marketing techniques for adoption from foster care 10-23-17...marketing techniques for adoption from...

MarketingTechniquesforAdoptionfromFosterCare

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TableofContentsMakingFosteringaCommunityValue...........................................................................................................3Postingphotosandvideostakeninfosterhomes......................................................................................................................................3Tellingthestoriesofpetsinfostercare..........................................................................................................................................................5Thefostercaremontage.........................................................................................................................................................................................6Short-termfosterrecap..........................................................................................................................................................................................6Workingfostercareintoallkindsofposts....................................................................................................................................................7Mentioningfostercarealongsideadoption...................................................................................................................................................8Fosterpleas..................................................................................................................................................................................................................9Conveyingtheurgentneedforafostercaregiverinapositiveway.................................................................................................10

Marketingvs.AdoptionCounseling.............................................................................................................11MarketingisNotAdoptionCounseling:Keep‘EmSeparate,SaveMoreLives.............................................................................11RemovingStopSigns:Fine-TuningYourMarketing................................................................................................................................17RemovingStopSigns:AdoptionCounseling................................................................................................................................................19

TraditionalMarketing..................................................................................................................................19

LifesavingMarketing...................................................................................................................................20YourGoals...................................................................................................................................................................................................................22HowitWorks..............................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Volunteer-andFoster-DrivenMarketing....................................................................................................24Marketing:ThingstoConsiderFeaturing.....................................................................................................................................................24Volunteer&FosterSocialMediaGroup........................................................................................................................................................25SampleGuidelines....................................................................................................................................................................................................25

Volunteer-andFoster-CreatedSocialMediaPages.................................................................................................................................26HowStartingfromScratchandThinkingOutsidetheShelterCanGetLong-StayDogsAdoptedInthisguestpost,KellyDuer,Maddie’s®FosterExpansionCoordinatoratAustinAnimalCenter,shareshowtheVenturaCountyAnimalShelterisgettingalloftheirlong-staydogsadopted.Readthepost,andthentrysomeofthecreativeideasforyourself!........................................................................................................................................................................................................................28OtherGreatPlatformsforMarketingPets....................................................................................................................................................32TheShelterPetProject.........................................................................................................................................................................................32MediaSponsorships...............................................................................................................................................................................................33

AppendixA:Resources................................................................................................................................35MarketingShelterPets..........................................................................................................................................................................................35Photography,VideographyandWriting.......................................................................................................................................................35Volunteer-DrivenMarketing..............................................................................................................................................................................36BoostingYourMarketingEfforts......................................................................................................................................................................36

AppendixB:ShelterPetMarketingChecklist...............................................................................................37

AppendixC:BestPracticesforMediaSponsorships.....................................................................................40

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MakingFosteringaCommunityValueOneofthemostimportantthingsyoucandotocreateacommunityculturethatvaluesfosteringistobringfostercareintotheconversationasmuchaspossibleinyourorganization’smarketing.Ifyouwantfostercaretobecomethenorminyourcommunity,youneedtomakeitapartofyourcommunity’svocabularyfirst.Workaphoto,astoryorevenjusttheword‘foster’intoatleast20%ofyoursocialmediaposts—ideally,30%ormore.Makesureyourcommunityknowsthatwhenitcomestosavinglives,fosteringisjustasimportantasadoption.Herearesomeexamplesofwaysyourorganizationcanbringfostercareintotheconversationonsocialmedia:

Postingphotosandvideostakeninfosterhomes

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Tellingthestoriesofpetsinfostercare

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Thefostercaremontage

Short-termfosterrecap

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Workingfostercareintoallkindsofposts

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Mentioningfostercarealongsideadoption

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Fosterpleas

WelovehowLMASusedinformationlearnedfromfieldtripfosterstohelpthemfindalonger-termfosterhere:

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Conveyingtheurgentneedforafostercaregiverinapositiveway

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Marketingvs.AdoptionCounselingMarketingisNotAdoptionCounseling:Keep‘EmSeparate,SaveMoreLivesPostedonFebruary18,2016byAnimalFarmFoundationGuestpostwrittenbyKristenAuerbach,DeputyChiefAnimalServicesOfficeratAustinAnimalCenterinAustin,TX.ShydogDerekhadbeenatAustinAnimalCenter,waitingforafamilyforseveralmonths,butwastimidandscaredinhiskennelanddidn’tseekoutattention.Therewerenosparkswithpotentialadopters.AsIsometimesdowithdogswhoneedsomeextraattention,Ibroughthimintomyofficeandgottoknowhimoverthecourseofafewdays.Isawhimaroundotherdogs,kids,andcats.Ilearnedthathewasverywellbehaved,butseemedunsureoftheworld,andsometimesbecamenervous.Iobservedhisbacklegsseemedtobowoutandhewalkedalittlefunny.

Derekwassupershyinhiskennelandwasoneofthosedogswesometimescall“shutdown.”

Withthisnewinformation,itwastimetodosomemarketing.IwroteasillylittledescriptionofmyexperiencewithDerekandstuckitonhiskennel.Ibroughthiminmyofficeandgottoknowhimoveracoupleofdays.Imadeasillyflyerandputitonhiskennel.

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Afterjusttwodayswiththenewsign,awomanwantedtomeethimintheplayyard.Oncetheygottomeet,shesawtherewasasparkbetweenthemandsaid,“Iwanttotakehimhome.”

Atthatpoint,afterthatinitialmagicconnectionhadbeenmade,webegantheadoptioncounseling.

IdescribedeverythingIhadobserved,includingthatheseemedtolikethechildrenhemet,butalsoseemedunsureofthem.Ialsotoldherthatheneededhisbacklegscheckedoutandthathemighthavesomeissuesbecauseofhisconformation.IwashonestanddisclosedeverythingwehadassessedandobservedaboutDerek.

Theadopteraskedalotofgoodquestions.Sheconsideredifhewastherightfitforher.

Attheendofthecounselingprocess,shewasstillconvincedDerekwasforher.Sheadoptedhimthatdayandwhenwefollowedup,shetoldussheis‘completelyinlove’andhe’stheperfectdogforher.

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Thisfamilysawtheflyer,metDerek,bondedwithhim,wentthroughthecounselingprocessandadoptedhim.

Derekwassoproud!

DogslikeDerekaretypicallymarketedtothepublicwithinformationlike:

“Shy,needshomewithadultsonly”or“Probablyabackyarddogandnotwell-socialized.”

Thesestatements,usedduringthemarketingphase,actasSTOPsignswhichpreventpotentialadoptersfromaskingtomeetdogs(evenonesthatwouldbeagreatfitforthem!).Tohelpsendmorepetshome,sheltersneedtoseparatethemarketingfromtheadoptioncounseling.

