When you think about seasonal marketing strategies, Halloween probably isn’t the first holiday that comes to mind – and that’s a truly frightful mistake!
Did you know that 40% of consumers start their Christmas shopping before Halloween? That makes the season of scares the perfect time to take advantage of new marketing trends.
In this blog, we’ll explore the top nine ways you can capitalise on Halloween and scare up more sales, no matter what kind of business you run. Let’s get started!
Trend #1 Run A Promotion
This seems like a no-brainer, but one of the best ways to celebrate a holiday while also fueling engagement is to run a promotion on products or services.
For example, consider offering a special discount on any items related to Halloween, hosting a sale on Halloween itself, or running a giveaway on social media.
All these ideas will help you get more engagement on social media and can help get customers in the door if your business has a physical presence.
Trend #2 Tweak Your Branding
If you run a business with a physical presence, decorating for Halloween is relatively simple. Bust out some spiderwebs, candles, or pumpkins, and think about offering customers a themed freebie as they walk in the door.
As far as your online presence is concerned, it does not take much to create a temporary Facebook or Twitter header that’s spooky. This is also a great way to advertise any promotions you might be running for the month of October.
Trend #3 Host A Halloween Themed Event
A themed event can not only help get people in the door or on your website, but it can also allow you to engage with customers one-on-one in a way that you might not usually get to.
If you have a physical business, try hosting an event relevant to your industry. For example, if you own a pumpkin carving business with a physical presence, offer to teach customers how to carve pumpkins when they come to your store.
If that same pumpkin carving business is online, try hosting an Instagram or Facebook Live and doing the same thing in front of a virtual audience!
Trend #4 Partner With Another Business
Halloween is best when it is enjoyed with friends, so why not reach out to other businesses that complement yours and see if they want to be part of your spooky campaign?
One great example is running a group giveaway on Instagram, where your customers must follow every business’ account and comment on each post to enter. Then the winner gets an item from each company that participates, and you all get more followers!
Trend #5 Run A Themed Social Media Campaign
While it is not necessary to make all of your social media posts Halloween-related, having one or two a week during October is a great way to make your content relevant.
For example, if your business is a bar, you could share Halloween-themed cocktail recipes; a food-based business can post recipes for spooky treats.
We already covered changing the theme of your socials to something a little creepier, but there are other things that you can do to build up social media engagement during Halloween.
You could try changing your Twitter handle to something spooky or maybe start a hashtag or emoji game with your followers.
Trend #6 Add Something Scary To Your App
Do you have a mobile app for your business? If so, Halloween is a great time to add a seasonal element. A small change to your app icon can prompt users to open it to see what else is new, and that is when you can hit them with promotional content. An offer or sale that is exclusive to your app would be an excellent way to increase downloads and interactions.
Trend #7 Run A Themed Email Marketing Campaign
If you already have an email marketing campaign, it might be worth it to try and adapt some of your messaging to Halloween during October.
For example, a dentist’s office can share facts about what eating too much Halloween candy can do to your teeth; a security company can share safety tips. Just make sure to include some branding and maybe a discount if applicable.
Trend #8 Launch A Limited-Edition Product
This one requires some advanced planning, but depending on your industry, it could be a great idea.
A limited-edition Halloween-themed product could turn into a sought after collectable. Even items like special edition candy or limited edition drink flavours can bring buyers in the door.
Trend #9 Modify Your Google Ads
With your current ads, you may want to consider switching up your ad copy for any Google Ads campaigns you are running around Halloween.
Do some keyword research and decide not only what is best for your business as far as Halloween-themed keywords are concerned but what you can afford. Then modify your existing copy and promote any special offers you might have running.
In line with a limited edition product, you can run a promotional Google Ads campaign alongside the launch to leverage the product and attract a new audience to your business.
Stay On Top Of Marketing Trends
We hope these Halloween marketing trends will help you bring in business and promote your brand! Whether your business is big or small, capitalising on a holiday like Halloween can aid your growth in a big way.
It’s important to remember that not all trends will benefit your business in the best way. It’s your decision to pick which ones will be the ones to help you boost sales.
Get in contact with us, and we’ll help you pick out your best solutions and guide you in a profitable direction. Happy Spooky Season!
