Animal Shelter Marketing: Donation Requests & Holiday Campaigns

I frequently receive inquiries from folks in animal welfare, rescue organizations and shelters, asking for suggestions on holiday giving campaigns, seasonal fundraisers, or donation requests. With so much time spent each day simply caring for the animals, finding time to craft well-worded posts, create content, and maintain social channels, presents a real challenge for many of us. Today we're going to discuss ways to word financial asks, along with suggestions for year-end contributions and holiday giving.

Why Getting On the Map Is one of the Smartest Things You Can Do

From time to time I stumble across a category of marketing, which it may appear small or insignificant to some, leaps out to me as a topic just creaming to be noticed. One of those areas would have to be the concept of "online location management" - establishing your presence in cyberspace and getting listed across social channels, directory sites and community pages. There was once a time when this wasn't urgently in need of attention, but as our world and society was introduced to the internet, embraced and made it a part of daily life, savvy business owners began to realize they needed to look (and think!) outside of the traditional box. And as our reader, we assume you would fit that forward-thinking description to a "T".

Let's time-travel backwards, say fifteen years ago, to the good old days when the Yellow Pages arrived as a massive directory of everything essential, needed and nearby. Sure, we had white pages too, and even smaller, more local phone books, but now, instead of just placing your classified listing, or perhaps even a print advertisement, you now have choices and options which range from Bing to Yelp. While each website or network may offer a slightly different version of your information, the premise is the same; selling advertising space to customer-seeking local companies, nonprofits and business destinations. In this myriad of choices, some cost-driven, others free but with limitations, where does your listing stack up? Are you easily found when a short description or neighborhood term is entered online? If you are not returning a slew of options and links to an online query let me assure you that someone else (your competitors), are.

Enter the elephant(s) in the room, a particular way of thinking in regards to social media branding, advertising and promotion. It's one we've come to identify as The Argument Against Online Marketing, and can be defined by phrases such as "We already have a great retail location", "Everyone knows about us", and the popular "But we don't think our customers really use social media much". To that we say, for starters, to take a look at all the popular brands and chains and entities which are utilizing online connections and social media. Does it seem logical that they would waste their time and resources developing a brand which includes each and every layer of interactions? Those icons you see appearing at the end of a TV commercial, on a rotating electronic billboard, or scurrying across the screen of your mobile device; they are there for a reason. And if the big guys are building their global strategy, why wouldn't you?

Let's consider, for a bit, that you have indeed opted out of social engagement and online site listings. Maybe you don't really think I'm barking up the right tree, and perhaps this all seems very tiresome and tedious, not to mention costly by the time you hire someone to deal with it all. For purposes of debate, let's say that your business, a fabulous niche market of a restaurant is always busy. Reservations are stacked up and word of mouth among the food critics as well as the public alike is all spectacular, all the time. What's to gain from adding more work to your plate, so to speak? Who is going to manage your online reputation and aren't you opening a can of well, something which looks like a heck of a lot more like aggravation? Consider if you will, the following scenarios:

• You have a connection to your customers, but it is one which they can easily share with others? Do the adult children of your best customers know of this amazing culinary experience, one to which a gift card would be the ideal Christmas gift? Does the rest of the family know you offer a party room suitable for hosting an upcoming anniversary so they can book a large group?

• Hard work and dedication have paid off and your dining experience is amazing. Competition is scarce, and even when another restaurant has opened up in the same zip code it doesn't last. Why then, does the online presence really matter? Answer: it matters just around the time when someone who knows their business as well as you, and who has the funding to create another masterpiece across the street, hangs out their sign. If you have squashed the competition for years, consider yourself lucky, however maintaining that top spot is difficult for anyone to do forever. What IF competition comes in and they dominate the social media scene, engaging daily with the millennials who are their new guests, along with wowing and delighting their existing customers, your old customers. Where then, will you rank on that playing field?

