Supporting Combat Veterans Using Social Media

X.com Cheat Sheet for Beginners

Getting Started

• Sign Up: Go to X.com or download the app. Use your email/phone and a password to create an account..
• Profile: Add a photo and a short bio (e.g., “Supporting veterans every day”).
• Follow: Search for people or topics (e.g., “veterans”) and click “Follow” to see their posts.

Posting Basics

• Make a Post: Click “Post,” type a short message (up to 280 characters), and click “Post.”
  • Example: “Support vets with 

@PatriotReliefAct

! Support US Combat Veterans: [link to website https://patriotreliefact.com] #PatriotReliefAct”

• @ (Mention): Use 

@username

to tag someone (e.g., 

@PatriotReliefAct @POTUS

) and notify them.

• # (Hashtag): Use #topic (e.g., #PatriotReliefAct) to label your post and reach more people.

Promoting a Veteran Cause

• Write Posts: Share the cause’s purpose and how to help (e.g., “Help vets get jobs with 

@VetJobs

! #SupportOurVets”).

• Add Links: Include a website https://patriotreliefact.com
• Use Hashtags: Try #PatriotReliefAct,      #ThankAVet, #SupportOurVets to connect with others.
• Engage: Follow veteran accounts, reply to posts, and repost to spread the word.

Interacting

• Reply: Click the speech bubble under a post to respond.
• Like: Click the heart to show you like a post.
• Repost: Click the two arrows to share someone’s post.

Tips

• Keep It Short: Posts are limited to 280 characters.
• Stay Safe: In “Settings > Privacy and Safety,” choose “Protect your posts” to limit who sees your      content.
• Explore: Use the “Explore” tab      to find trending veteran topics.

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X.com Follow Limits and Rules for Promoting a Cause

Follow Limits

• Daily      Follow Limit: 
  • You       can follow up to 400 accounts per day.
  • For       new or unverified accounts, this limit may be lower (e.g., 200–300       follows per day) to prevent abuse.
• Hourly      Limit: 
  • No       official hourly limit is published, but following too many accounts in a       short time (e.g., 50–60 per hour) can trigger X’s anti-spam systems.
  • To       stay safe, limit follows to 20–30 per hour and spread them out over the       day.
• Total      Follow Limit: 
  • You       can follow up to 5,000 accounts total.
  • Once       you reach 5,000, you can only follow more accounts if your follower count       increases (X enforces a reasonable follow-to-follower ratio).

Rules for Promoting a Cause

• Avoid      Spam Behavior:
  • Don’t       mass-follow accounts rapidly, as this can be flagged as spam.
  • Focus       on following relevant accounts (e.g., veteran organizations like 

@VA

or 

@WoundedWarrior

, supporters, or influencers) gradually.

• Engage      Authentically:
  • Interact       with the content of accounts you follow (e.g., like, reply, or repost) to       build genuine connections.
  • Avoid       using bots or automation tools to follow or engage—these violate X’s       rules and can lead to suspension.
• Content      Guidelines:
  • Posts       promoting your cause must follow X’s Rules and Policies, including no       hate speech, violence, misinformation, or illegal activities.
  • You       can share donation links, hashtags (e.g., #VeteranSupport), and mentions       (e.g., 

@PatriotReliefAct

) in your posts.

• Pace      Yourself:
  • Spread       out your follows throughout the day (e.g., 10–20 per hour) to avoid       triggering temporary restrictions or a "follow ban."
• Monitor      Restrictions:
  • If       you see a message like “You’re temporarily restricted from following,”       wait out the block (typically 12 hours to a few days) before resuming       activity.

Tips for Promoting a Veteran Cause on X

• Follow      veteran-related accounts (e.g., 

@VA

, 

@WoundedWarrior

) and engage with their posts.

• Use      hashtags like #VeteranSupport, #ThankAVet, or #SupportOurVets to increase      visibility.
• Post      engaging content (e.g., “Support our vets with 

@PatriotReliefAct

! Contact Your Congress Members: [link  congress.gov/members?q=%7B"congress"%3A119%7D ] #VeteranSupport”) to attract followers organically.

