Dotdigital blog

October 2024 social media calendar

Discover marketing opportunities for October, with information on important dates and innovative content ideas for Black History Month and Halloween.
Mother and child baking Halloween themed goods - October 2024 social media calendar.

October is packed with opportunities to connect with your audience and make a difference. From raising awareness for important causes like World Food Day to Halloween, there’s something for everyone.

This social media calendar highlights key dates, themes, and inspiration to help you create engaging content throughout the month. Whether you’re looking to boost brand awareness, drive engagement, or support a worthy cause, this guide has you covered.

Let’s dive into October and make the most of this exciting month.

Important social media calendar dates in October

Themes for the month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Global Diversity Awareness Month
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Black History Month (UK)
October 1 – World Vegetarian Day #WorldVegetarianDay
October 1 – International Coffee Day #CoffeeDay
October 2 – Name Your Car Day #NameYourCarDay
October 2 – National Brow Day #NationalBrowDay
October 4 – World Animal Day #WorldAnimalDay
October 5 – World Teachers Day #WorldTeachersDay
October 6 – Grandparents Day #GrandparentsDay
October 6 – Noodle Day #NoodleDay
October 10 – World Sight Day #WorldSightDay
October 10 – World Mental Health Day #WorldMentalHeathDay
October 11 – World Egg Day #WorldEggDay
October 11 – International Day of the Girl #DayOfTheGirl
October 13 – Train Your Brain Day #TrainYourBrainDay
October 15 – National Health Savings Account (HSA) Awareness Day #HSADay
October 15 – Global Handwashing Day #GlobalHandwashingDay
October 16 – World Food Day #FoodDay
October 17 – Spreadsheet Day #Spreadsheets
October 17 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers
October 18 – World Menopause Day #WorldMenopauseDay
October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day #EvaluateYourLife
October 21 – Reptile Awareness Day #ReptileAwarenessDay
October 24 – United Nations Day #UNDay
October 25 – Greasy Foods Day #GreasyFoodsDay
October 26 – Make a Difference Day #MDDAy
October 26 – Pumpkin Day #PumpkinDay
October 30 – Checklist Day #ChecklistDay
October 31 – Halloween #Halloween

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, allowing brands to take a stand against bullying and promote kindness. Create content that raises awareness, shares anti-bullying resources, or highlights your company’s efforts to foster a positive environment.

Stop bullying gov National Bullying Prevention Awareness  social media campaign

Black History Month (UK)

In the UK, October marks Black History Month. This is a chance to celebrate Black culture, amplify Black voices, and educate your audience about Black history and achievements. Consider featuring Black innovators in your industry or sharing resources to support Black-owned businesses.

Glsen Black History Month social media campaign
Iambalegal Black History Month social media campaign

October 1 – World Vegetarian Day

Kick off the month by celebrating World Vegetarian Day. Share delicious vegetarian recipes, highlight the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet, or showcase your vegetarian product offerings. This is a great opportunity to engage with health-conscious consumers.

Egerton House Hotel World Vegetarian Day social media campaign
Bubbleleology World Vegetarian Day social media campaign

October 1 – International Coffee Day

Coffee lovers unite. Use International Coffee Day to connect with your audience over their favorite brew. Share coffee facts, run a coffee-themed contest, or offer special promotions on coffee-related products. This day is perfect for cafes, restaurants, and any brand that wants to tap into coffee culture.

Lindt World Coffee Day social media campaign
Milk Bar Coffee Day SMS message campaign
Eight O'Clock Coffee SMS message campaign

October 2 – National Brow Day

October 2 is National Brow Day, a celebration dedicated to the art of eyebrow grooming and beauty. This day offers a great opportunity for brands in the beauty and cosmetics industry to connect with their audience through informative and creative content. You can share tips on eyebrow maintenance, the latest trends in brow styling, or even host a giveaway featuring popular brow products.

Blink Brow Bar National Brow Day social media campaign
Benefit National Brow Day social media campaign
Sigma Beauty National Brow Day SMS message campaign
Skinny Dip London National Brow Day social media campaign
ULTA Beauty National Brow Day SMS message campaign

October 6 – Noodle Day

Noodle Day is a fun opportunity to get creative with your content. Share noodle recipes, run a “slurp-off” contest, or showcase how your products pair perfectly with noodles. This lighthearted holiday can help you engage with foodies and create shareable content.

Amoy UK National Noodle Day social media campaign

October 10 – World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness about mental health issues and support your community. Share mental health resources, promote work-life balance tips, or highlight your company’s mental health initiatives. This day allows brands to show their commitment to employee and customer wellbeing.

Happiness Project World Mental Health Day social media campaign

October 13 – World Sight Day

October 13 is recognized as World Sight Day, an important occasion aimed at raising awareness about vision impairment and blindness. This day serves as a reminder of the need for regular eye examinations and the importance of eye health. Organizations, healthcare providers, and brands in the wellness sector can utilize this day to educate their audiences about eye care practices, the significance of early detection, and available treatments.

