Whether you know it as All Saints’ Eve or Halloween, one thing’s for sure: it’s a $6.9 billion holiday. For small business owners, Halloween is more than candy and costumes; it’s a chance to boost your bottom line. So if you’re looking to cash in on the ghoulishness of this holiday, read on for some Halloween marketing ideas for small businesses.
1. Hold a Trick-or-Treat Event
Be sure you’ve got plenty of treats on hand this month for those who venture into your small business. While you can certainly keep costs down with a bag of Dum-Dums, you might do better to craft spooky goodie bags filled with treats for the little ones — and coupons for their parents.
2. Scare Up Some Customers
Getting customers through your door is half the battle, so spend a bit of time turning part of your small business into a haunt and spread the word via social media. (Hint: Post a picture to spark visitors’ interest.) Your decor doesn’t need to be fancy – some black crepe paper streamers, a strobe light or fog machine and a few fake spider webs can go a long way in drawing people inside.
3. Add Some Fall Festiveness to Your Small Business Website and Social Media Pages
This month, put a autumn spin on your social pages, blog posts and website. Post short ghost stories, give tips on costumes and offer scary-good discounts. You can encourage people to interact with your small business by hosting an online costume contest on your social media pages with a prize going to the photo with the most Likes or Favorites. Also consider using moving animations or spooky GIFs to liven up your small business website during the scare season. Just be sure to change them back on November 1 — Halloween themes are only cute until the holiday is over.
4. Partner with a Local Haunt
Everything is haunted this time of year: houses, hayrides, corn mazes, graveyards and more. Get in on the action by sponsoring one of your local spooky Halloween attractions. Sponsors generally get free or discounted tickets, which can then be used as giveaways on your small business website or social media pages. You may also be able to get a stack of coupons for the haunted location, which are great incentives for getting customers through your door.
5. Host a Harvest Festival
Not everyone participates in Halloween. And if you’re only marketing to those who do, you’re missing out on a piece of the pumpkin pie. Pick a weekend in late October and host a harvest festival complete with pumpkins, hot apple cider and plenty of hay bales. Advertise in advance on your social media pages and website to ensure a good turnout.
This October, don’t sit around waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive at your small business. Instead, get into the spirit of the season and put these spooktacular ideas to use. And if you need more monster marketing tips, drop Mischa Communications a line. Our team of ghosts and ghouls will be happy to help you scare up plenty of scream-worthy marketing ideas.