Social Media During Black History Month
Here's why your social channels should continue to feature Black stories after Black History Month ends: Three ways to be an ally all year round.
Creating content about Black History for the month of February is a great way for organizations and brands to show their support for the Black community. However, if the content stops after February 28, it can seem performative and fake. Here are 3 ways to continue to include highlighting content about Black and people of colour creators in your social media calendar all year round.
Show Black People In Your Content
When you’re creating your content, include Black and Brown faces in your photos and videos. This goes for all marginalized and underrepresented groups. According to Race to a Cure, “misrepresentation and a lack of diversity in media negatively impacts marginalized communities, including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled people, and women.” When you post positive images of Black individuals, you are helping normalize a more equitable view of our society.
Acknowledge Events That Impact The Black Community
It’s common for brands and businesses to stay neutral in situations online, but sometimes it can be necessary to speak out online and offline. During the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020, many people posted in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement by posting a statement or a black square to show their support.
Many questioned if the organizations behind the accounts would continue to show their support and allyship beyond posting a Black square. Just as representation matters, consistency is one of the biggest factors in successful marketing and building a strong relationship with an audience. If your audience sees a conscious effort to support persons of colour all year round, they will know that it is not performative.
Celebrate Black Achievements
A popular campaign as a part of Black History month is highlighting Black figures such as celebrities, athletes, activists, artists and local heroes. This is an awesome initiative and helps drive engagement especially when followers admire you. Celebrating Black figures can also be done throughout the year in the form of celebrating achievements, birthdays, anniversaries, or milestones. When you celebrate achievements that happen throughout the year, this is also another way of acknowledging events in the Black community. One way Innovate By Day celebrates achievements in the Black and POC community is by celebrating the wins of some of our friends in the film industry such as the Black Screen Office and The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
Highlighting Black creators and achievements doesn’t have to stop after February. Adding diverse content to your page can help you reach a new audience and stay in the know of what’s happening in different communities.
Need a little help with your content calendar? Innovate By Day offers excellent strategies on ways to enhance your social media presence and engagement within various audiences. Happy posting and content creation!
Selina McCallum is a Digital and Social Media Specialist working at Innovate By Day. She has previously worked with production companies and non-profit organizations in Black and BIPOC spaces.
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