Toooftenwemistakesocialmediamarketingastheplaceforadoptioncounseling.Canyouspotthe‘stopsigns’intheseposts?

“Elsaisagorgeous,two-year-oldpitbullwholovespeopleandlovestosnuggleandgoonwalks.Shemustbetheonlydoginthehouse.She’ddobestinhousewithnokids.Elsahasbeenwaitingmorethantwoyearstofindanewfamilytoloveher.Couldshebetheoneforyou?”“Samisfun-lovingdogwithtonsofenergywhoislookingforanactivehome.Heisreallygoodwithmostpeople,buthepreferswomenovermen.Heisreactiveandhasmildseparationanxiety,butwiththerightperson,he’sgoingtomakeanawesomepet!”

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Iknowwhatyou’rethinking:“Wehavearesponsibilitytoouradopters/fosters/rescuers/publictotellthemeverythingweknowaboutthatanimal!Areyousayingweshouldintentionallyhidethetruth?”No.Asanimalwelfareprofessionalsandvolunteers,weoweittoourcommunityandouradopterstodiscloseeverythingweknowaboutoneofouranimals.

However,weshareallofthatinformationduringtheadoptioncounselingportionoftheprocess…notinthemarketing.

Marketingismeanttograbattentionandopenadoor.Adoptioncounselingisforfulldisclosure.MarketingiswhatGETSpeopletotheadoptioncounselingprocessbypiquingtheirinterestinmeetingtheanimals.Butyoucan’tdothecomplicatedbusinessofadoptioncounselingifNOONEisthereforyoutotalkto.Marketing:it’swhatmakesthefullconversationhappen!

Herearesomesimpletipsforkeepingyourmarketingseparatefromyouradoptingcounselingprocess.Ifyoudothis,you’llincreaseyouradoptions,makebettermatches,andgetmorepetsoutofyourshelterorrescueandintopermanenthomes.

DON’Tincludeeverysingledetailaboutananimal’sentirelifeortrytoexplaineverypossibleflaworchallengethispetmayhaveinonepost.Imaginewritingajobresumewhereyoulisteverymistakeyou’veevermade,alltheprojectsthatdidn’tgowell,andallthethingsyourcoworkersfindmostannoyingaboutyou.You’reprobablynevergoingtogetthecalltocomeinforthatjobinterview,evenifyouareagreatprospect!

Whilethisisanextremeexample,itmakesanimportantpoint.Everyperson(anddog)hasavarietyofpersonalitytraitsandbehaviors.Weallhaveahistoryofhighsandlowsthatmakesuswhoweare.IfweputitALLonthetable,beforeaprospectiveemployergetstomeetusandformaconnectionwithus,we’renotgoingtogetthecalltoevencomeinfortheinterview.

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Fordogs,they’reprobablynotgoingtogettheopportunitytomeetthepersonwhocouldchangethecourseoftheirlives!

Thinkaboutitlikethis:Yourresumeisawaytolandtheinterviewwhereyouhaveachancetodiscussyourstrengthsandweaknesses.Thesocialmediapostorbioisthewaytogetadopterstomeetyourdogsandhaveadiscussionwithyouaboutalloftheirneeds.

DOtellastory!Dalton,picturedhere,wasawildchildintheshelter.Hebarkedandwhinedwhilekenneledandhadtonsofenergy.Hisbehaviorinthesheltersentadoptersrunning.Daltonwaspassedovermanytimes.Inthepast,wemighthavepostedthatDaltonwasa‘highenergy’doglookingforan‘active’familywhowouldtakehimrunningandhiking.Butwe’velearnedpotentialadoptersreadthroughthelines,evenwhenwetrytobesubtleaboutpotentiallynegativetraits.InsteadwesentDaltontoafosterhomeforafewdays,sowecouldlearnmoreabouthim.Hisfostermomsharedaquickstoryaboutsomethinghedidwhileattheirhouse.

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Thatstory,postedonFacebook,broughtindozensofinterestedadopters.Marketinghimthiswayallowedustofindafamilyfromthisgroupwhowasperfectforthisyoung,exuberantpooch.Everyoneelsethatwasinterestedadoptedotherdogs.Win-win!

Formoreinformationonwritingdescriptionsthatcreateconnectionanddrawinadopters,checkoutAnimalFarmFoundation’sE-Bookaboutmarketingandadvertising.DON’Tfocusonrestrictions.Restrictionsarearticulatedeitherasadirectivestatement,asin“nokids”orasapassivestatementsuchas,“woulddobestinahomewithnokids.”Arestrictionlikethismeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Itleavesalotofroomforpeopletoimaginewhyyou’veincludeditinyourmarketing.Formostadopters,astatementlikethiswillactasastopsignbecausetheydon’tknowwhyyou’reusingitanditmaysoundscary.Evenforpotentialadopterswhodon’thavekids,theymaythink,“Well,myneighborhoodhaskidsandsoIguessthisdogwon’tworkforme,”oralternately,“Idon’thavekids,butwhowantsadogthatdoesn’tlikekids?”oreven,“Iwonderifthisdoghashurtkids?”Byplacingrestrictionsinyourmarketing,youmayhaveturnedoffsomereallygreatadopterswhoaretherightmatch.

Evenifyouarefirmabouttherestrictionandwillnotadoptthedogtoahomewithkidsorcats,youcansavethatconversationforthein-personadoptioncounselingprocess.Thisiswhenyouwillexplainthedog’sfullhistoryandwhyyouaregoingtousetherestriction.Youradopterswillappreciateyourtransparencyandinformationandtrustinyouradoptionprocess.

Toreadmoreaboutrestrictions,checkoutAnimalFarmFoundation’sE-bookaboutadoptionbestpractices.

Ghost, pictured here, is a deaf dog. We marketed her by talking about how despite her inability to hear, how happy and joyful she

always is. Without any special criteria or restrictions, we found her the perfect family.

DOsticktopositivemarketingthatinspireadoptionsandwillcreatetheopportunityforadopterstomeetthedog,beforebeginningthecounselingprocess.

