Local businesses are being urged to flood social media with praise for their products, workplaces and staff.

On Thursday 14 July, people in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton are being encouraged by the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership to tweet using the hashtag #MadeInTheBlackCountry, along with photos to show the diversity and strength of what the region has to offer. The aim is to outstrip last year’s figures, which saw almost 1000 tweets issued by over 300 businesses reaching over half a million people.

The online campaign is part of Black Country Day, which tweets as @officialBCday. It’s hoped that the event will harness the power of Twitter to grab attention and generate interest, spreading the word about the Black Country as a world class centre for manufacturing and engineering, a hub of collaborative research and development opportunities, and the home of the UK’s most successful Enterprise Zone.

The date has its roots in the region’s industrial heritage – 14 July is the anniversary of the invention of the world’s first steam engine, the Newcomen Engine, built in the Black Country in 1712. As well as the Twitter campaign, this year’s celebrations include the Black Country Festival taking place throughout July and an early evening networking event for businesses organised by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Black Country Growth Hub.

Think Sandwell will be joining in to tweet the praises of Black Country business on 14 July. Please get in touch if you’d like us to give your company or coworker a shout out. For further details on the LEP’s social media campaign, please check out their website or contact the marketing team on 01384 471163.