First things first: this is not going to be a ‘woke rant.’ Being aware of long-standing biases and their effects on groups today is extremely important and we should all look for ways to make our workplaces more inclusive.
BUT….
Do you really need to design, approve and schedule a post with the sole purpose of reminding your followers that it’s Martin Luther King, Jr. day? Or Earth Day? Or whatever day?
To me, this is simply lazy value-signaling.
Make it real, not easy
Instead of simply posting a graphic about MLK, Jr. day, how about you interview some employees on what the day means to them and share that, instead? For example, you could ask employees what one of Dr. King’s most memorable quotes means to them and record those responses.
This is much more work than simply creating a static image post, but it’s also much more valuable. “The time is always right to do what is right” is my favorite message from Dr. King. Notice he didn’t say to do “what is easy.”
Be genuine and unique
Here’s the thing about the generic “It’s X Day” posts: every other lazy corporate marketer does them, too. So your followers’ news feeds are filled with trite, meaningless value-signally static images all telling them the exact same thing about you: “I want to look like I care a great deal about this event, but I’m not going to go out of my way to make it meaningful.”
Be a leader, not a signal-sender
If a day is worth setting aside to remember a great person or a great cause, it’s worth spending some extra effort to acknowledge it. Challenge your marketing team to put some heart into recognizing MLK, Jr. Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving and more. You’ll be leading the way to greater emotional engagement and respect from your audience.
McGregorWorks 