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Social media is a powerful tool for connecting people. As hams on ARRL Field Day, we can leverage it to attract our friends and followers to come out and visit our sites. Social media fans the flames of FOMO \u2013 the fear of missing out \u2013 and it can be a powerful driver to get people to come out to Field Day, even if they weren\u2019t planning on it. All we have to do is show people how much fun we\u2019re having!\u00a0<\/p>\n
ARRL Social Media Specialist Alex Norstrom, KC1RMO, creates many of the posts you see from ARRL. He says each social media platform has their own unique advantages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, or any other social media site \u2013 take advantage of the platform\u2019s features. Consider posting photos or videos to your Instagram story or use photos to create a post on Facebook that shows what\u2019s going on at your site,\u201d suggests Norstrom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Posting content to your club\u2019s social pages, as well as your own personal profiles, will help spread the word. There are some best practices that help level up your social game.<\/p>\n
Social media photo and video tips:<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t just shoot the back of someone\u2019s head<\/strong> while they\u2019re seated at a radio. Zoom with your feet (move closer to your subject) and get the camera into the scene! Show us smiling faces and actions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shoot for the platform<\/strong> on which you plan to post the content. Widescreen or landscape mode works well for Facebook or email. Vertical or portrait is native to Instagram and TikTok, plus Meta Reels and stories on Facebook. Either one is good for submission to ARRL for consideration in QST. Don\u2019t limit yourself. If you see a good shot, grab it in both formats.\u00a0<\/p>\n Your phone shoots just fine<\/strong>. If you have a smartphone that\u2019s been manufactured in the last decade, the camera is going to be good enough. You can bring out your fancy photo and video equipment if you like \u2013 but it\u2019s no longer necessary. Many magazine covers are even shot on smartphones these days.\u00a0<\/p>\n Avoid backlighting<\/strong>. While most modern cameras have a good dynamic range and can deal with many levels of lighting within an image, it\u2019s still best to have the light on your subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n See and be seen with hashtags<\/strong>. Use the hashtags #ARRLFD #AmateurRadio and #HamRadio, along with a locator hashtag for your local area (for example, Iowa could use #IA or #Iowa) in posts to help others see the content both locally and around the web. Click on the hashtags and explore what others are adding to the feed. Interact with their content by commenting, liking, or sharing it. Radio connects \u2013 even on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n If there are minors in the content, make sure you have their parent or guardian\u2019s consent to take and post the images. If you\u2019re submitting the photo to ARRL, please utilize our photo release form [PDF].\u00a0<\/p>\n ARRL will skim some content from the hashtag #ARRLFD to share on our Facebook page. We\u2019ve created a photo album for the event. You may also send your images to socialmedia@arrl.org for inclusion. Remember to detail the who and where, so we can help share your story.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clean off those lenses and charge up the phone \u2014 ARRL Field Day is here! We\u2019ll see you on the air, and on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n