Really, who doesn’t love hot dogs? In fact, did you know that, reportedly, they’re served up in over 95% of homes across the United States? Not only that but the average individual consumes somewhere around 70 hot dogs annually.

When you let all of that sink in, it makes total sense that there would be a National Hot Dog Day and that it would happen during the peak of summer (July 20, to be exact). If you happen to be a hot dog fan and you’d like to learn more about the day and how to promote it this year, take a few moments to check this article out — perhaps while enjoying a hot dog!

What exactly is a hot dog?

If you’ve ever wondered what’s in a hot dog, it’s basically a mixture of meats (usually pork, beef and/or chicken), a variety of seasonings, some celery powder, sugar and corn syrup, and preservatives.

Then everything is put into a casing that’s made of processed collagen. The final result is why hot dogs are considered to be a type of sausage.

If you’ve ever wondered why hot dogs usually come in a 10-pack while buns come in an 8-pack, there’s a background story to that. According to the National Hot Dog Sausage Council (NHDSC), the dough that makes the buns is prepared in “fours” to fit in pans that hold eight. Believe it or not, that’s why there are typically eight hot dog buns per pack. The more you know, right?

What’s the history of National Hot Dog Day?

Now that you’re aware of many people enjoy hot dogs, what hot dogs are made of, and why in the world the pack of buns never seem to match up with the pack of hot dogs, where did National Hot Dog Day come from?

Although no one is exactly sure who started the day, it’s believed that German immigrants introduced us to dachshunds (dogs that look like hot dogs) and hot dogs. In the late 1800s, a man by the name of Charles Feltman sold frankfurters in a bun on Coney Island. Ever since, hot dog buns have been pretty popular in our country.

Fast forward to decades of years later and the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council declared July as National Hot Dog Month. This is why the day is in July too.

Some fun facts about hot dogs

What are some cool things to know about hot dogs? Especially if they happen to be your favorite food?

  • In California and New York, hot dogs are legally declared to be sandwiches
  • Most Americans prefer their hot dogs to be grilled
  • The most popular condiment for a hot dog is mustard (then ketchup and then chili)
  • People in Los Angeles eat more hot dogs than anyone else in the country
  • On Independence Day, over 150 million people enjoy a hot dog each year
  • A beef hot dog is around 190 calories and is full of vitamin B
  • If there is no meat in a hot dog, it shouldn’t be called one

How to promote National Hot Dog day online

With all of the information that you now have, you might be really excited about getting involved with National Hot Dog Day this year. If so, there are a variety of ways that you can do that. For starters, you can:

  • Share some unique hot dog recipes
  • Host an online event that promotes hot dogs
  • Have a virtual hot dog eating contest
  • Provide a list of companies that are offering hot dog discounts
  • Ask people to share their best picture of them (or their child) eating a hot dog
  • Promote National Hot Dog Day (and National Hot Dog Day deals) with a hashtag

Why it’s always a good idea to use hashtags for promotions

These days, it’s nearly impossible to go on Twitter or Instagram and not see dozens of hashtags. You probably know that they help you to find similar posts under the same “tag”, but they actually serve other purposes too.

One of the reasons why hashtags are such a smart marketing tool is because, not only are hashtags an easy and effective way to bring people of similar interests together, they’re a great way to get — or keep — a conversation going. Hashtags are beneficial in a few other ways as well. They can:

  • Help to bring brand awareness to a company
  • Show support for a platform
  • Provide context for a particular issue or effort
  • Share with an audience what sponsors may be a part of an event
  • And, of course, make things go viral

The key is to use hashtags correctly

Whether it’s National Hot Dog Day that you’re looking to promote or something else, if you plan to incorporate hashtags with your marketing plan, make sure that you use them correctly. You can do this by:

  • Not putting any spaces in between the “#” symbol and the words that you plan to use
  • Not putting too many words in your hashtag (that can get confusing)
  • Not putting a ton of hashtags on one string (it looks messy more than anything)
  • Researching hashtags that relate to your own (to bring them into the conversation)
  • Adding a good caption to your hashtag

National Hot Dog Day frequently asked questions

When is National Hot Dog Day?

National Hot Dog Day falls on the third Wednesday of July. This year, that falls on July 20. Perfect timing for a summer cookout!

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

It depends on who you ask, but the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has weighed in and stated that a hot dog is not a sandwich.

We’re here to help you with your marketing ideas

Hopefully, this gave you some greater insights into how you can make this the best National Hot Dog Day yet. If you have any questions on what you can do to take your marketing plan to another level, check out our FAQ page or read more about how to craft an effective social media strategy. Oh, and Happy #NationalHotDogDay in advance!