Lensabl World Sight Day SMS message campaign.

October 15 – National Health Savings Account (HSA) Awareness Day

October 15 is National Health Savings Account (HSA) Awareness Day. It’s a day dedicated to educating individuals about the benefits of HSAs and promoting financial wellness in healthcare. 

Financial institutions, healthcare providers, and wellness brands can create informative content explaining how HSAs work, their tax benefits, and how they can be part of financial planning. Social media posts can include tips on maximizing HSA contributions, comparisons with other savings options, and personal success stories with HSAs.

Hydrant, National Health Savings Account (HSA) Awareness Day SMS message campaign.

October 16 – World Food Day

World Food Day focuses on global hunger and sustainable food systems. Use this day to educate your audience about food security issues, promote sustainable eating habits, or highlight your company’s efforts to combat hunger. This is an excellent opportunity for food-related brands to showcase their social responsibility.

Plan International World Food Day social media campaign

October 18 – World Menopause Day

October 18 is World Menopause Day, aiming to raise awareness about menopause and related health issues. The day educates people and healthcare providers about the physical, emotional, and psychological changes during menopause and the available support and resources. 

Health and wellness brands can utilize this day to share informative content addressing misconceptions, tips for managing symptoms, and the importance of regular health check-ups. Social media campaigns can include expert interviews, personal stories, and discussions on the impact of menopause on overall health.

The Girls Gone Strong World Menopause Day social media campaign
Vichy World Menopause Day SMS message campaign.

October 26 – Pumpkin Day

As Halloween approaches, Pumpkin Day offers a fun way to get into the autumn spirit. Share pumpkin-themed recipes, run a pumpkin carving contest, or showcase your seasonal pumpkin products. This day is perfect for creating engaging, shareable content that captures the essence of fall.

Eat Bobos Pumpkin Day social media campaign
310 Nutrition Pumpkin Day SMS message campaign

October 31 – Halloween

Halloween is a major social media event. Create spooky-themed content, run costume contests, or showcase your Halloween-themed products or services. This holiday is ideal for increasing engagement and showing your brand’s fun side. Don’t forget to use popular Halloween hashtags to increase your reach.

If you need more inspiration for Halloween, you can read our blog on 5 enchanting Halloween email marketing ideas to inspire your next campaign.

Falling For Pumpkin Halloween social media campaign
Cocofloss Halloween SMS/MMS message.
Zumiez Halloween email marketing campaign.
Quest Nutrition Halloween SMS/MMS message.
ModCloth Halloween email marketing campaign

October subject line ideas

Crafting compelling subject lines is essential for capturing your audience’s attention and driving email engagement. To help you create standout subject lines, we’ve analyzed top-performing email campaigns from last October.

Our data shows that subject lines incorporating relevant, personalized, and valuable elements were particularly effective. These elements included:

  • Acknowledgment and appreciation: Expressing gratitude for participation, support, or attendance (e.g. thank you for being part of our community). 
  • Information and invitation: Providing valuable content or extending invitations (e.g., “Discover our latest product line: [Product Name]”).
  • Feedback and engagement: Encouraging interaction and participation. (e.g. your opinion matters: Share your feedback on [Topic]). 

By incorporating these elements into your subject lines, you can increase open rates and drive higher engagement.

October-inspired subject line ideas

Leveraging these insights, here are some October-themed subject line ideas to inspire your campaigns:

Breast Cancer:💕 Your support matters: Together we can make a difference
Domestic Violence: 🤝 Empower survivors, prevent violence – You’re a vital part of our community
National Bullying Prevention: 🚫 Stand up to bullying
Black History Month (UK):📚 Learn from the past, shape the future
World Vegetarian Day: 🌎 Embrace a plant-based lifestyle
World Mental Health Day:🧠 Make your mental health a priority
Get To Know Your Customers Day: 🌟 Hello, it’s all about you – Share your stories with us
Pumpkin Day:🎃 Fall into our Pumpkin Spice collection
Halloween: 🍬 Wishing you a spooktacular Halloween

While the ideas provided can be a starting point, it’s important to customize them to match your distinct brand voice. Feel free to try out emojis, playful language, or a sense of urgency to capture attention.

For an added creative spark, you can also use AI-powered generative tools like WinstonAI to brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of your subject lines.

Spark engagement with your October marketing campaigns

October is packed with opportunities to connect with your audience. Our comprehensive social media calendar highlights key dates and themes to help you create engaging content that resonates.

By aligning your marketing efforts with these popular moments, you can boost visibility, increase engagement, and build stronger relationships with your customers. Let’s make this October your most successful yet.

Back to top

Recommended reading