Content&marke+ng:** the*crea'on*and* sharing*of*any*media* and*publishing*content* to*help*acquire*or* retain* customers. *

Transcription

1 Webtas'c:** Helping*Your*Pets** Get*Adopted*Online* Jessica*Earl* Claudia*Perrone* Content&marke+ng:** the*crea'on*and* sharing*of*any*media* and*publishing*content* to*help*acquire*or* retain* customers. * img: July 16 19,

2 Why is great content important? There are so many places where people like to consume content, and people have short attention spans. Nonprofit marketers are doing more with content marketing and feeling more confident about their effectiveness. They re trying more tactics, using more social media platforms, growing in their internal knowledge and skills, and focusing on becoming better storytellers. July 16 19,

3 Crea'ng*great*content* Visual*communica'on* Why is visual content important? Today, what we see is more important than any other form of communication. We process images 60,000 times faster than words. Think about it: That allows us to consume more content more quickly. And with our short attention spans and the wealth of information competing for our attention, that skill is handy. In addition, 80% of what we remember is what we see. July 16 19,

4 Good*content*saves*lives* Good content: Is relevant Is something people will want to share, something they will react to We have the best type of content to work with cats and dogs! Example: Paws Solo and Princess Flea-ia? Shelter Pets Get Help from Star Wars Characters Ottawa Humane Society gets help from a local all-volunteer Star Wars costuming organization, to take pictures with the pets in the gear Content*to*help*you*save*lives* Photos** Videos* Bios* Blog*posts* Website*stories* s* Stats*and*infographics* Events* Campaigns*and*contests* Kennel*cards* Adver'sing** July 16 19,

5 Photos*(don t*do*this)* Don t take photos in a depressing setting, with a dark or busy background. Remove the manmade barriers, such as kennel doors. Photos*(do*this)* Use a color background that s in contrast to the pet to capture the pet s good looks on camera. The setup can be simple and doesn t have to be expensive. Some shelters use a colored sheet for the background and a table for smaller dogs and for cats. July 16 19,

6 Photos*for*your*adoptables* Head shot Full body Head tilt Before snapping the photos, take time to help the dog be as calm and relaxed as possible. If you are in an animal shelter, go to a get acquainted or outdoor area. You don t want your images to show a dog or cat looking anxious or scared. You want adopters to fall in love. Help them envision having this pet at home with them. Photos:*eye*contact* If possible, shoot at the pet s eye level. Eye contact really draws people in. And don t be afraid to take a lot of photos. Shoot fast and furious! That way, you can be sure to get a shot that s in focus and with your dog or cat looking his or her best. July 16 19,

7 Remove*distrac'ons* Keep the adoption bio photos simple and clear, with few background distractions. Remove*distrac'ons* But keep the uncropped photos. There may be other uses for them. July 16 19,

8 Humane*Society*of*Utah:*photo*booth* Don t stop at just one great image. A series of great images would make for great material to use in a photo album on social, a video slideshow, or a photo booth format. Video* Adoption videos on websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Petfinder are proving to be not only popular, but also very effective in finding homes for pets and it s FREE to upload videos to these sites. July 16 19,

9 Show*and*tell* Videos help you show, not just tell. Think of a video as a mini job interview for the pet. Make them look snazzy! It doesn t need to be tutus and bows every time, but make sure the dog or cat is groomed, clean and just plain looking his best. Your dogs and cats will feel better, and that will come across in their demeanor, and ultimately in your video (and photos, too). Show*ac'vity* Film the animal in a place where he s comfortable or doing an activity he enjoys. Even skills like responding to sit and stay are great to show off on camera. It s about WHO they are (not WHAT they are). If the dog or cat does something special or funny, capture it on video. You want someone to notice this animal. July 16 19,

10 Showcase*best*quali'es* Highlight the pet s best qualities: great with kids, can do a trick, loves to cuddle. Show*connec'on* Try to get at least one shot of the adoptable animal sharing affection or connecting with a person. As with photos, film against an uncluttered background. That same colored sheet you use for photos can be used for video, too. Use the pet s name and ID number in the title of your video when posting to YouTube. In the description, use your organization s name and link to your website. July 16 19,

