Halloween has become a major commercial holiday in the United States, with total spending expected to reach $10.6 billion in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation. This represents a figure surpassing the previous year’s record of $10.1 billion, with consumers planning to spend an average of $100 on candy, costumes, decorations, and more. Halloween now accounts for a significant portion of total annual holiday spending in the U.S.
in costumes. With spending on the rise, Halloween provides a major opportunity for brands and retailers to connect with consumers. By getting creative with marketing campaigns and promotions, businesses can capture a share of the Halloween spending pie.
Here are ten tips on how to make the most of Halloween marketing.
1. Start Early with Teaser Content
While Halloween itself takes place on October 31st, preparations and marketing efforts should kick off long before then. Brands that start teasing Halloween-related content in early September or even late August are much more likely to pique interest compared to waiting until October to begin campaigns.
Posting countdown content on social media, releasing Halloween-themed products in stages, gradually increasing themed marketing, and running early bird promotions are great ways to build anticipation and momentum. This makes customers aware of what is coming so they are primed and ready to engage as the holiday draws nearer.
2. Create Shareable Video Content
Video content with a fun, festive, or spooky theme tends to be widely shared on social media around Halloween. To ensure your videos are visually engaging and stand out, you might consider integrating high-quality Halloween stock photos into your video transitions and backgrounds or even as storyboarding tools. Consider creating a series of short videos showcasing your products being used in humorous Halloween scenarios. DIY costume or decoration tip videos also tend to gain traction.
You could even make a themed dance video featuring your brand mascot or employees performing popular moves in costume. Using songs, sounds, and visuals related to Halloween increases the chances of your video content going viral.
3. Highlight Seasonal Products
Consumers spend the most on candy, costumes, decorations, greeting cards, and party supplies for Halloween. Be sure to prominently promote relevant products like these on your website, in email campaigns, and in brick-and-mortar stores.
Create special displays and offer discounts to boost sales of seasonal items. Offering limited-edition product variants with Halloween branding and packaging is another way to generate buzz and excitement.
4. Get Creative with Email Marketing
Use Halloween-themed subject lines, imagery, content, and discounts in your email marketing campaigns. Send dedicated themed newsletters with DIY costume ideas, pumpkin carving tips, decoration inspiration, and more.
Promote sales on seasonal products and encourage sign-ups by offering free templates like pumpkin carving stencils or virtual pumpkin carving apps. Scheduling emails to hit inboxes in the weeks leading up to Halloween keeps your brand top of mind.
5. Sponsor Local Events
Look for opportunities to get your brand involved in community Halloween events like trunk-or-treats, costume contests, haunted houses, bar crawls, and more. You can set up a branded booth, provide giveaways, donate raffle prizes, or fully sponsor the event.
This raises brand awareness and goodwill while positioning your business as an engaged supporter of local happenings. It also provides a chance to interact directly with your target audience.
6. Run Halloween Contests and Giveaways
Contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes are an extremely engaging way to promote your brand around Halloween, both on social media and in brick-and-mortar stores. For example, have customers post photos of themselves in costumes featuring your product for a chance to win a gift card or prize pack.
In-store pumpkin carving contests, Halloween decoration Instagram contests, costume photo contests, and more can also encourage participation and user-generated content. Offer seasonally themed prizes like candy, gift cards, decor, and more.
7. Decorate Your Physical Store
Don’t neglect in-store displays, decorations, and themes to create a festive environment that gets customers into the Halloween spirit. Carve pumpkins to greet customers at the entrance, drape spiderwebs across storefronts, and hang bats, ghosts, and other decor from ceilings and walls.
Set up engaging themed product displays with signage calling attention to your seasonal promotions and sales. This makes the in-store experience more immersive, fun, and engaging for customers.
8. Partner with Other Local Businesses
Look for opportunities to partner with other local businesses on co-marketing Halloween promotions. For example, a restaurant could provide discounts on catering for Halloween parties while a liquor store offers specials on wine and beer.
Consider cross-promoting with other businesses through social media, email, flyers, in-store displays, and more. This will allow you to tap into new audiences from each other’s existing customer bases.
9. Optimize Your Website for Halloween Keywords
Update the on-page SEO of your website around Halloween by incorporating related keywords, themes, and long-tail key phrases. This includes terms like “Halloween costumes,” “Halloween decor,” “pumpkin carving,” “Halloween candy,” “adult Halloween costumes,” “family Halloween activities,” “Halloween party ideas,” etc.
You can also create a dedicated Halloween landing page showcasing all your seasonal products, content, and promotions in one place. Make this page easy to access from site navigation and link to it prominently.
10. Promote Halloween Safety
In addition to driving sales, also educate customers on safety during the Halloween season. Share tips like adding reflective tape to costumes, checking candy, using flashlights, avoiding dangerous decorations, and more. This shows your business cares about community well-being, not just profits, building goodwill.
Safety info can easily be shared via social posts, emails, in-store flyers, signage, blog posts, and FAQ pages. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a trusted resource.
Conclusion
Halloween brings a chance for retailers and brands to think creatively, develop festive marketing campaigns, and boost sales of seasonal products. By starting promotional efforts early, decorating stores, sponsoring events, optimizing online content, and more, businesses can fully leverage the lucrative Halloween season. Following these tips will help maximize returns from Halloween marketing.