It’s starting to feel like fall outside as we enter October and while the leaves may be beginning to fall, we’ve stepped up with yet another calendar of social media holidays and observances for brands and businesses. October is about so much more than “spooky season” and the pumpkin spice-ification of every coffee drink because there is a veritable cornucopia of holidays for brands and businesses to observe regardless of their industry. Your old pals at Nuera Marketing have done the legwork and not only compiled a comprehensive list of October social media holidays for businesses, but we’ve also included helpful context for each day (plus a few jokes for maximum yuks) as well as links for you to share with your followers!
Now let’s carve into this list of October social media holidays for businesses like it’s a Jack-O-Lantern we told our kids we’d make look amazing before realizing just how long it would take!
Monthly Social Media Observances in October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Did you know that 360,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024? To show your support for those battling this horrible disease, consider sharing a photo of your team wearing pink to the office. As with any observance like this, it always helps to share a link with your audience to let them know how they can get involved and you can find that link here. #BreastCancerAwareness
Financial Planning Month
This is a month tailor-made for financial planners and institutions to share tips with their audience on how to best plan their financial future. We’ll be taking advantage of this day for our clients at Riverplace Capital by sharing tips and strategies to help folks manage their finances during a period when the markets are especially tumultuous. #FinancialPlanningMonth
National Dessert Month
Helping your audience indulge in their sweet tooth is a great way to generate engagement for your restaurant. Use this month to introduce new desserts and to share the best photos of the desserts on your menu so that your audience is salivating for something sweet after their meal! #NationalDessertMonth
National Pizza Month
In a world where people disagree about just about everything, pizza serves as the great unifier because we can all agree that people who dislike pizza (with the exception of the lactose intolerant) are a fairly disreputable group. This month serves as a great opportunity to offer discounts on the pizza you have on your menu and when done right, your posts will really…deliver? Our president, Joe Sampson, doesn’t edit these before they go out but if he did you can rest assured that the self-proclaimed “Emojist with the Mostest” (he doesn’t call himself that) would say that the perfect topping for your pizza post would be this emoji:🍕. #NationalPizzaMonth
Vegetarian Month
This entire month can be used to celebrate not only the health benefits of going vegetarian but also by offering promotions and discounts on vegetarian meals. Even if you serve meat on your menu, be sure to make your post as appealing as possible to vegetarians because they can be an evangelical audience when a business shows how much they appreciate them. Here’s a great list of the benefits of going vegetarian from Harvard Health. #VegetarianMonth
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
No person should have to experience the trauma of domestic violence and yet it is sadly a common occurrence. Victims of domestic violence often feel like they have nowhere to turn so it’s important for your business to show your support and to provide resources like this to let them know that they have options. #DVAM2004
“Spooky Season”
True story: my wife will not watch horror films any other month of the year unless it’s during what she calls “spooky season.” It makes little sense to me but there seems to be a general consensus that the latter part of October is the best time to truly embrace Halloween so consider updating your profile imagery to have a vaguely “spooky” feeling and maybe even go so far as to add design flourishes to appropriate images so that they’re more applicable to the season. #SpookySeason
October 2024 Social Media Holidays
OCT 01
National Sunset Day
If someone were to ask us what kind of content was virtually guaranteed to generate engagements for brands and businesses, then we’d answer “babies, pets, and sunsets.” People love a great sunset photo and businesses can highlight their physical location with a beautiful sunset in the background while also encouraging their audience to share their own amazing sunset pics! #NationalSunsetDay
International Coffee Day
Every office has a person who can’t function without a cup of coffee (points at self) and today is a good day for businesses to showcase that person. If you run a coffee shop then today is a great day to offer discounts and advertise them to new audiences who may have never visited your location before! #InternationalCoffeeDay
OCT 02
Rosh Hoshana
Rosh Hoshana marks the first day of the Jewish New Year, and you can wish your audience a happy Rosh Hoshana with either a designed graphic or a photo of your team. You can also share some information about Rosh Hoshana from entities like My Jewish Learning. #RoshHoshana
OCT 03
Mean Girls Day
The movie Mean Girls has really taken on a life of its own since the movie was released and this is a surprisingly huge day on social media. The folks in your audience who love the movie (and there will be many) will appreciate the recognition of this day and you can really make a “fetch” post by incorporating some of the ideas found here. #MeanGirlsDay