Stay compliant with X’s Rules and Terms of Service to avoid penalties 

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Facebook Cheat Sheet for Beginners

Getting Started

• Sign      Up: Go to Facebook.com or download the app. Use your email/phone and a      password to create an account.
• Profile:      Add a photo and a short bio (e.g., “Proud to support veterans”).
• Find      Friends: Search for friends, family, or veteran groups and click “Add      Friend” or “Follow” to connect.

Posting Basics

• Make      a Post: Click “What’s on your mind?” at the top, type a short message      (e.g., “Support our vets with 

@PatriotReliefAct

! #CombatVeteranSupport”), and click “Post.”

• @      (Mention): Use 

@username

(e.g., 

@PatriotReliefAct, @POTUS

) to tag a person or organization—they’ll get a notification.

• #      (Hashtag): Use #topic (e.g., #CombatCombatVeteranSupport) to tag your      post so others can find it.

Promoting a Veteran Cause

• Write      Posts: Share the cause’s mission and how to help (e.g., “Help vets      with 

@VetJobs

! Contact Yor Congress Rep: [link https://www.congress.gov/members?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A119%7D] #SupportOurVets”).

• Add      Links: Include a website or donation link for the cause.
• Use      Hashtags: Try #SupportCombatVeteran, #ThankAVet, #Veterans to reach      more people.
• Engage:      Follow veteran pages or groups, comment on posts, and share their content      to spread the word.

Interacting

• Comment:      Click “Comment” under a post to reply.
• Like:      Click the thumbs-up to show you like a post.
• Share:      Click “Share” to repost something to your friends.

Tips

• Keep      It Simple: Write short, clear posts.
• Stay      Safe: Go to “Settings > Privacy” and set “Who can see my posts?” to      “Friends” or “Only Me” if you want privacy.
• Join      Groups: Search for veteran-related groups (e.g., “Veterans Support”),      click “Join,” and post there to connect with others.

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Facebook Follow Limits and Rules for Promoting a Cause

Follow Limits

Facebook’s follow limits vary depending on whether you’re using a Personal Profile, a Page, or interacting in Groups. Here’s the breakdown:

Personal Profile

• Friend      Request Limits:
  • Daily:       You can have up to 1,000 pending friend requests at a time, but sending       too many in a short period (e.g., 50–100 per day) can lead to temporary       restrictions. For new accounts, the practical limit is lower (e.g., 20–50       per day) to avoid spam flags.
  • Hourly:       No explicit hourly limit, but sending more than 10–20 friend requests per       hour can trigger a temporary block (e.g., 12–24 hours).
• Following:
  • You       can follow people without friending them, but the same anti-spam rules       apply.
  • Following       too many people quickly (e.g., 20–30 per hour or 100+ per day) may lead       to restrictions.
• Total      Friends Limit: 
  • Personal       profiles are capped at 5,000 friends.

Facebook Page

• Following:
  • Pages       don’t "follow" other accounts in the same way profiles do, but       you can invite people to like your Page.
  • Daily:       You can send 2,000–2,500 invitations per day, though this limit decreases       if many invites are ignored or marked as spam.
  • Hourly:       No strict hourly limit, but sending invites too quickly (e.g., 100+ per       hour) may trigger restrictions.
• Total      Followers: 
  • Pages       have no follower limit—anyone can like or follow your Page.

Groups

• Joining      Groups:
  • Daily:       You can join up to 25 groups per day.
  • Hourly:       Joining too many in a short time (e.g., 10+ per hour) may trigger a       temporary restriction.

Rules for Promoting a Cause

Personal Profile

• Rules:
  • Personal       profiles are intended for non-commercial use per Facebook’s Terms of       Service.
  • You       can promote a cause casually (e.g., “Support vets with 

@PatriotReliefAct

! Donate: [link https://patriotreliefact.com]”), but using your profile primarily for promotion (especially commercial purposes) can violate the rules.

