THE 2024 marketing calendar for your restaurant social media

Are you a restaurateur? You can't afford to miss out on social media to ensure the success of your establishment. But you still need to have the time... Good news: Malou lets you create your own posts using our 2024 calendar. It's the communication weapon of successful restaurants! No need to worry about running out of inspiration, you can stay ahead of the seasons and plan all your content in advance. 60 key dates and content ideas to help you stand out from the crowd.

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Marketing calendar: dates that come up every year

1) Make up for off-peak hours by celebrating Candlemas (02/02)

Candlemas is a key date for highlighting the cocooning atmosphere of your restaurant.

Crêperie or not, you can set up a crêpe workshop, a special à la carte offer, a chandeleur snack... It's an opportunity to fill the afternoon's slack hours! Once you've made up your mind, let your customers know about this temporary offer.

‍Our tip: Pancake-making represents perfect content for a video, so make one to communicate this date! Video gets your subscribers engaged!

2) Diversify with Chinese New Year (10/02)

February 10 marks the beginning of the Chinese calendar. Each year honors one of the twelve animals determined by the moon. Why not take this opportunity to create content related to this animal (tiger, dragon, rabbit), or simply wish your subscribers a happy Lunar New Year?

‍LaGrande Epicerie de Paris had marked the occasion with a selection of starters, main courses and desserts especially for the occasion, as well as a "fortunes cookies" draw for a chance to win gift vouchers!

Please note: surfing the web doesn't mean abandoning your à la carte dishes. You can revisit them, change the presentation, replace one product with another (seasonal), create a new dish or a unique dessert (communicate its exclusivity!), collaborate with another restaurant, etc. Be creative.

3) Seize the opportunity of Valentine's Day (14/02)

Couples love to share this moment in restaurants or on delivery. So make room for a romantic atmosphere full of little touches, a special Valentine's Day menu... Or take advantage of this media-savvy holiday to publish offbeat content and make your subscribers laugh.

A few years ago, the MOB HOTEL restaurant organized the "Sans Valentin" event, especially for singles. They created original content for the occasion, designed for social media.

Our advice Create special Valentine's Day highlights stories.

They not only promote the restaurant's offer in advance, but also serve as a reminder throughout the year that the restaurant is organizing special evenings in line with the marketing calendar.

4) Share the restaurant's values by celebrating Women's Day (08/03)

An opportunity to show your support for women by publishing engaged content. The female members of your community are sure to appreciate it!

On March 8, 2020, an establishment of the famous McDonalds brand reversed its M to form a W for "Women". The brand thus testifies to its stance, communicated on its social media.

Our advice: You can simply take advantage of this event to please a part of your clientele (the women) by reserving them small attentions like a rose or a cocktail. Make the most of these gestures on your social media !

5) Create buzz on Instagram with April Fool's Day (01/04)

It's the perfect time to get away from it all and surprise your customers! And even if they quickly understand the link with April 1st, they'll appreciate the humor and offbeat tone. And if you make your mark, they'll remember!

‍Big Mamma Group had informed its customers of its reluctance to remove truffle pasta from its menus. The Italian group had nevertheless added a hint in the description of the publication with the hashtag #bigjoke + fish emoji.

Our advice Think of an original idea related to April 1st (a gag) or to fish to create a buzz on your social media.

6) Attract families to your restaurant with Mother's Day and Father's Day (26/05 and 16/06)

Many French people take this opportunity to visit restaurants with their families. So make sure they come to you with a flower for moms or dads? A special family discount? A special menu or dessert? There are plenty of ways to make the most of this moment, from an emotional post on social media to an offbeat one.

La Rôtisserie d'Argent offered a tailor-made dessert in honor of mothers: Le Tourbillon fraise.

Our advice:Here you'll find a host of ideas you can implement and incorporate into your marketing strategy to make the most of these key calendar dates.