• Change is inevitable, along with construction and growth among towns, cities and communities. Your main street, once a vibrant selection of stores and entertainment, has aged and faded, and the beloved cornerstones of retail shops are closing their doors. You are here still, on the same corner, but now as one of the last remaining businesses. The vibe has changed; no longer do people come to stroll on the plaza as they once did, and when your restaurant is the only place casting light across a dim street, your diners begin to fade away too. Solutions? Rebrand, expand, or relocate? Perhaps one or more of these suggestions are perfect, except for the part where you can't communicate with all of your customers - because you don't have time for a mass mailing and even if you did, there's been little incentive to establish an email list or newsletter connection. You begin to advise regular customers of your plans, run a few print ads and post signage indicating your pending move to a fabulously chic new spot just blocks away - but your customers have THIS location ingrained in their minds.

When they pass by and see the storefront changing over to an office space, will they assume the worst and drive on? Did you provide your business with the opportunity for a multi-faceted campaign to tell the world of your move? Can you reach out to and connect with not only your long-time fans, but a new audience as well? I'll be blunt here; if you have been around and in business for decades, you may have built an empire - but even an empire ages and begins to fade away. You can't just be relying on the over-50 crowd which started enjoying your meals decades ago. To stay at the top of your game, and to remain relevant to both your current audience as well as potential new customers - we encourage you to think about the big picture as individual, separate and distinct segments, which together create one spectacular combined result.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this post of value and to see more of my tips and marketing suggestions check out my other sites. Have a great day!

Introducing the new Spokesperson for Marketing Delmarva: Meet Mr. Local!

We are excited to announce that following an extensive search process, we have selected a new member of our team. While considering a number of possibilities, we worked to define the specific types of information we wished to pass on to our followers, and then determine who would be best suited to conveying that message. Seeking the right person who would share our enthusiasm for helping others to create and grow their online presence wasn't an easy task!

Seasonal Marketing | Tips and Tools for Celebrating Autumn

Seasonal changes are a wonderful time to implement some new ideas and tools into your marketing plan. While many people are busy with back to school activities, re-adjusting family schedules and new challenges for sports and other events, the biggest shopping season of all lies just around the corner. Offering tips and suggestions to your customers and followers, whether you are in retail, restaurant business or advertising, provides opportunities to think outside the normal content and perhaps branch out into a new approach or promotional ideas.

Event Promotion And Planning | 10 Important Considerations To Know Before You Begin

Getting the word out about your upcoming fundraisers, activities or community events is one of the areas in which social networks can really shine. With so many sites where you can post information, sell tickets, offer workshops and invite followers, these platforms provide you excellent opportunities to connect with new audiences. Don't skip out on the chances to build your brand - always provide the backstory of your company along with links to your website and other channels.

Why Your Animal Rescue or Shelter Needs an Online Social Presence

If you are working in the field of animal rescue or management of an animal shelter then you already know how tough the job can be. And here I am, about to launch into reasons you need to spend even more time on your promotion and online activities - as if you have nothing better to do, right? Here's the thing; an established, creative process of building and maintaining a social presence is almost ALWAYS worth it. Once you get the steps down it's going to be easier than you think - and it's becoming increasingly necessary in today's world to have that presence.

Hashtags #101 | A Quick Overview Of Keywords and Custom Tags

For the last decade or so we've been seeing plenty of words accompanied by that number symbol on Twitter, Instagram and even on Facebook. How can these become useful or relevant to you? There are a number of beneficial ways in which anyone can utilize the power of these "labels" for event promotion, special occasions, business branding and more. Let's take a quick look at some of the highlights of the humble hashtag!

People Don't Support What They Can't See | Why Your Nonprofit Needs Marketing

Your nonprofit organization likely exists because of funding, donations and contributions from others. How are you actively working to present your goals, purpose and accomplishments to the members of your community? They need to see reasons to support a cause and maintaining an active public presence can be the best advertisement about what you do.