Shelter Marketing
Getting your cats seen and out of the shelter
Marketing
Marketing is the second most important step for getting these cats out of the shelter. Even the sweetest, most social cats can still present poorly inside their kennel or show kennel aggression. That is why marketing them appropriately is vital to the adoption process. You can talk them up all you want, but seeing is believing. From marketing inside the shelter to around the community and online, here are some helpful tips.
Videos and QR Codes
As you've seen throughout this website, videos are so powerful! Pictures of these cats hiding in their litterboxes is not the way to people's hearts. The best way to showcase them is through videos of them having positive interactions with people. This gives adopters a glimpse of what they can expect once their new cat is out of the shelter and in their new home, because we know that the way these cats act at the shelter is not how they will act at home. Transformation videos also tug on people's heartstrings. You can even create QR codes for potential adopters to scan directly from the cage cards that link them to these videos and additional photos of the cat outside of their kennel. It's the simplest, yet most effective way to market your fearful felines!
Cage Cards
Cage cards are THE most important piece of marketing inside the shelter and online. People want to know as much info about their future pet as they can, from their favorite snack to their favorite football team, so include a bio, even if it's just one sentence. Unsure of the age? Make an educated guess. Your shelter doesn't provide breed information? List them as half cute, half adorable. AI is a great tool for this, especially if you have limited info. Get creative!
A picture's worth a thousand words, so if the pet's intake photo is less than ideal- RETAKE IT. Cage cards with no photos or missing information are a turn-off to adopters. Below is a good example of an acceptable cage card. Find more ideas on my Resources page under Websites.
This cage card has it all; A cute photo, description of the cat, a fun bio, and QR code for additional photos and videos. This makes it so easy for potential adopters to see if this pet is right for them.
UNACCEPTABLE!
This cage card is unacceptable for many reasons. You should NEVER scruff a cat like this, let alone use this photo as their online profile picture. This profile had a basic description of the cat and nothing else. We can do better.
Photo Shoots
Everyone loves a good photoshoot, including cats! Photographing cats outside their kennel is a fun way to show off their personality. Photoshoots work best with a theme such as upcoming holidays or events. Photos that show pets interacting with people are also great as they give a sneak peek into how this pet would act with its owner. For timid cats, use boxes, baskets, or beds; something the cats can crawl in and feel secure. Decorate a box that is big enough for a large cat to get in and move around, and be sure to line it with soft blankets or towels. I was able to photograph over a dozen cats in just an hour using my iPhone and cute decorations from home. Find more ideas under my online resource page or here at Heart's Speak. When having a photo shoot with cats, always use a quiet and secure room.
Traditional Marketing
With traditional marketing, the sky is the limit! Coasters, coozies, tote bags, Christmas ornaments, any kind of tangible "merchandise." These types of marketing campaigns go where social media cannot, the real world! And they reach real people, including many who would otherwise never hear about you or your pets. Many websites like Sticker Mule or Zazzle let you customize items for relatively cheap. Below are a just a couple examples.
