5 Must-Know Tips for Using Social Media to Adopt
Here’s 5 quick tips to getting more engagement on your adoption-related social media pages (and keep reading to learn more!)
Boost engagement by posting polls, questions, asking for advice and anything that will encourage comments from your followers!
Tag people! By tagging a specific person they’re more likely to reply to your question, plus your post will show up in THEIR newsfeed- a double bonus!
Use your page to interact on social media. Don’t just post on your own page, but also use your page to comment, like, follow and react on other’s pages.
Post several times a week. Don’t be shy, and don’t feel like you’re oversharing. People are curious about adoption in general, and want to get to know you better!
Post short videos, and learn to use “Stories” and “Reels.” They might be a little outside your comfort zone, but videos, stories and reels are hands-down the most engaging content on social media these days!
Feeling stuck when thinking about what to post on your adoption social media pages?
For maximum visibility your goal is to get your Facebook community page to show up in your followers’ news feed. This will only happen when they “interact” with your page. Because of this, we recommend posting content 3-5 times per week to engage with your followers. Here are some suggestions for posts that will encourage or initiate conversations and activity on your page.
Post a "poll question" to elicit responses. You can share these on "Your Story" which can be another fun way to engage your audience each day. We've provided the graphics below for you to save and share!
It can be fun to share two versions, the first where you fill in your answers and the second can be a blank version for your followers to grab and answer. I’ve used emojis to answer this one as an example!
Make a movie! Video is the latest outreach tool for adoption. Learn how to make a video through easy-to-use sites like Animoto and post them to your page, as well as other social media sites.
Suggestion: If you have an older child at home (or favorite niece/nephew), have them shoot a video for you! Harness the power of a pre-teen and their knowledge of video editing and social media. It could be a fun “why my parents want to be parents again” video or a “sneak peek at my folks best (or worst!) kitchen dance routine.” You may not go viral, but you will have fun!
Common things unite us all, such as food. If you are trying a new recipe, or looking for one, this is a great time to engage with your followers. Consider a repeating post like, “What’s for dinner Wednesday” where you share your menu and ask others to share theirs!
It’s okay to ask for help on how to do something or fix things because people love to offer their help. You could ask how to change a setting on your phone or what to do if you can’t resist buying girl scout cookies for the 10th time. Some can be serious and some can be a little more lighthearted and fun.
You could post a 'joke of the week.' Mind the content and appropriateness, but a lot of people love corny, one-line jokes that elicit a groan.
If you have any traveling adventures, make sure to share where you went or what you enjoyed. Some folks don’t like to share these things while they are actually away (for security reasons), but you can share once you get back home. It doesn’t have to be a big getaway; just a new destination can create interesting comments. Did you find a great donut shop? Did you discover a new bike trail to ride? Did you just visit friends and have a good time catching up? Share these kinds of things!
NOTE: Be sure to TAG people in your photos and CHECK IN places when you do things (like at a concert, movie, etc.), so your posts show up in other people’s news feed. This increases your exposure exponentially because your page name (e.g., Bill and Ted are Adopting!) will show up along with your interesting comment.
Share a dream or something you can’t wait to do once you are a parent to engage your audience. It could be something like: “I heard the ice cream truck come down the street tonight. I can’t wait to run out there with my child and pick a special treat together. My favorite is bomb pops! What’s your favorite?”
A lot of people use their adoption social media page as a way to keep friends and family members updated on their adoption progress, so don’t forget to give an update every now and then on what is happening. Have any contact with a birth family? Still working on a nursery? Completing a home study? Let them know!
Use your page as a great source for advice and ideas. Trying to figure out what to buy your teenage nephew for Christmas? Want to know the best snacks to serve for your upcoming party? Looking for a new website to buy shoes? Reach out and ask!
Have you ever noticed how much people love animals? That's right, use the power of puppies, kittens or funny animal stories to warm hearts and share stories!
Do you enjoy watching sports or have a favorite team? Feel free to brag about their game or cheer them on!
Did you stumble upon an organizational tip or a way to creatively use a household item? Share your new discovery and see what others can contribute as well.
Share some memories or traditions with a photo! Here’s a chance to share a bit more about yourself and engage your audience. Share a photo of your uncle fishing at the cabin and talk about your yearly family vacation at the lake with s’mores and campfires. Share a photo of your mom cutting your hair as a kid and how every Sunday was bath and haircut night growing up. Think of fun little stories to share and get people to laugh with you, reminisce with you or share their own stories as well.
Play a game! There are lots of fun things like guessing games that can be played. Take a close up photo of something in the nursery and ask “What is this?” and see if people can guess. Give it a few hours and then share the answer. Or think about asking trivia questions (like Jeopardy!), pricing questions (The Price Is Right) or top answers to popular topics (Family Feud). There are so many ways to get creative playing a game and making it a regular “feature” on your page!