• Sending       friend requests or following people solely to promote a cause can be       flagged as spam and lead to blocks.
• Best      Practices:
  • Share       occasional posts about your cause and use 

@mentions

and hashtags (e.g., #VeteranSupport, CombatVeteransSupport, ).

• Avoid       aggressive following or mass-messaging to promote your cause.

Facebook Page

• Rules:
  • Pages       are designed for promotion, making them ideal for a veteran cause.
  • Must       follow Facebook’s Community Standards (e.g., no hate speech,       misinformation) and Pages, Groups, and Events Policies.
  • Promotions       like fundraisers or giveaways must comply with specific guidelines (e.g.,       no requiring shares or tags as contest conditions).
• Best      Practices:
  • Invite       friends or followers to like your Page (up to 2,000–2,500 invites per       day).
  • Use       tools like boosted posts or ads to reach more people.
  • Avoid       inviting the same people repeatedly or targeting unrelated audiences, as       this can be flagged as spam.

Groups

• Rules:
  • Many       Groups have rules against self-promotion—check each Group’s guidelines       before posting.
  • Excessive       or off-topic promotion can lead to removal from the Group or a ban.
• Best      Practices:
  • Join       relevant Groups (e.g., “Veterans Support Community”) and share your cause       sparingly, only where permitted.
  • Engage       genuinely with Group members to build trust.

General Guidelines for Facebook

• Pace      Yourself:
  • Spread       out friend requests, follows, or Page invites over time (e.g., 10–20 per       hour, 50–100 per day) to avoid anti-spam filters.
• Engage      Authentically:
  • Follow       or friend accounts relevant to your cause (e.g., veteran organizations,       supporters) and interact with their content.
• Avoid      Automation:
  • Using       bots or third-party tools to send requests or invites violates Facebook’s       rules and can lead to suspension.
• Monitor      Restrictions:
  • If       you see a message like “We limit how often you can do certain things,”       wait out the block (typically 12 hours to a week) before resuming       activity.

Tips for Promoting a Veteran Cause on Facebook

• Personal      Profile: Share occasional updates (e.g., “I just volunteered with 

@PatriotReliefAct

—learn more: [link https://patriotreliefact.com https://patriotreliefact.com]”) and keep it authentic.

• Page:      Create a Page for your cause, invite friends to like it, and use tools      like boosted posts or events to promote it.
• Groups:      Join relevant Groups and share your message where allowed, engaging with      the community to build support.
• Stay      Compliant: Follow Facebook’s Community Standards and Terms of Service      to avoid penalties.
• Facebook:      Use a personal profile cautiously (10–20 friend requests per hour, up to      50–100 per day, 5,000 friend limit) or a Page for formal promotion      (2,000–2,500 invites per day). Join Groups (up to 25 per day) and follow      their rules
• Facebook:      Use a personal profile cautiously (10–20 friend requests per hour, up to      50–100 per day, 5,000 friend limit) or a Page for formal promotion      (2,000–2,500 invites per day). Join Groups (up to 25 per day) and follow      their rules.

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Instagram Cheat Sheet for Beginners

Getting Started

• Sign      Up: Go to Instagram.com or download the app. Use your email/phone and      a password to create an account.
• Profile:      Add a photo and a short bio (e.g., “Supporting veterans | Learn more: [link      https://patriotreliefact.com]”). Switch to a “Professional Account”      (Creator or Business) for extra tools if promoting a cause.
• Follow:      Search for friends, veteran organizations, or topics (e.g., “veterans”)      and tap “Follow” to see their posts.

Posting Basics

• Make      a Post: Tap the “+” button, choose a photo or video, add a caption      (e.g., “Support vets with 

@PatriotReliefActNow

! #PatriotReliefAct”), and tap “Share.”

• @      (Mention): Use 

@username

(e.g., 

@PatriotReliefActNow

) to tag someone—they’ll get a notification.