7) Create a festive event for the Fête de la Musique (21/06)

Live music? Special playlist? Guest of honor? Evening cocktail? You have the opportunity to create a festive atmosphere on this day! And probably sell more drinks! It's also the perfect opportunity in the marketing calendar to personalize your restaurant's communication and engage your community. After all, what's more personal than your taste in music?

‍Our advice If you're planning a festive event, dedicate a publication to your favorite artist, ask your subscribers what theirs is in a comment... Or, quite simply, unveil your restaurant's soundtrack to give future visitors a taste of the establishment's atmosphere.

Instagram is ideal for this, with the ability to integrate songs into your stories.

8) Reach an entire population with the Fête Nationale (July 14)

July 14th is a national holiday for many French people, who want to make the most of the day. But the holiday also means the closure of many facilities and restaurants. So, if you're open for business, reach out to the many people looking for restaurants!

Don't forget to tell your customers on your Google my Business, Instagram, Facebook and other pages whether you're closed or open! This is also great for your local SEO.

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Our tip For a day when France is honored, highlight the most typical dish on your menu on social media , as well as the local producers you work with!

9) Get creative for Halloween (31/10)

Halloween becomes an excellent excuse to celebrate, go out to eat or take part in any activity organized for the occasion. An excellent way to generate visibility and double your sales on the evening of the 31st.

How did it work? Propose unique offers, renew the menu especially for the evening, bring out a star product in the colors of this celebration... TheHôtel Particulier de Montmartre had elaborated for the occasion an original proposal ranging from blood cocktails to make-up workshops and dj sets.

‍Our tip Whether you want to tell a scary story or make a (semi-comical) video with your team, anything goes!

10) Reaching out to customers looking for Thanksgiving conviviality (28/11)

Even though it's an American holiday, many French people like to celebrate Thanksgiving for its sharing and gourmet aspects! The traditional meal is turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Take inspiration from these traditions to propose a special menu, or simply wish your community a Happy Thanksgiving!

Restaurant Les Pinces took advantage of the occasion to humorously promote its flagship product, lobster, over the traditional American Christmas turkey.

Our advice: An opportunity to set up a short-lived offer to communicate on your social media ! Alternatively, organize a competition to win a meal to share with friends in your restaurant, which will engage your subscribers.

11) Don't miss Christmas, the essential date in the marketing calendar (25/12)

Christmas offers restaurateurs many opportunities to satisfy the desires of their customers, but also to attract new ones. The social media website is the perfect channel to promote offers specially designed for this festive season.

Our customersKafkaf, Bon Bouquet Café and Santa Lyna have launched their own Advent Calendars, some of them in collaboration with other brands. To take part, follow the steps below (a great way to win potential subscribers!)

‍Our advice: Making your community win gifts every day has several advantages. Itengages Internet users, instills the spirit of Christmas, but also provides an opportunity to set up ephemeral collaborations withother brands as prizes, and thus reach their audiences. -50% off a meal, cocktail, coffee, complimentary drink... Numerous possibilities exist to strengthen the link with their communities.

12) Double evening sales for New Year's Eve (31/12)

It's a time for celebration, joy and sharing, and a time for making resolutions. It's a time when everyone sets goals to get the year off to a good start. But the New Year is also the day when all restaurateurs can afford to create a single menu at a fixed price. A great sales opportunity!

Discover our selection of inspiring addresses for your New Year's Eve offer and how to communicate it!

‍LaPizza d'Anita took the opportunity to ask its customers about the good resolutions they had decided to make in the New Year.

Our advice Like Anita's Pizza, we recommend asking questions directly to socionauts. Interactive content engages your community on social media. We give you 14 more ideas in this article for enjoying the festive season in your restaurant.

13) Get inspired by the many international and global days in the marketing calendar

Sardegna A Tavola, for example, took advantage of the International Day of Italian Cuisine to remind its community that the best thing to do on this day was to discover the generous and tasty cuisine of Italy... at home!

Our advice: burger day, planet day, moustache day... The choice is yours! Use these days to fuel your communication and make the themes your own.

