You can run a search campaign for a missing person or persons in many different ways. In the past, you had a flyer, police officers investigating, luck, and hope. This was before the days of John Walsh and Adam and Amber Alerts, all of which reduced the recovery of missing children from days, weeks or years to just hours.

Although today’s society is always connected with social media, people still come up missing – even with GPS, local data and geo tagging. The urgency of getting flyers posted cannot be overstated, as well as following other traditional methods like notifying law enforcement. So many factors are unknown with missing person cases, and most families feel helpless as control is wrenched from their hands.

Today, social media can be used to empower the family/community and keep awareness going. If used properly, Facebook, hashtags, shares, and Twitter can rival an Amber Alert with an active and conscious public. If all applications are used properly, an audience of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, can be quickly and effectively reached.

With the results of these activities, hope that the missing can be found has reached a new paradigm. Social media empowers those who feel powerless and can prevent or end a tragedy before it takes an irrevocable turn.

It’s crucial to reach those deeply involved in the community. When community players are involved, they have the ability to bring a missing person or persons case to a greater audience. From there, people should petition groups both related and unrelated to gain traction. Always remember, it is up to all of us to pitch in and assist. The key is keeping awareness alive!

For those who require a checklist:

• Create a website with the word Find (insert missing person’s first and last names) as a .com
• Create a Facebook page to engage the community and act as a tip line
• Create hash-tags, Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread the message
• Keep the Facebook page active to provide updates, and encourage others to share posts
• Create an awareness campaign in the real world with vigils, ribbons, sponsored dinners, and donations
• Create a Gofundme account for anonymous donations
• Distribute social media access to a select number of people and delegate tasks to ensure all accounts are properly managed
  For Facebook pages, use the app available in the app and play stores for easier access
• Involve community members and spread awareness in the hope major news networks pick up the story

In the end, hopefully all is resolved successfully.