Key dates for your social media channels in 2024

When it comes to making the most of your brands social media it’s important to keep up to date with the many events and celebrations that take place in the UK every month. Often, these dates present small businesses with easy marketing opportunities or could also represent a cause which a small business owner is particularly passionate about, giving them the opportunity to reach out to customers on a genuinely personal level.

Whilst this list isn’t exhaustive, we’ve selected a number of events for Premierline customers to consider as we enter the new year, some might present commercial opportunities whilst others might just spark an online conversation about a cause or topic, either way, these events and celebrations shouldn’t be missed if you want to try and increase your social media engagement in the coming 12 months.

Veganuary

Created to encourage people to live more sustainably in the new year by only using and consuming plant-based products.

New Year’s Day

A day off for many, it’s the first bank holiday of the year, welcome to 2024!

Brew Monday

Brew Monday falls on the 15^th of January and encourages family, friends and work colleagues to take a bit of time out to share a brew together.

Burns Night

Burns Night celebrates the work and history of Robert Burns on the 25^th of January. This tradition was first started by a group of Burns’ friends who decided to get together each year to celebrate their late friend’s birthday after his death.

Self-Assessment Tax Deadline

This one is for the self-employed! Don’t forget to submit your tax return to HMRC by midnight on the 31^st of January otherwise you could be liable to pay fines and additional interest on your tax bill. 

LGBTQ+ History Month

Taking place each February in the UK, LGBTQ+ history month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and aims to spread awareness about the past, celebrating the present and help LGBTQ+ individuals and allies strive towards creating a better future.

International Networking Week

Starting on the 5^th of February, International Networking Week encourages businesses to look at networking opportunities to encourage organic business growth.

Safer Internet Day

The 7^th of February marks Safer Internet Day, a day dedicated to spreading awareness of internet safety and internet education.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a huge day for businesses in the retail, gifting, and hospitality industries. The 14^th of February is a day for everyone to show a loved one just how much you love them.

Random Act of Kindness Day

Random Act of Kindness Day is back on the 17^th of February. On this day, we’re all encouraged to do something kind for somebody else, be that a friend, family member or even a stranger. Why not donate some spare change to charity, or pay a visit to an elderly relative?

Women’s History Month

This year, March is dedicated to celebrating the history of women, marking the achievements of women in the past and taking time to focus on the modern changes that women are seeing in the world today.

Employee Appreciation Day

Employers are encouraged to show their employees some appreciation on the 3^rd of March for Employee Appreciation Day. Why not order in some office treats, or take your team out for lunch?

World Book Day

World Book Day is celebrated on the 7^th of March this year. World Book Day encourages children and adults alike to read more. Children often go into schools dressed up as their favourite characters and schools will put on extra events to show children just how fun reading can be.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday will be held on the 19^th of March this year. This is another great opportunity for businesses in the retail, gifting, and hospitality industries. Remember that for some customers Mother’s Day can be a difficult time so it’s good to give them the option to opt out of any marketing communications related to this time of year if your business is able to do so.

Easter Bank Holidays

Easter Bank Holiday’s will take place on Friday 29^th March and Monday 1st of April this year.

Stress Awareness Month

This Stress Awareness Month, think about how work arrangements could be causing your staff or team’s stress. What actions could you take as an employer or business owner to improve working conditions for everyone?

April Fool’s Day

As always, the 1^st of April marks April Fool’s Day, a chance to take part in a light-hearted prank with family and friends. Just remember to be nice!

End of the Tax Year

The ’23 – ’24 tax year ends at midnight on the 5^th of April.

Earth Day

Earth Day falls on the 22^nd of April and encourages the international community to reflect on our planet and consider how our actions could be causing the Earth irreversible harm.

National Walking Month

Going for a simple walk and spending times in the outdoors can do wonders for us. With the May sun shining (hopefully), this month is dedicated to getting active outdoors.

May Day

The first Monday of the month – 6^th of May is the May Day Bank Holiday, the first of two!

International Nurses Day

Celebrate the incredible work of nurses across the globe on the 12^th of May for International Nurses Day.

World Bee Day

Vital to sustaining life on Earth, these insects deserve to be celebrated. World Bee Day on the 20^th of May aims to spread awareness about the importance of the protection of bees.