11 Make*a*statement* NKLA Pet Adoption Center Video for Diamond Narrate a brief statement about the animal from behind the camera, while you are filming. Mention the pet s name a few times. Try to keep this to about 30 seconds or a minute tops. Adopted!* Diamond is doing great! We are all amazed at how quickly she has settled into our family. She really is such a sweet girl and we have all fallen in love with her. If you see the man that did the video with her for the NKLA PAC website, please let him know that it is because of his comments and interaction with Diamond on camera that made us consider her. I would love to thank him for all the nice things he was saying about her. I have previously been nervous about pit bull terriers, but Diamond is teaching me how great they can be. She is such a snuggler and a mush! Thank you again! Diamond s adopters July 16 19,

12 CraTing*an*adop'on*bio* Keep your adoption bios upbeat and short, and focused on the present. Showcase the pet s personality and unique qualities. You are framing the pet for the audience, and your enthusiasm in the bio will be contagious. Tip: Play around with writing what you imagine the pet is thinking, feeling or remembering. Cinnamon makes everything better! Sweet Cinnamon is daring in the dog park, but a bit timid with new people and loud noises. So her foster mom says she longs for a quiet home with a backyard and a canine pal. Cinnamon's spotted tongue and cute underbite hint at her lineage, which is part shar pei and Westie. Take 30 pounds of pounce and play, throw in a happy gazelle leap, and you have Cinnamon. This champion toy chewer and expert cuddler really hopes that you are the one! July 16 19,

13 How*to*frame*the*nega'ves* Instead of saying she is dog aggressive, say she would prefer to be the only dog, she doesn t always play well with others, or she really needs her own space. Frame negative traits carefully. Stay away from restrictions and absolutes. Use words like often, usually, or likely. Use*personal*stories* If you don t have a special moment about the pet to share, ask someone who might, like a volunteer or a shelter worker who s spent time with the pet. July 16 19,

14 Adoptables:*3*point*rule* 1. Get*a*great*photo* 2. Create*a*great*video* 3. Write*a*great*bio* Create*a*photo*essay* Another great way to promote a special pet online: Create a compelling photo essay. July 16 19,

15 Write*a*blog* Another great idea: Create a blog. NKLA Coalition partner Found Animals Foundation created a blog about two blind cats named Stevie and Wonder, sharing their journey from start to finish. See the blog. Posi've*promo'on* Stay open-minded: Great content can come from anywhere! July 16 19,

16 Posi've*promo'on* Make*a*clear*callXtoXac'on* A great photo and clear messaging worked great to drive traffic to our website to view the adoptable pets. July 16 19,

17 Great*content* Great content is: 1. Useful (to your audience) 2. Urgent 3. Unique 4. Unexpected Great*content:*unique* July 16 19,

18 Great*content:*unexpected* Using*great*content* July 16 19,

19 Building up a supply of great content, and a plan to keep that supply going, is critical. But what to do with it next is equally important. You ve got to find out the best places to reach your audience and then customize your content to each of those channels. Remember, keep the content fresh. This will let the search engine spiders know that your page is not stagnant and outdated, but timely and relevant, which also helps your SEO rankings. Website July 16 19,

20 One place to put great content is your website. A nice clean design goes a long way. We often have so much we want to say that the website, especially the home page, gets cluttered. De-clutter it! As long as you have navigation that makes sense, don t try to cram everything onto the home page. They ll find it. For the home page, make sure it highlights your most important information. Website tools include Wordpress, Weebly, 1-and-1, and there are so many more. If you re really not tech-savvy, ask for help from volunteers. Website:*adop'on*sec'on* Make sure the adoption section is one click away from the home page, and easy to find. Be consistent with active advertising campaigns and use the same imagery. If there s room to highlight specific animals or adoption specials on the home page, do! July 16 19,

