samhsa.gov/prevention-week

When promoting your National Prevention Week events and activities, it is vital to 

maximize your efforts by regularly engaging with your intended audience.

Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, and other digital media platforms, as well as email 

marketing, can help you reach a larger audience quickly at minimal or no cost. If your group or organization has social 

media accounts, then it is likely that you are already using them to promote your work.

WHEN CONSIDERING WHICH DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS TO USE, THERE ARE THREE KEY 

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1. Target Audience Who is your target audience(s)? Where are they most represented online and on social media? 

Where do they get their information?

2. Objectives and Purpose. What is the purpose of your online activities? How will your social media messages and 

content support your larger social marketing/communications strategy? What is the action that you want your 

engaged audiences to take?

3. Process and Resources. What resources do you have to devote to your social and digital media strategy? Consider 

potential writers, graphic designers, social media publishers, and community managers. Who needs to review 

and approve copy? Do you have someone who can respond quickly to time-sensitive posts on your social media 

accounts? Take a look at your marketing budget to see if you can invest in social media advertisements. A little bit 

can go a long way! How will you evaluate your efforts?

HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO GET STARTED WITH PLANNING PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Invest the time in developing strong promotional content (e.g., brief messages, graphics, or videos).

• Manage a social media editorial content calendar to maintain active and engaged accounts.

• Respond to and engage with comments accordingly.

• Ask staff members or volunteers who have personal accounts to help promote the activities and events 

through their personal profiles.

The following is a list of commonly used social media networks and digital outreach channels, their best-use 

scenarios, and complementary app suggestions based on general trends and insights.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM 

OVERVIEW AND TIPS
samhsa.gov/prevention-week

Facebook

Facebook remains one of the most widely used social media sites among adults in the U.S., with about 

seven in 10 adults using the platform. Users range in age; however, more than two-thirds of people 

age 50 and older use the platform.1 If your organization has a Facebook Business page, you can share 

organizational information and events with followers.

Facebook is best used for news and announcements, event highlights, 

photos or albums, online conversations among communities and directly 

with organizations, online event groups, links to relevant articles or blog 

posts, and videos.

Create a Facebook event page for your event and send invitations to your 

network, as well as to your current and potential partners. Once an event 

page is created, you can update the details on a regular basis and people 

can share the event with others to spread the word to their own networks. 

You should also share the event page directly on your organization’s 

Business page.

The Facebook Live feature allows you to broadcast video in real time, so your 

followers can watch and/or interact with you. It is great for special events 

and announcements, behind-the-scenes looks, and personalized video updates.

Another great way to leverage the Facebook Live feature is to hold a live Q&A and have viewers submit questions 

directly within the live feed. You can then answer questions in real time. Live videos can be archived for additional 

views after the event. For more information, go to facebook.com/formedia/solutions/facebook-live.

Lastly, the Facebook Stories feature allows you to use a slideshow format to post photos and videos, which will 

disappear after 24 hours.

Instagram

The third most-used social media platform in the U.S., used by 37 percent of adult internet users, 

Instagram skews significantly toward younger adults (ages 18 to 29). Women tend to use Instagram 

more than men.

Instagram is a visually oriented, highly engaged social media platform where you can upload, caption, 

and tag images and short videos using hashtags to help promote your organization and your National 

Prevention Week plans.

Similar to Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories allow you to post photos and videos in a slideshow format that 

disappears after 24 hours. You can add graphics, text, music, GIFs, geotags, and hashtags to all images and videos 

to enhance them for your audience. Instagram Stories are meant to be casual. Use the successive video feature to 

tell full-length stories and show events or ideas as they unfold. This is a great place to tease the planning of your event 

and show behind-the-scenes shots during the event.

1Audience data sourced from the Pew Research Center. You can find more demographic data for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social 

networks at Pew’s website: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-ismostly-unchanged-since-2018/ and https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Use Facebook’s own builtin scheduler to schedule 

posts ahead of time. Use 

its built-in Insights feature 

to explore analytics 

information for your posts.

