We are inspired by your story, and we know others will be too!
The Chesapeake Bay Trust wants to amplify your story. Social media provides a platform to authentically tell stories and inspire more people to restore nature. This toolkit provides resources to support your social media activity. We encourage you to personalize content when sharing your work, photos, and experiences.
Start by Connecting with the Trust On Socials
Follow our pages and don’t forget to tag the Chesapeake Bay Trust so we see your content. We’re excited to see, respond, and share your stories!
Start by Connecting with the Trust On Socials
Follow our pages and don’t forget to tag the Chesapeake Bay Trust so we see your content. We’re excited to see, respond, and share your stories!
Quick Tips for Sharing Your Stories
Through captions, images, and videos, you can craft a narrative that’s authentic and engaging.
Captions
Maximize your caption to inspire and inform your audience! People can feel overwhelmed when they read about how big a problem is, which can stop them from acting. People respond much better to stories about local impact and what one person or a small group can accomplish. That’s why your story is so important!
Photos
Photos are a powerful way to highlight your project and capture attention! Consider sharing pictures of the people involved, action shots, and before/after images.
A few photo tips. Natural sunlight can be your best friend. Don’t be afraid to spin in a 360-degree circle to hit the perfect amount of light, you will know it when you see it! Always take multiple shots, even the pros do that! Last, we suggest keeping the editing minimal. Filters are fun, but natural colors create a consistent and authentic look!
Videos
Short videos are very effective because they can convey complex messages quickly. Recording a short video on your cell phone is an engaging way to share about the important work you’re doing. For the best videos, ensure your lighting is bright and natural, and stabilize your camera for smooth footage.
Current Recommended Media Sizes
Images 1080 x 1080
Stories 1080 x 1920
Video 1280 x 720
Images 1080 x 1350
Stories 1080 x 1920
Video 1080 x 1350
Images 1200 x 1350
Video 256 x 144 (min) and
4096 x 2304 (max)
Images 1080 x 1080
Stories 1080 x 1920
Video 1280 x 720
Images 1080 x 1350
Stories 1080 x 1920
Video 1080 x 1350
Images 1200 x 1350
Video 256 x 144 (min) and
4096 x 2304 (max)
Captions
Posting before, during, and after your project is a great way to grow your audience, generate excitement, and inspire even more people to get involved! Below are some content ideas to get you started.
Please refer to your specific program guidelines for guidance on acknowledging all of the partners involved in your important work!
Before
Posting before your project kicks off is a great way to get people excited about the project! In the caption you can provide background information about the problem you’re addressing, invite people to support your work by volunteering or sharing your content with their networks, and tell them to stay tuned so they don’t miss updates on your progress. Consider introducing a project specific hashtag you can use on all of your posts, and don’t forget to tag the Chesapeake Bay Trust and any important people involved in your project!
Content Ideas
- Make an announcement about receiving the grant
- Post details about your project goals and plans
- Share countdown posts leading up to the project to build excitement and provide more context
- Post an event lineup, introducing the people and partner organizations involved (don’t forget to tag everyone!)
- Last chance to sign up, if you’re recruiting volunteers
During
Live posts are the most engaging! Snap a photo or video and tell your audience what is happening. Mention your goals, location and impact. Don’t forget to tag the Chesapeake Bay Trust and mention your grant program name!
Content Ideas
- Share your project goals with a before photo
- Introduce people/orgs who are at work
- Share “behind-the-scenes” actions shots and a description of what’s happening/progress made
- Post a daily recap with some highlights if it’s a multi-day effort
After
It’s time to celebrate your success! The audience on social media will be inspired by the outcome of your hard work, and the people who participated will feel appreciated and proud to have been a part of it. Tag any collaborators, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and mention your grant program name!
Content Ideas
- Before and after photo with a description of what you accomplished
- Thank you post celebrating the groups that came together to tackle a challenge
- Encourage others to get involved in making our communities cleaner, greener, and healthier for us all!
Reach an even larger audience by adding hashtags!
A few ideas for inspiration: #EmpoweringPeople #RestoringNature #CommunityAction #ChesapeakeBayTrust #BeTheChange #UnSelfie #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalRestoration #GoGreenOrGoHome #EarthDayEveryDay #RootForThePlanet #RippleEffect #DiveIntoAction
Social Media Graphics
Adding one of the images below to your other photos is an easy way to connect people with the Trust so they can learn more and maybe submit a project idea of their own! On desktop, right click “save image as” or on mobile, press & hold until a prompt pops up and save image on your camera roll.
Square (1:1) best for Facebook and LinkedIn
Portrait (4:5) best for Instagram
Invite Us
If you’re having an event, we’d love to attend if we’re able! Send us an invite and we can connect about how we can help.
Tag Us
When you post, don’t forget to tag the Chesapeake Bay Trust so we don’t miss it! We’re excited to see, respond, and share!
Contact Us
If there’s anything we can do to help you share your story, please email your program officer and dmc@cbtrust.org.
Grantee Post Examples
Check out a few recent examples from grantees like you for inspiration! Click on the post to see the original on Facebook or Instagram.