Spring Bank Holiday

The second Bank Holiday of the month falls on the 27^th of May.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

June marks Pride Month, a month dedicated to equality and acceptance, celebrating LGBTQ+ communities across the country.

International Children’s Day

The 1^st of June is International Children’s Day, a day which focuses on improving the lives of children across the planet.

Father’s Day

A day for the dads! Father’s Day falls on the 16^th of June and is a great retail marketing opportunity. Don’t forget that like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day can be tough for some so giving customers the option to opt out of Father’s Day related communications closer to the time is something businesses should consider.

SME Day

If you’re an SME owner reading this, congratulations, there’s a day for you too! 27^th of June marks SME day, highlighting the varied role SME businesses play in our lives each day.

Plastic Free July

Sustainability is the theme through July with Plastic Free July, an entire month dedicated to highlighting how as individuals we can do more to protect the planet by choosing to use fewer plastic-based products.

International Day of Friendship

International Day of Friendship falls on the 30^th of July and is a day for celebrating our friends. Check in with an old friend and see how they are doing, or why not arrange a meet up?

International Happiness Month

August is dedicated to International Happiness Month – a time to focus on doing the things that make you, your friends, family, and colleagues happy.

Cycle to Work Day

On the 2^nd of August we are all encouraged to cycle to work, not only is cycling great exercise it’s also much better for the planet and our local environment.

World Breast Cancer Research Day

The 18^th of August marks World Breast Cancer Research Day and is an opportunity to think about helping your local cancer charity through donations or even a fundraising event.

Summer Bank Holiday

The much-anticipated Summer Bank Holiday is on the 26^th of August and for many marks the end of the summer holiday period.

World Alzheimer’s Month

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and is a great chance for people to inform and educate others on Alzheimer’s disease and other related illnesses.

National Foodbank Day

Local foodbanks rely on donations to provide their service. That’s why this National Foodbank Day, on the 6^th of September, we encourage you to give your local foodbank a donation, or perhaps you could set up a donation point and really engage the local community.

National Fitness Day

As the autumn and winter months get closer, getting motivated to move and keep fit gets tougher. For National Fitness Day on the 25^th of September, think about some ways you can encourage your workforce to keep fit and keep moving as we head towards the end of the year.

Black History Month

October marks Black History Month, a national celebration of the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage. Black History Month spreads awareness of black history and fosters a better understanding of black history through education, both UK wide and internationally.

Buy British Day

The 3^rd of October is Buy British Day. If you’re a UK based company and have a product to promote, this could be a great opportunity to increase your brand awareness nationwide.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day on the 10^th of October is a day for opening discussions about mental health. As a business owner it’s important you look after your own mental health as well as the best interests of your employee’s mental health.

Halloween

Spooky season is here! The 31^st of October each year is Halloween, a huge opportunity for the retail sector. 

Movember

The moustaches are back. Each November sees the ‘Movember’ campaign, a month-long tradition which sees people growing moustaches in the name of charity.

Bonfire Night

Remember remember the 5^th of November, expect fireworks, sparklers, and lights galore!

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day on the 11^th of November marks the anniversary of the end of World War One. It’s a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by armed forces globally and to reflect on the importance of world peace.

Black Friday

Black Friday needs no introduction, especially to those in the retail sector. The 29^th of November is set to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the lead up to the Christmas season. If you work in retail, make sure you keep up with all the Black Friday goings on!

Christmas Season

Can you believe it’s come round again so soon? This festive season is back and is a chance for businesses to end the year on a high, this is an especially important time for businesses in retail and hospitality.

Cyber Monday

This year Cyber Monday falls on the 2^nd of December and is often seen as a last chance for customers to bag a deal across the Black Friday weekend.

Christmas Holidays

This year the Christmas Bank Holiday dates fall on a Wednesday and a Thursday.

New Year’s Eve

The last day of the year, a chance to reflect on the past 12 months and of course, to look forward to what the next 12 promise to bring, happy New Year!

For many businesses, major sporting events can bring with them a whole host of opportunities, especially from a social media perspective. Such events really do bring the nation together and at times like these, engaging content can become a quick success. Look out for these major sporting tournaments taking place in 2024:

• The Africa Cup of Nations in January.
• The Six Nations and Super Bowl LVIII in February.
• Copa América and the UEFA Men’s Euro 2024 in June.
• 2024 Olympic Games and Wimbledon in July.
• 2024 Paralympic Games in August.