideas to getyou going on types of recipes that
you can offer for your customer.
You don't need a guaranteedanalysis to do this.
Because you are not selling theproduct to your customer, you are
(12:12):
selling the recipe, the free recipe.
So this should be very easy and quick.
And it's basically free.
It's free for you to do.
You don't need a guaranteed analysis.
You don't need Canva Pro.
You can make this for free.
Peanut butter and coconut oil.
You may be wondering, what in theworld is she gonna make ta-da, those.
(12:35):
Apple and cinnamon biscuits.
Carrot and dental.
Partially chew.
Oh, I am so dyslexic.
Carrot and parsley dental chews.
Am I gonna edit this out?
Nope.
No, I'm not.
The font here, you'll notice that I'vegot several different kinds of font.
I've got Montserrat,that's a type of a font.
(12:55):
For the title,
I believe this is called Homemadeapplesauce or something, is the
script and clear instructions whenit comes to the ingredients, the
title and the instructions I to keepthose very clear fonts, easy to read.
"You will need" is not that crucial, sothat's where I can spice it up a little
bit and add a script if I want to.
(13:19):
And those are the carrotand dental oh gosh.
I did it again.
What is this called?
Carrot and Parsley Dental Chews.
Oh, you guys, thanks for loving me.
Peanut butter and banana biscuits.
That should be a staple almost.
It is for many people.
And then we have frozen treats.
Have you ever thought about frozen treats?
Here's a peanut butterand banana frozen treat.
(13:42):
And of course, that should be veryexpected what those look like.
Chicken, liver and carrot training bites.
Although this is not a picture ofchicken, liver, and carrot training bites,
those could be made smaller into bites.
I had a stint with training Bitesand I made them once and my training
(14:03):
bite silicone molds still sit on myshelf because, I just couldn't do it.
It was too time intensive.
Some people have this down and ifyou're one of them, kudos to you.
Broccoli and cheese muffins.
They look good for brunchfor you and your dog.
Anyway, these are just typesof recipes you can add.
Now it's gonna start getting exciting andmaybe this is one that starts, I forgot.
(14:25):
Pumpkin and cranberry bites.
Pumpkin and blueberry bites.
The reason I'm saying this, here we go.
Turkey and cranberry delightsbecause if you think about seasonal
treats, you can adapt your recipeguide to include seasonal treats.
Maybe you wanna do this atThanksgiving, and so you've got
those flavors in mind, Turkey,cranberry, maybe a little
(14:48):
hint of orange, I'm not sure.
But these are expectedflavors for the season.
And your customer really might geta big kick out of a seasonal recipe
guide because they're gonna bemaking these types of flavors for
their own family and we just loveto spoil our dogs and they do too.
So they might really be tuned into something that is seasonal.
(15:09):
If you haven't ever thought about it.
And don't those look amazing, just saying.
Carrot and oatmeal, doggy bars.
Even though this is a typical bone shape,you can tweak the wording a little bit.
Okay.
So that's what has happened here.
(15:31):
Pumpkin and oat bites.
The dogbone shape is so classic.
Chicken and sweet potato jerky.
Look how cool that is.
Can you imagine owner of a cutelittle dog getting this recipe guide
and realizing that she now can makechicken jerky that she's been buying?
(15:52):
Because maybe you don'tmake this, obviously, okay?
This would probably be a recipe youdon't make, but you can offer it
to her so she can make it at home.
She's gonna find tremendous value inthis information you're giving her.
She's gonna feel likeshe is loving her pup.
She's gonna feel like her treats aremore healthy than what she can buy in the
store, and you're going to empower her.
(16:13):
You don't have to make these yourself.
In fact, it's better if youdon't sell these at all.
That way she can stillkeep buying your treats.
Cheesy bacon bones.
Look what's coming.
Does that not look delicious?
Imagine having that photo in your guide.
Tremendous.
Apple and cheddar biscuits.
Okay.
Dogs have birthdays just like we do.
(16:34):
We know the dog moms and dads thatlove to celebrate their pups birthday.
Imagine if they could maketheir own dog birthday cake?
If birthday cakes aren't something thatyour business offers, this is a huge idea.
You can empower your customer to maketheir birthday cake for their dog.
Again, you don't need a guaranteedanalysis 'cause you are not making it.
(16:57):
Liver and oat cake totally soundsgross, but a dog will love it.
Cheeseburger cake.
Blueberry and cottage cheese cake,chicken and sweet potato cake.
You do not need images for all ofthese, just like you're seeing here.
You don't have to have animage for every single one.
If you are only going to offer threerecipes, I'd have an image for all three.
(17:20):
But when you start getting into multiplerecipes like this, it's not necessary.
Coconut and banana cake,carrot and apple pup cakes.
