5 Tips for Building Your Adopting Family Online Profile
By Jess Nelson, Community Manager, PairTree
December 5, 2023
2m read
As a hopeful adoptive parent, your PairTree profile is your first impression to an expectant parent. Their first glimpse into your life, your family, and your home – and potentially, the life, family, and home they choose for their baby.
Having a strong profile, and making a great first impression, is not only important – it could be the difference between an expectant parent reaching out or moving on.
Our Top Tips for Your Online Adopting Family Profile
An online adopting family profile should be a personal, in-depth look into your family...it should be a thoughtful story.
By using photos, video, a well-written Letter to an Expectant Mom, and answers to prompts, your family can show an expectant or birth mom the fulfilling life and future you will provide for her child
Your profile needs to be the most authentic version of yourself possible. And we want to remind you that it’s important to realize that the expectant mom is the one you should be speaking to in your profile; she is the one in charge – it’s her choice and her timeline.
So how do you create a profile that resonates with an expectant mom?
#1 - Let her see YOU
Your main profile photo is the most important one, so make it count! Don’t choose a photo of a sunset, a quote you love, or even your pets; save those photos for your profile page. Choose a photo of your immediate family - you, you and your spouse, or you and your kids…no one else.
Also, steer clear of the photos announcing you’re adopting. If an expectant mom sees your profile on PairTree, they already know you want to adopt!
#2 - Avoid perfect photos
While it may sound like the top 2 mistakes are contradicting each other, we promise they’re not! Your profile photo needs to be a great photo, not necessarily a professional one. But all the other photos on your profile don’t need to be perfect. Show us the real you. Give an expectant parent a glimpse into your real life, the life their baby could have.
#3 - Don’t over-promise & under-deliver
This applies to openness in adoption, as well as every other aspect of your lives when it comes to adoption. Don’t promise openness if you don’t mean it. Be honest. You don’t need to say what you think an expectant parent wants to hear, because expectant parents don’t all want to hear the same thing.
#4 - Answer the prompts...thoroughly
Don’t just give a one-word answer to the questions…put some thought into your answer. Can’t live without coffee? What’s your go-to coffee order? Prefer dogs over cats? Why?1
#5 - Don’t be afraid to share your profile!
Your PairTree profile is yours to share! Share on social media, send it to your friends and family and ask them to share…you never know just how far your network can reach!
Start Building Your Waiting Family Profile Today
Creating a heartfelt online profile is a crucial step in your adoption journey. It's your chance to share your true self and the loving home you can provide. By being genuine, highlighting your stability, and showing your positive outlook on adoption, you can make a meaningful connection with an expectant mom, bringing you closer to the joyful expansion of your family.
Let's get started together! Schedule an introductory session with me, Jess, or create your account to begin crafting your profile today.
Jess Nelson Jess Nelson is the Community Manager at PairTree, focused on growing the resources, programs and education offered for both expectant and birth families, and adoptive families. Jess has spent the last 5 years working in the field of private adoption, first as a paralegal for an Adoption Attorney in Louisiana and most recently with PairTree. As a birth mom of two through private adoption, her firsthand experience of both agency and attorney adoption led her to becoming an adoption professional and join the fight for reform and post placement care for birth moms.
