I’ll take a break from reminding you of the responsibility that comes with being assigned to social media (just kidding, my real goal is for this to be your new motto so of course I’m going to say it again – I’m sure you’re not shocked). But in this discussion, you might be surprised to learn the real goal as a pet welfare content writer might be different than you think, so let’s get into it!
“I have no idea what I’m doing but I know I’m doing it really well.” – Dawson from Marshall County Animal Shelter perfectly describing the effort that goes into making him pretty for his followers.
“Even when it’s not about me, it really should still be about me.” – Zeke from Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center explaining why every potential adopter should have the opportunity to read his profile.
Over and over you hear “make sure to include a strong call to action (CTA).” While this is true – there’s a big difference between a tactical CTA and a strategic CTA. If you are asking for something very specific (kuranda beds, money for emergency medical intervention, etc) by all means use a strong and specific CTA link that directs people to that action only. BUT know this – every, single, pet promotion has the same goal which is largely missed in most posts and is the #1 reason you are sabotaging adoption opportunities.
An essential aspect of crafting an effective social media post is including a CTA that encourages audiences to learn more about your featured but… ALSO visit your website and explore other pets available for adoption and foster. By doing this, you can maximize the impact of each post by increasing the chances of AT LEAST ONE PET finding a home with the already interested pet lover.
Ensure that your CTA is direct and easy to understand. Use strong, action-oriented verbs that indicate the desired outcome, such as "visit," "discover," or "explore."
For example:
Encourage users to take immediate action by creating a sense of urgency that does not trigger guilt or shame. You can do this by using phrases such as "now," "today," or "don't miss out" - but again, ONLY when it's used playfully, never when it's used to emphasize high risk or potential euthanasia.
For example:
Make it clear to your pet loving audience there's value in visiting your website and browsing all adoptable pets. Emphasize the variety of pets they can find or the wealth of information available on your site.
For example:
Ensure that your pet loving audience can easily access your website by including a direct link or providing clear instructions on where to find the link.
For example:
Another favorite is to use linktree or create a "quick links" page on your website attached with a bitly link (so you can track clicks - but thats a whole other series). Here's a great example of how this organization used Canva to create a Quick Links list!
🌟➡️ bit.ly/LLLMN
We caught up with Little Diamond at Let Love Live Rescue Sanctuary who offered this tid bit… “If give me a box of goodies, I need to explore every last thing before making a decision to dive into the meatball treats first.” Clearly she’s talking about exploring through her monthly Spotlight Pet Box and we’re talking about the importance of capitalizing on driving traffic to your website so potential adopters can see all their pet options but you know, she’s not wrong in her approach.
Annnnd again, if you want to explore our featured freebies for pups and kitties… Use code RESCUE at checkout at any of our brand collaborator shops! *Nope, this isn’t an affiliate program, our brand collaborators are rescue-supporting and showcase long stay pets to promote their products through our Spotlight Pet Program.
That’s a wrap! Increasing outcomes using social media request a lot more than posting a cookie cutter template. Use self awareness, be purposeful, set goals and make every action mutually beneficial for your pets and your pet loving audience.
It's essential to strike the right balance between emotion and logic in your social media captions. We'll expand on the "8 ways you're unintentionally saying don't adopt this pet" and how to use the emotional-logical framework instead.
To create compelling and engaging social media posts for adoptable pets that capture attention, provide value, and drive action you need to tailor content to satisfy clearly defined objectives.
Crafting an effective social media post that keeps your organization's mission front and center requires a call to action that encourages audiences to learn more about a featured pet but also, visit your website to explore all other pets available for adoption!
We are committed to bettering pet welfare and believe it is critical to provide higher standards of marketing support.
Our team is dedicated to helping pet welfare organizations implement effective, creative marketing strategies that will ensure better outcomes for the pets in their care.
We're willing (and eager) to do our part by providing ready to use tools and hands-on support to help pet welfare teams reach their goals in a realistic and feasible way!
Pets' lives depend on effective campaigns that connect with and inspire the pet loving community to take action. We are determined to provide pet welfare organizations with the best possible resources and we utilize strategic alliances with pet care brands to make marketing efforts as successful as possible.
Building relationships between pet welfare and pet care, we facilitate a high impact, mutually beneficial alliance focused on bettering the health and wellbeing of pets in need and in homes.
All of our programs come with content kits... but unlike any other marketing tool, we also provide the human resources to implement these programs for your already over-extended team.
We are passionate about helping all shelter pets move into homes - but most especially those who have been in shelters the longest or have special needs. We have a special place in our hearts for big, boxy-headed dogs, seniors, and pets with medical issues.
Knowing these pets often have a harder time getting adopted because they are overlooked by their less in need friends, we focus on creating innovative marketing programs that "Spotlight" these pets making sure they get extra social media love, special treatment and the best opportunity to reach their future foster and/or adoptive families.
Pet welfare organizations are nothing without the very supportive teams constantly giving more of themselves to the pets in need than they (technically) have to. We love creating opportunities for organizations to provide them with free goodies and special offers as a token of appreciation for all they do.
Sploot is a pet welfare marketing agency that provides critical services by creating innovative, effortless, collaborative strategies.
