We all dread the thought of our canine companion or feline friend getting lost. But sometimes, despite our best efforts to keep them safe and secure, events can happen that result in a pet wandering away from home, escaping from his yard, or even being taken. Posting “LOST!” signs on utility poles and in your vet’s office was once the main method of attempting to find a lost pet, but in today’s world of technology and social media, there are many other options available to aid in the search.
If you ever experience the gut-wrenching ordeal of losing a pet, take to social media immediately, but be aware that how you share a post matters. It is proven that Facebook, Instagram and other social sites have yielded great results in tracking lost pets and returning them home safe and sound, but how you share your need for help will have a major impact on your search.
In order to keep people invested and feeling as if they are an integral part of your search, it is important to keep them updated. You want them to share your posts with others, spreading information about your pet to as many people as possible when posting, be sure to follow these guidelines in order to promote an encouraging, promotable post.
When posting, be sure to follow these guidelines in order to promote an encouraging, shareable post:
- Create one main post on your own page.
- Make sure the setting for your post is ‘public.’
- During your search, it will likely be helpful to change the security settings on your account, allowing anyone to view your profile. In most instances, it helps others to be able to put a face with a name, and seeing a “real” person may increase their likelihood to help.
- Create a “LOST!” flyer and post it to your page. Photos encourage more shares.
- In the ‘description’ are of the flyer post, reiterate the information from the flyer.
- Post updates regularly by editing your original post, keeping most recent information on top. A post that is kept fresh and updated is more likely to be shared.
- If you have specific people you would like to ensure see your post, tag them or ‘share’ the post on their page. Either option will make your post visible to their friends and followers, if their privacy settings allow.
- In order to increase your Facebook post’s visibility to others besides just friends and followers, you may opt to promote your post. Facebook will charge a fee, but promoting will dramatically increase the number of people who see your post. You can even set parameters such as selecting certain cities and age groups to narrow down who will see your post.
While the hope is you will never experience the stress and despair of a lost pet, if you do, it’s somewhat comforting to know you have social media on your side.
