Awareness days on social media: which to use

Key takeaways

Awareness days on social media for business help only when the cause connects to what you do and you have something real to say or show. Most of the hundreds of 'national days' in the UK calendar are filler for a small firm. Pick two to six a year that fit your work, and use each to show what you actually do, not just to wish people a happy day.

• 2 to 6 awareness days a year are plenty for most small firms.
• Use a day only if it connects to your work or your people.
• Show action or expertise, not just a branded graphic.
• Check who runs the day before using its name.

Are awareness days worth posting about?

Some are. An awareness day is worth a post when the cause relates to your services or your people and you can add something useful, such as a gas engineer on Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week or a clinic during a relevant health week. It is not worth it when the only link is that the date exists, because followers can tell.

• How to build a monthly social media content calendar
• UK key dates to mark on a social media calendar

How do you choose which days to use?

Choose with three tests: does it connect to what we do, do we have something real to show or say, and would our buyers care? A day that passes all three earns a planned slot. Mark them on the annual view so they are not found the night before, and plan anything involving other people, such as a fundraiser, weeks ahead.

• An annual social media calendar on one page

How do you post without looking opportunistic?

Post about what you do, not about the hashtag. Share a practical tip, show what the team is doing, or point people to the organisation that runs the day. Avoid using a sensitive cause, such as a health condition or a remembrance date, to sell, and do not make claims of support you cannot back up.

• ASA rules for social media advertising in the UK

Should you join in with hashtag days?

Light-hearted hashtag days, such as a national day for a food or a pet, can work for consumer businesses with a natural link, such as a bakery on a cake day. For B2B firms and most services they add little. If one fits, use it in a people or behind-the-scenes slot rather than adding an extra post.

• Social media theme days: useful or filler?

When should you skip an awareness day?

Skip it when you have nothing to add, when a competitor's post would look identical, or when the cause is serious and your link is commercial. Silence is not a statement; a forced post can be. It is better to post on two days a year with real substance than on twenty with graphics.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a calendar built from a list of 50 awareness days, each with a branded graphic and a hashtag, and almost no engagement on any of them. Cutting to a few days linked to the business, with a real tip or story each time, usually draws more response from far fewer posts.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Awareness day checklist

• List the days that connect to your work or people.
• Keep two to six a year.
• Show action, expertise or a useful tip.
• Never use a sensitive cause to sell.
• Mark them on the annual view.

• UK key dates to mark on a social media calendar
• Bank holiday social media: post, pause or schedule?

Next step

Write down three awareness days that genuinely connect to what you do. If you cannot find three, use none, and spend those slots on posts about your work.