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DON’Tfeelbadifthemarketingdoesn’tleadtotherightmatch.Ifsomeonecomestomeetapetbecauseofyourpositivemarketingandtheycan’tadoptthatparticularpet,becauseofamedicalorbehavioralissuethatyoudiscusswiththem,that’sok…DOseethisasopportunitytomaketherightmatch.Allofourstaffmakesanefforttoalwaysknowsomeinformationaboutsixorsevendifferentanimalsinourshelter.Thatway,ifthepettheadoptersawonsocialmediawasn’ttheperfectfit,wehaveseveralotherpotentialmatchesalreadyinmind!DON’Tuseindustrylanguage,or‘shelter-speak’inyourmarketingefforts.Termslike‘barrierreactive’and‘resourceguarding’mightbeeverydaylingoforyou,buttoadoptersthatarebothfrighteningandconfusing.Eventermslike,‘jumpy/mouthy’meansomethingdifferenttoyouthanwhattheymightmeantoapersonwhoisunfamiliarwithanimalwelfarejargon.Theymayscareoffadopters.DOuseeverydaylanguageinyourmarketing,aswellasyouradoptioncounseling,thatregularpeopleunderstand.Andifyoudouseatermlike‘zoomies,’makesureyouexplainwhatyoumean!Wanttokeepitsimple?Rememberthatmarketinggetspeopleinthedoorwhoareexcitedtoadoptandcreatestheopportunityforhonest,openadoptioncounselingtohappenattheshelter,wherethebestpossiblematchescanbemade.

Committoapositive-onlymarketingapproachcombinedwithaconversation-basedadoptioncounselingprocessandyou’llstarttosendmorepetshome,rightwheretheybelong.

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RemovingStopSigns:Fine-TuningYourMarketingWhenwetalkaboutremovingstopsignsfrommarketing,thefirstquestionwe’reusuallyaskedis,“Doesn’tthatmeanyou’llbringinawholebunchofinterestedpeoplewhoaren’ttherightmatchforthedog?”Theshortanswerisyes.However,havingmorepeoplecontactyourorganization,evenifit’sinitiallyaboutadogthatmaynotbeidealforthem,isagreatwaytoopenthedoortointroducingotherpetsthatareagoodfit.We’vealsofoundthatthere’salotyoucandotofine-tuneyouradoptionmarketinginordertofindtherightadoptioncandidate.ConsiderthestoryofSweetJane.Herfostersworkedhardatmarketingher;whiletheybelievedheridealplacementwaswitholderornochildren,thisstopsignwasnotincludedinthemarketing.Severalmonthslater,theybegantogetfrustratedbecauseitseemedasthoughtheonlyfamiliesinquiringaboutherwereoneswithsmallchildren.Theylookedbackattheirmarketingtoseeiftheycouldidentifyaproblem:

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Theproblemisprettyobvious,no?SweetJanewasveryattachedtotheir20-year-olddaughter,Annie.They’dusedmanyadorablepicturesofthetwotogetherintheirmarketing.Thethingwas,Annielookedmuchyoungerthan20,whichmeantthattheywereaccidentallymarketinghertofamilieswithchildren.Whiletheywerecertainlynotgoingtoscrapanyphotographsthatwouldbegoodmarketingmaterial,theybegantomakeaconcertedefforttomarketSweetJanetoadults.Thistime,theresultspaidoff!

AndwhatofthefamilieswithchildrenwhoinquiredaboutSweetJane?Thiswastheperfectopportunitytoshowthemtheshelter’sgreatcustomerserviceandgetsomeexposureforotherdogsintheshelter’scarewhomightbeabetterfitforthem.Thisneednotbetime-consumingforfosters.InSweetJane’scase,herfostersidentifiedseveraldogsintheshelterwhowereknowntobegoodwithchildrenandthencraftedanemailtemplatethattheysenttopotentialadopterswhohadkids: Hi John, It’s very nice to meet you! My husband and I are fostering Sweet Jane, and we heard that you had inquired about her. While she is an awesome dog, we’d love to see her placed in a home with older or no children. However, the shelter does have several amazing dogs that are good with kids! Rick has lived with kids before and is a really nice dog. I took him to an event a

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few weekends ago and he loved meeting all of the people and other dogs. Here’s a link to his online profile: http://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Terrier-American-Staffordshire-23694671. Also, Maia has been with kids while she was in foster care with her puppies; she did very well with them. Keep your eye on the shelter's Facebook page--- fosters take some of the dogs on weekends, and the shelter is able to learn much more about them during this time. They usually post photos and information about weekend foster dogs on Sundays and Mondays. Thanks! Lee

RemovingStopSigns:AdoptionCounselingAnotherthingwe’reoftenaskedis,ifwedon’tdoadoptioncounselinginourmarketing,whenwillitbedone?Arewelyingtopeople?Absolutelynot.Thisstrategyisjustformarketing;completetransparencyaboutpets’historyandbehaviorwithfostersandadoptersiscritical.Thegreatthingaboutmarketingshelterpetsfromfostercareisthattherearenowtwopossiblelevelsofadoptioncounseling:thefosterandtheshelter’sactualadoptioncounselor.Iffostershaveaccesstoadog’shistoryandin-shelternotes,theycandothecounselingthemselveswithoutsendingthedogbacktotheshelter.Ifnot,thefostercanshowandtelltheadoptereverythingtheyknowaboutthedog,andtheadoptioncounselorwillgooverthedog’scompletehistoryandnotesattheshelter.

TraditionalMarketingTraditionalsheltermarketingoftenconsistsofpostingthebiographiesofavailablepetsonsocialmedia.Often,duetotimelimitations,thesamebioispostedmorethanoncewhenapethasalongstayintheshelter.

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Whydoesn’tthiswork?

• Thesamephotographisusedmultipletimes• Yoursupportersarelesslikelytosharethesamepicturetwice.

• Photoqualityissues• ThoughGhostlooksadorable,thephoto’sbackgroundisunappealing.

• Templatetext• Ghosthasbeenintheshelterfor6months,andtheshelterappearstoknownothingnewabout

her.Theimplication:Issheboring?Dotheynotlikeherenoughtofindoutmore?• Thetextdoesn’tgivemuchofawaytomakeanemotionalconnection.

• Stopsignsintext• “Nokids”and“nootherdogs”oftenscaresoffpotentialadopterswhowouldbeagoodfit(see

article).• InclusionofIDnumber

• Mayimply,‘Thisdogisjustanumbertous.”• Discouragesemotionalconnection

LifesavingMarketingLet’ssayyouhave3greatfostercaregiversforadultdogs.Allofthemarefull.Yesterday,youhadoneadultdogbeginningtoshowsignsofkennelstress,andyouwerewaitingforaspotinfostercaretoopenup.Today,therearethreemore.Whatdoyoudo?

