In today’s “Ask An Adoption Question”, Karen asks about how to use social media to advertise about their desire to adopt.
Hi, Tim
What are some suggestions for advertising for our adoption other than Facebook and Craigslist that has been working in this world of social media?
Karen
Hi, Karen!
I love this question because it tells me you don’t want to sit back and wait for something to happen on your adoption journey. Trying new ways to make a connection and match with an expectant mother will help bring home your little one that much faster.
Based on your question, it sounds like you’ve already used Facebook and Craigslist. Facebook is arguably the best (and definitely the biggest) social media tool you can use to let the world know that you want to adopt. I have written an article about how to use Facebook for your adoption networking.
Let’s clarify what “social media” means. Social media refers to tools we use to communicate using the internet. This includes social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. These tools are typically free and have made it possible for anyone to create and share messages with hundreds or even thousands of people.
Here are my suggestions on how to use social media (other than Facebook and Craigslist) to network for your adoption:
Twitter lets you connect with others as sort of an online text messaging service. Although it is mostly text based, you can post your photo along with your 140 character or less message. The beauty of it is that you can be “found” if you use hashtags.
For example, in your message you use the # symbol with a word that someone is searching for – phrases like #adoption or #hopetoadopt or #wanttoadopt.
How to use: Reach out to expectant mothers on Twitter by sending tweets with a very short description of your hope to adopt. Include a link to your website or Facebook page, a quality photo of you and include a hashtag like #hopingtoadopt. Don’t worry about the link being too long to fit under the 140 characters as Twitter will shorten the link for you.
This is possibly the fastest growing social media network, getting close to 100 million users. It is a photo-sharing site where 83% of its users are women. Pinterest is a great networking tool because you can share your family photos, interests and passions.
How to use: The best way to use Pinterest and get noticed by expectant mothers or their family/friends is to post your unique photos with great captions. These can be the same ones you used in your printed or online profile. Use a free online tool called Canva to add your caption/message to your photo – then pin it!
See my page here to see how I’ve used Pinterest.
Think of this like taking out a newspaper ad that will go much farther than your home town. Expectant mothers search Google to find out about adoption.
When they search, the results Google provides include paid advertisements. This is where your ads will show up, making it easy for an expectant mother to see that you are hoping to adopt.
How to use: Creating and implementing Google Ads is a bit complicated. You can figure out how to set it up on your own, however I recommend working with someone who can set it up for you. It will save you lots of time and money using a service that has successfully helped other hopeful adoptive families use Google Ads.
Go to MyAdoptionAdvisor.com and check out their service. Founder Hal Kaufman explains everything and gives examples of families who have used this service to adopt faster!
YouTube is where you can watch all sorts of video and post your own video. It has more than 1 billion visitors every month. Video is easier now more than ever to view online.
YouTube is the largest video site on the internet, making it a great place to share your voice about your hopes to adopt.
How to use: Create a adoption profile video (3 minutes or less) and post it on YouTube. Think of your video as a way to bring photo captions to life. The purpose of an adoption profile video is to get the expectant mother to feel connected with you. You want to create a “sneak-peek” of your life that will help them see that connection. Here’s a great article on tips for creating your video.
Using social media can be a great way to connect with an expectant mother. Please, please be aware of the risks and have a plan of how an expectant mother will contact you.
The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys warns that using social media should be just part of the process. You should work with an attorney or agency before you start to be sure you are following the adoption laws for your state.
Also be aware there are adoption scams so I recommend having expectant mothers contact you through your adoption agency or attorney. They will help protect you from scammers.
Hope this all helps. I’d LOVE to hear about how you use social media to network for your adoption.
Thanks for the great question!
Tim
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