National Boyfriend Day
Boyfriends tend to like very specific things, so if you sell products that appeal to younger males then today is a great day to offer a discount. A particularly daring brand or business could even flip this and acknowledge that while it’s National Boyfriend Day, the long-suffering girlfriends deserve more so the discounts apply solely to them. #NationalBoyfriendDay
OCT 04
World Smile Day
This day really has teeth for dentists who can use it to show off the smiling faces of happy customers (preferably with text from a five-star review)! #WorldSmileDay
National Taco Day
It almost seems a shame that this doesn’t fall on a Tuesday but the taco faithful are rabid and you should use this day to offer discounts on your very best tacos! #NationalTacoDay
National Trucker Day
This day is especially relevant for those in the logistics industry who rely so much on the hard work of truckers. Show off photos of some of your best truckers and express appreciation for the long hauls they embark upon! #NationalTruckerDay
OCT 05
World Teachers’ Day
Teachers are often unsung heroes but they don’t have to be on this day! We’ve actually had our own clients across multiple industries share stories about their favorite teachers on this day, so any business can express their admiration for educators today! Also, this is a great resource for other ways to celebrate teachers. #WorldTeachersDay
OCT 06
National Noodle Day
Let’s take a minute to noodle on the versatility of the noodle. It’s great in pasta, it’s filling and it’s a staple of Asian cuisine. Today is the day to celebrate the noodle in all its glory by offering specials on noodle-based dishes if you own a restaurant! #NationalNoodleDay
OCT 07
National Child Health Day
Children are precious and we should go to great lengths to keep them in good health. Today represents a great day for medical professionals or child service providers to offer lists of ways to maintain good child health like this one from Pedia Trust. #NationalChildHealthDay
OCT 08
National Heroes Day
Superman may get all the press but there are everyday heroes who deserve to be recognized on your social media feeds. One idea would be to have everyone on your team share who their hero is and why and then ask your audience to comment with a description of their own heroes! #NationalHeroesDay
OCT 09
Emergency Nurses Day
Emergency nurses are on the front lines of saving lives and they should be celebrated all year long. They do get a special day today so hospitals and medical facilities should use the day to express their appreciation for the emergency nurses that do such heroic work. #EmergencyNurses
OCT 10
World Mental Health Day
It’s been a rough couple of years for many people and their mental health may be struggling during election season. Today is a terrific opportunity for people in the mental health field to share some tips on how to manage stress like this list from Mayo Clinic. #WorldMentalHealthDay
OCT 11
World Egg Day
As the saying goes, you never skip Egg Day! Breakfast restaurants should make it a point to discount some of their best egg-based dishes today or even offer recipes for something like the best frittatas like this one from Love and Lemons. #WorldEggDay
National Spread Joy Day
There is a lot of negativity on peoples’ social media feeds this time of year and this day gives you the opportunity to inject a little joy into their lives. The world is truly your oyster as far as content is concerned but just be sure to affect a happy tone and to post things that bring joy into others’ lives. #NationalSpreadJoyDay
OCT 12
National Savings Day
If you were to ask my wife then she would tell you I have never observed this day since we met. Well, financial institutions of the world, today is the day to get people like me back on track by offering great tips on how best to save money like this one from Better Money Habits. #NationalSavingsDay
OCT 13
Navy Birthday
The United States Navy was founded on this day in 1775 and businesses can use this day to highlight employees who served and to express appreciation to everyone else who put themselves on the line for the Navy. #NavyBirthday
Breast Cancer Awareness Day
The entire month of October is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness but this is the specific day to really go all out and share photos of your team wearing pink. Maybe even consider changing your profile photo to the pink ribbon for a day? Here are some resources you can utilize on your social media feeds today. #BreastCancerAwarenessDay
OCT 14
Columbus Day
Columbus’ reputation has taken a bit of a hit over the years and posting about it might not be the best move. If you ARE closed on this day then be sure to post about your updated hours! #ColumbusDay
OCT 15
Pharmacy Technician Day
Pharmacists work in a fairly high-pressure environment that requires dealing with customers who can be less than cordial. Today is a day for pharmacies around the world to celebrate their pharmacy techs on social media! #PharmacyTechnicianDay
OCT 16
National Boss’s Day
Today is a day to celebrate the folks at the top of your organization! We’ve done this with a number of our clients but it’s always a good idea to show appreciation for the boss of a company and also to let your audience know who’s calling the shots! Speaking of which, have we mentioned that we find Joe Sampson to be totally brilliant? #NationalBossDay