TIP

NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK TIP

Create a Facebook event page for your event and send invitations to your network, as well 

as to your current and potential partners. Also, share the link on your event page on other 

social media platforms and with your partners to share on their social media channels.
samhsa.gov/prevention-week

If you want your story content to last longer than 24 hours, 

consider creating a Highlight. Highlights let you spotlight 

sets of Instagram Stories on your profile page. When users 

tap a specific Highlight icon, they are able to see each story 

within that Highlight. A major benefit of Highlights is that 

they last forever, not just 24 hours. So, if you have important 

information—like phone numbers for crisis lines—this 

information will be readily available to your followers at all 

times. You may even want to have a Highlight dedicated to 

your National Prevention Week work.

To expand your reach to those who are not your followers, 

there is Instagram Reels. This means that whether you have 

a large audience or not, your content can be discovered by 

a wider community. IInstagram Reels lets you produce and 

upload videos that can include multiple video clips and/or 

photos. You can create your reels one at a time, all at once, or by uploading clips from your phone gallery.

If you want to post a video longer than 90-seconds, you can post a video. Video posts and Reels differ in that videos 

are longer and do not have the same editing functionality as reels. Videos can be up to 60 minutes long, but it is 

recommended that your video be no longer than 3 minutes.

X (Twitter)

X, formerly known as Twitter, is used by 22 

percent of all U.S. adult internet users. Internet 

users in urban areas are much more likely to use X than 

users in suburban or rural areas. Unlike Facebook and 

Instagram, more men than women use X.

This platform allows for easy updates and informationsharing in 280 characters or less. Because you can only 

include a limited number of characters in each post, focus 

on a call and events. Note that photos and videos no longer 

count toward character limits, which allows you to share 

more promotional content. Post information and frequent 

updates about your event, and link to your organization or 

group’s website to provide followers with more information. 

Remember to include your promotional hashtag at the end of your posts about your National Prevention Week event 

and be sure to include the hashtag #NationalPreventionWeek24. Also, do not forget to follow local leaders and 

community influencers to thoughtfully bring them into the conversation.

When on mobile, you can easily discover 

popular hashtags to consider putting in your 

post. Start writing a hashtag with the “#” sign, 

and a drop-down menu with possible hashtags 

and their number of occurrences will appear. 

On Instagram, use a few hashtags that are 

trending and relevant to your post.

TIP

Keep in mind that links account for 23 

characters of the post. However, the best 

X profiles don’t just share links; they begin 

conversations, interact with users, 

and have a personal tone behind the account. 

Find a relevant hashtag that has gained 

some traction so you can be part of the 

larger conversation, as well as gain some 

new followers.

TIP

NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK TIP

Be sure to create a “save the date” graphic that you can share in both your Stories and on your 

profile. Consider creating a Highlight to house all the information that you share in Stories leading 

up to your event. That way, your followers can access all your event information in one place.
samhsa.gov/prevention-week

NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK TIP

Pin information related to your National Prevention Week event to the top of your profile. This 

way, it is the first thing that visitors see when they view your profile.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a mobile-first, on-the-go social media 

community and boasts strong daily engagement among 

young adults (ages 18 to 24). Snapchat is the only platform 

used equally by men and women.

Snapchat is best used for one-way conversations. Though you can snap 

with other users, for brands and organizations, it’s best to keep your 

communication limited to your one-way story. This is a great way to show 

behind-the-scenes views of your event or meeting, as well as incorporate 

storytelling. All of your Snapchat friends will be able to see snaps you post 

to your “story.” Stories have a lifespan of 24 hours, and there are no limits 

on how many times they can be viewed in that period, but the best time to 

post is whenever the content you’re recording is happening!

Snapchat Memories now allow you to save stories in the cloud or your 

phone and to share photos and videos taken any time in the past if they 

have been saved on your phone.

Snapchat allows users to add captions, drawings, and filters to their photos and videos to your snaps. Have fun and 

play around with the various filters and speeds that Snapchat provides to appeal to different audiences. Unlike other 

social media, using a designated hashtag for your event in your caption is not as vital.

