Blog
The Power of Our Words
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” Ludwig Wittgenstein I spend my days thinking a lot about words and the very specific language we use in the world of animal welfare. While imagery is critical to capturing attention, I’ve come to believe we really can’t separate marketing from the words and…
Read MoreTips for Rocking Social Media on a Tight Schedule
Hands up if your to-do list currently resembles the opening crawl from Return of the Jedi. Somewhere along our evolutionary journey from smoke signals to TikTok, life got busy. Like, really busy. And let’s be real: sometimes social media can feel like both the cause of and solution to a hectic schedule. Thankfully, knowing where…
Read MoreSupporting Ukraine Through Pet-Friendly Art
We know we’re not the only ones who have felt our hearts and minds divided between trying to carry on with day-to-day activities and keeping up with what is happening in Ukraine these past few months. Beyond donations and support to charities supporting both the animals and humans in the region, we’ve found solace in…
Read More5 Shelter Marketing Resolutions for the New Year
A new year means new adventures in marketing and communications! And it’s the perfect time to try something new or double down on the things you promised yourself you’d try. Below are 5 ideas and the resources you can use to widen your circle of support and continue to make the world a better place…
Read MoreA Friend in the Field: The Shelter Photography Field Guide
Batman is great, but let’s get one thing straight: you can bet Gotham would have stayed a big, scary mess a little longer if Robin hadn’t been tagging along for the ride. And is peanut butter truly as fantastic alone as it is with chocolate? Or jelly? Every Mac needs their (vegan) Cheese, and every…
Read MoreThe Moment that Birdie was Seen
Before they became yours, how long was your pet waiting to find home? Maybe it was just days, or a few weeks, or maybe it was months that they spent hoping to be noticed. In some rarer instances, animals end up waiting for a year or more for someone to give them a chance. Birdie,…
Read More5 Go-To Social Media Strategies for Shelters
Social media is a central component of most shelter pet marketing strategies — and as you’ve surely already noticed, it moves faster than a dog that just heard a cheese wrapper in the next room. Reels, live-streaming, and good old TikTok are picking up momentum, video charges ahead as the most-consumed type of content, and…
Read MoreDo you remember the first time you saw your pet?
In 2006. I was considering adopting a new dog and I joined the forum for a rescue near me (in the days before social media). I was drawn to this group because the person who ran the rescue was a photographer, and he took beautiful photographs that tapped into the souls of the dogs in his care. The…
Read MoreBack to Basics: Shelter Photography 101
A quality photograph has the power to form a connection that can change a life. It’s a little theory we’ve lived and grown by here at HeARTs Speak since our inception, and it’s helped us unite a global community of creative professionals who believe the same! It’s also the foundation for our Perfect Exposure Project…
Read MoreBarrier-Free Bio Writing
Successful adoptable pet marketing happens when we are able to create meaningful connections between our communities and adoptable animals. The bios we write for adoptable pets should make people feel encouraged to adopt, using positive and easily understood messages with minimal barriers. To a potential adopter, a barrier is something that makes adopting a…
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