And don't forget you guys.
Everything that you that you can make asa cake, you could turn into a pup cake
just in case you are thinking about makingpupcakes or cakes or already make them.
(17:40):
You don't need a separateguaranteed analysis.
Meaty dog birthday cake.
Pumpkin and oat cake.
Okay.
Holiday themed treats.
This is what I was talking about.
You saw some before withthe Turkey cranberry.
Now this is totally optional.
Totally optional for how deep youwant, get with this Valentine's
(18:02):
Day heart shaped bacon biscuits,strawberry and banana pupcakes.
Easter.
Who'd have thought there wouldbe Easter treats, but there are.
Carrot and apple bunny bites.
Are there real bunnies in there?
Nope, not at all.
Is there carrot and apple?
Sure.
But calling it bunny bites just for theEaster season is absolutely on par with
(18:26):
stuff they're gonna be gravitated towards.
They're gonna love that.
They're going to eat that up.
They wanna celebrateEaster with their dog.
Sure.
So call it bunny bites.
How cute is that?
Peanut butter and honey Easter eggs.
Again, super cute name for the season.
Halloween.
You might be thinking, what kindof treats are there for Halloween?
Let me tell you, pumpkinand peanut butter ghosts.
(18:49):
Sweet potato fries, alsoknown as witches fingers.
Thanksgiving.
Turkey and sweet potato pilgrims,you could put together an
entire Thanksgiving guide, boom.
The end done.
Stick three recipes in there.
And that is your Thanksgivingguide for that month.
Okay, maybe you do a Christmasguide, maybe not, but I'm just saying
(19:13):
that this could be really popular.
Cranberry and pumpkin doggy donuts.
You might even be able to get awaywith a cake recipe also being a donut
recipe, also being a pup cake recipe.
You've got one recipe, you'veused it three different ways.
You never changed yourguaranteed analysis.
(19:33):
And of course this is talkingabout your own business.
If you want to make these things and sell.
Pumpkin pie dog treats.
Christmas.
We've got some Christmas recipe.
How cute is this?
Christmas tree peanut butter biscuits.
Apple and cinnamon reindeer cookies.
Gingerbread dog cookies.
(19:54):
Look what a cute themed recipefreebie guide this would make?
New Year's.
Is there stuff for dogs on New Year's?
I didn't imagine.
And then here we are,champagne, chicken broth toast.
Like a champagne toast.
But you'll see it's really actually toast.
Firework surprise treats.
Homemade ice cream.
That appeals to me and my dog now becauseit's the beginning of August and it's hot.
(20:20):
Carrot and peanut butter, doggy ice cream.
Your customers will love this.
Add some images if you can.
Peanut butter, banana ice cream.
Of course these are thesepaw and bone silicone molds.
Super good.
Chicken and sweet potato ice cream.
(20:40):
Blueberry and banana ice cream, delish.
Bacon and cheese sundae.
It just sounds absolutely decadent.
Of course, this is a treat.
This is not an everydaything for your dog, right?
I know I'm gonna get people whogo, how could you feed a dog that?
If the dog doesn't have any allergies, andthis is just a once in a blue moon thing.
(21:01):
As a small portion.
I say, why not?
Every dog owner is different?
And I appreciate that.
Now you can, if you want to alsoinclude a chapter or a recipe,
just to give you an idea, I wanna.
Spread this thing out so far that youcan choose to do all some or none of
it, depending on how it aligns withyour brand, how it aligns with the
(21:26):
time you have to make this right,because this is something that you're
gonna sit down and focus and do,but just to give you options, okay?
Maybe you want to make a completeallergen free recipe guide.
So everything in there is allergen free.
Up to you.
Just food for thought.
Giving you all the optionshere, sweet potato, biscuits.
Chicken free veggie jerky.
(21:49):
Pumpkin and oat biscuits.
Sweet potato and banana chips.
Sensitive stomach recipes.
My Corgi, Loki has a sensitive tummy.
He does not care for wheat andhe does not care for well wheat.
Yeah, he does.
He does the itchy, scratchy.
(22:09):
Scratchy bite his pawssituation whenever he has wheat.
If someone gives him a treat or I forgetand give him wheat, I feel so bad.
So you can include this.
This is just a tips section.
You can include all, some or none of this.
Screenshot this, watch this back.
(22:29):
Some of the recipes in thissection include chicken and rice.
Lean Turkey and rice stew.
Salmon and quinoa patties.
Pumpkin and oatmeal porridge.
Ginger and carrot soup.
Watch this back you guys.
There's a lot of good ideas here.
Chicken free veggie medley.
This is where we come into food toppers.
(22:51):
Another cool idea, is it a treat?
Yeah, sure.
It's a treat.