• #      (Hashtag): Use #topic (e.g., #PatriotReliefAct) to label your post and      help others find it (up to 30 hashtags, but 5–10 is best).

Promoting a Veteran Cause

• Write      Posts: Share photos or videos about the cause with a caption (e.g.,      “Helping vets get jobs 

@VetJobs

! Donate: [link https://patriotreliefact.com] #SupportOurVets”).

• Add      Link https://patriotreliefact.coms: Put a website https://patriotreliefact.com      in your bio (Instagram doesn’t allow clickable link      https://patriotreliefact.coms in captions).
• Use      Hashtags: Try #PatriotReliefAct, #ThankAVet, #Veterans to reach more      people.
• Engage:      Follow veteran accounts, like and comment on their posts, and reply to      comments on your posts.

Interacting

• Like:      Double-tap a post or tap the heart to like it.
• Comment:      Tap the speech bubble under a post to comment.
• Share:      Tap the paper airplane to send a post to someone via Direct Message (DM)      or add it to your Story.

Stories (Temporary Posts)

• Create      a Story: Tap your profile picture or the “+” button, take a      photo/video, add text or stickers, and tap “Your Story.” Stories last 24      hours.
• Promote:      Mention 

@username

or add a hashtag (e.g., #PatriotReliefAct) in your Story to spread the word.

Tips

• Keep      It Visual: Instagram is photo- and video-focused, so use clear,      compelling images or short videos.
• Stay      Safe: Go to “Settings > Privacy” and set your account to “Private”      if you only want approved followers to see your posts.
• Use      Reels: Try short, engaging videos (tap the “+” button, select “Reel”)      to promote your cause creatively.

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Instagram Rules for Promoting a Cause

General Rules

1. Follow      Community Guidelines:
   • No       hate speech, violence, harassment, or misinformation.
   • Avoid       graphic content (e.g., explicit images) unless it’s educational or       awareness-focused and complies with guidelines.
   • Respect       intellectual property—don’t use copyrighted material (e.g., photos,       music) without permission.

1. Be      Authentic:
   • Use       your real identity or a legitimate representation of your cause.       Instagram prohibits fake accounts or impersonation.
   • Don’t       use bots or automation tools to artificially boost likes, follows, or       engagement—this can lead to account suspension.

1. Content      Restrictions:
   • Avoid       promoting illegal activities, regulated goods (e.g., alcohol, tobacco,       firearms), or anything that violates Instagram’s policies.
   • Fundraising       or donation appeals are allowed, but they must be transparent and linked       to legitimate organizations (see Fundraising section below).

Promoting on a Personal Account vs. Professional Account

• Personal      Account:
  • You       can promote a cause casually (e.g., posting about a veteran organization       or sharing a donation link in your bio).
  • Instagram’s       Terms of Use state that personal accounts are for non-commercial use.       While raising awareness for a cause is generally fine, excessive       commercial activity (e.g., selling products or services) could violate       the rules unless you switch to a Professional Account.
• Professional      Account (Creator or Business):
  • Recommended       for formal promotion of a cause, especially if tied to an organization,       fundraising, or ongoing campaign.
  • Offers       tools like Insights (analytics), contact buttons, and the ability to run       ads.
  • To       switch: Go to “Settings > Account > Switch to Professional       Account,” choose “Creator” (for individuals) or “Business” (for       organizations), and set up your profile.

Posting and Engagement Rules

• Content:
  • Posts,       Stories, and Reels can include photos, videos, or text about your cause       (e.g., “Support vets with 

@PatriotReliefAct

! #VeteranSupport”).

• Links       aren’t clickable in captions, so place donation or website links in your       bio. For Stories, accounts with 10,000+ followers can add swipe-up links       (or use the “Link” sticker if available).
• Hashtags      and Mentions:
  • Use       relevant hashtags (e.g., #VeteranSupport, #ThankAVet) to increase       visibility (up to 30 per post, but 5–10 is optimal).
  • Mention       organizations or individuals (e.g., 

@PatriotReliefAct

) to notify them and build connections.