World Food Day
Food scarcity is an issue all over the world and today is a great opportunity for your brand or business to donate to food shelters across the country. Here’s a list of food banks by area code that you can share with your audience to encourage them to do the same. #WorldFoodDay
OCT 17
National Pasta Day
Don’t let Olive Garden have all the fun today! If you have pasta on your menu then be sure to highlight it along with discounts on social media today! #NationalPastaDay
OCT 18
National Necktie Day
You can really put the “win” in Windsor knot on your social media feeds today by showing off some of your most chic neckties and by offering a discount to the sartorially inclined! #NationalNecktieDay
OCT 19
Sweetest Day
It’s rare that a social media holiday gives you carte blanche to bring joy to your audience with very little context and October has TWO of those days! Sweetest Day just asks you to share something sweet that will bring a little lightness to the feed of your audience. If you can tie it into your business, even better! #SweetestDay
OCT 20
International Chef Day
Yes chef, indeed! These culinary wizards conjure up delicious food in the kitchen each and every day and restaurants should use today to introduce their audience to the brains behind all their amazing cuisine! #InternationalChefDay
OCT 21
National Reptile Day
You can really tip the scales (see what we did there?) in your favor today if you own a pet store by sharing fun facts about reptiles like this list from ThoughtCo. #NationalReptileDay
OCT 22
National Color Day
As much as your intrepid author would like to tell himself that the secret to a great social media post is the caption itself, it’s really all about the visuals. National Color Day is a day to make vibrant color explode off your audience’s feed whether that’s by showcasing colorful products or artwork around the office! #NationalColorDay
OCT 23
National Paralegal Day
The lawyers may be the subject of all those David E. Kelley shows but it’s the paralegals that often do the grunt work behind the scenes. Law firms should use this day to shine a light on their paralegals and all of their hard work! #NationalParalegalDay
OCT 24
National Food Day
Today is a day to toast the delicious meals made all over the country. Restaurants can offer specials today but they can also consider offering easy-to-make meal recipes like these from All Recipes. #NationalFoodDay
OCT 25
Global Champagne Day
Cheers to a great grape creating a celebratory beverage! Pop those corks on your social media posts to celebrate a great team win or if you sell champagne, consider offering tastings or discounts! #GlobalChampagneDay
International Artist Day
Creativity is a magical thing and today we celebrate the artists who bring life to their work! Consider sharing some of your favorite artwork, highlighting one of your designers, or asking your audience to share some of their favorite artists today! #InternationalArtistDay
OCT 26
Make a Difference Day
The smallest gestures can make a huge impact in the lives of others so consider using your social media platforms to encourage and incentivize your audience to make a difference somehow. Highlight someone on your team who always goes the extra mile and then ask your audience to nominate someone they know who does the same! #MakeADifferenceDay
OCT 27
National American Beer Day
Import shmimport, today we tip back the domestics with pride! This day presents a nice opportunity for bars and restaurants to showcase some of their best craft beers made in America by offering discounts! Today also happens to be National Mother-in-Law Day and we can’t think of a better reason to start drinking (this doesn’t apply to you, Mary–you’re the best!). #NationalAmericanBeerDay
OCT 28
National First Responders Day
First responders are true heroes and businesses can use today to offer discounts to first responders on anything that they sell to show their appreciation! #NationalFirstRespondersDay
OCT 29
National Cat Day
If you’re curious (not unlike a cat) then photos of cats are basically like manna from heaven for social media engagements. If you have an office cat then they should be front and center on your social media feeds! #NationalCatDay
World Stroke Day
World Stroke Day was created to raise awareness of what causes debilitating strokes. If you work in the medical field then consider sharing a list of signs and symptoms to look out for if you suspect someone is having a stroke. #WorldStrokeDay
OCT 30
National Checklist Day
While this day was started to commemorate the most organized around us (ie: nerds), brands and businesses can actually use this as an opportunity to share some things they have coming in the next few months. Just share a to-do list of things you already plan to accomplish or implement and you can build excitement for what’s ahead! #NationalChecklistDay
OCT 31
Halloween
We’ve finally arrived at the theater kids’ Super Bowl! Share photos of your team dressed in their Halloween costumes, maybe add some spooky design elements to your visuals, and above all, wish everyone a #HappyHalloween!
About the Author
Jack DeYoung
As Digital Director, Jack is responsible for developing and executing engaging digital and social media campaigns. With experience at two successful startups and in the advertising industry, Jack’s background makes him uniquely qualified to tell our clients’ stories.