06/27/2025

Social media is a powerful tool for connecting people. As hams on ARRL Field Day[1], we can leverage it to attract our friends and followers to come out and visit our sites. Social media fans the flames of FOMO - the fear of missing out - and it can be a powerful driver to get people to come out to Field Day, even if they weren't planning on it. All we have to do is show people how much fun we're having!ÿ

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.

"Whether on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, or any other social media site - take advantage of the platform's features. Consider posting photos or videos to your Instagram story or use photos to create a post on Facebook that shows what's going on at your site," suggests Norstrom.ÿ

Posting content to your club's 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.

Social media photo and video tips:

Don't just shoot the back of someone's head while they're 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.ÿ

Shoot for the platform 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't limit yourself. If you see a good shot, grab it in both formats.ÿ

Your phone shoots just fine. If you have a smartphone that's 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 - but it's no longer necessary. Many magazine covers are even shot on smartphones these days.ÿ

Avoid backlighting. While most modern cameras have a good dynamic range and can deal with many levels of lighting within an image, it's still best to have the light on your subject.ÿ

See and be seen with hashtags. 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 - even on social media.ÿ

If there are minors in the content, make sure you have their parent or guardian's consent to take and post the images. If you're submitting the photo to ARRL, please utilize our photo release form[2] [PDF].ÿ

ARRL will skim some content from the hashtag #ARRLFD to share on our Facebook page. We've created a photo album for the event. You may also send your images to socialmedia@arrl.org[3] for inclusion. Remember to detail the who and where, so we can help share your story.ÿ

Clean off those lenses and charge up the phone - ARRL Field Day is here! We'll see you on the air, and on social media.ÿ


[1] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzcxNDYwJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zODU3ODk1NA/index.html
[2] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzcxNDYwJnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT0zODU3ODk1OQ/index.html
[3] mailto:socialmedia@arrl.org

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