Onemightthinkthatsinceadoginfostercareis“safe,”onedoesn’tneedtomarketthem,concentrating

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insteadontheonesstillattheshelter.Exactlytheoppositeistrue.Thebestwaytogetlongstaydogsintoforeverhomesistoaggressivelymarketthemoncethey’reinfostercareandavailableforadoption.Therewillalwaysbeanotherdogwaitingforfosterattheshelter,sothebestwaytoensurethatyouhaveenoughfostersistodoeverythingyoucantoshortentheirlengthofstayinfostercare.Inthismanual,we’llgiveyouthemarketingtoolsyouneedinordertodothis.Comparedtotraditionalmarketing,lifesavingmarketingismoreinclusive,moredynamicandeasieronshelterstaff!Takealookatsomeofthedifferencesbetweenthetwo:

TraditionalMarketing

LifesavingMarketing

• Followingthe“rules”• Petmarketingviabiography• Stopsignsintext:

o “NOCATS”o “mustbetheonlydog”o “needsahomewithnochildren

under12”• Generalanimalcareposts,funnypet

videos,foodstoavoidatThanksgiving,etc.

• Allpostscreatedbyshelterstaff

• Thoughtfulrule-breakingo 4-5postsaday?Sure,ifyouhave

greatcontent!• Highlightingaspecificpet’sadorable

quirk,asceneorstoryabouttheirday,oraninteractionwithotherdogsorpeople

• Biographiesarealsoused,butnotexclusively

• Leavetheadoptioncounselingtothepet’sfosterandyouradoptioncounselors

• Community-creatinglanguage:you,us,we

• Useonlypostsrelevanttoyouragency• ShelterreliesheavilyonVolunteer-and

Foster-DrivenMarketingforinnovativecontent

Whenyou’remarketingapetforadoption,yourultimategoalistofindanadopter.Whileyou’reintheprocess,yoursecondarygoalshouldbetomakethepetalocalcelebrity.Thereareseveralreasonsforthis.First,whenapetbecomesahouseholdname,it’smorelikelythattheirfamilywillfindthemviawordofmouth.Second,itgetspeopletalkingaboutyourshelterandtheplightoflong-staypetsingeneral.Withanyadoptablepetmarketing,yourmostbasicgoalistocreateanemotionalconnectionbetweenyoursupportersandthefeaturedpet.Emotionalconnectionsarewhatdriveustoact(sharingapost,advocatingforapet,adopting,etc.).

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YourGoals1.Findanadopterforthepet.

2.Makethepetalocalcelebrity.

3.Createanemotionalconnectionbetweenthepetandyoursupporters.

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HowitWorksGhost,ayoung,energeticdogthattheFairfaxCountyAnimalSheltertransferredinfromanothercounty,hadaveryhardtimeintheshelter.Shewasalsodeaf.Herhighenergylevelcombinedwithnotbeingabletocommunicatewithhermadeithardforvolunteerstoworkwithher.Atmanyshelters,adoglikeGhostcouldhavewaitedforyearsforanadopter,orbeeneuthanizedwhenkennelstressmadeitnearlyimpossibletoworkwithherintheshelter.Instead,theshelterputherintofostercaretolowerherstressandmarketedherheavily,utilizingcontentcreatedbyvolunteersandfosters.HeradoptivemomfollowedherfromDay1,developinganemotionalconnectionwithheralongtheway,leadingtoheradoption!

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Volunteer-andFoster-DrivenMarketingWritingthebiographiesandfindingtherightphotocanbetime-consumingforshelterstaff,butfosterfamiliescanreducethisburdenbysupplyingtheshelterwithready-mademarketingmaterial.Todothis,fosterfamiliesneedtocommittocreatingmarketingmaterial(photos,videos,write-upsonoutingsthedoghasbeenon,etc.)atleastevery7-10days.Whenthismaterialispostedregularlyonsocialmedia,itcreatesastoryabouttheirlifeinfostercare.Everypostisanewchapter.Peoplefollowingyourpagegettoknowthedogoverweeksormonths,creatinganemotionalattachmentbothtothedogandtoyourshelter.Weknowofmanycaseswherealong-staypetwasadoptedbysomeonewhohadbeenfollowingtheirstoryfromtheverybeginning.Thistypeofmarketingworksperfectlywithavolunteer&fostersocialmediagroup,becausevolunteerslovetogetupdatesonwhatpetshavebeenuptoinfosterandhowthey’redoing.Thesheltercanpullmarketingmaterial,getideasandevenquotethefosterdirectlystraightfromwhat’sbeenpostedonthepage.Themoreoriginalandprofessionalthecontent,thebetteritworks.However,fostersdon’tneedtobeprofessionalphotographersorexpertwriterstobesuccessfulatcreatingmarketingmaterial.Therearelotsofeasythingstheycandotocreatematerial,suchastakingthedogonashorttriptothepark,providingphotosandashortwrite-up,takeavideoofthedogdoingtrainingexercises,etc.Ofcourse,ifthey’dliketoaskavolunteerphotographertotakeprofessionalphotosofthedog,thatworksevenbetter!Teachfamilieshowtodowriteabouttheirfosterpets,improvetheirphotographsandfindnewwaystomarketthem.Betteryet,letthemteachoneanother!Utilizeothervolunteerstohelpteachworkshopsoneverythingfromcreatingmemestotakingselfiestowritingbiographies.

Marketing:ThingstoConsiderFeaturing

• Thepet’sbehaviorinthehome• Skillslearned• Cutequirksorstories• Greatphotos,videosandwriting

Otherthingsfostercaregiversmightwanttoconsiderare:

• Whatnewwaysdoesthisdogrevealwhoheorshereallyisoutsidetheshelter?• Whatadorablethingsdoesthisdogdo?• Whatsituationscanyouputthisdogintogetgreatphotos?

– Considerbackgrounds– Howcanyougetphotosofthisdoglookingrelaxedandhappy?– Howyoucangetthisdogtolookatthecamera?

Itisespeciallyimportanttonoteanybehaviorthatisdifferentoutsidetheshelter,notonlyformarketingpurposesbuttohelptheshelterbetterassessthedog’sbehavior.

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Volunteer&FosterSocialMediaGroupThesetypesofgroupsaregenerallyopentovolunteers,fosters,&staffmembers.Therearemanywaysthisgroupcanbeused:•Encouragefostersandvolunteerstotakecandid,cutephotosandvideosofshelterpets.Usethese,alongwithstoriesandobservations,toconstructpostsfortheshelter’sexternalFacebookandothersocialmediapages.•Postingnon-urgentmedicalorbehavioralquestionsaboutfosterpets.Iftheyaskthegroup,they’relikelytogetimmediateresponses.•Sharingpositivestoriesorinformativearticles.Therearesomanygreatresourcesoutthere!•Needhelpfillingavolunteershift?Postamessage!• Yourvolunteersandfosterscangettoknowoneanother,creatingasenseofcommunityandmakingit

easiertolocatesubstitutefostercare.What’sgreataboutthesetypesofgroupsisthatfostersandvolunteerscanseewhatoneanotheraredoingwiththeirfosters,andoftenendupgivingoneanothergreatideasformarketing.Additionally,thegroup’ssupportisoftenveryrewardingtofosters,makingitmorelikelythatthey’llconsistentlysendingreatmarketingmaterial.

