Option #3 for expanding web marketing mix-blog

The third and final option I would like to present for Live and Let Live Farm is to start a blog. This is a recommendation I feel that I can stand behind because for one, it is free, and for another, it is highly interactive.

Blogs can be a great way to share stories and to collaborate with other organizations. As you can see by the first post on this blog regarding the care of rabbits, it can also be a place to put useful information. A blog could be created regarding the care of horses, and when inquiries are sent in or information about adoptable horses is posted, a link to the blog could be added easily.

Another benefit of blogs is the capacity to include interaction from readers. With Blogger, you can easily input polls and ask your readers to participate. You can also ask them to add their adoption stories and tips in the comment section. If you have a volunteer who wants to share a story, you could ask him or her to do a "guest post" on your blog. This is a great way to get your message out and share your stories!

A blog is free with Blogger, however, you do need to consider the time required. A bi-weekly posting should be sufficient, and taking one to two hours to create the post is not unheard of. Tracking is easy with Blogger, and you can get vital information on who is reading your blog and use that to help tailor your posts.

Overall, I have presented you with three easy and inexpensive options to improve your (already great!) web marketing mix that will promote interaction with your users. I hope that you consider using one of these options, and feel free to reach out to me with questions or for help!

Thank you for reading!

Option #2 for expanding web marketing mix- E-mail newsletters

A great option for Live and Let Live to keep in touch with their regular user base is to offer an e-mail newsletter. This can be a very interactive tool and can help spread more detailed news about the farm without constant posting on social media.

Newsletters can be created from scratch and sent out to a customer base, or created using a service such as Constant Contact. Constant Contact is a pay service, but the fees are reasonable. Here is a screen shot of an example of a Constant Contact e-mail:

This e-mail took about a half hour to create using content from the website and Facebook page, and encourages volunteers to come to farm, and encourages adoptions. It is a simple idea that could be sent out less frequently than a newsletter. A newsletter could ideally be a bi-weekly or monthly send out. 

Options for a newsletter could include: new animals at the farm, new funds needed (i.e. need a new truck), new items received and thank you's for donations, a monthly featured adoption story submitted by a user, and a calendar of events.

Option #1 for expanding web marketing mix- Twitter and Instagram

Live and Let Live Farm already has a great base in social marketing with Facebook. However, with all the platforms that are available in social media today, expansion to Twitter and Instagram is a free and easy way to get customers involved.


Since our goal is generally to increase adoptions, donations, and volunteers, getting people involved and creating dynamic conversation and content is essential. Utilizing the pre-existing Facebook user base of about 2,500 users, you can encourage users to start sharing their experiences through Twitter and Instagram.

One option is to ask users to share their adoption story and use hash tag #LiveLetLiveFarm, or to alternately use the same hash tag to let their friends know that they are volunteering. Here is a possible sample post that could be used on Facebook:

Hello friends! We would love to hear about your experience adopting pets from us, or your volunteer experiences! Share them with us on Twitter using #LiveLetLiveFarm!

Another option for social media is to encourage the use of Instagram. The farm could consider using it to photograph the animals, events, and volunteers. Live and Let Live Farm already takes wonderful photos of their animals, this is just another great option to spread the word. Then, encouraging users to tag their own photos of the farm with #LiveLetLiveFarm will encourage activity and conversation. Here is an example post that could be used on Facebook:

Hey everyone! Did you know that we're on Instagram? Check us out at (include link) and share your photos with us using #LiveLetLiveFarm! We'd love to see your pictures of the farm!

I think that just a little bit of time dedicated to monitoring these two sites will create lots of interest in the farm. I would say dedicating an hour two days a week to Twitter and Instagram would be sufficient to monitor and provide responses with an appropriate amount of time. The best part of these services is that they are free!

Caring for rabbits; are you ready to commit?

Have you been considering adding a rabbit to your family? Rabbits are curious, amusing, and intelligent animals that will certainly surprise you over time. They make great additions to a family, but there are many things to consider first. 

Some things about rabbits you may not know:

• Rabbits can be litter box trained
• Most rabbits will be happiest and healthiest indoors
• Rabbits requires daily exercise 
• A rabbit's diet should contain fresh hay and vegetables
• The life span of a house rabbit can be up to 12 years
• Most rabbits do not like to be held
• Spaying and Neutering can lengthen life span and reduce bad behavior

I would like to share my own personal experience with rabbits to help you make a decision, and to help you make your new family member feel welcome in your home.

Bringing Home Bunny

My rabbit, Rocky, was rescued from Hurricane Katrina. When I went to adopt him, I was told that he was very young, and would need lots of care to get accustomed to my home. This meant that he would spend his first day in his new cage covered with a blanket. He was very scared, but the slow adjustment to the smells and sounds of his new home made him feel more comfortable. The next day, after bunny proofing the house, I allowed him to run around the apartment whenever I was home, for at least 6 hours each day. He showed his appreciating by performing acrobatic twists in the air.

Interaction and affection

 I was surprised to hear that rabbits do not like to be held, however, I was happy to hear that he might enjoy my presence if I spent time on the ground with him, on his level. After Rocky had been living with me for a few days he began to show interest in hopping over to me. He would sometimes push me to let me know that I'm in his way, or not paying enough attention to him. After a few months, he began to show affection by "kissing" my nose, "grooming" my clothing, and laying next to me or even hopping on to my lap. It was not until he got much older that he began enjoying being held; as an elderly rabbit, he loves to spend time in my warm lap. Should you decide to pick up your bunny, ensure that his back end is fully supported, and that he is held close to your body. Rabbits can break their back if they decide to twist out of your arms, so ensuring that they are held properly is essential. It is not considered safe for a child to hold the rabbit, but rather that they should interact on the rabbit's level. Your rabbit will be more friendly as a result, and not fear you coming in to the room to swoop him up.

In closing, I hope that you enjoyed reading my story of adoption. Rocky is about 8 years old now, and happily lives in his own bunny proof room; a sunny room where he is always near his humans. He loves hopping over to greet us and circling our feet, getting scratched behind his ears, and eating bananas. He has traveled with us from Florida, to Maryland, to New Hampshire. Remember that a rabbit is a long commitment, and needs lots of care! Take your time to make your decision, and enjoy the hoppiest new member of your family!

Heather Leary, written for Internet Business Fundamentals, Kaplan University