GUEST: Kimberly Wade. Kimberly is an expert consultant for Humane Network focusing on communications and social media. She was campaign manager for Maddie's Pet Project in Nevada, communications director at Nevada Humane Society, news producer at KOLO 8 News Now, and has a degree in broadcast journalism and communications from the University of Central Florida. 

MAIN QUESTION: What are some tips for animal organizations to create better social media pages and posts?

TAKEAWAYS:

• If you don’t have a photo, you don’t have a story. 
• To take good photos, avoid a busy background. Get a good clear picture of the animal with their eyes wide open and looking at you. 
• You may hear hundreds of similar stories about why animals end up in your shelter or at your rescue group. The public has not. So gather basic information even if it’s not a unique story to you. Find out what you can about the animal and their backstory, especially where they came from and why they are now at your organization. You need details to tell a story that will interest your followers in adopting or donating.
• Make sure you have a positive spin on a story – don’t point blame. Talk about how your organization helped, how your supporters made it possible and a bright future ahead, thanks to the generosity of kind supporters. Ask for specific help if needed, such as donations and foster homes.
• For social media:
  • You want a minimum of one post a day – this makes your posts more likely to appear in your followers’ feeds. Busy and larger organizations should aim for two to three posts a day.
  • Interact with your followers. Like their comments. Thank them when they make a donation or say something nice.

LINKS:

• Humane Network's team 
• Leadership recommendation: “Managing Yourself to Better Lead Others” (article) by Jo Anne Preston
• “Lead the Way in Five Minutes a Day: Sparking High Performance in Yourself and Your Team" (book) by Jo Anne Preston