SampleGuidelinesTherearecertainthingsyoumaynotwantpostedontheFacebookgrouppage,astheymaybebetteraddressedwithanappropriatestaffperson.Twooftheseare:

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•Concernsorcomplaintsaboutastaffmember,anothervolunteeroranissueattheshelter.•Complaints,suggestionsorconcernsaboutshelterpoliciesandprocedures.

SampleGroupRules

• Allgroupmembersareexpectedtoconductthemselveswithrespectandcompassiontowardseveryoneelseonthepage.

• Inflammatoryoraggressivecomments,whichcanleadtomisunderstandings,misinformationandhurtfeelings,shouldbeavoided.

• Theshelterreservestherighttomoderatecommentsandposts.• Postsmayberemovedfromthepageatanyme.Theauthoroftheremovedpostwillalwaysreceivean

e-mailormessagefromthemoderator,explainingwhytheirpostorcommentwasremoved.• Peoplemayberemovedfromthepagetemporarilyorpermanentlyiftheyrepeatedlypost

inappropriatecontent.

Volunteer-andFoster-CreatedSocialMediaPagesVolunteer-andFoster-CreatedSocialMediaPagesrequirelittletonoworkfromshelterstaff,otherthanperhapssettingsomegroundrulesontheuseofphotospostedtothesocialmediagroup.Thepagescanbecreatedandmaintainedbyvolunteers,andcanshowcaseaparticularnichewithinyourshelter.NoVaCatsandHardLuckHoundsaretwoexamplesofthesetypesofpages.Fosterfamiliescanalsocreatetheirownsocialmediapages,onwhichtoshowcasetheircurrentfosters.Socialmediapagescreatedandmaintainedbyvolunteerscanbeimmenselyhelpfulingettinganimalsadoptedandrequireverylittleeffortbyshelterstaff.Thesesocialmediapagescanfocusonadoptableanimalsfromyourwholeshelterorcertaintypesofanimalswithinit,yourentirecommunity,aparticularfamily’sfosterpetsorevenaparticulardog.Advantagestothisarethatthepetspostedonthesepageswillbeseenbyawideraudienceandthatmorepeoplewillbecomefamiliarwithyourshelter.Adiscussionofgroundrulesmaybehelpfulfirsttoensurethatthevolunteer/fosterunderstandswhatcontentandphotositisoktopost.

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HowStartingfromScratchandThinkingOutsidetheShelterCanGetLong-StayDogsAdoptedInthisguestpost,KellyDuer,Maddie’s®FosterExpansionCoordinatoratAustinAnimalCenter,shareshowtheVenturaCountyAnimalShelterisgettingalloftheirlong-staydogsadopted.Readthepost,andthentrysomeofthecreativeideasforyourself!

TheVenturaCountyAnimalShelterwasinatightspot:Thebusiesttimeofyearhadbarelybegun,andtheywerealreadydangerouslyclosetohittingcapacityintheirdogkennels.Worse,theshelterhadaslewoflong-staydogsthatdesperatelyneededtogetoutoftheshelterandintohomes.Whatcouldtheydo?

Theygotcreative.Inadditiontoaskingthecommunityforhelpandplacingasmanyoftheirpetsaspossibleintofostercare,theshelterpilotedanew–andverysuccessful–marketingprogramthattheycalledtheLongStayChallenge.Theystartedwithagroupof20dogswhohadbeenattheshelterforthelongestamountoftime–acollective6,181days.Manyhadbeenlivingthereforoverayear.

Twomonthslater,halfofthesedogsweresettlingintotheirnewforeverhomes,effortstomarketthosewhoremainedwerewellunderway,andmanyotherstressed-outdogswhoweremarketedhadalsobeenadoptedorrescued.Here’showtheydidit:

Theyfocusedontheirneediestdogs.Theshelterlookedattheirdatatofindthe20dogswhohadbeentherethelongest.Theycreatedalistandaskedtheirvolunteersforhelp.Theyresolvedtomarketthesedogsheavilyforaminimumof60days.Manyotherdogswhoweresufferingfromshelterstress,nomatterhowlongtheirstays,werealsotargeted.

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“Itmadeusasvolunteerscontinuallycheckfordogsfallingthroughthecracks,”saidsheltervolunteerDarrellBerdine.

Everyoneparticipatedinmarketingthedogsforadoption.Atmanyshelters,theorganization’sFacebookpageistheonlywaypetsaremarketed.Thisputsstressontheshelter’sstaffandleavesoutahugegroupofpeoplewhoareoftenmorethanhappytocontribute:theshelter’svolunteers.Usingvolunteer-andfoster-drivenmarketing,theshelterwasabletofeatureamuchwidervarietyofphotos,videosandstoriesaboutthedogsintheircare.

Inadditiontotakingthedogsonoutings,volunteersworkedtogethertocreatenewandinnovativewaystoshowcasethedogs.Theynotonlysharedthismaterialwiththeshelter,theyshareditwiththecommunitybypostingontheirownsocialmediapagesandcreatingnewpagestomarketthesepets.

Theygottheirdogsoutoftheshelter.Afewwenttofosterforaweekormore,butthemajority?Theyonlywentoff-campusforhalfadayatatime:ongroupwalks,lunchdates,visitstothebeachandoutingstothepark.Itmaynotseemlikealotoftime,butevenafewhoursinfostercarewasenoughtocapturethesedogslookingrelaxedandhappyindifferentsettings.

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Intheshelter,marketingopportunitiescanbelimited.Forexample,itcanbedifficulttogetphotosofpetslookingrelaxedwhenthey’restressedoutinasheltersetting.Adopterswanttoknowwhatapetwouldlooklikeinahome,andthisisnotoftenpossibletoshowintheshelter.

“Notonlyisthisdifferentmarketingmaterialthanphotosandassessmentsdoneinshelter,itreachesanaudiencethatmaynotbefollowingusonFacebook,”saidKimFlavin,theshelter’sbehaviorist.“Thedogsmeetthepeoplewheretheyare.Itisalsoavitalstressrelieverforthedogsandhelpsgatherimportantinformationaboutthedog’sbehaviorinthe‘realworld.’”

