Humane Society University Webinar: Facebook is a great way to interface with the public, get the word out on adoptable pets in rescues, and attract support and volunteers. In this webinar you’ll learn tips and best practices for using Facebook to engage the community in your work. Discover ways to cultivate supporters, showcase your successes, and utilize positive approaches to handling criticism and negative feedback. Note: This webinar is for animal welfare organizations already on Facebook. You can listen to the audio here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/482856966

1. PH
Using Facebook to Build
Support for Your Animal
Rescue
Sarah Barnett
Senior Manager, Social Media
HSUS
Don’t Plan to be Viral.
Plan to Be Awesome.

2. • Best practices for interacting with, and also cultivating
supporters
• How to communicate with in times of crisis
PH
• Actual feedback from non animal folks on what they like

3. How Rescues are Using Social Media
Currently using social networks to:
• Tell their story
• Increase community visibility
• Recruit new supporters
• Engage existing supporters
• Solicit donations
• Crossposting
• Showcase adoptable animals
• Recruit event participants
• Cover past events
• Informing your supporters of your progress

4. Best practices for interacting with, and also
cultivating supporters
• Respond to everyone with a legitimate
PH
question
• Be transparent
• Cater to your audience
• What do people like?
• Every post is a reason to unlike your
page.

5. Respond to everyone with a legitimate question
PH

6. PH

7. Be transparent
PH

8. Cater to your audience – and know who they are
PH

9. What Do People Want?
•
Stories of new animals up for adoption.
•
Tips to share -- whether it's "hurricane preparedness" or
winter suggestions if there's going to be snow-- it's easy
to click "share" and get the word out to everyone!
PH
•
•
Success stories & pets who need homes. You never
know who might see a picture of an animal who is
looking for a home & think “ that is the pet I've been
looking for"! I also like to see events that I can attend or
support!
Abuse stories are easier to stomach when there is a
success story at the end of it. You can tell the entire
story but instead of publishing the before photo, post
the after photo. Or publish photos of the "before" AND
the "after" for a given animal. When I can see that an
animal has a new shot at a happy life, I can take the
tough part of the story.
•
Upcoming events I can go to in my area
•
I really enjoy seeing the success stories
(adoptions), and I love the "event pictures" that
The Heritage Humane Society posts.
•
Showing easy ways to help. Things I can do
even if I can’t devote my whole weekend to
helping them, that I can still do something.

10. What Do People Want?
•
Love: stuff that I would want to know that helps me talk
about it in conversation with friends. Even "the weather
is cold right now and x/y/z is a challenge for the rescue
org" or "they just got a whole bunch of kittens". Also
love seeing albums of adopted pets and adoptable pets
with info + notes on personality.
•
I love to see a success story. What it
does is encourage me to get
involved in my small way.
•
Advice about your pet, pets with their new family,
success stories
•
Happy endings/doggies or cats in
their new home with their new
family.
•
Please do post photos of animals that people have
donated to rescue in their new homes so people know
they are doing well. Close that loop. And if you have an
animal receiving medical care, show us the progress.
PH

11. What Do People NOT Want?
•
Constantly begging for money when they don't seem to
have a fundraising plan is a problem ... Facebook cannot
be the only tool for fundraising. Asking for money for
special emergencies is fine, but everything cannot be an
emergency.
•
My mom said the exact same thing about the
pages that rotate abuse/neglect memes
heavily - her heart just can't take it and she
says a little prayer and has to look away).
PH
•
Graphic photos and constant sadness turn me away.
•
•
I like many animal pages, and the hardest ones for me
are the pictures that depict abuse of animals. I almost
can't bear them. I know it is important to address the
subject, and much stricter laws are needed for the
people who commit these crimes. They just break my
heart, and I admit to occasionally "unliking" a page
because they post way too many of those kinds of
pictures.
The abuse and sad dog photos, though
necessary at times; tend to lend feelings of
guilt on most people.
•
I have to agree with most being said. The abuse
pictures are always too much.
See a trend….

12. Think Before Sharing
PH
Check before sharing.
Is the animal rescued?
Is the shelter open to rescue?
If someone were to ask what next steps are –
would you know?

13. Remember:
Every post, is a reason to hide or unlike your
page.
PH

14. Integration
Website
PH
Social network
One way communication
Two way communication
Content generated in house
Content generated by users
Organization’s voice
People’s voice
Talking to people
Talking with people
Marketing
Conversations
Expect information
Expect interaction

15. On Facebook
PH

16. On the Website
PH

17. Make it Easy to…Donate
PH

18. Make it Easy to…Adopt
On Petfinder? Write down this URL!
http://pro.petfinder.com/share-your-pets-online/pet-list-scroller-for-facebook/
PH

19. Close the loop with supporters
PH

20. Tell the story
PH

21. PH

22. PH

23. More Likes than on the Page!
PH

24. Part II
The Dark Side of Social Media
PH
How to
Communicate in
Times of Crisis

25. Crisis is…
• Natural or manmade disaster
• PR Problems
• Organized Attacks

26. Overview
• Listening
• Assessing
• Responding
• Moving On

27. They’re talking about you…
-Social media platforms
-Monitoring services
-Daily checks

29. Who is your online voice
Your online presence, and the
person answering it, is a
“face” of your organization –
make sure it’s a good one

31. Comments
Personalize – Be human
Tone – Address emotions
Honesty – IDKLFO – I don’t know let me find out!
Answer Everyone – Every post is an opportunity
to engage

33. Protection
Have a Commenting Policy
PH
Make your policy known – and fair.
If you delete something, tell your fans
and tell them why
Don’t delete because you disagree, only
delete if it’s a violation – stay
transparent.

34. “I surrendered my cat yesterday and
changed my mind, but he was euthanized
already.”
Now What?

35. Considerations
1 - Tone. What is the severity of the person's tone - are
they totally negative, neutral, seem like they could be
talked to?
2 - Influence. How many followers, friends, subscribers do
they have? How many people are they really talking to?
3 - Frequency. Is this a standalone argument / complaint
or does there seem to be a trend brewing? Is it the usual
suspects or does this person seem to be gathering a
following?
4 – Snowballing. Is it something that if your average
person were to hear, they would be horrified?

36. Disseminate Response
-Designate a point person to update and
disseminate responses
-Ensure employees and volunteers are aware
and informed
-Consistent messaging

37. Acknowledge, Rectify, and Move On
Acknowledge, Rectify, and Move On

38. Seize Opportunities to
Learn & Educate
Haters are going to hate
Not everyone is a hater

39. Look for Supporters
-Who is supporting you online?
-Acknowledge them, thank them
-Build relationships

40. It Happened

41. It Will Blow Over

42. Resources
www.charityhowto.com
www.nten.org
www.pro.petfinder.com
www.animalsheltering.org/rescuecentral
Best Resource: Each Other!

43. Contact Information:
Sarah Barnett
sbarnett@humanesociety.org
Twitter: @SarahHSUS
facebook.com/ldcrf.sarah
linkedin.com/in/sarahkbarnett/