21 Once someone gets to the page of adoptables, make sure it s organized well, and info and stats show up. It s also a good idea to have filters if you have enough pets to warrant it. You can pull info about your adoptables from shelter software that you may already be using. There are ways to embed that info directly into your website so you don t have to doublepost. Some websites that will help you do this are Petfinder.com, PetPoint.com and RescueGroups.org. Organized*results* On this page, we see Roland s big smile, his stats, and a link to click for more info about him. July 16 19,

22 Unique*URLs* Make sure your visitors can click through to see info about an individual pet. Also, it s important that each animal has his/her own URL because it helps with sharing. Someone can link directly to this animal to network him, instead of sending a generic link and making their friends and family dig around. Make it easy to share online. Social*networking* Not everyone who comes across your website will be ready to adopt. Make sure there are sharing functions, so people can network the animals on social media and . There are free plug-in tools, such as addthis.com. July 16 19,

23 Applica'ons* Jumpstart the adoption process with an online form. Google Drive has a great Forms function that lets you create all kinds of fields to customize your own form. All the responses get funneled into a spreadsheet that you can check and share with your colleagues. You can set it so it s you every time someone fills it out. Google Forms is just one of many tools, but it s a good one and it s free. Also, you don t want to leave potential adopters confused as to HOW to adopt. Your website should have comprehensive info an adopter would need to know, including the process, costs, return policies, home check rules, what else is included (vaccinations, spay/neuter, etc.) and how to contact you. July 16 19,

24 Website* Drupal&(drupal.org)&is&free&and&has&a&large,&friendly&developer& community.& Fully*responsive*website:*looks*great*on*your*smartphone*and*tablet* Op'mized*for*search*engines:*rank*be]er*in*Google* Easy*to*add*new*content,*pages,*sec'ons* More*home*page* real*estate * Modules*that*automa'cally*pull*in** top*stories *and*related*content* Photo*and*video*galleries* * * Portals* Pet*portals*and*soTware:*free*or*lowXcost* services*to*track*your*adoptable*pets*and* also*help*people*find*your*pets*(push*them* out*to*the*masses*online).* * PetPoint* Petango* Pe`inder* RescueGroups.org* AdoptXAXPet* * * July 16 19,

25 * For mass s, use an image with impact and a clear call-to-action. Do one thing: highlight an individual pet, focus on an adoption campaign. You want the audience to be able to easily take action. Test it: usabilityhub.com July 16 19,

26 Social*media* July 16 19,

27 Social*media* So*many*channels!*Which*ones*are*right*for*you?** Know*where*your*audience*lives* Facebook*is*s'll*#1,*followed*by*Twi]er*and*Instagram* Video*is*on*fire*(na've*when*possible)* Take*on*only*what*you*can*manage*completely*and* responsively* Custom*content*and*sizing*for*each*channel*is*important* * Social*media* What*works?* Video*and*photos* Underdog*stories* Success*stories* Urgent*pleas*(when*used*on*a*limited*basis)* Cute*and*funny*(no*surprise*there)* Regular*features* * July 16 19,

28 Facebook* Facebook is free, it s optimized to be viewed on mobile and over 800 million people use it. If you are a volunteer for an animal shelter, consider starting a Friends of Facebook page to market the shelter pets. Always use a photo or a video and keep posts short. Photos consistently get the most action compared to posts with links, videos, album or status update. Facebook* Create a Facebook tab on your organization s page that is dedicated to your adoptables only. July 16 19,

29 Facebook* For the NKLA Pet Adoption Center, when a visitor clicks on the tab to view adoptable pets, the visitor sees preview photos and a few details about each pet. The iframe also provides easy share and uses content you may have already spent time putting into your shelter software. Pets of the Week is a consistent way to help you highlight adoptables each week without making people feel bad all the time with constant pleas for help. It s also a great way to bring the most overlooked or long-term residents into the spotlight. July 16 19,

30 Facebook* Use the small light-grey arrow located at the top right corner of your post to pin your post to the top of your Facebook page, and keep it up there all week with a brief, actionable description. Element*of*surprise* Surprise, amusement and awe are powerful sharing motivators. Why do people share social content? Not just to raise their social standing, but also to help others. Look at the photo you are about to post and ask yourself if you would react to it. July 16 19,

