Marketing can be a scary word if you’re not an experienced fundraiser or marketing professional. Add in that most rescue groups have little to no paid staff and rely on lots of volunteers to keep their organization running, and the idea of marketing is daunting.
When we designed Profits for Pets we kept this in mind every step of the way and have done our very best to provide you with all the materials you’ll need to get the word out about your Profits for Pets shop.
Once you’ve applied to open your Profits for Pets shop and have been approved, you can find the marketing materials in the Support Tools section of the website.
Here are a few tips to help you get the most out what we’ve provided:
Be consistent in your branding. One of the most important aspects of marketing pretty much anything is to be consistent with the look and feel of everything associated with your brand. If you’re not a marketer this may make you go a little cross-eyed, but bear with us. It’s actually pretty simple.
In this case, the “brand” is your rescue group. You probably already have a website and logo, which should use the same color palette and font. If you don’t already have something like this, it’s worth the investment. Check out the resources in the Support Tools section for pointers on how to get a logo made.
Once you have a logo, website and color palette selected, you have the basics of your brand image. Using these design components in all of your communications helps make your organization recognizable to your fans, builds trust and gives the impression of legitimacy. All important things for successful fundraising.
Invest in printed materials for your organization. In the Support Tools section, you’ll find a few different options for printed materials. Take advantage of this resource and have materials printed to handout to potential shoppers. These are a great way to spread the word at adoption events and get people involved with your organization who love your work, but don’t have the time to be directly involved.
And don’t be shy about passing out information about your organization. Equip your foster parents with materials and educate them on the shop. Pass out flyers to new adoptive parents. Partner with local businesses pass out flyers. There are endless possibilities for what you can do with the materials.
Have an elevator pitch. Think through how you want to talk about your Profits for Pets shop. We’ve provided some tips and sample language to help you get started. But every organization and shop is a little different, so putting some planning is a good idea.
Write a short script (3-4 sentences) for anyone you’re working with to use. This is especially useful if you work with a lot of volunteers in your organization. Being able to quickly explain your shop to your volunteers and in turn have them explain it to everyone else will be extremely helpful in getting the word out.