Storm Emma and the so-called ‘beast from the east’ have been wreaking havoc across the UK and our timelines. Whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, there has been no escaping the images and posts about snow.  But how can businesses get involved with trending conversations like these?

By Sara-Anne Mills-Bricknell, account executive

Does your business use platforms like Twitter solely to share promotional content? While this is ok and one of the easiest ways to ‘network’ online, it’s important to also consider the social element of these channels too.

This doesn’t mean your company has to share updates on the events of the last office party or what everyone is having for lunch. Instead, businesses should find ways of participating in real-time discussions that go beyond promoting the company.

You may be wondering how this is possible, especially if you pre-schedule all of your social media updates. While you can’t predict the weather forecast a month in advance — especially not in the UK — there are other ways of sharing more personable posts.

To do this, companies can strategically plan their online content and campaigns around upcoming events and international days. Joining the conversation will create opportunities for engagement with new and existing followers and also make the content shared on your feed feel, ironically, less automated.

No matter your company’s area of expertise, there will always be something in the pipeline for you to jump on the bandwagon with.  In fact, this month we have Mothering Sunday and Good Friday, but if you’re looking for topics that are more relatable to your business there’s also International Women’s Day and National Careers Week (NWC).

These are just two examples where your company can join the conversation by demonstrating support and remaining topical.

For more advice on how to start a conversation online and maximise your company’s engagement on social media, get in touch with us at Stone Junction. You can call us on 01785 225 416 or e-mail sara-anne@stonejunction.co.uk.