YouTube

YouTube is the world’s second largest search 

engine. YouTube can be used in creative ways 

to share information about your group or 

organization, your work in the community, or your upcoming 

National Prevention Week plans. Once you have a YouTube 

channel, you can create promotional videos, testimonials 

about your group or organization, or highlights of your event 

footage (in the preparation stages or post-event). Whether 

your video is promotional, informative, or educational, it 

should include information about your upcoming event and 

encourage others to take action to prevent substance misuse 

and promote mental health.

You can also create a YouTube Short! Much like Instagram 

Reels and TikTok, Shorts is the place to give your audience 

short, snappy, and easily digestible content. These videos 

are presented in a vertical format and have a maximum 

length of 60 seconds. YouTube videos can be shared on 

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram via the direct link to the 

video on YouTube.

The best Snapchat Stories 

let us peer into a part 

of someone’s life or an 

organization’s process 

that isn’t normally 

showcased, all while 

telling a good story. Using 

geotags for a live event 

can help increase visibility.

TIP

Include relevant tags and links in your YouTube 

description as a way to pull in audiences who 

are interested in learning more. There is no 

limit to the number of tags you can use! Be 

sure to add concise descriptions to your videos 

so viewers will know quickly whether or not 

the video content is indeed what they are 

looking for. The descriptions also contribute 

to discoverability in both YouTube and Google 

searches. (Remember, Google owns YouTube!)

TIP
samhsa.gov/prevention-week

NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK TIP

Be sure to include #NationalPreventionWeek24, #MyPreventionStory, and #SAMHSA tags so 

your videos appear in all searches related to National Prevention Week 2024.

Hashtags

Using hashtags (#) on any social media network can connect posts for your target audience, while also connecting 

them to an even larger audience having conversations around the same hashtag and topic. Using a hashtag can bring 

more eyes to your post, and potentially more attendees to your event.

Prior to beginning social media promotion, create a hashtag specific to your National Prevention Week event. Use 

your event name, a key phrase, or your theme for the year, and consistently include the hashtag at the end of your 

posts about the event. You can also include the National Prevention Week hashtag (#NationalPreventionWeek24) 

to share information about your event, which will bring your event into the national conversation about National 

Prevention Week.

You can also get involved in the online prevention conversation by sharing your own prevention story, or why 

prevention is important to you, by including the My Prevention Story hashtag (#MyPreventionStory) in your social 

media posts throughout the year.

Timing Your Posts

For events, begin posting about your National Prevention Week plans on social media platforms as soon as you 

confirm a date and location; the most effective way to do this is with a “save the date” graphic. As planning 

progresses, post more details to generate buzz about your event, including creating a Facebook event. In the two 

months leading up to your event, post about your event on a weekly basis, and in the final week, post daily reminders. 

Consider asking partner organizations and sponsors to post reminders on their social media profiles, as well during 

the final week before your event.

Social Media Channels Overview

FACEBOOK

Platform: Social networking

Types of Posts: In-feed 

and temporary

Multimedia: Photos, 

graphics, gifs

Types of Video: Short and 

long form

Features: Facebook Live, 

Events, Polls

SNAPCHAT

Platform: Multimedia instant 

messaging

Types of Posts: Temporary

Multimedia: Photos, 

graphics, gifs

Types of Video: Short form

Features: Live Video, Polls, 

Ask a Question, Quizzes

INSTAGRAM

Platform: Photo/ video sharing

Types of Posts: In-feed 

and temporary

Multimedia: Photos, 

graphics, gifs

Types of Video: Short and 

long form

Features: Instagram Live, Polls, 

Ask a Question, Quizzes
samhsa.gov/prevention-week

X/TWITTER

Platform: Social networking

Types of Posts: In-feed

Multimedia: Photos, 

graphics, gifs

Types of Video: Short form

Features: X Spaces

YOUTUBE

Platform: Video sharing

Types of Posts: In-feed 

Types of Video: Long and 

short form

Features: Live Video, 

YouTube Premiers