14) Adapt your communication strategy to the new seasons

Every new season heralds a change of atmosphere. These are very important dates for restaurateurs, as they impact their communications. In summer, marketing focuses on the terrace, cocktails, fresh juices, salads... while in winter, the emphasis is on the cosy atmosphere, comforting dishes, hot drinks...Our advice: The first days of spring, summer, autumn and winter are also the right time to announce a new menu and highlight seasonal products. These publications reflect the establishment's ecological ambitions.

Popular dates in the marketing calendar that speak to everyone 

15) Make sporting events an added value for your restaurant

Certain sporting events represent real communication opportunities for a restaurant. After all, sport is a particularly popular and unifying subject. Some events are even more popular than others. Soccer World Cup, Roland Garros tournament, Top 14 tournament or Tour de France... Publicize them in your restaurant, with a special F&B offer to enjoy during the event!Our tip : Liven up your social media by placing bets on upcoming matches! In stories, for example, with a poll to get your subscribers to vote. And you can go even further by giving away gifts to those who were right!

16) Use cultural events in the marketing calendar to engage your community

Throughout the year, there are a number of cultural events during which it can be a good idea to communicate. These include fashion week, which takes place twice a year, the Césars and Oscars ceremonies, and various cultural outings such as exhibitions and festivals. Restaurants located close to these cultural events can take advantage of social media to offer customers the chance to come and enjoy a meal before the event. This is what the restaurant Le Malakoff during an exhibition at the Musée de l'Homme.

Restaurant-specific dates to include in your marketing calendar

17) Make the most of your restaurant opening

A particularly important date! You have to prepare for it in advance, including in terms of communication. It's vital to present your project before it's even launched. Generating expectation, interest and curiosity is the best way to get your establishment off to a flying start.

Our advice Why not invest your future customers in your project before it's even finished? social media is an excellent way of polling prospective customers! Restaurant owners can then interact directly with them if they have any doubts between two recipes, for example. There's a simple social tool for this: story polls! We give you the keys to success for opening a restaurant today in this article.

18) Celebrate your restaurant's anniversary

For a restaurant, it's a way of showing that months or years of hard work have come to fruition.Our tip : Since it's a festive occasion, and anniversaries often rhyme with gifts, offer your customers the chance to win a free meal for 2.

19) Prevent exceptional closures with a marketing calendar

The worst situation for a customer is to believe that the establishment he or she wishes to visit is open, only to realize, once there, that it is not. Updating your opening hours on your Google listing, on all directories and on the website is essential, but it's also important to inform your socionauts of the closure!

Our advice: From our MalouAppsolution, 1 click is all you need to change your status (open/closed) and your opening hours on all the platforms where you exist!

20) Attract curious and loyal customers by announcing card changes

When your restaurant changes its menu, announcing it to your customers will arouse curiosity and keep regulars coming back. Use social media to announce it, and you'll be able to create a sense of anticipation with a few preview photos, and create a close, interactive relationship with your subscribers!Our tip: Before changing your menu, ask for opinions and why not vote between different dishes on social media to find the best one to add to your menu. Customers will feel they've played a small part in the new menu, and this may influence them to visit the restaurant more often.

Don't miss a single date in the year's Marketing Calendar and plan your posts accordingly with MalouApp

How do you keep track of the many key dates in the marketing calendar? How can you find the time to organize a marketing operation to boost your restaurant's communication on these key dates? We at Malou have just what you need! Our solution , MalouApp, includes a calendar that keeps you informed of all the important events in the year, day by day. So it's impossible to forget! And to save time by anticipating posts on important dates, simply schedule your Instagram, Facebook, Google content... directly from the MalouApp! Don't hesitate to ask us for a demo 😍

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Is your restaurant visible on the Internet? Today, 8 out of 10 people choose a restaurant by searching for it on Google. Malou's experts give you all the advice you need to improve your local search engine optimization (SEO) in the ebook below: