How to Make Great Adoption Profile Content
This blogpost is fantastic. It is so jam-packed full of everything you need to know to create a great adoption profile. And I'm going to get you all prepped and ready for our profile training, and if you haven't signed up for that, make sure you click the link below to sign up.
We're going to continue our deep dive into all things adoption profile, again, with that focus on creating great content for your profile. And if that little word content threw you off, make sure to go back and read all the previous blog posts in this series, all-around creating your adoption profile because they kind of do build on each other, like nesting dolls, if you will, from a content perspective, like the little use of the word there, again, to help you understand your adoption profile and how to make it great.
And, you know, I always have your back with the step-by-step process to make your adoption easier. So, grab a pen and paper and or open your favorite notes app on your phone because we're going to dive right into sharing those practical tips to creating great content for your adoption profile.
Just as a friendly reminder, your adoption profile, it's so much more than a book or a PDF. It is any way you could communicate with an expectant mother about your family. It is essential to recognize that to succeed in the adoption journey in today's world it is critical to create a connection with anyone it will require so much more than that PDF or book.
10 Practical tips to creating good adoption profile content
Know how you are going to use the content in your adoption profile
Make the content fit to the use in your adoption profile
Want it to feel like paragraphs within a chapter in a book
The content has got to be engaging.
It has got to help you stand out from the sea of waiting families
Appeal to the different learning styles
A mixture of professional and candid shots
Video, a combination of professional and candid videos
Have a plan to make content easily
Tell a logical story
And don’t worry, I have always got your back with the step-by-step here, so let’s break down each of them individually. And this will only be the tip of the iceberg here, so if you want to learn more, don’t forget to sign up for the free training that is coming up.
Know how you are going to use the content in your adoption profile
As with any good journey, you have to know where you're headed, right. When you start out making a post or writing a thank you for stopping by our profile letter, or something along those lines. You need to know what your intended goal is, and my suggestion and knowing where you're headed kind of breaks down into a couple of different steps.
You need to have a clear vision of what your adoption is like at the end of this journey. Right? You need to be clear in what type of contact you want after the adoption. You need to be clear and just really know what your life is like with this child after the adoption is finalized. Because knowing that really will influence the content and what you share.
You are also, knowing who your ideal expectant mother is important as well. Because that's going to let you get really n what type of content you think would appeal to her most but stay authentic to who you are. Authenticity is critical here.
Knowing where you're headed and having a clear picture of who your ideal expectant mother really does make it easier for you to create great content, allows you to tell your story in a natural way that is relatable to her that's authentic to her.
So, let's just give you a real-world example here. So, say your name is Sarah, and you want to have a semi-open relationship, but you are still forming your ideas as it relates to visits, but is open to contact through her as a parent, between the birth mother and the child. And maybe Sarah wants to talk about a day in the future where they meet up and go to the park with the birth mother. Or maybe Sarah needs to take a step back and say, okay, is this what I'm, you know, really wanting to do is? If so like, why would I even talk about this? If not, right? Or maybe Sarah wants to share more information with this child as they grow up, in so maybe in one of her about the birth mother. And so maybe in one of her post, she talks about that very directly, and she says, I want to be able to share the story of your childhood with this child, I want to be able to share the story of you know, what you liked, during your adolescence, right? You want to be able to very clearly paint a picture of the moments in the stories that you want to share if that's something you want to do.
Again, having a clear vision of where you're headed can give you some great content in the moment. But you need to know where you're headed. And the other way of really making sure you know how you're going to use the content or another kind of example of that would be if you're going to use it in a social media post versus in a book, right. That kind of bridges to the next topic, which is practical tip number two, makes the content fit for use.
Make the content fit the use in your adoption profile
You may have read my rather large soapbox last week and talk about not taking your PDF and just posting it to social media, but instead creating content that is fit for that particular platform or that specific tactic. So, a platform is like Facebook or Instagram, or a platform could even be considered your book or your PDF. A tactic within that platform could be considered something like a Facebook group versus your individual Facebook page or your Instagram feed versus an Instagram reel. So making sure that the content is fit for the platform is important. You are making sure that you're creating the content that she would expect to see there. And that would help you stand out, which we'll talk about in a minute, is important in order to dial this in.
And I'll take just a second to talk about what you don't want to do. And I'll try to avoid my soapbox, and you don't want just to take some static image of your PDF or your book that your agency has done and posted on social media. I know you're super proud of it. But that just doesn't, doesn't have a place there. You can take the same content and make it relevant for this platform in a different way. But you don't just take the PDF and put it there. You have to think about the user experience on the other end, right? She's scrolling through looking at all these profiles, and she comes across something that is an image, but then she's got to try to blow it up to see it, and when she blows it up on her phone, you know, it just starts to look pixelated. That's not a great experience. So, all you've done is wasted your time and putting it out there. You're much better off taking that content and repurpose it to use it differently to tell that same story on a post versus taking that PDF and just posting it, by the way, also taking that PDF and just posting it that could have turned into easily 10 to 30 different posts about your family in different ways.