31 Social*media*adver'sing* Don t*be*afraid*to*try*it!*learn*as*you*go.** * Campaigns:*use*pop*culture* Good content for social media can relate to what s happening right now. We posted this photo on Facebook and Instagram, and within an hour we had people phoning in asking our adoption specialists about Scamp. July 16 19,

32 Campaigns:*celebrate*uniquely* Inspiring*ac'on*and*advocacy* July 16 19,

33 Make*sharing*easy* Include*social*sharing*icons*on*your*website* and*in* s* * Make*sharing*easy* Volunteers*and*adopters*can*be*your*best*cheerleaders!* Empower*them*to*help.*Give*them*the*proper*tags*and* men'ons,*and*make*sure*they*know*the*impact*they re* having*on*the*mission.* Provide*volunteers*and*adopters*with** suggested*social*sharing*language** Consider*puhng*photo*sta'ons*at** your*events*and*adop'on*center* July 16 19,

34 Encourage your adopters to post photos of the pet they adopted and share from where they adopted, and to properly tag your organization. Example: #NKLAalumni We tell adopters that not only are they changing the life of a pet who needs their love, they are also saving the life of a pet waiting at a city animal shelter. Pretzel the doxie s adopter posted and created her own Instagram sensation. She put NKLA Pet Adoption Center in her Instagram page description so that everyone who visits sees where she adopted her dog. * Encourage*volunteers*to* help*gather*content* Use*a*common*hashtag* Reward*those*who*share** Make*sharing*easy* Build*advocacy*messaging* into*volunteer*training* * July 16 19,

35 Finding*and*tracking*great*content* Finding*great*content* Search*engine*op'miza'on*(SEO):*how*visible*your* website*is*to*people s*internet*searches.*seo*helps* people*find*you.* Keywords:*you*enter*these*into*the*search*engine*to* find*what*you*are*looking*for* * * * **Google*pulls*up*a*list*of*results. Pet adoption = About 51,800,000 results (0.41 seconds) July 16 19,

36 Knowing what keywords people use the most will help you make sure your website is more visible when they do use them. Google AdWords helps you search for keywords. SEO: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners: blog.kissmetrics.com/seo-guide Keywords* Adopt a pet Dog adoption Los Angeles Cat adoption Pet adoption Adoptables adwords.google.com/keywordplanner July 16 19,

37 With Google AdWords, you can enter a possible keyword and it tells you how often that word or phrase is searched for, and it will spit out others you might want to consider. For example, let s say you were thinking about naming your adoptables page on your website Adoptables. When you type it into the Google AdWords tool, however, you discover that Adoptables isn t a popular search term. AdWords will give you suggestions for other related terms that may work better, such as Adopt a pet and pet adoption. Adopt a pet is used as a search term more often than pet adoption, so you ll want to name that page adopt a pet. Keywords* Using the right keywords helps you attract the right audience. July 16 19,

38 Op'mize*your*code* * Meta*tags:*tell*visitors*what*your*site*is*about,* so*it*can*have*a*big*impact*on*whether*they* click*through*(or*not).** * Google*Grants* Google&Grants&for&Nonprofits& * google.com/grants* * What&is&Google&Ad&Grants?& Google*Ad*Grants*is*the*nonprofit*edi'on*of* AdWords,*Google's*online*adver'sing*tool.*Google* Ad*Grants*empowers*nonprofit*organiza'ons,* through*$10,000*per*month*in*inxkind*adwords* adver'sing,*to*promote*their*missions*and*ini'a'ves* on*google*search*result*pages.* July 16 19,

39 Facebook*Insights* Google*Analy'cs** It s free! Learn where your traffic is coming from to see where you should allocate resources. July 16 19,

40 Google*URL*builder** support.google.com/ analy'cs/answer/ * * * Bit.ly** July 16 19,

41 Twi]er*results* Twitter also has a robust analytics tool. You can check to see how your tweets are doing, how many people they re reaching, who s replying or re-tweeting, and which posts are the most popular. Jessica Earl: jessicae@bestfriends.org Claudia Perrone: claudiap@bestfriends.org July 16 19,