Theygotcreative.Volunteersandstaffworkedtogethertocomeupwithinnovativenewwaystomarketthedogs.Photographers,fostersandothercreativevolunteersteameduptogenerateideas,makevideos,takepicturesandcreatethemedphotoshoots.

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Theymadeitintoafungame.Severalgiftcardsweredonatedasprizesforparticipants.Prizeswereraffledofftodaytripfostersandthefirsttwopeoplewhosemarketingledtoadog’sadoption.Alistofthosewhotookdogsonoutingswaspostednexttothelong-staylistinordertokeeptrack,andupdatesonwinnersweregivenintheshelter’sinternalsocialmediagroups.

Berdine,whoseadvocacyonbehalfoflong-staydogSnoopyledtohisadoption,wasthecontest’sfirstwinner.Snoopyhadlivedintheshelterfornearlyayear,andhisbehaviorwasbeginningtodeteriorate.Berdinenotonlyhelpedtomarkethim,butalsoworkedwithFlavintocreateandimplementaplanandatrainingprotocol.

“Heblossomedveryquicklywiththeconsistenttraining.Wetookpicturesandvideosandmarketedtheheckoutofhim,”saidBerdine.“ThemoreItookhimoffsitethebetterhegotwithhismanners.Ithinkalotofhisissueswerekennelstress.Heturnedouttobeoneofmyall-timefavorites.”

Thatgiftcardhewon?Berdinespentitonenrichmentitemsforhisnewfavoritelong-staydog,Bayou!

“Ithinkthemostimportantpartofthisprojectwasbringingattentionaboutthesedogstoeveryone,”saidSarahAguilar,theshelter’sfostercoordinator.“Gettingthemknown,increasingawareness,havingthemreadytogo—allofthesethingscontributedtothenumberofthesedogsthathavegottenadopted.”

Whenthetwo-monthtrialperiodwasover,theshelterreassessed.Injusttwomonths,theaveragelengthofstayfortheir20longest-staydogsdecreasedfromover300daysto235.Notonlyhadhalftheshelter’slongest-staydogsbeenadoptedorrescued,butworkingtogethertoachievethisgoalbroughtrenewedvigortothewholeorganization.

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Buildingontheirsuccess,theshelter’sstaffdevelopedsomeadditionalmarketingtoolssuchasthenewbulletinboardoflong-staydogsthatisnowdisplayedprominentlyintheirlobby.Thentheyprintedoutanewlistoflong-staydogsandstartedover!

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OtherGreatPlatformsforMarketingPetsTherearedozensofwaystomarketshelterpetsotherthanFacebook.Someoftheplatformsthatsheltersandrescuesarefindingsuccesswithare:

• Twitter• Instagram• Imgur• Reddit• Craigslist• Nextdoor

TheShelterPetProjectTheShelterPetProjectisafreeresourcethatcanputalong-staypetinfrontofamuchwider,nationalaudience.Anyonecansubmitapettobefeatured.Here’showitworks:

1. Find:• Theanimal’sPetfinderurl• Theanimal’sbiography(makesuretousetheexactonetheshelterisusing)• Theemailaddressinterestedpartiescanwritetoattheshelter

2. Emailthisinformationtocontact@theshelterpetproject.org

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3.Whenyoureceiveareply,makesuretheshelterknows.PostamessageinyourVolunteers&FostersFacebookgroupwiththedateandtimethepetwillbeposted.Thisway,othervolunteerswillknowaheadoftimeandwillbeabletohelppromotethepostandansweradditionalquestionsaboutthepet.

MediaSponsorshipsMediasponsorshipsareoneofthemosteffectivewaystofindhomesforlong-stayandspecialneedspets.Amediasponsorshipisadonationthatisspecificallyusedto“boost”apostonsocialmediatoatargeted,localaudience.Thisputsthepostinfrontofthousandsofnewpeoplewhowouldnototherwisehaveseenthepet.Abonusisthedozensofnewlikesyourownpagewillgeneratewhenapostisboosted.

CaseStudy:FriendsoftheFairfaxCountyAnimalShelterTheFriendsoftheFairfaxCountyAnimalShelterpilotedthefirstmediasponsorshipprogram.Mediasponsorshipscost$25.In2016,theirpostsregularlywereseenbybetween1,000-2,000people.Mediasponsoredpostsreceivedbetween12,000-30,000+views.TheirFacebookpagereceivesbetween25-50newlikesforeachmediasponsoredpost,increasingthechancesthatanimalspostedinthefuturewillbeseenbyawideraudience.

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Notableadoptionsthatoccurredasadirectresultofmediasponsoredpostsarealong-staydogfromtheshelter’sbehavioralfosterprogram,a15-year-olddeaf,blackcat(totalLOS=3days!)andalong-stayseniorkitty.

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AppendixA:Resources

MarketingShelterPetsMarketingrulestoincreaseadoptionshttps://www.animalsheltering.org/magazine/articles/awesomeUsingSocialMediatoMaximizeYourLifesavingPotentialhttp://www.maddiesfund.org/using-social-media-to-maximize-your-lifesaving-potential.htmMarketingbestpracticesfromAnimalFarmFoundationhttp://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Marketing-Advertising-E-Book.pdfUsingmemestomarketshelterpetshttps://www.animalsheltering.org/magazine/articles/i-can-haz-adopterHowoneshelterhadpeoplelineupat4a.m.toadoptpitbullpuppieshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/15/lining-up-to-adopt-puppies_n_7571390.htmlYouMightbeOverlookingtheEasiestWaytoHelpYourShelter’sLongTermStayDogshttps://animalfarmfoundation.wordpress.com/2016/10/25/you-might-be-overlooking-the-easiest-way-to-help-your-shelters-long-term-stay-dogs/Kennel‘ReportCards’helpdogsgetadoptedhttps://animalfarmfoundation.wordpress.com/2016/11/29/kennel-report-cards-help-shelter-dogs-graduate-to-new-homes/Marketing,PRandSocialMediahttp://www.maddiesfund.org/topic-marketing-pr-and-social-media-social-media.htmDon’tBeBoringandOtherSecretstoFindingDogsHomeshttps://animalfarmfoundation.blog/2017/05/04/dont-be-boring-and-other-secrets-to-finding-dogs-homes/SocialMedia:SixNewThingshttp://www.maddiesfund.org/social-media-six-new-things.htm?p=0EECED7D-7E3F-4ECB-A2D8-CD9099F215392WeekstoAdoptionTipshttp://aspcapro.org/sites/default/files/aspca-2WeekstoAdoption.pdf

Photography,VideographyandWritingBetterPhotosandProfilesforLong-StayShelterDogshttp://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2016/04/long-stay/

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HowtoTakeGreatPetAdoptionPhotoswithaSmartphonehttp://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2015/03/how-to-take-great-pet-adoption-photos-with-a-smartphone/

Volunteer-DrivenMarketinghttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/pit-bulls-fairfax-county-animal-shelter_n_4548926.htmlhttp://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2014/dec/17/oakton-resident-helps-older-cats-find-forever-home/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/these-shelter-pets-are-going-back-to-school-with-worlds-cutest-adoption-pics_us_5601b34be4b00310edf8f02c

BoostingYourMarketingEffortsTheShelterPetProject:submitadoptableanimals,freeofchargehttps://www.facebook.com/ShelterPetProject/?fref=ts

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AppendixB:ShelterPetMarketingChecklist

ShelterPetMarketingChecklist

a.k.aStepstoFindthatForeverHome!

