Social Media & Outreach Guide
Build your team's brand and engage with your community
Team Branding
Your brand is your team's identity. Strong branding makes you memorable and helps with sponsors!
Brand Foundation:
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Team Mission Statement
Write 2-3 sentences about your team's purpose and values.
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Logo Design
- Simple and recognizable
- Works in color AND black/white
- Includes team number
- Vector format (SVG) for scalability
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Team Colors
Choose 2-3 primary colors. Use consistently across ALL materials!
🎨 Branding Checklist
- Team logo (high-res files)
- Color palette guide
- Font choices (2 max)
- Team name & number
- Tagline/motto
Social Media Strategy
Platform Selection:
- Best for: Photos, behind-the-scenes, build updates
- Post 3-4 times per week during build season
- Use Stories for daily updates
- Hashtags: #FRC #FIRSTRobotics #FRC2025 #Team####
🎥 TikTok/YouTube Shorts
- Best for: Robot reveals, time-lapses, match highlights
- Short videos (15-60 seconds)
- Trending sounds + robotics = viral potential!
🐦 Twitter/X
- Best for: Match updates, connecting with other teams
- Live-tweet during competitions
- Engage with #FRC community
Content Calendar:
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Plan Weekly Content
Use spreadsheet to plan posts 1 week ahead.
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Content Themes
- Monday: Build progress
- Wednesday: Team spotlight
- Friday: Fun/behind-the-scenes
Content Creation
Photography Tips:
- Good lighting is EVERYTHING
- Action shots > posed photos
- Show faces - people connect with people!
- Get close-ups of cool mechanisms
Video Ideas:
- Robot reveal video
- Build season time-lapse
- Day in the life' of team member
- Match highlights and celebrations
- Tutorial: How we built [mechanism]
📱 Free Tools
- Canva - Graphics & social media templates
- CapCut - Video editing (mobile & desktop)
- Lightroom Mobile - Photo editing
Community Outreach
Outreach Activities:
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School Presentations
Visit elementary/middle schools to demo robot and inspire younger students.
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Summer Camps
Host robotics camps - teach programming, building, teamwork!
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Community Events
- Science fairs
- Local parades
- Library events
- Farmers markets
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Mentor Other Teams
Help start FLL/FTC teams in your area!
📊 Document Everything!
Take photos, count participants, track volunteer hours. This data is CRITICAL for Impact Award!
Impact Award Portfolio
The Impact Award (formerly Chairman's) is FRC's most prestigious award. Strong outreach + documentation = winning portfolio!
Portfolio Components:
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Executive Summary (1 page)
Team's story, mission, and impact in one compelling page.
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Essay
Tell your team's journey and demonstrate sustained impact.
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Metrics & Data
- Students impacted
- Volunteer hours
- Events hosted
- Teams mentored
- Funds raised for STEM
🏆 Pro Tips for Impact Award
- Start documenting from Day 1
- Quality over quantity - deep impact matters
- Show sustainability (multi-year programs)
- Let students lead and tell the story