Is it shaped like a dog bone?
No.
So just a little outsideof the box thinking here.
Adding food toppers to your pet'smeals can prevent mealtime boredom
and encourage them to eat as well.
Some dogs, like older dogs maynot have the easiest time eating
(23:12):
and food toppers encourages that.
So you can offer some informationon food toppers and how to use them.
Feel free to use this information here onthis screen and different ideas for your
own homemade recipes for food toppers.
Peanut butter, drizzle chicken and rice.
(23:34):
Yogurt and blueberry.
Sardine surprise.
Sweet potato mash.
You don't have to sell these.
You have to make them to makesure that you're getting your
proportions right and everything.
But this is a great freebieto give away to your customer.
He or she is still gonnawanna buy your treats.
More food topper recipes.
(23:55):
Carrot and parsley mix.
Egg and spinach scramble.
Pumpkin puree.
Cottage cheese and banana bread.
Beef and vegetable mix.
This is a really great section tohave and add to your recipe guide no
matter how many recipes you have in it.
And this is tips for makingand storing the treats.
(24:17):
While you are the professionaldoing what you do, they aren't.
That's why they come to you fortreats for actually many different
reasons, but they probably don'treally know the information here.
So this is for their FYI.
I would include information on properstorage techniques and shelf life.
(24:38):
And this is all gonna be customizedto what the shelf life is for
the recipes that you include.
And then if you want, you can includeinformation on portion control
and common mistakes to avoid.
And a place for their own notes.
Just like you make notes for yourrecipes, they might want some
(25:00):
spaces, couple of pages to make notes
And hey, if you want to see real lifeexamples of what I'm talking about and
stand out as a dog treat baker, grab mydog treat recipe freebie template pack.
If all this looks great, but maybeyou don't have the time to design
one yourself, what I've put togetherfor you is a done for you solution.
(25:21):
This already has all the recipesin it with the welcome page and
all the instructions for you togive to your customer, as is,
except for a little branding on yourpart, and it's only seven bucks.
this is designed for dog treatentrepreneurs, and this is a dog
treat Baker's freebie starter pack.
(25:44):
So this is what you're gonna get.
I've already done this for you, andit is a ready to use Canva template.
The difference is between the one we sawand this one, you're going to get all
the instructions that aren't blanked out.
This is basically a customer ready guide.
I've got how to use thisguide, and this is for you.
This is about adding your branding andreplacing my information with your own
(26:07):
and then updating the footer on each pageso it can reflect your business details.
And if you want to, youcan use this template.
Get rid of my recipes and put yourown, this is a more polished version.
And then just make sure you reviewit and personalize it, and then
obviously remove that page ofinstructions before you share.
(26:29):
But this is a lovely done for youguide, and here's a welcome page.
Remember, we saw a welcomepage on the previous template.
This is my welcome page to you.
You'll replace it with your welcomepage information for your customer.
And this guide, these recipe guides area great way to grow your email list.
You're going to give this away ifyou want, as a freebie when they sign
(26:52):
up and subscribe to hear from you.
It'll also boost loyalty and really showcustomers that you are the real deal.
And here's what you get.
You get the recipe for peanutbutter, pup donuts with
ingredients, full instructions.
You can keep the image that's onthere or replace it with your own.
(27:12):
This also includes the glaze.
There's a glaze for the donuts.
You also get cheddar crunch bites.
Full instructions on cheddar crunchbites, minty kisses, fresh breath
treats, and these are the threefull complete recipes that you get.
Now, the nice thing about this is,again, if you want to substitute
(27:34):
your recipes for these, you can.
If not, just send them off.
If you actually wanna grab theserecipes, make them and sell them
in your own business, go for it.
You have full rights to do that.
Then your customer can get otherrecipes maybe that you don't wanna sell.
But what comes in this toois a Canvas starter guide.
(27:57):
This is basically Canva 10 1 for dog treat Bakers.
If you're new to Canva, you'renot sure exactly how to use it.
I go through.
Here's my welcome page to you and a how touse this guide with contents, but I will
go ahead and get you started with makinga Canva account exactly how to do that.
(28:17):
You're gonna find some editingbasics that go through all the
basic stuff with screenshots.
It's going to give you quick tips.
All kinds of good stuff.
And if you want this guide along with thethree free recipes that come in the dog
treat Baker's Freebie Starter pack so youcan give them to your customer or even
(28:37):
use the recipes in your own business.
Go ahead and check out the linkin the description of this video.
I've got it for you.
Click on it.
It's seven bucks.
Seven bucks, three recipes anda guide that is ready to go.
I'd love to hear what you're thinking.
Drop a comment and tell me whatwould you name your recipe guide.
Let's get creative together.
(28:58):
See you guys.
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