• Follow      Limits:
  • Instagram       doesn’t publish exact limits, but to avoid being flagged as spam:
    • Daily:        Follow/unfollow up to 150–200 accounts per day.
    • Hourly:        Limit actions to 20–30 follows/unfollows per hour.
    • Spread        out actions to avoid temporary blocks (e.g., “Action Blocked” messages).
  • Total       follow limit: 7,500 accounts. Once reached, you can’t follow more until       your follower count increases.
• Engagement      Limits:
  • Likes,       comments, and DMs: Around 300–500 total actions per day, with no more       than 50–60 per hour.
  • Avoid       repetitive or generic comments (e.g., “Nice post!”) to prevent being       flagged as spam.

Fundraising and Donations

• Donation      Stickers:
  • Available       in Stories and Live for eligible accounts (must be a registered nonprofit       or partnered with one).
  • To       use: Create a Story or go Live, add the “Donation” sticker, and choose a       nonprofit. Funds go directly to the organization.
• Personal      Fundraisers:
  • You       can create a personal fundraiser for a cause (e.g., “Raising money for       veteran housing”) via Instagram’s fundraising feature.
  • Must       comply with Instagram’s Personal Fundraiser Guidelines (e.g., no       misleading claims, funds must go to the stated purpose).
  • Go       to your profile, tap “+,” select “Fundraiser,” and follow the steps.
• External      Links:
  • You       can link to external donation pages (e.g., GoFundMe) in your bio. Avoid       posting donation links in captions or comments excessively, as this can       be flagged as spam.

Advertising Rules

• Paid      Promotion (Ads):
  • If       you want to run ads (e.g., boosted posts or Stories ads), switch to a       Professional Account and use Instagram’s Ads Manager (linked to a       Facebook account).
  • Ads       must follow Instagram’s Advertising Policies:
    • No        deceptive claims, illegal products, or discrimination.
    • Must        clearly disclose if it’s a paid promotion (e.g., “Paid partnership with 

@PatriotReliefAct

”).

• Great       for reaching a wider audience but requires a budget.

Anti-Spam Rules

• Avoid      Over-Promotion:
  • Don’t       post the same content repeatedly or flood followers with promotional       posts—this can lead to reduced visibility or account restrictions.
• No      Mass Messaging:
  • Sending       unsolicited DMs to promote your cause can violate Instagram’s rules and       lead to blocks.
• Respect      Engagement:
  • Don’t       ask followers to like, comment, or share as a condition for giveaways or       rewards unless it’s a formal contest compliant with Instagram’s Promotion       Guidelines.

Best Practices for Promoting a Veteran Cause

• Content:      Share compelling visuals (photos, videos) and stories about veterans or      the cause’s impact. For example, post a photo with a caption like:      “Helping vets find homes 

@PatriotReliefAct

#VeteranSupport.”

• Engage:      Follow veteran-related accounts, like and comment on their posts, and      respond to comments on your own posts.
• Use      Stories/Reels: Create short, engaging videos or Stories to raise      awareness (e.g., a 15-second Reel about a veteran’s story).
• Stay      Transparent: If fundraising, clearly state how funds will be used and      link to reputable organizations.
• Pace      Yourself: Follow and engage gradually to avoid hitting limits or being      flagged as spam.

Consequences of Breaking Rules

• Temporary      Blocks: Exceeding follow or engagement limits may result in temporary      restrictions (e.g., “Action Blocked” for a few hours to days).
• Content      Removal: Posts violating Community Guidelines may be removed.
• Account      Suspension: Repeated violations or severe breaches (e.g., using bots,      posting misinformation) can lead to temporary or permanent bans.

Tips for Success

• Start      with a personal account to get comfortable, then switch to a Professional      Account if your promotion grows.
• Focus      on quality engagement (e.g., meaningful comments, relevant follows) rather      than mass actions.
• Check      Instagram’s Help Center for the latest Community Guidelines and Terms of      Use to stay updated.