Spooky Marketing Fun
The chill wind rustles through the paper-dry remnants of summer leaves. A hollow moon peaks out from scattered clouds. And below are a sea of ghosts and goblins, pirates, ninjas and would-be superheroes all vying to see how much candy they can accumulate.
Halloween has grown to become the second largest retail holiday behind only Christmas. In 2016, an estimated 171 million people in the U.S. spent nearly $8.2 billion dollars celebrating spirits and spooks.
That’s a lot of Halloween loot. Here are some ways you can take advantage of all that scary fun in your marketing:
Just Add Halloween. The simplest way to market Halloween is to add some spookiness to your branding. Change your color scheme on your website and freshen up your banners with some Halloween themes. Use some black and orange or find a nice animated GIF of a jack-o-lantern, a zombie or a werewolf. That black cat beside your logo or the Frankenstein monster on the shopping bags you give out shows your customers you can have fun as well as provide them great service.
Have a contest. Host a mask making, scary food or a pumpkin carving contest. Halloween is a time to let your imagination run wild, and to let your inner child be a little creative. Sometimes the best, most original ideas come from your customers. Let them have at it!
Repost. Contests are an idea that keeps on giving. Not only can you create some great marketing moments with your Halloween contests, you can also repost them to relive the fun. Ask your customers to repost or tag you when they build their creations. It encourages them to get involved, and helps get your brand out there without you doing any additional marketing.
Have a ‘monster mash.’ If you don’t have the time or inclination to create your own events, then join up with other local businesses. There are always tons of events in the fall. By teaming up, you can enjoy some great marketing opportunities, as well as sharing some of the costs and building goodwill in the community.
Treat those in need. Charities are a great way to make a difference. Partner with a local charity to provide canned goods, winter coats and yes— Halloween candy— to those less fortunate.
Bundle Up. Combine some of your products and offer them as part of a ‘Halloween bundle.’ Add in a few themed extras like a scary mask, a pumpkin carving kit or free movie ticket to a horror flick and then tell the world about your ‘monstrously’ good deal.
Halloween is as individual and creative as the people who celebrate. It can be anything you want it to be, from cute and cuddly to downright terrifying. It’s your business. Make it fun this fall with some spook-tacular Halloween marketing.