And I'm not saying that you can't reuse content because you totally can. It's not like your ideal expected mother is just hanging out, watching every post that you make it is the opposite that, you know, they, they might come across you on this site, or they might come across you on that group. And we're using content is fine in that. And, again, in that masterclass, we'll talk more about content strategy and how you put one together. But making sure that you're sharing content that is fit for where they're coming across your profile, or across your post, or reading your book that is important. By the way, it's just a little bit of a way you can show respect, right? Posting that PDF, where she has to struggle to try to read what you've posted. That's just to me on the verge of disrespect. Okay, I promised there would be no giant soapbox, but maybe just a little one, haha.
Want it to feel like paragraphs within a chapter in a book
Okay, the third tip is we want it to feel like paragraphs within a chapter within a book. So, this is my way of saying maybe not as eloquently as I would like that you want your content to build on each other, to tell the complete story of your family. So similar to what I'm doing here in this blogpost series, right? Each post is a paragraph around your adoption profile, right. And this series of posts lead together in creating the overall adoption profile series. That is a chapter within the book of like the training class coming up next week, right?
So I'm teaching you guys everything I know about adoption profiles and how to make a great one stand out from the sea avoiding families by giving you bite-sized information, week after week, right? You can take that same idea and apply it to the post of what you're creating here. Or the book or the PDF; you want each thing to feel like it builds on each other. But all stuff belongs under the umbrella of your family. And again, we'll talk a lot more about this next week. But that building a lot, you know, building that together as the under the profile of your family comes because you have this clear, concise story that you're telling about your family, and then you're just dissecting that story into smaller and smaller bits to create the overall profile that you want her to see there out all of the touchpoints that she might come into contact with you.
The content has got to be engaging.
Alright, practical tip number four, it has got to be engaging. If you've been hanging out with me for even a micro of a hot second, you have heard me talk about this idea of thumb-stopping creative, right? Just this, the fundamental human truth is that we are all pulled in so many directions these days. And our time and our attention are constantly being divided further and further and further. So, your content has got to be something that grabs her right that she is like, Oh, I want to learn more about them. That's how you get that initial Hello. And if you're on social media posting think about you're holding your phone, you are scrolling with your thumb or with your index finger. So when I talk about thumb-stopping creative, it's got to make her want to stop scrolling.
It has got to make her want to, you know, stop and have a moment on your profile or your post to see what she wants to click back to your profile. And let me be clear about this. You don't have to do something like crazy from a visual perspective. You don't have to be, you know, doing a handstand drinking a glass of milk, or something right. You just need to create that initial connection with her very quickly within just a couple of seconds.
You've got three seconds, as she's scrolling that you become in the view of her on the page, as she's scrolling through social media, or when she's opening up, you've got opening up a PDF, you've got three seconds for her to decide to click learn more, or just keep going, keep scrolling in this is sounds probably pretty scary, right? It can be disheartening.
But this again goes back to knowing who your ideal expectant mother is and making content that is great and fit for her. That's authentically you, always you, in making peace with the fact that not every expectant mother out there is the right fit for you. And I'm not just talking about does she check all the boxes that you're looking for as it relates to communication and exposures, all of those things, but is she the right fit, because you both enjoy the same things because you both have the same values and philosophies on life. That is what truly makes you the right fit. And that is what she will see in your content that will make her want to stop and engage with you. So it is got to be engaging. Otherwise, she's just going to keep scrolling.
It has got to help you stand out from the sea of waiting families
So let's move on to practical tip number five because again, I tend to build content that builds on each other, because tip number five, it's got to help you stand out from the sea of waiting families, it that kind of goes hand in hand with engaging, right. So, you may be one of 1000 families that post on one of those Facebook posts, right? If you're trying to self-match or trying to match through social media, that can feel pretty overwhelming, right? But standing out and that see is a combination of knowing who your ideal expectant mother is in allowing her to see who your family is through the content you've created.
Or, if you're matching with an agency, maybe you're not in a pool of 1000 or you're on a pool of 500. Regardless, you're still in this large pool, right in your ability to tell a very clear, crisp story about who you are compelling. It's what's going to help you stand out from the sea of waiting families. And listen, I know this tip is the tip that when I share it, people are always like, tell me exactly what to do, like, give me that step by step formula. Amanda, I need that because I am tired of waiting. And I don't know if I'm going to be able to make it to this finish line.
