Every June, social media suddenly becomes a lot more colourful.
Company logos turn rainbow overnight, brands post lengthy messages about inclusivity, and limited-edition Pride products appear everywhere you look. Then, almost as quickly as they arrived, they normally disappear again in July.
For LGBTQ+ people, this cycle has become painfully predictable.
Showing support for the queer community during Pride Month is always a good thing, but problems can arise when that support feels temporary or performative.
Audiences are becoming increasingly good at spotting when companies only engage with queer communities for 30 days of the year, rather than supporting them all year round.
And thanks to social media, people are more than willing to call it out.
Read on to find out more about how you can support the LGBTQ+ community all year round, not just in Pride Month.
“Rainbow Capitalism” content can feel inconsistent and inauthentic
If your firm suddenly starts posting about LGBTQ+ rights throughout June but never mentions queer people or relationships during the other 11 months of the year, clients might notice.
This is especially true on social media, where every post builds a picture of what your company stands for.
Beyond public backlash, performative content can also quietly damage potential clients’ trust.
Social media users are constantly assessing whether content feels genuine. And in professions like financial services – where trust and relationships are already incredibly important – authenticity matters even more.
So, what does year-round support actually look like?
Your LinkedIn feed doesn’t need to suddenly become political or radically different from your usual content.
However, it is worth thinking about whether your online presence reflects the clients and communities you want to work with.
If you’re unsure how to implement this, you might want to try:
- 1. Supporting your queer colleagues
Before posting about how much you support the queer community online, it’s important to make sure that this is true inside your office, too.
It might be worth assessing your internal communications and policies to make sure that your employees or colleagues are comfortable.
A few simple steps you could take to create a safe space at work include:
- Implementing strict anti-discriminatory policies
- Adding your pronouns to your email signature and inviting others to do the same (without making it mandatory)
- Offering a gender-neutral bathroom on site
- Using inclusive language in company documents.
Another way to show support is by consistently referencing the queer community in your normal content.
It doesn’t have to be every post. However, the occasional image featuring a gender non-conforming person or same-sex couple, or a post discussing financial planning advice for civil partnerships as well as married couples, could go a long way.
- Carefully considering the language you use
A shift to using inclusive language could help you show that your firm supports the LGBTQ+ community year-round without overhauling all your content.
For example, you could make these simple switches:
- “He or she” could occasionally become “they”
- “Husband / wife” could become “spouse / partner”
- When talking about couples’ financial planning, you could also mention civil partnerships and unmarried partners.
- Sharing content from queer creators or organisations you value
One way to show that you genuinely support LGBTQ+ people is by directly engaging with the community.
Many LGBTQ+ charities and creators provide information that you could implement in your workplace or share with clients who might benefit from it, such as Stonewall’s Proud Employers programme.
You could even nominate an LGBTQ+ organisation as your firm’s charity or take part in a fundraising activity to show that you’re committed to making real change.
Social media audiences value consistency over perfection
One of the reasons businesses struggle with conversations around inclusivity online is because they’re afraid of making mistakes.
Most audiences aren’t expecting perfection. What they’re usually looking for is sincerity, consistency, and a willingness to treat people with respect.
A rainbow logo might briefly attract attention. But long-term trust is built through consistent actions, thoughtful content, and making people feel genuinely welcome, both online and in person.
We can help you create social media content that feels authentic
Building a strong online presence should be about creating content that reflects your values, encourages trust with your audience, and feels genuine to the people reading it.
We can help you create a social media strategy that feels authentic year-round – not just during June.
Get in touch today at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk to find out more about how we can help.
