Top 5 Ways to Incorporate Halloween into Your Marketing Strategy
Even though Halloween lasts only for one night, everyone enjoys spending the month of October getting into the spirit of the spooky season. Jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, witches, and other tropes start popping up, so why not work them into your marketing strategy?
Who doesn't love to play dress-up? (Image c/o Pixabay)
Have a Scary / Spooky Promotion
Okay, it’s a little silly…the idea that savings can be so great that they’ll scare the pants off of you, but it’s one of those tried-and-true marketing strategies that works. It’s successful because people know how long the promo lasts (usually for the month of October), and the tie-in to Halloween is memorable. Make your promo pop by using Halloween-themed colors and design features in the ad.
Host a Costume Party or Contest
Dressing up isn’t for little kids; it’s lots of fun for adults, too. Host a costume party where customers get special perks for participating. You can host the party online (customers submit photos and tag you), in store, or both. Make sure to share behind-the-scenes pictures of you and your staff getting into the swing of things.
You can also do a costume contest where your social media audience votes for their favorites in various categories. The winners get special prizes. For example, if your business revolves around pets, then a pet costume contest (scariest, funniest, cutest, etc.) would be right up your alley.
Use a special hashtag for the contest, so your audience has an easy time finding the photos for voting and for posting their content.
Trick-or-treat for a good cause. (Image c/o Pixabay)
Trick or Treat for a Good Cause
October isn’t only the month for Halloween; it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). Breast cancer statistics show that one in eight U.S women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Additionally, it’s expected that 2,470 cases of male breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2017.
Use your power to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer (or another charity you support); treat your customers who donate to your cause during the month of October with special discounts, a gift card, or even just a piece of candy –whatever works.
Tell your Halloween story with a movie. (Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash)
Tell a Scary (or “Spoofy”) Halloween Story
Make a video or tell a story that’s entertaining and spooky. Think about your brand and see what you can do. For example, if you’re a cosmetics company, make a video that shows the top five “scariest” things that can happen while you’re putting on daily (or Halloween) make-up (sneezing right after you put on mascara comes to mind). Likewise, consider spoofing a Halloween horror film or story classic but relate it to your brand.
Tie Your Content into Halloween
Remember, Halloween is meant to be fun, so tie your October marketing strategy into the Halloween spirit. Here are a few ideas:
- Create a branded infographic that shows audiences how you can help them survive a vampire attack or zombie apocalypse (the less likely your product is to help, the more creative you get to be)
- Make lists that relate the holiday to your brand (ex: for a cosmetics store, the best Halloween horror movie make-up examples ever or for a book seller or coffee shop, the top 10 horror novels to read over a cup of coffee). There’s really not end to the fun you can have here.
- Post a behind-the-scenes time-lapse video that shows you carving pumpkins for your store’s décor or decorating your store in general.
Whatever you do, have fun with it. The spirit of Halloween fun and the playful scariness of the holiday is contagious. If you play along, your customers will, too, and they’ll find you all the more relatable for it.
Even if you’re not spooky and scary year-round, you can still get into the fun of Halloween and tie the holiday into your marketing. We at The Storyteller Agency love showing our playful side and are more than happy to help you show yours, too, if you’re not sure where to start.
