I love gin, and I want to promote and protect it, but sometimes it all feels like it’s become a little bit serious. So I’ve come up with a fun idea that I hope will encourage collaboration, communication and creativity. The idea is a social media challenge called #GinADayMay and I really hope you’ll all join in!

What is #GinADayMay?

#GinADayMay is a 31-day social media challenge set by me (Sarah of Gin A Ding Ding) that will run throughout May 2019 (and, hopefully, every following year too). The idea isn’t (necessarily!) to ransack the drinks cabinet, but rather to share what you love about gin, and which gins you love, every day in May using my daily prompt to inspire you.

Why should you take part?

To have fun! Although there are other reasons too. If you’re running out of ideas or content, then joining a social media challenge such as this one can offer inspiration and can also help you get into the habit of posting regularly. It’s also a great way to find new accounts to follow and will hopefully win you some new followers of your own as well. Adding the #GinADayMay hashtag to your posts means your picture will automatically show up in Instagram and Twitter’s Recent/Latest feed for that hashtag, or perhaps even their Top posts, which means more people will see your pictures too.

How do you take part?

To join in with #GinADayMay, all you need to do is post a picture, or video, on your Instagram and/or Twitter account that relates to the daily theme and include the hashtag #GinADayMay. The image above shows the daily prompts (with weekends highlighted in yellow). It’s a good idea to include the prompt in your post for anyone who isn’t following the challenge too closely, but it’s not essential. It’s up to you when and how you take part; you don’t have to post everyday and you don’t have to worry if you miss a day here and there.

The most important thing is to be creative. Take day 5 for example: Pink. You could take a picture of a pink gin. Or a pink label. Or a pink cocktail. Or a pink gin bell! Your post is more likely to stand out if you try something a little bit different, so think outside the box. And don’t forget to look at other people’s posts too and comment on the ones you like; it all helps build and support both your profile and our gin community online.

What next?

The challenge starts on 1 May but it’s never too early to start planning your content. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for regular reminders if you want to (but you certainly don’t have to follow me to take part). And remember, the more people who join in, the more fun it will be, so tell your friends, share the prompts, follow the hashtag, and watch out for my retweets and recaps to see if your pics made it into my favourites! And, of course, as always, please drink responsibly.