Social Media Toolkit

As a client of Service Dogs of Virginia, we encourage you to engage with SDV on social media. You play an important part in raising awareness of the role that Assistance Dogs play in the lives our clients, increasing understanding and awareness for Assistance Dogs, and inspiring support for more volunteers and funding. This document outlines what we recommend for social media engagement and what we discourage. Reading through this document, you will notice that there are many rules outlined, and we thank you for understanding these rules. These rules are in place to maintain the integrity of the Service Dogs of Virginia’s program and our branding internally and externally. If you have any specific questions or concerns, please direct them to Sally. We are so thankful to have you as a client of SDV!

Important Social Media Accounts

 Please follow these social media accounts if you are on the following platforms. We appreciate your likes, comments, and shares on our posts!

  • Facebook: www.http:s//www.facebook.cpm/seervicedogsofvirginia

  • Twitter: @servicedogsva

  • Instagram: @servicedogsva

Ways you can help:

  • Like and follow our accounts

  • Comment and like our post

  • Share our post onto your personal pages

  • Share our events, campaigns, and fundraisers

Social Media Guidelines

  • Tag SDV in your posts or when re-sharing a post. Type “@” symbol and the relevant name of the platform you are posting on

  • Use hashtags when relevant (Twitter and Instagram). We recommend the following: #servicedogsofvirginia #servicedogsva #sdv #servicedogs #dogsofinstagram #dogsoftwitter

  • Remember to always be respectful towards SDV staff, volunteers, supporters, and other clients

Creating Social Media Accounts for SDV Dogs

  • Please feel free to create a social media account for your SDV dog. It can be a great way to document the dog as a gradate Assistance Dog and to engage your friends and family in that journey. Here are a few guidelines to help you be more successful and to reinforce the values of SDV though the dog’s account.

  • Please include the SDV website in your bio and tag the SDV Instagram account (@servicedogsva) / SDV Twitter (@servicedogsva), or SDV Facebook account (Service Dogs of Virginia). “E.g. My name is Sparky and I’m a graduate service dog from @servicedogsva.

  • Set the dog’s profile as a cute picture of them. Please refrain from using the SDV logo as your profile picture.

 Guidelines for Social Media Accounts for SDV Dogs

  • Remember that the dog’s Instagram/Twitter/Facebook account should reflect positively on SDV and the work we all do together to support our clients and community.

  • Please post about positive experiences. Here are a few examples: Successful outings, adorable pictures, vacation pictures, having fun outside, playing with toys, snuggling, etc. All posts should be published with positive intent, because we love showing off how amazing our dogs are!

  • Please avoid posting photos or videos on the SDV dog’s social media of the dog displaying inappropriate manners or naughty behaviors (e.g. humping in play, chasing small animals, playing with toys not approved by SDV, etc.). If your dog is struggling with a behavior, please reach out to us for help by emailing or calling one of our trainers or the Client Liaison. We will support you though anything.

  • Please do not use the SDV dog’s social media or your personal media to ask for advice about a SDV dog.  Our staff are happy to help and support you! Remember there’s no such things as a silly question.

  • Tag SDV in your posts! Please use the dog’s social media account and your own to support SDV. Tag us in your posts about SDV, like, and share our content with friends, and invite your friends to like our page and follow our content. When you tag SDV in your post and share your content, you are reminding your friends and followers that there is a community of support behind you.

     Contact with Media

    The staff and Board of SDV are happy to speak on behalf of SDV to the media. If you are contacted by the press about SDV, your dog, or any Assistance Dogs matters, either in person or through your social media, please check in with SDV before giving interviews whenever possible.

     

    Fundraising and Causes

    We encourage you to use your dog’s social media account to share information, fundraisers, and events that have been promoted by SDV or that benefit SDV. Please do not use a SDV dog’s page to encourage people to participate in other causes, events, fundraisers, petitions, etc. that are not related to SDV.

      

Have FUN! We love seeing all your photos and videos, so please have fun sharing whatever you are comfortable. If you have photos or videos that would be good to share on SDV’s social media, please send them to us to pass along to our social media content creator(s).