October Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses (Updated for 2023)

Halloween isn’t the only way to market your local business in October. Here’s our local marketing guide.

Daily Marketing

Halloween (Oct. 31) - Some ways to use Halloween in your marketing include:

• Decorating your store, website, and social media pages.
• Hosting a candy counting contest to get email addresses and give away a prize, coupon, or discount.Dressing up in a costume. 
• Hosting a costume contest, taking pictures, and sharing them on your blog and social media. Visitors can vote for their favorite, the winner gets a prize, and you can feature them in your marketing.
• Participating in local events and interacting with people.

Here are some other ways to market in October.

• October 1: Fire Pup Day, Black Dog Day, Hair Day, Homemade Cookies Day
• October 2: Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day, Fried Scallops Day, Name Your Car Day, Produce Misting Day, Child Health Day, Consignment Day
• October 3: Boyfriend Day, Techies Day, Eat Fruit At Work Day
• October 4: Cinnamon Bun Day, Golf Lover’s Day, Taco Day, Vodka Day, Walk to School Day, Pumpkin Seed Day, Coffee with a Cop Day
• October 5: Apple Betty Day, Do Something Nice Day, Get Funky Day, Rhode Island Day, World Teachers’ Day
• October 6: Coaches Day, German-American Day, Mad Hatter Day, Noodle Day, Orange Wine Day, Plus Size Appreciation Day, World College Radio Day, Manufacturing Day, Body Language Day, World Smile Day
• October 7: Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day, Frappe Day, Inner Beauty Day, LED Light Day, Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day
• October 8: American Touch Tag Day, International Off-Road Day, Fluffernutter Day, Hero Day, Pierogi Day, Clergy/Pastor/Ministry Appreciation Day
• October 9: Leif Erikson Day, Moldy Cheese Day, Pro-Life Cupcake Day, PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day, Columbus Day, Kick Butt Day, Online Bank Day, Native American Day
• October 10: Angel Food Cake Day, Cake Decorating Day, Handbag Day, Metric Day, Walk to a Park Day, World Mental Health Day
• October 11: General Pulaski Memorial Day, Coming Out Day, International Day of the Girl Child, Sausage Pizza Day, Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work/School Day, Curves Day, Emergency Nurses Day, Fossil Day, Stop Bullying Day, Take Your Parents to Lunch Day
• October 12: Farmer’s Day, Freethought Day, Gumbo Day, Vermont Day, Savings Day
• October 13: Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, No Bra Day, Train Your Brain Day, Yorkshire Pudding Day, Navy Birthday
• October 14: Be Bald and Be Free Day, Dessert Day, Chess Day, Costume Swap Day, Motorcycle Ride Day, I Love Yarn Day
• October 15: Aesthetician Day, Cheese Curd Day, I Love Lucy Day, Grouch Day, Latino AIDS Awareness Day, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, Shawarma Day, White Cane Safety Day
• October 16: Department Store Day, Global Cat Day, Dictionary Day, Liqueur Day, Sports Day, Boss’s Day, Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day
• October 17: Black Poetry Day, Edge Day, Mulligan Day, Pasta Day, Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, Pharmacy Technician Day
• October 18: International Legging Day, Chocolate Cupcake Day, Exascale Day, No Beard Day, Bra Day USA, Hagfish Day, Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce, Medical Assistants Recognition Day
• October 19: Kentucky Day, LGBT Center Awareness Day, Seafood Bisque Day, Get Smart About Credit Day, Get To Know Your Customers Day
• October 20: Brandied Fruit Day, Chicken and Waffles Day, Youth Confidence Day, Mammography Day, Pharmacy Buyer Day
• October 21: Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, Reptile Awareness Day, Witch Hazel Day, Whole Hog Barbecue Day, Sweetest Day
• October 22: Color Day, Make a Dog’s Day, Nut Day, Mother-in-Law Day
• October 23: iPod Day, Boston Cream Pie Day, Mole Day, TV Talk Show Host Day, Swallows Depart From San Juan Capistrano Day
• October 24: Bologna Day, Food Day, United Nations Day
• October 25: Chucky, The Killer Doll Day, Greasy Food Day, Sourest Day, Mule Day
• October 26: Day of the Deployed, Financial Crime Fighter Day, Mincemeat Day, Pumpkin Day, Tennessee Day
• October 27: American Beer Day, Black Cat Day, Civics Day, Navy Day, Breadstick Day, Frankenstein Friday
• October 28: Chocolate Day, Internal Medicine Day, First Responders Day, Make A Difference Day, Trick or Treat Day
• October 29: Cat Day, Hermit Day, Oatmeal Day, World Stroke Day
• October 30: Candy Corn Day, Publicist Day, Speak Up for Service Day
• October 31: Girl Scout Founder’s Day, Caramel Apple Day, Doorbell Day, Knock-Knock Jokes Day, Magic Day

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness and Emotional Wellness Month and has Mental Illness Awareness and Fire Prevention Week. 

If you want to know more about local marketing you can read our article, What Is Local SEO? or just contact us.

Tags: cover-story, October marketing