Fall is a favorite among people everywhere, myself included. Halloween fans just love the nostalgia and spookiness of it all. Even for those who aren’t crazy about the holiday, there are things you can do to play up on the season, grow your business, and boost sales.
Marketing Ideas for Halloween
No matter what industry you’re in, these are some different Halloween marketing ideas for small businesses that you may want to consider to generate a buzz this season.
Create a Themed Product
People absolutely love to get in the mood when it comes to all things fall and Halloween. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so, you’re likely aware of the rage surrounding pumpkin spice. This year, Starbucks decided to take things to the next level by creating a special drink that’s only available on their secret menu: The Jack Skellington. This is exciting in a number of different ways, of course, because it plays on a pop culture hit, and also because it creates a feeling of exclusivity by placing it on the secret menu. Having a fall-themed product is a great way to generate a buzz and boost sales this season. If you’re a service-based business owner, you can create a themed package instead, even if it’s all just in the name (“spooktacular 25% off sale,” etc.)
Decorate
If you have a physical location, adding some decorative touches can make a world of difference. You don’t need to go overboard, but hanging a few pieces here and there can change the atmosphere and engage customers. Then: there’s your digital presence. Changing things like avatars and/or header photos is a fun and simple way to get in the spirit of the season. Use a site like Canva, and search for eye-catching images you like that resonate with your business and make you smile. Chances are if the graphics give you that fall vibe when you’re looking for Halloween marketing ideas for small businesses, they’ll do the same for your clients!
Create a Promo Video
This month is the perfect time for you to connect with your customers, and show them your playful side. Creating a promotional video can be a fun and effective way to boost sales over the next several weeks. You can go about this in a number of different ways, one of which being to create a short how-to video that infuses some seasonal comedy into an informative piece that’s sure to impress your customers. Here are a few other kinds of Halloween videos you can make for your business.
Give Them a Peek Behind the Scenes
Do you usually just stick to posting messages geared towards clients, and advertisements, etc? Do you ever give your customers a look at what’s going on behind the scenes when it comes to your business? Halloween (and the weeks leading up to it) is an excellent time to do just that. Are you getting ready to go to a costume event? Snap some pictures or a short video of you and the staff and post it on your social media pages with a cute caption. It’ll make your customers feel like they’re closer to you, which is effective when it comes to marketing.
Give Something Away
Now, this technique is an amazing way to generate excitement and awareness around your brand any time of year. People love free stuff. Hell, it doesn’t even really matter what you’re giving away. If it’s free, they’ll want it. Still, that doesn’t mean you should just toss junk at them because the goal is to create positive experiences and word-of-mouth advertisements to entice more customers to come your way. It’s up to you what you choose to giveaway, it could be a gift card or some type of free service. But since we’re talking about marketing ideas for Halloween, making it something themed around the season would probably be your best bet.
Host a Contest
Hosting a costume contest is hands down one of the best ways to drive traffic to your door (either physical or digital.) If you don’t have a store, or you don’t want to host a live contest, you can always create a virtual event on your company’s social media pages. If a costume contest really doesn’t suit your business, you can always try a different type, like a “how many candy corns are in this container” contest, etc. In any case, make sure you continue to post about it leading up to the day of the event, and don’t forget to line up a prize that’s worth winning!
Hashtags are crucial to determining the number of views you receive on your posts, especially on a few of the social media platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest. Hashtagging your posts means that even people who aren’t following you will be able to find them. If someone heads to the search bar and types #yourhashtaghere, your post will pop up, and BOOM, you’ve got someone who’s genuinely interested in what you have to offer and now you have a new follower/customer. This month, it will allow for a ton of new eyes to discover your brand, simply by hashtagging content with things like #HalloweenSpecials, etc.
Post Themed Content all Month
Once fall is in the air, there’s really no turning back. Don’t just post one promo video at the beginning of the month and then return to posting generic things that have nothing to do with the season. Keep up the momentum all month long! Even better, strategize and schedule out your posts, or create a social media scavenger hunt that lasts throughout the weeks. Check out our 20 pack of editable Pinterest templates; just swap out the sample text, add seasonal photos, schedule, and repeat!
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Erika Sellmer is a plant-powered digital content specialist who’s passionate about veganism, content creation, and social media.
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