Hospitality Industry Marketing Ideas to Drive Business in Q1

Are you looking for some great hospitality industry marketing ideas as we enter the new year, 2024? Tripleseat is here to help you ease into Q1, the first three months of the year, with some important dates to put on your radar and marketing campaign ideas to get you started.

There are many ways to join in on the fun for a holiday or national day. Whether you craft an elaborate marketing campaign that will run for a month or longer or do something the day of, the most important thing is to be part of the conversation! Stay true to your brand and look at the dates below to begin thinking of how to use them to engage and grow your client base.

Your January Marketing Campaign Ideas

Here are some fun marketing ideas that you can use this January:

Tuesday, January 2 | National Trivia Day

Your venue (and staff) may be exhausted from filling catering orders or hosting parties to help ring in the New Year. Here is a fun and easy way to connect with your audience for National Trivia Day:

• Create an Instagram Story with fun trivia questions about your venue (wait 30-60 minutes between asking the question and posting the response):
  • When was your business established
  • How many and what type of events did you host the previous year?
  • What is the most popular dish served at your venue?
  • True or False questions: You can book a private room to host your event

Follow each question with a photo and response. This is a fun way to engage your audience and build a connection to your brand.

• Post a single trivia question on your Instagram feed. In the caption, let your audience know that a random person will be selected to win a prize (a free drink, a $100 certificate to your venue, etc.)

Wednesday, January 31 | Beer Can Appreciation Day

Did you know that January 31st is Beer Can Appreciation Day? It’s true! This celebrates the monumental day in 1935 when beer was first sold in cans.

This should be a must-celebrate-can’t-miss-it type of national day for Breweries. Craft beer is an art, but you cannot deny the art that wraps the craft beer (can). We’re talking about beer cans labels. There are so many intricate, bold, and fun designs out there, so show them off! Tripleseat loves the brewery industry professionals and created our own branded label to gift at tradeshows.

Your February Marketing Campaign Ideas

Here are some fun marketing ideas that you can use this February:

Sunday, February 11 | Super Bowl, Las Vegas

This is a no-brainer, but we’re flagging it so you can get a head start on creating: special themed menus for in-restaurant dining, crafting catering menus for take-out, or putting together an email campaign to reach out to customers who have hosted parties with you in the past! If you’re in the Las Vegas area, then be prepared for an influx of inquiries.

Having the Tripleseat platform will help you respond to inquiries in minutes and streamline your catering orders and private events. Book your free demo today to see how you can increase your revenue by 30% – now that’s a touchdown!

Thursday, February 22 | National Margarita Day

There’s a myriad of ways that you can join the conversation when it comes to a national day celebrating food or drink. Here are some examples:

• Do your bartenders think they can make the best margarita? Let them prove it and have your audience decide!
  • Film a video of two bartenders going head to head making their version of a margarita. In your post caption, let your audience vote by choosing two emojis and assigning them to each bartender/drink:
    • Who do you think makes the best margarita? Vote for the mango margarita with 🥭 or for the coconut margarita with 🥥. Can’t decide? Come by and try them for yourself! #nationalmargaritaday
• Have a special recipe? Film a video of one of your bartenders making the margarita drink with the recipe details!
• Special promotions: Get a free appetizer when you order a margarita. Today only! #nationalmargaritaday

Your March Marketing Campaign Ideas

Here are some fun marketing ideas that you can use this March:

Friday, March 1 | National Employee Appreciation Day

What a great way to show your staff some love and let your audience get to know them better! Here are some ways to engage with this day:

• Write a series of three questions and ask your staff to answer them. Post a picture of them with their responses!
• Take a group photo (silly or serious) of your staff and post the picture with a sentimental caption
• If budget allows, offer a small gift to your staff

Saturday, March 23 | National Puppy Day

You may not have the budget to have a professional photo shoot of your venue, amenities, or menu every month (or year!), but you may not have thought about an un-tapped photo library that could be right under your nose. Nowadays, guests are always looking for an “Instagrammable” … anything! People have really upped their photography skills, and often tag accounts to receive recognition.

Do you allow dogs at your venue? Have you provided catering services for an at-home party? Does your staff have dogs? Check out the “Tagged” section in your Instagram account and see if anyone has tagged your venue on a photo with a dog (let’s be honest, all dogs are puppies). If you find a stellar photo, ask for permission to repost the content!

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