Let me, first of all, say I hear you, friend. I know that feeling. I remember that feeling. And believe it or not, I was just actually talking to one of my students last week, and she was sharing that with me. And it just kind of made that feeling come up again. And I was just in tears with her because it is it's real, it's raw, right. But I always have your back in that live training we're going to go through this more in detail. Make sure you grab your spot because that there is a simple formula to help you stand out from the sea of waiting families but yet authentically stay who you are.
We're not talking about changing who your family is so that you're going to get picked. No, we don't want to do that. Because we know that that will lead to disruption, or we know that that has a greater chance of leading to disruption. So, we don't want to do that. We want to stand in our light. Because we're unique. And we want to share that right. But we've got to share it in a way that will help us stand out from the sea of waiting families.
Appeal to the different learning styles
And let's go to practical tip number six, making content that appeals to the different learning styles. Alright, so just like in school, all people learn differently, right? Some people learn best through physically doing it with their hands. Some people learn by reading, and they can just fully comprehend it. Other people learn because they need to see it visually. And there is no way to predict right how your ideal expectant mother learns. But you want to make sure that you're using a mixture of content that appeals to the different learning types because that helps her create an emotional connection on a deeper level with you, right? It helps her truly understand who you are.
So if you are just in a Facebook group posting on an opportunity, and you're posting a static image, and you're posting just some text about you, she might make a visual connection through the image or an emotional connection through the picture because she's a visual learner. But maybe all the text is too much. Perhaps especially the text could be too much if you have an entire paragraph there, right? She could look at that and just be like, Oh, no, no thanks. But maybe if you break up that paragraph with emojis, and she's a visual learner, then her eye might be drawn to those emojis. And I'm not saying that she's not going to read the text. But I'm talking about how a person learns on a subconscious level, right?
Your body is wired based upon how you learn best to engage with the path of least resistance when she, you know, sees content that appeals to her. She's a visual learner. And it's a video, or it is an image with very little text is full of emojis things like that. If she's a visual learner, the pleasure centers in her brain fire off, right? She gets that minor dopamine hit of, Oh, yeah, I'd like to learn like this, you know, this seems like friendly content, let me dive into this.
Or if she's a person that needs to live that likes to learn, by using our hands, you're like, Amanda, how do I help her experience that is through the language that you choose, right? Are you incredibly descriptive about your feeling and what you're sensing at those times, right? So, the whole point here is to just appeal to the different learning types. And to have a very particular plan as to how you do that, throughout the mixture of your content that you're sharing, you are making content that's fit for, for anyone that might come across that.
A mixture of professional and candid shots
This leads me to tip number seven was, which is a mixture of professional and candid shots, videos, things of that nature. The point that I want to make here really is that you want to have a kind of a slice of life and the more professional. And that is important because she wants to see that you've taken the time and effort right to put in and having a professional shoot. And you're just naturally more drawn to those are some people are. But she also wants to know what life will be like for this child every day. And she knows that putting on your Sunday best and going and standing in a field of wildflowers. That's not what you're going to do every day, right? She knows that. She also wants to see what an afternoon on a Saturday looks like in your world. Right? She that helps her get a real flavor of your life. So having a mixture of that type of content of like the more professional polished content and the like here's who we are every day is super important to her because that lets her know you on a deeper level.
Video, a mixture of professional and candid videos
Practical tip number eight, you want to use video so that she can get to know you on a deeper level. And I know that when I say video probably makes your heart skip a beat. Like when a couple of posts ago, I talked about the importance of having a website, right? That probably makes your heart skip a beat. But I always have the step-by-step for you. So don't worry about that. I've got you covered in the masterclass.
But the video really allows her to get to know you differently. She gets to hear your voice; she gets to see little mannerisms about you. She maybe gets to hear other people talk about you and talk, you know, like why you would be such a fantastic parent.
Or maybe she just gets to, to see what cooking dinner is like in your house. Right if cooking dinner is one of the things that you love to do. But having a mixture of again, professionally created, you know, a few minutes’ worth of a video about you and your family what life is like, as well as just the random, like, Hey, I'm out for a walk and I saw a pretty flower. And you know, I want to share this with you or whatever type of candid videos, the combination of those two, just create such a deeper connection with an expectant Mama, you just have no idea because it allows her to go back to that memory in her mind, time and time again, about what life is going to be like for this child and your family.
So video is critical, and it sounds super scary, and we'll work through that together about how to get over the nerves of turning on the camera. Trust me, I still have nerves every time I turn on the camera with you guys or even write blog posts, but it is essential.
Have a plan to make content easily
Okay, number nine, which is all around making it super easy for you to create content because the adoption process is hard enough, right? And I'm asking you to grow and to learn and to kind of stretch your skill set may be a little bit outside of your comfort zone. But you know, I always have your back step by step. In this case, I'm going to suggest to you to make it easy to make your content to use templates.
Okay, I know this may seem polar opposite, right? I spend all my time telling you to stand out from the sea of waiting families. But yet I'm going to give you a template that may seem like what are you talking about Amanda like this is crazy. But the point that I'm making here with templates You can take a starting point and then make it your own. So let me give you a real-life example of a profile book, right? And then, I'll share one of our social media.
So, on a profile book, maybe your agency's given you something that, you know, it's like, hey, fill in these ten questions, and we're going to put it in our form, and you know, in our form book, great, then ask how you can take him to make that book better? Can you add specific colors that are, you know, colors that you know your family loves? Can you add different graphical elements to that book to help you stand out, or if you don't have an agency you're working within you need a template, I've got you covered, I've got templates, you can use no biggie.
But the point is taking that book and making it your own, making the colors making the treatment of the text, so maybe you like something frilly and curly here. In another place, you want something that's a bit bolder and stand out, you find ways to, yes, it is still a profile book, but you find ways to make your family stand out because it looks different. And by the way, it looks different, because you're different because each family is different. And you're telling your authentic story through everything from the way you layout the page, which again, I have templates that cover you.
So don't freak out about that. But you know, maybe you move a picture around here or there. Or maybe you change the font on something like simple things like that help you stand out within the traditional tactic of a book, or on social media, perhaps you're like, I don't know what to post about, right? So then you take some scripts and some templates from that that give you a jumping-off point that's like, you know, I love to go skydiving. Speaking of jumping-off points, right? I love to go skydiving. And here's a picture of me skydiving, or I love to go, you know, do all of these different things. But you're not quite sure how to round out the post, right? How do I ask her to get in touch with me? What type of contact information do I use?
I've got a starting point for you there as well. But also, within the photo, do you put a border around the picture? Do you put a treatment on there that helps her understand that it ties back to your profile, right? So there are other ways that you can use templates in the social media space, especially when it comes to stories and posts that can help tie your profile together and make you stand out.
I think a great example of this is you've probably come to realize by now that I've got that purple color and that particular type of font that all tie back everything you see for me, right, you're going to see that font and that color throughout the content that comes from me. And really, all of that is that is me making myself a template that I customized based upon each type of content that I'm sharing with you, right? Having a plan, having a template, a starting jumping-off point for not only what to say, but how to create it, and then how to customize it. That is what makes it super easy and less overwhelming to share your content.
Tell a logical story
Practical tip number 10 is telling a logical story. This is the most overlooked thing I could say. In the adoption profiles today. Everyone treats each post like just answering a particular question, right? Or each section of the book. They don't think about it building together similar to what we talked about, like chapters in a book earlier. They don't see it as a logical story all the way through. Typically, this is really because we are selfishly focused on ourselves.
We are focused on just the fact that we want to adopt, and we're not thinking about her perspective and what she needs to hear as much as we could. And that frequently leads us to not sharing it logically, right? Because we're sharing based upon what pops into our brain at that moment, versus having a strategy behind what you're sharing and why. And listen, I'm not saying you have to sit down and plan out a content calendar that says on this day, I'll only post about this and on that day. I'll only post about that. Not at all; I mean yes, it helps. It makes you incredibly logical and methodical about what you're sharing.
However, it's more about logical in the grand sense of; here are the five things I want you to know about our family. And I'm going to continue to share story after story after story, and different ways with different examples about that. And that is how you tell a logical story. And that, again, may sound super overwhelming, or maybe a little over-processed right now, but I promise you, it comes across authentic and organic in the way you share it in a way that is relatable.
We'll talk again about that in the training, so it's super important that you grab your spot for that class. You can really dive deep, and how do you tell that logical story that's easy for her to follow? Okay, we made it, you guys. There you have it—Ten practical tips to creating a great first impression in your adoption profile. I hope you found tons and tons and tons of valuable information in today's jam-packed blog post. I always have you covered with a step-by-step process, exactly outline, which is exactly what we're going to cover in our free training next week. So make sure you head on over to www.myadoptioncoach.com/profile to find a time that works for your schedule. And as always, if you have any questions and you can't wait until our live training, jump into the Facebook group. And just an ask, I'm always there, you know, I'm there multiple times a day, probably there more often than I should be. But I'm dedicated and focused on helping you guys. I really want you to know that it's, it's okay to be worried about the quality of your profile. Or if you're just getting started, worried about even creating a profile.
Remember, I'm always here to help guide you through your adoption journey. You can do this friend, and I have always got your back. See you soon!
Hi, I Am Amanda
I help women build their families through adoption by giving them the step by step guide to adopt a child and support them on their journey