Make Social Media Posts Work For You

Here are some important considerations for making a more effective social media post

Creating Effective Details

The details in your visual image and written information can be maximized to create compelling, informative posts about lost pets, found pets, or adoptable pets. If you do a good job presenting information, your posts will have more effect when they are viewed or shared on social media. Let me share some examples with you. 

International Reach

Don't forget that your post can potentially reach an international audience. People will share with their friends, so make it work for you. 

Let's say that you've lost your cat and you decide to post a sign to your Facebook page. That's a good idea, right? But which sign is going to be more effective when it gets shared to your friends all around the country, A or B?

Example of Lost Cat posters

Example A Example B

If you share Example B on Facebook, then people anywhere in the world will realize that the lost cat is in Seattle, a city in Washington. If a kind Samaritan shared this photo with their Facebook friends who live in Seattle, these recipients will know whether the cat is close to their neighborhood or not. Example B is the type of post you should be creating. Example A won't do much for you. 

Effective Posts

Let's say that you're using Facebook or Instagram to share information about adoptable pets. How can you make your social media shares more effective? 

  • Make it cute
  • Make it compelling to share
  • Make it clear where the animal is located

Here are some effective posts that I found, and my comments on why I think they work well.

Adoptable dog by @adoptapetcom on Instagram

Why it works:

  • It's a good shot of the dog's face
  • It's an interesting, attention-grabbing photo
  • Showing details, such as the dog's ears, has potential to affect people emotionally, as these characteristics can remind them of a pet they had previously
  • The photo is logo branded, so we can easily find the source

The Written Details

Now let's look at the Instagram post in more detail and see what they're doing right:

Adoptapet.com is using Instagram to share adoptable animals

Right away we know:

  • The dog's kennel name is Jerry, and Jerry is male
  • He's a terrier mix 
  • He's located in Sacramento, California
  • He's under the care of Sacramento Independent Animal Rescuers
  • We know his approximate weight and size, which is really important for dogs
  • We know that he's probably compatible with cats 
  • We know that he likes hiking

Look at how many things we know already about Jerry! But really, one of the most important things is that we know the city and state he's located in. If you live in Folsom, CA and you would love a smaller dog to take hiking, you might well be willing to drive to Sacramento to meet Jerry, all because the smart folks operating the @adoptapetcom Instagram account took the time to gather and share these vital details. Knowing his location was absolutely important. 

I'd love to share more examples of effective posts, so if you have one you'd like to share, let me know!

Effective Social Media Profiles

I'm going to create a blog post on this topic alone, but for now let me show you what these two foster cat/kitten accounts are doing right.

Here is a screenshot for the Instagram account, @munchiesplaceforhomelesscats. What do you immediately know?

@munchiesplaceforhomelesscats

Right away we know these things:

  • This Instagram account is for a foster cat home
  • The home is in Washington
  • The name is "Munchie's Place for Homeless Cats"
  • They take in cats who are in danger of being abandoned
  • They currently have a foster cat named Rozi
  • They have a wish list on Amazon.com

They did a great job setting up their Instagram profile, effectively using the limited available text to give us a Who, What, Where and Why. 

 Let's look at another example for some good ideas.

 @fosterkittenpdx fosters kittens for Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, OR

This is another effective Instagram profile, and we already know these things:

  • Their profile name is full of hints
  • They are using Instagram key words effectively (I'll be writing a blog post about this)
  • We know they foster for Cat Adoption Team
  • We know that the cities of Sherwood, OR and Portland, OR are relevant
  • We know the current litter that is in foster care, and when they were born

I hope these examples can help you to make more effective social media posts. Feel free to comment with links or examples, or if you want feedback on your social media profile. 

Tips and tricks to maximize your social media posts to share information about lost pets or adoptable animals


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