Focus On: Marketing

(by WWLDO co-founder Cara Achterberg)

Marketing dogs is like marketing anything else: It’s storytelling. Sharing pictures, even videos of your dogs, is helpful for people who are actively seeking you out and looking for a dog to adopt, but if you want to reel in more adopters, followers, supporters and donors, you have to tell a story.

As a writer, I’ve had it drilled into me that a good story starts with a good hook, just like fishing. You need put something out there that will hook your potential ‘customer.’ Maybe it’s an endearing picture or something funny, but what it needs to do most of all is start a story or raise a question in the viewer’s mind.

When marketing your dogs, include details of their story. How did they end up where they are? How do they like to spend their days? What adventures have they gone on with volunteers or staff? Who would be their dream adopter? If you are in a shelter that can only hold dogs for a certain period of time, share that countdown. Help people become invested in this dog and wonder/worry about his or her outcome.

You also have to have a ‘likeable’ character. So give details about your dogs that will tug at heartstrings, make them chuckle and maybe even make them feel sorry for your pup. You want them to immediately like and root for your character/dog. Do they have funny talents or habits? Crazy ears or six toes? How do they interact with others? What’s their personality like? If they were a cartoon character, who would they be?

A college professor once told me that ‘copying is the sincerest form of flattery.’ So learn from other rescues and shelters. How are they marketing their dogs? What fun ideas or clever gimmicks do they use? Flatter them by copying!

One last thought: Post prolifically on as many platforms as you have time for. It’s believed that only 2% of your followers see any given post. So, even though social media is most likely the bane of your existence, you must post. A lot. Ideally, put together a team and create content that can be used in multiple places. Be sure that the basic facts – think age, gender and size — as well how to adopt info are included with every post. Don’t make potential adopters go hunting for it.

If you are social media averse or your municipal leadership does not give free rein on those opportunities, take to the streets. Getting your dogs out in front of the public is probably the best way to market them. Here are a few ideas:

• Take a pack walk. Animal Harbor has a fabulous program for doing this.
• Participate in ANY public event that will allow you to have a booth.
• March in parades.
• Offer to bring dogs to kids’ events (i.e. truck zoos, pumpkin patch, scout events and library activities).
• businesses to consider allowing a shelter dog to ‘come to work’ with them.
• Have adoption events often in many different spaces. Try coffee shops, breweries, pet stores, parks, shopping centers, wineries and book stores. Any dog-friendly venue works.

Marketing is an ever-evolving challenge. Evolve with it and continue to look for new ways to market your dogs. If marketing is a challenge for staff, this is a great way to involve volunteers and supporters so ask for their assistance. The more minds, the more ideas, the better.