Going Public: BrokenHeart Pets Launch New Site

Going Public: How to Launch a Fan Following 

on Social Media

Part 3 of a Series from Daryl Slaton + Louse Glickman

As word of this blog series gets around town and licensing circles, everyone asks “WHY” do you need Social Media?  Isn’t it a lot of BLAH BLAH? If you are above a certain age, much of it sounds like streams of consciousness or simply a time suck.

Here's our new masthead at
https://www.facebook.com/brokenheartpets

The truth is, I did plenty of investigation before I grew into a content provider. J’Net Smith, at the time our art licensing coach but now our children’s book publishing agent for the BrokenHeart Pets series, reminded us that building a fan following would catch the eyes of publishers as they determined if they would contract for one-book or (our dream) a multi-book series. Find J’Net at http://allartlicensing.com/

Justin Belleme consults with Scooter on
social media marketing.

After a few feeble attempts at setting up FaceBook and Linked In, I contacted Justin Belleme at JB Media that suggests in their branding, “We understand the Internet so you don’t have to.”  He developed a comprehensive Social Media plan for Tails of Whimsy, our art licensing company that handles many properties (or stories with characters), a roadmap to get us started. It laid out the whys and wherefores as well as defined audiences and platforms that should be considered. Justin suggested that our social media climb would be difficult because 1) We are B2B and don’t sell retail 2) We have many characters to sell, each with a different “story.” As each story relates to a different target audience, our efforts would be scattered. For JB Media go to http://www.jbmediagroupllc.com/

Great book on Social Media

Never taking such challenges lightly, I read and reread books and blogs on social media. I gathered lists of contacts from trade shows and exhibitions. We went to the Atlanta Gift Show in January 2013 and carefully targeted about thirty companies that we felt would respond well to Tails of Whimsy characters on their products. I checked online to see what social media they used. Ditto: Used the same process for a media list I had developed from trade shows. And, I started setting up accounts for Tails of Whimsy online. 

Tina Wolfe got Scooter + Boots
off to a great start online.

Next, we contracted with Tina Wolfe of Wolfe Media who manages marketing services for clients on a project-by-project basis. For the final five months of 2013, we worked together to get the word out about Tails of Whimsy on FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter and Linked In. Tina employed diverse strategies but, as Justin had suggested, we slogged along with determination to get 400 + followers who “LIKED” our page. We all agreed that it was now time to take one property and pursue a fan base with creativity and vigor.

  
This week, the BrokenHearts Pets launch their own FAN PAGE at https://www.facebook.com/brokenheartpets Here you can follow the humorous and touching escapades of homeless dog Scooter and cat Boots as they try to bring joy to their hardscrabble lives. Both book and animated series focus on their goals to find food, shelter and someone to love them. Their humor is gentle, along the lines of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Their world in "real" life is a park with their animal pals. But they dream of a BrokenHeart Pets Hotel where they humorously interact with staff and guests. Think “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” for animals. Dreams throughout all stories focus on what Scooter and Boots could be or do to get adopted by a warm and loving forever family.

So, what’s in store? LIKE US, Comment and Share with friends as we build a fan club for the BrokenHeart Pets. We’ll lead you to our videos on YouTube, designed to show what local chefs might make with leftovers from Scooter’s “Doggie Bag.” You’ll be able to access our web site for recipes, too! Scooter, now made into a puppet, will be seen around town doing “interviews” for posts on our social media platforms. The BrokenHeart Pets will partner with the Asheville Humane Society on several programs and events to foster animal care and adoption. And more!

Get ready for the FUN of following Scooter and Boots. Join our fan club early as we target a climb to 2500 followers by mid-June, just in time for Licensing Expo. The BrokenHeart Pets will be there too, to extend our brand and fan club to an international audience.

Follow the BrokenHeart Pets at https://www.facebook.com/brokenheartpets