Hereisthesimplechecklist.Crossoffeachsteptohelpyourpetgetclosertofindingtheiradopter.Forexplanationsandexamples,readbelow!1. Goodquality,recentphoto

2. Goodqualityvideo

3. Write-upasummary

4. Makeaflyer

5. PostonFacebook

6. PostonCraigslistandNextdoor.com

7. MainAACFBpage

8. Outoftheboxsocialmedia

9. Gooutintotheworld/FieldTrips

10. Attendadoptionevents

11. WordofMouth

12. BeCreative

THEBASICS

1. Goodquality,recentphoto

Thisphotowillbeuploadedtoourdatabaseandwillshowontheanimal’skennelcardandonlineprofile.Headshotsareusuallybest,butfullbodycanworktoo.Photosshouldbetakeninlandscapeandbecroppedto3x4ratioforbestwebsitedisplay.Ifyouneedhelpgettingyourphotostocomeout,askforhelponourFacebookpage…wehavealotofvolunteerswhoarealsotalentedphotographers!Checkoutthisshortarticlewhichofferssomemorephotographytips.

2. Goodqualityvideos

Videosshouldalwaysbeshotinlandscape(wide)soholdyourphonesidewayswhentakingvideo.Anynumberofvideoscanbeuploadedandembeddedintoananimal’swebsiteprofile,butvideolinksarealsogreatforothermethodsofsharing.Trytomakeyourvideo1minuteorless,unlessthecontentisreallyengaging.

3. Write-upasummary

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Writeashortandsweetsummarythatincludesyouranimal’sbehavior,likesanddislikes,andthebestthingsaboutthem,likeanauthor’sbiographyattheendofabook.Thissummarycanbethetextforasocialmediapostbutitcanalsobeaddedtothewebsiteprofile.Leaveoutnegativedetails(StopSigns)suchas“nootherpets,”“needstraining,”etc.,asthesecandetereventheperfectpotentialadoptersandarebestdiscussed1-on-1duringadoptioncounseling.Aimtocreateapositiveemotionalconnectionwiththereader.

4. Makeaflyer

YoucanuseWordoranyeditoryouwanttocreateaflyerforyouranimal.Simpleisbest!Oneortwoawesomephotosplusyourshortandsweetsummaryfromabove.Iftheanimalisinfosterwithyou,includeyourcontactinfo.Iftheanimalisattheshelter,youdon’thavetoincludetheirkennelnumberbecausethosecanoftenchange.Theseflyerscanbehungatyouroffice,yourschool,thelocalcafé,Starbucks,HalfPriceBooks,anywherethatwillletyouhangaflyer!Attheshelter,thereisaboardthatshowsfosterdogswhoarelookingforadopterssoshareyourflyerwiththefostercoordinator.Ifyourflyerwasmadeforananimalstillattheshelter,youcansendittothevolunteercoordinatorswhoprintandlaminateit(oryoucanlearnhowtoprintandlaminateinthevolunteeroffice!).

SOCIALMEDIAJustafewnotesonsocialmedia:

o Whendescribingananimalonsocialmedia,makesuretoleaveoutStopSignslike,“workingonleashskills”or“can’tlivewithchildren”.Whilethesemaybefactsorrealsafetyconcerns,they’renotthethingyouwanttomarketwithandtheycanbeaturn-offforpotentialadopters,despiteglowingnotesintherestofthepost.Readthisarticleandthenwriteyourpostsaspositivemarketingmaterial,soyoucandotheadoptioncounselinglaterduringa1-on-1conversation.

o Thebestwaytogetshelterpets,especiallylong-stays,intoforeverhomesistomarketthemvigorously(atleastevery7-10days).

o Postoneachanimalregularly-Thinkoutsidethe‘petbiobox’,andhighlightaspecificpet’sadorablequirk,asceneorstoryfromtheirday,aninteractionwithotherdogsorpeople,etc.

o Regularpostingcreatesanemotionalconnectionbetweenpetandyoursupporters.Together,thepoststellastory,andthehappyendingistheadoption!

5. PostonFacebook

YoucancreatepostsfromyourownFBpage,regularlyshareyouranimaloninternalsheltergroups(sotheystayattheforefrontofeveryone’smind),oryoucancreateapubliccelebritypageforyouranimal.Postregularlywithnewphotos,videos,andstories.YoucanboostFBpostswithmoneysotheyareseenbyawideraudiencethanjustyourfriends.IfyouwanttodoaBIGpost,askfordonationstohelpcreateabigboost.Includehowtofindtheanimalorhowtoaskmorequestions.

6. PostonCraigslistandNextdoor

ThesesitesareaGREATtooltoreachyourneighbors.YoumightthinkCraigslistisonlyforscammers,butinfactmanypeoplearelookingatCLtoaddnewpetstotheirfamily!Youcanpostlotsofphotos,linkstovideos,andmorethoroughwrite-ups.Followthepositivemarketingguidelinesandchangeyourpostssothatthey’renotthesamefromweektoweek.

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7. MainAACFBpage

Theshelter’sFacebookpagehasatonoffollowers,sosendagreatstory/write-upplusphotosand/orvideostothefostercoordinatorswhocanhelpgetyourpetfeaturedonthemainpage.

8. Outoftheboxsocialmedia:Instagram,Imgur,Snapchat,Pinterest,Twitter,Reddit,etc.

COMMUNITYMARKETING

9. Gooutintotheworld/FieldTrips

Withdogswholikeridingincarsandmeetingpeople,takingthemoutwhenyou’rerunningerrands,pickingupthekids,orgettingcoffeeisagreatwaytogivethemexposure.Makesurethey’rewearinganAdopt-Mevestorleash.Makesomebusinesscardswiththedog’snameandyourinfowrittenonthemandhandthemouttoanyonewhostopstosayhi.Iftheycanhandlebeingaroundcrowdsandotherdogs,headtoafarmer’smarketoramall.Orvisitdog-friendlystores(checkoutthislist).

