Creator Brand, Content, and Distribution Guidelines (v1.0 · 2025–2026)
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Introduction: Growing Together
This document represents the first official version of Arm Your Friends’ creator guidelines.
As Arm Your Friends continues to grow and receive more attention from mainstream media and the public at large, it becomes increasingly important that we are aligned in how we show up online. Not because we want everyone to sound or look the same, but because consistency helps our message travel further and reach the people who need it most.
We are learning this together.
These guidelines are being rolled out as we shift toward collaborating primarily with creators who are part of our official Creator Program. This allows us to focus our energy on partners who are actively sharing the same free education guides, safety resources, and community defense tools that Arm Your Friends provides.
Right-wing gun culture and NRA-aligned organizations have massive budgets and institutional reach. We don’t have that advantage. What we do have is care, creativity, and a community willing to learn and adapt together. That means being thoughtful about how we use our limited attention and making small technical improvements that add up to real impact.
We always reserve the right to accept or decline collaboration requests based on quality and purpose, but the intent of this guide is transparency. We want expectations to be clear, fair, and collaborative as the creator network continues to grow.
Thank you for choosing to work with us. We’re genuinely excited to have you on the team.
Guide Overview
- Mission and Strategy Context
- Core Principles
- Platform Reality Check (2025–2026)
- Video Content Guidelines
- Static Post Guidelines
- Timing and Length Standards
- Authenticity Over Polish
- Platform-Specific Flexibility
- Collaboration and Creator Program
- Comment Section Care
- Required Attribution and Captions
- Closing Notes
1. Mission and Strategy Context
Arm Your Friends exists to make firearm education, safety, and community defense more accessible, especially to people historically excluded from gun culture.
Because we operate in a space where large, well-funded organizations dominate attention, it’s important that we use the tools available to us thoughtfully. These guidelines help us do that by reducing friction and making it easier for content to be seen, shared, and understood.
2. Core Principles
- Authenticity over polish
- Clarity over cleverness
- Consistency over volume
- Reach in service of impact
These are not rules so much as shared values that help our work travel further.
3. Platform Reality Check (2025–2026)
Social platforms are constantly evolving. Right now, they tend to favor:
- Native uploads
- Clear human presence
- Retention and replays
- Saves and shares
- Content that feels real and direct
Instagram’s Head of Product, Adam Mosseri, has shared that platforms are increasingly prioritizing authenticity over high-polish production. This aligns well with what many of you are already doing: speaking honestly, plainly, and from lived experience.
4. Video Content Guidelines
Reels and Story Posts
Recommended Format
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Vertical recording
- Full-frame video without borders
Helpful Practices
- Record directly in vertical when possible
- Keep yourself or the subject centered
- Prioritize clear audio
- Keep important visuals in the middle of the frame
These small details help videos feel natural in the feed.
5. Static Post Guidelines
Instagram Feed Posts
Recommended Format
- Aspect ratio: 4:5
- Resolution: 1080 x 1350
Safe Zone Reminder
- Keep text away from the top and bottom edges
- Assume the feed preview will crop
This helps make sure your message is readable at a glance.
6. Timing and Length Standards
These are general guidelines based on current platform behavior, not hard limits.
Gym and Training Content
- Around 15–20 seconds
- Movement-focused
- Quick pacing
Talking-to-Camera Content
- Under 55 seconds
- Get to the point early
- Natural delivery encouraged
Shorter content tends to hold attention better and gives your message a stronger chance to land.
7. Authenticity Over Polish
Perfection is not the goal.
- Phone footage is welcome
- Natural pauses are fine
- Honest emotion is encouraged
Some of the most effective content comes from people speaking plainly about what they know and care about.
8. Platform-Specific Flexibility
Instagram and TikTok
- More moderation and formatting constraints
- Keep visuals clean and captions focused
- Avoid explicit or graphic content
- More flexibility in tone and language
- Room for raw commentary and political framing
- Still grounded in our shared values
Each platform has its own culture. These guidelines are meant to help you adapt without losing your voice.
9. Collaboration and Creator Program
As we grow, we’re focusing collaborations on creators who are part of the official Arm Your Friends Creator Program.
The goal of this network is simple: to amplify shared educational resources and help those tools reach more people through trusted voices.
There are currently 16 creators in our active cohort, and we expect that number to evolve over time as the program grows.
10. Comment Section Care (Optional)
We encourage creators to treat comment sections as part of community care.
- Blocking bad-faith actors is okay
- You don’t owe trolls a response
- Protecting positive voices helps conversations stay constructive
A well-cared-for comment section makes people more likely to engage thoughtfully.
11. Required Attribution and Captions
To keep things clear for audiences and to support creators, please include:
- @armyourfriends tagged
- A note that you’re part of the creator community
- A reminder that using your code supports both you and the mission
Example Closing Line
Proud member of the @armyourfriends creator community.
Supporting the mission also supports my work.
12. Closing Notes
These guidelines are a starting point, not a finish line.
As Arm Your Friends grows, gets more visibility, and reaches new audiences, we’ll continue refining how we show up together. Your feedback, experimentation, and lived experience are part of that process.
Thank you for trusting us, for lending your voice, and for helping build something thoughtful and lasting. We’re grateful to be learning alongside you, and we’re excited about where this team can go together.