10. Attendadoptionevents

Anytimetheshelterhasorganizedanadoptionevent,bringyourfosterdogandjointhefun!Someeventsareoffsite,andshelterdogsaretransportedandgetadoptedfromthere.Thoseeventshavelotsofpromotionanddrawinpeoplelookingtoadopt,soshowupandshowyourpetoffandmeetpotentialadopters.Ifyourdogisextremelyfearfulordogreactive,eventslikethesemightnotbeagreatplaceforexposure,sincetheywon’tbeontheirbestbehavior.

11. WordofMouth

Simplytellingyourfriends,neighbors,hairdresser,mailman,waiter,etc.aboutyouramazingfosterpetcancreatepotentialadopters.Makesurepeopleknowhowtogetaholdofyou(yourfriendshaveyourphonenumberorcancontactyouonFacebook,butstrangersmightwanttogetintouchlater,sothosebusinesscardswillcomeinhandy).Youcancreateateamofadoptionadvocatesthisway!

12. BeCreative!

Thereareprobablyplentyotherwaysofmarketingandgettingexposurethatwehaven’tlistedhere.Aslongasit’ssafeforyou,yourpet,andcouldleadthemtotheirforeverhome,tryoutotherideas!Andifyourideasaresuccessful,sharethemwithussowecanaddthemtothislist!

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AppendixC:BestPracticesforMediaSponsorships

BestPracticesforMediaSponsorships

1. Whenboostingapost,makesuretoboosttoanareaclosetoyourshelter.Considerrefiningtheaudiencetothosewholikethetypeofpetyou’reposting.Ifyou’repostingacat,youcouldtargetpeoplewholikecats.Ifyou’reboostingapitbulltypedogandIwanttodrilldeeperthanjustpeoplewholikedogs,ImighttargetpeoplewhowatchDogtownorPitbulls&Parolees,peoplewholikeBeyondBreed,AnimalFarmFoundationandbreed-specificrescues,etc.

2. Letthedonorknowwhentheirpostwillbepublishedandaskthemfortheirhelpinsharingit.Thiswillhelppostengagement,andthesponsorwillbehappytobekeptintheloop.

3. Alwaysincludeathank-youtothedonorattheendofthepost.Iftheywouldliketoremainanonymous,youcanincludejusttheirfirstnameoraskthemifthereisaspecialpersonorpetthey’dliketodedicatethemediasponsorshipto.

• Ifthepetissponsoredbyabusiness,makesuretotagthecompanyinthethank-you.• Brieflyexplainwhatamediasponsorshipisandwhyithelps• Considerincludingalinktothepet’sonlineprofile,wherepotentialadopterscangoformore

informationonthepet.• Herearesomeexamples:

ThankstoamediasponsorshipfromCameoKitchens,Inc.,wewereabletoboostthisposttoadvocateforChance’sadoption.Viewhisonlineprofileathttp://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Retriever-Labrador-31145886orvisithimattheFairfaxCountyAnimalSheltertoday!

ThankstoamediasponsorshipinmemoryofCallie,wewereabletoboostthisposttoadvocateforSubaru’sadoption!Viewhisonlineprofileathttp://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Retriever-Labrador-23347984orvisithimattheFairfaxCountyAnimalShelterwhenitopensatnoontoday!ThankstoasponsorshipfromAgnesR.,Peepers'adoptionisFREE!WewereabletoboostthisposttoadvocateforheradoptionthankstoamediasponsorshipinhonorofScout.Viewheronlineprofileathttp://www.petango.com/Adopt/Cat-Domestic-Shorthair-28275036orvisitherattheFairfaxCountyAnimalSheltertoday!

4. Tellyoursupportershowtheycanregisterforamediasponsorshipforanothershelterpeteveryonceinawhileattheendofasponsoredpost.

WanttohelpusadvocatefortheFairfaxCountyAnimalShelter’spets?Visithttp://www.ffcas.org/?page_id=655topurchaseamediasponsorshipthatwillenableustointroduceaneedypettothousandsofpotentialadopters!

5. Sponsorshiprequestsforspecificanimalsareagreatwaytogetmediasponsorsforyourlong-staypetsandhelpyourpagetogrow(whichhelpsallthepetspostedinthefuture!)EveryoneofthistypeofpostwedidwhileIwaswiththeFriendsresultedinamediasponsorshipfortheanimal.

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12-year-oldEllenisreadyforhertimeinthespotlight!She'shopingthatageneroussupporterwillbehermediasponsorthismonthsoshecanfindherforeverhome.Mediasponsorshipscostonly$25,andwillbeusedto"Boost"aFacebookpostaboutyoursponsoredpetinordertoincreaseadvocacyforhisorheradoption.Registerhereathttp://www.ffcas.org/?page_id=655!

• Examplesofothersponsorshiprequests(alwaysworkinaspecificanimalortwo!):

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Wannabeashelterpet'shero?RegisterforourShelterPetSponsorshipprogram!Therearethreewaysyoucansponsor:Partialorfullpaymentofananimal'sadoptionfee,thedonationofagiftcertificateforapet-relatedproductorservice(tobegiventotheadopterofasponsoredcat,dogorsmallanimal),ora"MediaSponsorship"donationof$25,tobeusedto"Boost"aFacebookpostaboutyoursponsoredpetinordertoincreaseadvocacyforhisorheradoption.Snowball-ahem,Batman-picturedhere,ishopingtofindasponsorthismonth.Registernowathttp://www.ffcas.org/?page_id=655!

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Luna,Scratchy,andbondedpairSamandCharliewantyoutoknowtherearestillafewhourslefttoregisterforthismonth'ssponsorships!OurShelterPetSponsorshipprogrammatcheslocalbusinessesandindividualswithshelterpetsinordertoincreaseadoptionsandsavelives.Ourapproachisbasedontheprinciplethatdecreasingadoptionfeesandincreasingadvocacywillhelpmoreshelterpets-especiallyseniorsandthosewithspecialneeds-findtheirforeverhomes.Registernowathttp://www.ffcas.org/?page_id=655!

6. Tellstoriesaboutpetsadoptedviasponsorshipstogetthewordout(thisalsomakestheadopterfeelgreat!)

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7. Ifthere’sagreatstoryinthepet’sbackground,tellit!Theemotionallyengagingtextinthismediasponsoredpostmadeengagementskyrocket.

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